Crosscut is a Dallas-based group with deep musical roots in the Bayou State. Swamp pop is their primary musical progenitor. The record’s producer, Jimmy Rogers, is a Baton Rouge native who has lived in Dallas since 1983.

The drummer’s great-grandparents who raised him, are also from B.R. In addition, Crosscut has played in the Baton Rouge/River Parishes region so often that the Capitol City musical press appears to have conferred honorary citizenship status upon them. About the group itself, the biggest question that arises is how come they’re not better known.

Why don’t they have a national audience? They deserve one. These guys—four of them plus a two-man horn section—can do it all. They can rock the house with happy, jumping, funky numbers or they can jerk tears out the strongest macho man with bluesy odes to lost love and the achy breaky hearts that accompany it. Jerry Sartain is a wizard on lead vocals and guitar, conjuring up the massive visage of Mountain’s Leslie West from the late ’60s/early ’70s. His voice is a cross between West’s and that of Bob Seeger and the guitar work is reminiscent of West’s style, as well. The closing solo on “This Heart of Mine” brought to mind West’s closing solo on “Theme From an Imaginary Western.”

There is a phenomenal eight-minute version of “Stormy Monday” that I would pit against anyone else’s version of this much-recorded classic. Sartain’s guitar explosions thankfully overshadow the timid harmonica playing of keyboardist Chuck Mabrey who shines everywhere else. The other abundantly talented musicians include Terry Vieregge on bass and background vocals, Lavell Jones on drums and percussion, and “The Legendary White Trash Horns” (Jon Smith on tenor sax and Steve Howard on trumpet).

Some of the other tracks are gospel-like and the closer is an accapella version of “Amazing Grace.” Crosscut is appropriately named, cutting across the grain of many musical genres.