Slingshot Professionals

2003 studio album by Kelly Joe Phelps

Slingshot Professionals

Studio album by

Kelly Joe Phelps

Released| 2003
Recorded| Phase 1 Studios in Toronto, Canada
The Factory in Vancouver, British Columbia
Flora in Seattle, WA
Genre| Blues, Americana, folk
Length| 51:47
Label| Rykodisc
Producer| Lee Townsend
Kelly Joe Phelps chronology
| Beggar's Oil
(2002)  | Slingshot Professionals
(2003)  | Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind
(2005)

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Slingshot Professionals is an album by American blues singer and guitarist Kelly Joe Phelps, released in 2003.

## History

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Slingshot Professionals was Phelps' first album with producer Lee Townsend. Phelps is joined by guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Keith Lowe on two tracks: "Not So Far to Go" and "Cardboard Box of Batteries," and the rest of the album features bassist Andrew Downing, as well as fiddler Jesse Zubot and guitarist Steve Dawson. Petra Haden (daughter of jazz musician Charlie Haden) whose album Townsend was producing at the time, harmonizes on one song.[1]

## Reception

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Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]
Uncut| [3]

Music critic Mark Allan wrote in his AllMusic review that the album was "well worth a listen".[2] Uncut wrote, "The transformation from revivalist bluesman to contemporary singer-songwriter, which began on 1999's Shine Eyed Mister Zen, continues apace on his fifth album. His songs are now mini stories, sans verse-chorus-bridge restraints, populated by seekers of truth and peddlers of dreams."[3]

## Track listing

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All songs written by Kelly Joe Phelps.

1. "Jericho" – 6:29
2. "Window Grin" – 3:50
3. "Slingshot Professionals" – 5:07
4. "Not So Far to Go" – 5:16
5. "It's James Now" – 4:22
6. "Waiting for Marty" – 5:05
7. "Knock Louder" – 4:24
8. "Cardboard Box of Batteries" – 5:18
9. "Circle Wars" – 7:05
10. "Rusting Gate" – 4:51

## Personnel

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* Kelly Joe Phelps – vocals, guitar, harmonica
* Andrew Downing – acoustic bass
* Steve Dawson – Weissenborn lap steel guitar
* Bill Frisell – electric guitar
* Chris Gestrin – organ, piano, accordion
* Scott Amendola – drums, percussion, talking drum
* Petra Haden – background vocals
* Keith Lowe – acoustic bass
* Jesse Zubot – mandolin, violin

Production notes:

* Produced by Lee Townsend.
* Engineered by Tucker Martine and Shawn Pierce.
* Edited and mixed by Shawn Pierce
* Assistant engineers - Sheldon Zaharko and Greg Kolchinsky
* Mastered by Greg Calbi
* Design by Chris Pew

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Goodman, Frank. "Interview with Kelly Joe Phelps". Puremusic. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
2. ^ a b Allan, Mark. "Slingshot Professionals > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
3. ^ a b "Slingshot Professionals > Review". Uncut. Retrieved December 6, 2010.

## External links

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* Discography at Kelly Joe Phelps official web site.

* v
* t
* e

Kelly Joe Phelps

Studio albums|

* Lead Me On (1994)
* Roll Away the Stone (1997)
* Shine Eyed Mister Zen (1999)
* Sky Like a Broken Clock (2001)
* Slingshot Professionals (2003)
* Tunesmith Retrofit (2006)
* Western Bell (2009)
* Magnetic Skyline (with Corinne West, 2010)
* Brother Sinner and the Whale (2012)

EPs|

* Beggar's Oil (2002)

Live albums|

* Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind (2005)

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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