CD Review
Artist: Scott Cook
Title: Long Way To Wander
Released: 2007 

4 Stars

Reviewed By: Kindah Mardam Bey

Scott Cook goes to show you what talent and a banjo can do; in fact he shows that a man with talent and a banjo can make far more beautiful music than something shiny and blitzy and over produced. Sometimes you want to wear dress up and other times you want to slip into something comfortable, Cook's album Long Way To Wander is the latter. 

Somewhat reminding me of Johnny Cash or Bob Dylan in style, but a deep lush vocal (did he play Baloo in Disney's The Jungle Book?) that makes a song a story every time. Aside from his voice, Cook's lyrics are beautifully constructed tracks of patchwork quilt stories within an entirely concrete and realist perspective. Cook is as memorable as Waylon Jennings, but without the country twang, even with instruments like banjos, harmonicas, hand drums, ukuleles and the like, Cook manages to keep his music away from the country category. What Cook's music can be defined as is undeniably genuine. 

Long Way To Wander is best set for a laidback day, when you decide to do nothing much and care very little about your lack of `productivity.` It is delightful to hear a distinct style from an album, particularly from someone who has just recently decided to follow the journey of his music with whole heart. Separating track by track accounts each song would be useless, because each song is unique but equally as caressing, soothing, and memorable as its predecessor.

On another level, the album casing itself is a Pandora's box of Scott Cook living, with thank yous set out for Bob Dylan, Noam Chomsky, Walt Whitman, and Martin Luther King Jr. Cook also writes in his liner notes that he would like to thank `every one who put me up for a night, gave me a lift, fed me, kissed me, told me a good story or sang me a good song. Every one who believes, despite the shit getting deeper year by year. These songs are for you. Press on continually, deepen your tolerance, broaden your compassion.` Such a beautiful sentiment, even for liner notes! You get a real sense of who this person is and what they believe in. Cook also recommends people to copy and pass on his CD with his website address. Long Way To Wander can be found at CDBaby, BullFrog Music and ITunes. 

Fish Jumpin
My Grandma
Guanyin
Keep Rollin
Worried Blues
When The Lights Go Down
The Bus Song
Moonlight Avenue
So Lonesome
Long Way To Wander
Wayside