Lone Prairie

Guitarist Corey Christiansen explores the rich melodic legacy of traditional American cowboy tunes, with a few of his originals, on Lone Prairie. Although Christiansen has an acclaimed past as a straight-ahead jazz guitarist and educator, he really is a stylistic chameleon with a blues-based foundation, authentic in a variety of settings. His use of chord melody and gliding lines on "Streets of Laredo" is as convincing as his rocked-out, sustained notes on "El Paso." Drummer Matt Jorgensen changes musical direction with just as much ease, providing a smooth ride on up-beat tunes such as "Dying Californian" and "Sittin' On Top of the World."