Folk music might be
best appreciated when one mingles among other folks. Veteran Milwaukee folkie Jym Mooney proves that point
on this collection of concert recordings from 1981 to 2009. Whether at The
Coffee House, on Wisconsin Public Radio's “SimplyFolk” or entertaining at a festival in Shawano, Mooney's amiable
ways connect with the folks in the audience. The broad, goofy wit of his funny
numbers may make the easiest connection, but Live testifies to his array of strengths. He can ply his genre's
tradition of singing mini-travelogues or deliver an unexpectedly poignant 9/11
memory with suitable sensitivity. Had he a mind to promote them to Nashville,
some of Mooney's love songs could even pass muster amid commercial country
music's glitz. If this album testifies to his heart, though, one could rightly
assume that Mooney is OK with the troubadour path he has traveled for more than
30 years now.
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