Big Time Woman - Who's Sorry Now - TB BLues - My Walking Stick - The Sweeper and the debutante - Why - He calls That Religion - Sweet Sue, Just You - Any Old Time - My Melancholy Baby - Maybe It's the Blues - Someday Sweetheart - Champagne Charlie - Diamonds Don't mean A Thing - This Hotel Room - Going Back To Tampa - She Ain't Rose - If We Should Never Meet Again (This Side of Heaven)

Billy Bratcher is well known for being th slappin' drivin' rythmic force behind the rockabilly/honky tonk band the Starline Rhythm Boys. He also toured with Wayne "the train" Hancock.
His debut solo album is a joyfull collection of music from the 20's and the 30's (or at least played in that style for three of them), drawing upon the same source than Leon redbone. His influence can be heard throughout the whole album, and Bratcher aknowledges it, but this album is very much his own. His arrangements are very good, and the band featuring saxophones, clarinet, trombone, cornet, piano, dobro, jug, bones and a Venuti-esque violin is simply perect. Bratcher proves to be asolid ragtime guitar player, but most of all that's his voice who wins the game. If we heard him sing harmonies and backing vocals with the Starline Rhythm Boys, little did we know that he had such a beautiful and warm voice.
With In the Lobby, you have the perfect album to relax and take it easy. So sit in your favourite armchair, pour yourself a drink, close your eyes and enjoy. Hey look! There's Dorothy Parker passing by, won't you buy her one too?

Available at Cow Island Music.

Fred "Virgil" Turgis