Steve Dawson – acoustic and slide guitars
Jesse Zubot – violin and mandolin
with:
Andrew Downing – bass
Eliot Polsky – drums and percussion
Chris Gestrin – Hammond B-3 and analog keyboards
with Special Guest:
Kelly Joe Phelps – vocals, acoustic guitar on “Hellhound On My Trail” and “May You Never”.
Produced by Lee Townsend
Recorded and Mixed at The Factory, Vancouver
Engineered by Shawn Pierce
Assisted by Sheldon Zaharko
Mastering by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound
True North Records
REVIEWS
“Legendary producer Lee Townsend is at the helm for this musical voyage by Vancouver vitruosos Jesse Zubot and Steve Dawson. Fusing elements of jazz, folk, Celtic, blues, rock, country, bluegrass and ethnic music, they have a knack for creating sophisticated yet light and airy compositions.”…. The Progress
“Zubot and Dawson’s elegant, good-humored roots music is often quite complex, and so well-played that you almost don’t notice the virtuosity with which these Vancouverites get around on a closet full of guitars, mandolins and dobros. The music is generally playful with texture to match. And Kelly Joe Phelps lends his guitar and crushed velvet vocals to two songs, including Robert Johnson’s Hellhound on My Trail.” …… The Toronto Globe and Mail
Jesse Zubot and Steve Dawson have become fixtures on the folk festival circuit through their modern take on acoustic music and blazing instrumentation. But do they have any songs? With this record, the pair seem to be moving beyond simply impressing other musicians, as each track has a distinct mood. What is most impressive is their diversity. They seem to effortlessly be able to tackle any style and make it interesting. This is obviously the way that “folk music” has been able to stay vital. But while many other artists’ experiments result in a convoluted mess, Zubot and Dawson’s grasp of their abilities allows a lot of soul to come across.” ….. Exclaim
“Zubot and Dawson have come a long way since their debut and the way their music is evolving, there is no end to their journey in sight. For Chicken Scratch, the two took a leap of faith by hiring an outside producer for the first time and the gamble clearly paid off. Granted the odds were on their side: producer Lee Townsend has supervised brilliant recordings by a variety of artists. The new disc shows that the eclectic fiddler and guitarist have grown in sonic sophistication and musical range.” ….. The Georgia Straight