Though he's since returned to his native Oregon, Mark Lemhouse leaves us with one of the year's best local blues releases, Big Lonesome Radio (Yellow Dog; Grade: A-) . Through his work with outfits like the Bluff City Backsliders and the Handy Three, Lemhouse proved to be an accomplished and tasteful talent, a sure competitor to Richard Johnston as best young, white blues player on the scene. And this solo debut brings that promise to fruition, with Lemhouse equally convincing whether blowing through the electric boogie of "What's the Matter with Papa's Little Angel Child" or snaking his way through an acoustic number like "Baby Sister Blues."

Accompanied by a cast of ubiquitous local players -- including Handy Three comrade Scott Bomar (who also produced the record) on bass and Backsliders Jason Freeman, Michael Graber, and Clint Wagner on banjo, mandolin, and violin, respectively -- Lemhouse takes the listener on a consistently reverent but playful journey through the blues tradition, mixing originals with interpretations of classics from the likes of Fred McDowell, Johnny Shines, Yank Rachell, and Charley Patton.

And Lemhouse branches out smartly from this blues base: giving Tom Waits' "No One Can Forgive Me But My Baby" the hill-country treatment while staying faithful to the rockabilly of Charlie Feathers' "One Hand Loose." Lemhouse shows even greater range on sharp originals, particularly the tango "Jealous Moon" and the waltz "Edwin's Lament."