I had the good fortune to be in the house on House Street for Almost Austin’s presentation of Colin Brooks after having seen the Quist and Jurdi show there a couple of months back. It was a blow when I first heard that this great co-op of talent had broken up, but thinking about it, this is quite likely the next step. The Heathens had been on a nonstop run of tours and performances and hadn’t had the time to really write and create new material. Both of these shows have left me with grand expectations from the former Heathens.

Colin Brooks warmed up the frets with the familiar “Hallelujah” , before rolling in to an acoustic set of new songs and some old ones from his now out of print solo records, “Chippin’ Away at the Promised Land” (2002) and “Blood and Water” (2005). “Show Me the Way” showed Colin’s broad vocal range over a jazz/pop guitar melody whose chords seemed to splash like raindrops on the pavement. Brooks switched to his steel resonator for the bluesy “Mexico” featuring mean Lowell George style slide and the pensive “Water in the Sky”. Then it was back to the acoustic for “Heavy Load” (a tribute to his trucking Uncle Bill) and “Gravity”, before the intermission.

After the break, it was back to the resonator with a sure fingered slide and a low key blues growl rolling into “Blood in the Water” followed by the highly suggestive “Cornbread” which Brooks dressed up in an acoustic funk sound that really brought the song down home. It was back to the acoustic for his new song “Just Want to Lay in Your Arms Tonight” which traveled on blues/jazz phrasing reminiscent of Les Paul and Chet Atkins.

Then it was the title track from his first album “Chippin’” where Colin seemed to squeeze the soul out of the guitar like Jimi Hendrix would do on his more subdued acoustic work. After solo versions of “All Your Love” and “Hanging Tree” Mr. Brooks saddled up the lap steel guitar for his version of Townes Van Zandt’s “If I Needed You” followed by a resounding lap steel instrumental. Colin finished off the show with acoustic versions of “Jenny Was a Keeper” and “Somebody Tell the Truth”.

Generally, the artists spend intermission and some time after the show at Almost Austin talking to the patrons and hawking their CD’s and T shirts. Colin Brooks spent the time talking with the folks, but at this early time of the next phase of his career he’s got no wares to hawk. Brooks is a double threat, moving into the future, as a great singer/songwriter and a guitarist that would be an asset to any artists recording session. I’m looking forward to his next appearance at this venue and I’ll be first in line to pick up a copy of his new recordings when he brings them.