May 1997

Dave Hole
Ticket to Chicago
Alligator Records

By Bill Milkowski

Aussie slide sensation Dave Hole flaunts more fretboard flash on Ticket To Chicago (Alligator AL 4878), slashing and burning his way through a set of raucous bar band originals with a crew of Chicago's finest session men. The guy's slide technique is really astounding, coming more out of Johnny Winter than Elmore James. He also impresses with some serious Delta styled acoustic playing on "Empty Train." Unfortunately, I can't take his Dudley Dooright vocals as seriously.