Jerry Peterson

Location: R.A. Fountain

Our promo for this show:

Jerry Peterson, a singer-songwriter based in Northern Wisconsin, visits Fountain on Thursday night for a concert of original folk and American roots music. Peterson is touring throughout the eastern United States in support of his recently released debut CD, Deep into the Woods, which one reviewer called “as listener friendly as it gets — a nicely arranged CD of Americana folk accompanied by some well placed jazz licks.”

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CD Review: Jerry Peterson’s Deep into the Woods
by Willie Painter

Jerry Peterson is a singer/songwriter from Butternut, Wisconsin. Yeah, I know; I had to look it up. It’s way up there between the Michigan and Minnesota borders, with Lake Superior a few miles to the north. Evidently there is still plenty of forest land up that way, because that’s what the songs on this CD of all original material talk about. Peterson has an engaging baritone voice and plays most of the instruments, save percussion, himself.

The title cut is an uptempo tune with sprightly harmonica and conga drums fleshing out the rhythm. “Out At The Cabin” has a more languid feel, thanks to the dark slide guitar that meanders around the melody. “A Family” brings to mind Steve Earle’s picking style, while “Camper Made For Two” swings, moving easily through a variation of a basic blues vamp.

It’s on “Another Day” that Peterson turns more introspective:

We all get hurt along the way
Some skies are blue, some skies are gray
We move along without delay
‘Cause after all it’s just another day

“Wings” is touching, a father’s heartfelt message, delivered without irony, while “Candy Store Girl” gets rocking thanks to the electric guitar of Ben Masterson in a minor chord progression.This is a well produced album that should entertain folk/Americana fans.

Jerry Peterson performs at R.A. Fountain, General Store & Internet Cafe on April 13; he will also be performing in Wilmington and Carrboro during April.

About the reviewer: Guitarist Willie Painter, who has lived in Durham for a decade, wrote a regular music column for the Urban Hiker for five years.

A native of Dallas, Texas, he has performed with several Triangle-based bands, including the Real Gone Cats, the Boomers, the Pigz Brothers, and with Lightnin’ Wells, Mike Hamer, and many others. Currently he fronts the Willie Painter Band, with Craig Dittmar on bass and vocals and John Hanks on drums and vocals, both of whom he has played music with since high school.

[review reprinted from April 4 issue of Fountain Express]

Tags: acoustic Americana, Concert, original