Burning Blue by Jim Barbaro
Reviewer: Jane Ellen

Jim Barbaro's second solo effort takes a softer and more introspective approach, allowing his unique vocal and guitar stylings to be showcased in a more intimate way. An eclectic album, Burning Blue has overtones of flamenco, classical, country, reggae, and jazz, while throwing in a throbbing backbeat bluesy torch song for good measure. Jay Ungar of Ashokan Farewell fame adds tasty mandolin and fiddle licks on "Over Here" and "The Heart of the World," which is an unexpected folk-styled treasure. Favorite picks on any given day are: "Over Here," "See You in My Dreams," "Bye Bye Moon," and "Empty Eyes" (which bookends the disc, in both vocal and instrumental formats).