Dave Alvin, Lucinda Williams, Jim Lauderdale: Man of Somebody’s Dreams: A Tribute to Chris Gaffney

The ever-reliable Yep Roc Records has issued a tribute to Chris Gaffney called Man of Somebody's Dreams. Gaffney passed away a little more than a year ago, in April of 2008. During his bewilderingly radar-evading career, he created a series of consistently great records (both with his own band, The Cold Hard Facts, and with The Hacienda Brothers) that went largely ignored. Nevertheless, he was an artist's artist, and his music found fans among the elite in roots-rock and Americana performers, including Dave Alvin, Lucinda Williams and Jim Lauderdale.

Man of Somebody's Dreams is a perfectly rendered and joyous homage to the late, great singer/songwriter. The quality of the songs, performances, and production is incredibly uplifting, even if the album is a crushing reminder that Gaffney is gone. The range of contributing artists is a testament to the esteem in which Gaffney was held by his peers: Joe Ely, Los Lobos, Dave Alvin, Peter Case, Calexico, The Texas Tornados, Alejandro Escovedo, John Doe, and many others appear on the record. A flawless acknowledgement of Gaffney's influence and talent.