Album Notes

Jim Boyd(guitars, vocals, harmonicas, cedar flute) from the Colville Indian Reservation teamed up with Alfonso Kolb (percussion) from the Rincon Reservation for a live recording of a concert held on November 15, 2001 at the Met in Spokane, Washington.

This recording includes 15 songs written by Jim Boyd of previously released and new material.

This is Boyd's sixth release, but first live cd.

REVIEW: By Aaron Bragg, The Local Planet, published 2/28/02

Jim Boyd with Alfonso Kolb
LIVE AT THE MET
Thunderwolf Records

There are few Truths in the arts world--the sort of philosophic maxims that simply cannot be denied. One of these is that real musicians tend to shine in a live setting. In fact, there are those whose live performances often eclipse what are otherwise outstanding studio albums. Jim Boyd is one of those artists.

LIVE AT THE MET, which partners Boyd with Alfonso Kolb on percussion, captures on plastic a pretty good-sized chunk of a November 2001 concert. In an appearance that was as much self-depreciating as it was brilliant, Boyd was equal parts singer/songwriter and reluctant activist--an endearing combination that takes the edge off for nervous white folks.

For those for whom it matters, Boyd is considered a practitioner of the Native American Contemporary genre, mostly because he's an Indian who plays music that isn't exactly traditional (though his turn on cedar flute for "Quest" leaves no doubt that his "traditional" chops are equally honed). Indeed, a more accurate description might be Indian-influenced acoustic folk-rock with a hint of blues and transcendent spirituality, which is why it's uninitiated a glimpse into Boyd's recording career, and fans something of a stripped-down, bare-bones "Greatest Hits" collection. LIVE AT THE MET is Jim Boyd as he should be heard.