Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza (2018)

"Delivered swiftly after his 2018 breakthrough Lonesome as a Shadow, Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza is a companion of sorts to Charley Crockett's 2017 Honky Tonk Jubilee. Like that record, this is a collection of covers knocked out quickly by Crockett and a crackerjack support band, but it differs in a significant way. Crockett has a flexible definition of the blues, one that encompasses old George Jones songs, Tom T. Hall, and Danny O'Keefe, in addition to T-Bone Walker and Jimmy Reed. This eclectic songbook indicates that Crockett sees no border separating the great American roots styles, and what's striking about Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza is how the performances illustrate this more than the track listing. Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza swings and cooks, finding an elusive place between Western swing and funky Southern soul. And that's the appeal of Lil G.L.'s Blue Bonanza: it sounds like the best Tuesday night gig you've ever stumbled upon." (AllMusic)