Search - Richard Bennett :: Long Lonesome Time

In the liner notes to this CD, Rebel Records points out the similarity of Bennett to master flatpick guitarist Tony Rice. Unfortunately, Bennett suffers from the comparison, coming off instead as an uncomfortable clone of Rice. Assimilating an influence can be beneficial to an artist, but Bennett's flatpicking style mirrors Rice--though without turning corners as artfully--and his rhythm chops fall just where Rice has put his signature for years. And when Bennett sings "On this old rock pile..." from the Jimmie Skinner tune "Doin' My Time," it imitates, rather than honors the earlier Rice version, down to the merest vocal inflection. Bennett, a deft picker and listenable singer, could be a fine artist in his own right, but he must find his own path. --Brian Hollander