otis Gibbs, “sons and daughters,
from: “Hoosier National,” 2020
Otis Gibbs belongs to a minority of artists whose paintings and drawings adorn the covers of their records. If you analyze the line work above on his “Hoosier National” record, you might find that it bridges the chasm between the abstract and a bale of hay. Or even is faintly reminiscent of Ray Bolger, the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz. Could be because he’s from Indiana and composed the songs employing the sonics of an old Les Paul guitar. Either way I really don’t know what “Sons and Daughters” is about, but I sure like the feel of it. Is it for a friend who died? Vague portrait of Jesus? An admonitional lament? Instructions for finding how to unravel a puzzle put in motion by the smoky transitions of time? Don’t know. Otis Gibbs is a songsmithy!
