Garrett & Westcott are Reggie Garrett and Gary Westcott, based in Seattle, U.S.A. Reggie Garrett is also known as the leader and vocalist of Reggie Garrett and the Snake Oil Peddlers. Working as a duo with Gary Westcott adds a different dimension to his music. On this album they perform their own songs mixed in with some traditional ballads and contemporary folk or new country songs. Reggie takes the lead vocals and plays guitar. Multi-instrumentalist Gary Westcott plays acoustic lead guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, electric guitar and backing vocals. They also have Dave Paterson on bass and Will Dowd on drums and percussion to fill out the sound.
The first thing that struck me when I put the album on to play, was how much Reggie Garrett sounded like Labi Sifri. A kind of soft marshmallow voice, very distinctive. However, the first track and title song for the album 'Kates Front Porch' seemed a bit weak and not a good song to start the album with. The next song 'Vagabond Moon ' would have been a better choice. From here on the album flows quite well with some Blues, Latin, Jazz, Gospel and Country music rhythms.
Gary Westcott puts in some fine guitar and mandolin breaks but I got the feeling he may be happier playing in a jazz, rock or blues band after listening their version of Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower'. He contributes some great guitar but Reggie's voice is too lightweight and smooth for my taste. I found myself wishing Gary Westcott had taken lead vocal on more than one track, just to give the album a bit more variety. He does an excellent job on 'Dry River ' which proves he can sing very well. As a bonus there are 12 songs on the play list but if you let the last track run on after a silent period of about 35 seconds, you will find a hidden track. This is an alternative version of 'Move On' with a modern Jazz arrangement with Reggie singing to a bass line in a very lounge lizard voice.
To sum up I would say these are two excellent musicians. Reggie sings well, but none of the songs on the album are outstanding or groundbreaking. Although it is well recorded and makes pleasant listening, it does not make a statement. Reggie has written 5 of the 12 songs but they lack that invisible edge that would make them stand out. I put the album on at a party at my home and to my surprise nobody remarked and asked who it was! This leads me to the conclusion it is fine for background music in a restaurant or coffee shop.
