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While some critics called it a career peak, Chris Smither called his latest record Small Revelations.
They both had a point. After nearly eight albums, this unassuming blues-lifer and esteemed "musician's musician" has hardly looked up from his acoustic guitar to notice that he's hit his stride.
"Beware of cheap imitations," he sings on the disc's title track. "Thankful for small revelations."
"The only thing that's happened in the last two years has been a lot of growth in this Americana format on the radio," says the New Orleans-bred, Massachusetts-based Smither, who plays Reverb Thursday. "In the States, it's replaced the adult-contemporary, triple-A radio as a niche for roots music, and created more room for it in the process. Triple-A can concentrate on Sheryl Crow now."
The changes have afforded Smither his first hits. Small Revelations scratched the Americana Top Ten last year, while his previous album, Up On The Lowdown, peaked at No. 4.
"I'm perfectly happy with these new categories," he says, laughing. "As long as I don't have to come up with them."
For his part, Smither's never been tied to a single style. On Small Revelations, he weaves his acoustic guitar through country-folk originals and charged blues covers, like his version of Robert Johnson's Dust My Broom.
"That's one of the original rock 'n' roll songs," Smither enthuses. "Rock 'n' roll came out of songs like that, and it shows."
Still, even with props from blues names like Dr. John, John Mayall, and Bonnie Raitt -- who had a hit with Smither's Love You Like A Man and once called him "My Eric Clapton" -- he's noncommital about his influence.
"I don't think of myself as a blues figure," he says. "I think of myself as a singer-songwriter with no particular affiliation. On the one hand it's nice, because it makes you an individual. On the other hand, it can be commercial death.
"There's even some country stuff on the new record. In fact, there are some country songs that I wish some country artists would cover. Make me some money!
"But," he adds, "Nashville is full of hundreds and hundreds of songwriters pitching songs."
Smither always has his one-man road show to keep him busy in the meantime.
Despite his sneaky inclusion of Brownie McGhee's Sportin' Life on Small Revelations -- the tune hints that it might be time to settle down -- Smither has no plans to cut back on his 150-date-a-year touring schedule.
"I've been at home for too long as it is and I'm dying to get back out," he says. "I make the records so I can get out there and perform.
"It's not a hardship for me. The whole idea is to get out in front of people. Maybe that's just my egomania coming out, but I like to get up on stage and say, 'Take my trip for an hour and watch what happens.'
"We do, and we usually have fun."
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