Toy Caldwell - Can't You See (CD)

All Music Guide

Many a guitar player, knowing he might never live to 50, could go a lot more willingly knowing they'd left behind a concert disc like this on which their memory might rest. Cut at Shooters in Spartanburg, SC in May 1992, this concert features Caldwell playing soaring solos (ably supported by Pic Peters on slide and rhythm) and singing full-out on every song, including a bunch of old classics ("Heard It In a Love Song," "Searchin' for a Rainbow," "Can't You See," "Ab's Song"), and a blues standard ("Milk Cow Blues") or two, along with some newer stuff ("Mexico"), which gave him a chance to play some classical guitar riffs on his electric axe. Maybe you'd rather hear his old band doing "24 Hours at a Time" (clocking in at 13 minutes, here, incidentally, without a wasted note), but Caldwell's singing is pretty expressive in its own right, and this is a pretty good band -- they not only keep up, but Kenny Smith even provides some pleasing flourishes on the keyboards. The live set is rounde...d out with two 1990 studio tracks, including a hard-rocking instrumental cover of "High Noon." - Bruce Eder, All Music Guide Read more Less