In many ways, Steve has always been a Cosmic Cowboy, never fitting into any particular musical category. Over the last 40 plus years of being a songwriter, bandleader and record producer he has played on many albums and performed thousands of live shows. Cosmic Cowboy is Steve's 6th solo album album since 2000 and in his opinion, the truest to his musical soul. Featuring 5 new original songs and co-writes and some favourite covers, some of which go back to his formative years in the 70's as a young performer. Here's a nice review: Cosmic Cowboy - Steve Goldberger (Shed Records) The Niagara Region certainly has its fair share of great musical talent, actually more than its fair share, but there are a few artists who have quietly been going about their business for years, that sort of are a bit off the radar, but really are the true gems. One such artist is bassist and singer Steve Goldberger. For many years Steve and his group of musician friends, "The Niagara Rhythm Section," had a weekend residency at the Anchorage Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake. When that closed down they moved their shows to The Old Winery Restaurant on Niagara Stone Road, and every Friday and Saturday night you can find them jamming out with a rotating series of guests. The shows are always top-notch and highly entertaining. Now his backing group is "The Old Winos" on Fridays, but still "The Niagara Rhythm Section" on Saturdays. Over the years Steve has recorded several albums which feature a mixture of original and cover songs, and "Cosmic Cowboy" is his latest release. As with his live shows, the album features a who's who of top local talent, including Jesse Cobb, Jim Casson, Penner and Andrew MacKay, Steve Grisbrook, Tim Hicks and Serena Pryne, amongst many others. Steve's vocal style is laid-back and slightly reminiscent of Bruce Cockburn, and the choice of songs is eclectic, but leans towards a rootsy singer-songwriter and country rock style. The album features covers of Nanci Griffith ("I Wish It Would Rain"), Michael Martin Murphy ("Cosmic Cowboy - Part 1", "Backslider's Wine"), Rodney Crowell ("Ashes By Now"), Laura Nyro ("And When I Die"), and the traditional standard, "Katie Did." As good as these songs are, I think Steve's talent shines brightest on his own songs. "Old Things (As Now I've Become One)" revives the spirit of Little Feat, with its bouncy rhythms, flourishes of Dixieland horns, and amusing lyrics about an obsession with garage sales and flea markets. "The Day After You" is definitely one of this album's standout tracks, with its lyrics about happily surviving a broken relationship, and featuring guest vocals from Tim Hicks. "The City Waits For Her" tells the story of a young small town girl, who wants to move to the excitement of the big city of Toronto, and features vocals by Serena Pryne. The album closes out with "It's Not Funny," which has a smooth R&B sound, and wry lyrics typical of Steve's songwriting. This is just a great record to cruise to in the car, and if you ever get bored on a Friday or Saturday night, take the short drive down to The Old Winery to see Steve perform with his excellent band. The restaurant also serves up the best pizza I've ever tasted, and the prices are all extremely reasonable. To find out more about Steve, and to get on his mailing list for upcoming shows, please visit stevegoldberger.com By Marty Murray