GET ONBOARD - ERIC BIBB
After 2007’s “Diamond Days,” a personal high-water mark for veteran Eric Bibb, “Get Onboard” offers further proof that he is working at an extremely high level of artistry. Several tunes, including “If Our Heart Ain’t in It,” “Stayed on Freedom” and “God’s Kingdom,” conflate folk, blues and gospel in a way that’s uniquely Bibb. He has penned a splendid duet, “Conversation,” which he performs with Ruthie Foster, and a thoroughly catchy love song, “Pockets.” But the most memorable track is “River Blues” — there’s an amazing resonance between Bibb’s vocal and the graceful, minimalist arrangement, both of which serve to deepen the lyrics’ melancholy vibe.
