“. . . Quietly wonderful . . . the album is one of those labors of love that isn’t just good, or a warm, sentimental send-off—it is unabashedly great and deserves your hearing.” – Dave DiMartino, RollingStone.com “The shadow of mortality hangs delicately over Jesse Winchester’s A Reasonable Amount of Trouble . . . The songs have the gentle country lilt he perfected, sometimes going for swing or boogie, often easing into a cozy ballad. There’s a little extra huskiness in his maple-cured tenor, but no sense of strain or disappointment; he’s leisurely, thoughtful, amiable as always. Yet in their self-effacing way, his last songs reach deeper. . . The wry wistfulness of Mr. Winchester’s final statement is more moving than any self-pity could be.” – Jon Pareles, Sunday New York Times
“. . . Superb . . . . ‘All That We Have Is Now” sets the tone for a casually stately blend of happy-go-lucky tracks that build to the Little Feat-ish ‘Never Forget to Boogie’ and the mock-bravado of ‘Don’t Be Shy.’ . . . [Jesse] leaves us with the stunning gospel original ‘Just so Much,’ taking us through a whole gamut of emotions on this proud climax to a great career.” – Steve Morse, Boston Globe “A Reasonable Amount of Trouble would have been just as impressive even if it wasn’t Winchester’s last studio effort. Producer (and longtime Buffett associate) Mac McAnally creates an open sound, enhanced by a sparse backing band that emphasizes Winchester’s lovely melodies, reserved voice and sharply tuned lyrics. . . Winchester won’t be recording any more music, but he has left us with plenty of classics and undiscovered gems with this final one a wonderful example of his humble yet impressive gifts. (4 out of 5 stars)” – Hal Horowitz, American Songwriter “. . . Guileless love songs (‘Don’t Be Shy’), wry exhortations of his insistence on engaging with life (‘Never Forget to Boogie’) and melancholy odes to the most civilized of partings (‘Ghosts’), all sung in that liquid and smokey honeysuckle voice revealing his upbringing in Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. (3 stars out of four)” – Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times “Jesse Winchester’s honeyed voice and smart wit may be stilled now, but his songs, a life’s work, remains a beacon of sense and sensibility in a world sadly lacking in those very qualities. A Reasonable Amount of Trouble is a wonderful and eloquent farewell. Rest easy, Jesse.” – Michael Tearson, Sing Out!
“. . . A gentle collection of playful songs about love, memory and gratitude that amounts to one of the most moving, triumphant albums of Winchester’s 45 year career.” – Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone Country “Who would have guessed such dour packaging would contain such a joyous album? With loving production from Mac McAnally, A Reasonable Amount of Trouble truly celebrates Winchester’s talent. . . . Closing out the album is ‘Just So Much,’ a touching reflection on mortality and the most truthful song you’ll ever hear. Stunning.” – Ken Paulson, No Depression “Each of the songs . . . is yet another reminder of how perfect a songwriter Winchester was. . . [His] final album ends with ‘Just So Much,’ a beautiful and deeply affecting reflection on faith in God, on love, and on coming to terms with approaching death. A sad but perfect finale to a brilliant songwriting career. Winchester’s catalogue includes more than a few albums that will remain timeless classics. A Reasonable Amount of Trouble takes its place among his finest work. (4.5 stars out of 5)” – Mike Regenstreif, Montreal Gazette “. . . the tone of A Reasonable Amount of Trouble is one of a man enjoying himself as he makes an album he never expected he’d be able to record. It’s mindful of the past but stands happily in the present, and this release doesn’t mourn the loss of a gifted songwriter and vocalist so much as it celebrates the joy he found in his music, and this album will bring a smile to anyone who loved Jesse Winchester’s music.” – Mark Deming, AllMusic
