by Bruce EderGuitarist/singer/composer Dusty Wright occupies an odd niche in music, based on the range of his work, which encompasses everything from Byrds-like psychedelic folk excursions to dense, dark-toned mood pieces that recall the John Cale era in the Velvet Underground's history. Indeed, listening to a series of his recordings at once, one gets the impression of "Michael Nesmith At Max's Kansas City" with a young (pre-acid casualty) Syd Barrett sitting in. Raised and educated in Akron, Ohio, with a B.A. in Fine Arts, no less, he moved through bands such as the Trolls and went on to found the Bastards of Execution. Two more bands, the Dusty Diamonds and the Wright Brothers, followed, before Wright went solo. It was there that he found his own voice (or voices), which encompassed elements of musical Americana ranging from Jimmie Rodgers to Nesmith's cosmic country experiments. Wright has written anthems to popular sports ("Baseball (America's Game)") and organized such roots rock and country bands as the Bush Hogs and the Concrete Canyon Cowboys, and also plunged into artier straits with GIANTfingers, a chamber-folk quartet that recall the early Velvet Underground. Wright's concept album Dust! is an astounding achievement, sort of like a drug experience only better, managing to coherently (and wittily and charmingly) journey across country, blues, psychedelic, and space-rock sound-scapes.