Classic Gib Guilbeau (1968-1986)

Along with Gram Parsons, the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Nashville West, Michael Nesmith and the Everly Brothers, fiddle player extraordinaire Gib Guilbeau was a pivotal player in the burgeoning country-rock sound of the late ‘60s. He played with Clarence White and Gene Parsons in Nashville West before joining the obscure Cajun-tinged Swampwater and then a later version of the Flying Burrito Brothers. Guilbeau’s own “She’s Got a Honky Tonk Heart” is a bouncy little ditty that opens with rustic roadhouse twang as he duets with Mel Tillis – a rare treat for country music fans. “I Ain’t Worth the Power” downshifts with a lovelorn ballad that bends the heart strings like a pedal steel, while some of Clarence White’s best B-Bending ever put to tape can be heard on “Home of the Blues.” While Guilbeau’s version of Dan Penn’s “Lodi” isn’t as awesome as Creedence Clearwater Revival’s, the chemistry shared by him, White and Gene Parsons is still nothing short of amazing – especially on the breakdown. The collection ends with 1986’s “Careless Love” where Guilbeau performs with his son Ronnie.