“For someone who never really scaled the highest cliffs of public awareness, no one was ever better than Jesse Winchester. He had a songwriting genius that never left him, right up to this album. . . New originals like ‘All That We Have is Now,’ ‘Ghosts’ and ‘Just So Much’ are as fine as anything he did, and leave a legacy that will last way beyond this world. That’s the touch he likes, and we love.” – Bill Bentley, The Morton Report “A poignant album . . . a fitting conclusion to [Winchester’s] career as it combines a stoicism with a sense of celebration. (Four stars)” – David Bowling, Cashbox “. . . This is one album that really deserves an audience much wider than Winchester enjoyed during his lifetime. It’s a collection full of melody, wisdom, restrained musicianship, and a raspy tenor voice that will, as many have noted, be sadly missed.” – Wesley Britton, Blogcritics (syndicated) “One of the greats to the end and beyond, this is a must addition to any well rounded singer/songwriter collection where the curation is fueled by excellence. For lack of a better cliché, this is killer stuff.” – Chris Spector, Midwest Record “. . . Few artists have fashioned a final testament as generous, as warm-hearted, as amusing, as insightful and, not least of all, as everlastingly beautiful as this one will surely be judged in our time ahead. . . . Everything is right about this record. . . . Lovely as his melodies are, graceful as his phrasing is, elegant and understated as the arrangements are, Jesse’s lyrics are no less than they’ve always been, which is to say poetic and wise, centered always on living in the moment, and accepting each moment with a truly spiritual sense of its evanescence, of the fleeting blessing of what’s been handed to us right then and there, no matter the nature of the experience at hand.” – David McGee, Deeper Roots “. . . Winchester’s posthumous release A Reasonable Amount of Trouble finds him celebrating his life, this world and every little pleasure. . . . [A] ringing reminder of his ability to inspire, in good times and those decidedly worse.” – Nick Deriso, Something Else “[Jesse] was among the first the first American artists to blur the line between author, poet, lyricist, and storyteller in a way that helped to create a new form of songwriting that embraced both the troubadour and the philosopher, all wrapped up the fine vintage wine of his tenor voice. It all emerged from this Southern gentleman's soul. . . . With this album, Winchester has done the ultimate work of an artist, opening his heart and capturing his vital hold on the final moments of his life in song.” – Terry Roland, No Depression “Consider it a celebration of life - we should all be happy for this kind of legacy!” – Folk Alley Chat “. . . A Reasonable Amount of Trouble is the work of a man who celebrated and embraced life until the very end. Highlights abound, including originals ‘All That We Have Now,’ ‘Neither Here Nor There,’ ‘Never Forget to Boogie,’ ‘Don’t Be Shy’ and gut-wrenching closer ‘Just So Much.’ Among the cover tunes, ‘Rhythm of the Rain’ and ‘Devil or Angel’ are the ones you’ll remember. Jesse Winchester will be missed. (4 stars out of 5)” – Jeffrey Sisk, Pittsburgh In Tune “There’s a nice musical variety here, from the fitting Cajun touches to ‘A Little Louisiana’ to the sparkling lead guitar on the breezy ‘She Makes It Easy Now’ and ‘Never Forget To Boogie’ and the organ-filled, gently reflective album closer ‘Just So Much”. . . As ever, it is Winchester's warm and airy tenor and well-crafted tunes that take centrestage. . . This is another worthy addition to a wonderful discography from a genuine roots music hero.” – Kerry Doole, EXCLAIM “There is honesty in Jesse’s music . . . A Reasonable Amount of Trouble is optimistic and loving and dwells on the simple pleasures of a life led. There is love and affection, the hankering to dance forever and the understanding of peace at the end of the day. . . This could be one of the most essential songwriter albums of 2014.” – Matthew Boulter, Americana UK “Winchester’s voice is a grey line between himself and the air. The instruments don’t sit behind the voice as much as they mix with it. It’s refreshing and no small feat given Winchester’s leaf-on-the-wind vocal approach to delivering a lyric. Winchester had dramatic sense of melody and knew when to whisper and when to start a fire. . . The album closes with ‘Just So Much.’ ‘There is just so much that the Lord can do.’ The last verse is an unflinching final testament to a writer, thinker, and musician.” – Joe Boone, Memphis Flyer
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