March 7, 2019
As one of the key voices of Schoolhouse Rock, Bob Dorough acquired many fans, but no one ever knew his name. Even after the series ended, he was reluctant to pursue a full-fledged recording career, which made 1997’s Right on My Way Home — an album he recorded when he was 73 — something of an event. It was one of the rare occasions that Dorough was able to demonstrate the depth and range of his talent. Like Mose Allison, he has a friendly, idiosyncratic variation on bluesy scat and bop that sounds equally at home on standards (“Moon River,” “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most”) or originals (“I Get the Neck of the Chicken,” “Something for Sidney,” “Up Jumped a Bird”). Some tastes might Dorough find a bit too cutesy, yet there’s no denying that he can make a song his own, and Right on My Way Home is one of the best proofs of that statement. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
