|
|
1.
|
Salty Dog (traditional/J. Hurt/G.
Davis) |
|
2.
|
Easy Rider (B. Andrews) - listen
to full song |
|
3.
|
Last Fair Deal Goin'
Down (R. Johnson) - listen
to sample |
|
4.
|
Death Has No Mercy In This Land
(traditional/G. Davis) |
|
5.
|
Ride Till I Die (traditional.J.
L. Hooker) |
|
6.
|
Make Me Down A Pallet
(traditional/J. Hurt) |
|
7.
|
Black Betty (H. Ledbetter)
- listen
to sample |
|
8.
|
Stagolee (traditional/J.
Hurt) |
|
9.
|
Sweet Home Kokomo (K.
Arnold) |
|
10.
|
Silver City Bound (H.
Ledbetter) |
|
11.
|
Long Tall Momma (W.
Broonzy) |
|
12.
|
See See Rider (traditional) |
|
13.
|
Diddy Wa Diddy (A. Blake) |
Blues Review:
reviewed by Robert Fontenot
The fact that one of the best acoustic blues albums of the year
comes from three white boys from Maryland might surprise you –
that is, until you realize that it’s the return of the Blue
Rider Trio, who kicked up a lot of shit out of nowhere with their
1992 release Preachin’ the Blues and then cruelly
disappeared back into their main gigs, leaving us sick with need.
Now everyone’s gonna get well, because they’re back,
and what was not broken has not been fixed. Harp, Steel and
Guts is the second round of acoustic boilermakers you were
ordering, with guitarist/vocalist Ben Andrews, harp wailer Mark
Wenner (The Nighthawks) and bassist Jeff Sarli (Big Joe &
The Dynaflows) serving up the same mixture of jazzy, dark-around-the-edges
folk-blues choogle as last time. The differences that do exist
are: no Blind WillieMcTell, a little less Robert Johnson and a
little more Leadbelly. The good news, besides the trio’s
continuing musical evolution, is the sonic purity of the recording;
it’s the same hear-yourself-think purity that had audiophiles
drooling in ’92.
You’ve never heard ‘em? No problem. You’re gonna
hear a lot of classic-rock touchstone blues riffs (Johnson’s
“Last Fair Deal Gone Down” and Andrew’s impressive
original “Easy Rider”), some jazzy, traditional cakewalks
straight off the streetcorner (“Salty Dog,” “Ride
Till I Die,” Leadbelly’s “Silver City Bound”)
and a little serious rustic apocalyptrica (a stunning “Death
Have No Mercy in This Land,” taken from the pages of American
history and filtered through the Rev. Gary Davis). It’s all
shockingly authentic, despite the reverence. These white boys
ain’t interested in framing roots traditions, or updating
them, or even re-creating them. They simply want to live
them again, to breathe life into the common clay of ancient blues
and make it walk and talk. That they do with the necromancy of
wizards.
July/August 2001
Absolute Sound:
reviewed by Neil Gader
Just for fun, the next time you’re passing
a musical instrument store (I worked my way through college
in one), go in and see if someone will blow a harmonica in your
face, or strum a few licks on an acoustic guitar or play a little
slide on a National steel. Then amble into the drum room, ask
for a stick and give a snare drum a really good, hard smack.
Or two, or three. It’s a great reminder what transient
speed and dynamics are all about.
This is what Mapleshade Records has always been
about. Recorded through producer/engineer Pierre Sprey’s
ultra-low-mass pressure-zone microphones, Guts was mastered
live on two-track analog with digital conversion via a custom
analog-to-digital sampling at 2,823k per second. The result
is a recording of electrifying immediacy that rivals work from
the direct-to-disc workshops of another era (recently reincarnated
by Acoustic Sounds and Groove Note), but without the artistic
constipation that accompanied those sessions. This trio just
sits down and wails through a variety of folk and blues classics
as if they were playing for friends.
The Blue Rider Trio are Ben Andrews on guitar
(both acoustic and National steel) and vocals, Mark Wenner on
harmonica, and Jeff Sarli on acoustic bass. Andrew’s gravely
voice adds to his fresh and uninhibited readings of classics
like “Stagolee,” “Salty Dog,” and “Black
Betty.” The percussive attack of his National, some great
slide work, and the heavy handed finger-picking reveal blazing,
ballsy exuberance.
Wenner modulates his sound via the body language
of harmonica playing – the cupped-hand technique that amplifies
and mutes and adds vibrato, according to artistic groove. He’s
close miked – perhaps a foot or so away – and you
can hear his grunts and breathing. There’s not much deep
bass from the slap technique employed by Sarli on the authentic
plywood acoustic, but there’s plenty of foot-stomping reverberation.
This recording pushes the limits of technology. Occasionally
it sounds as if a mike has approached its dynamic bumper stops,
but Sprey dopes not use limiters, EG, or compressors. The purity
of recording makes it all worth it. This is as close to live
as I’ve ever heard a recorded trio get. The recording balances
intelligibility of the instrument mix with the soundspace of
the Mapleshade studio. The sound is up-front but three-dimensional.
On a couple of tunes, I thought the vocal mike sounded a bit
dry and bright, but never disturbingly so. I dare you not to
fall in love with the sheer joy of this uniquely American music
and this firecracker performance.
Warning: With transient information this immediate,
bright systems or cheap transducers will be revealed in all
their ignominy.
Bound For Sound:
reviewed by MGD
Getting down and dirty with the blues, that’s
Ben Andrews, one member of the Blue Rider Trio. My first exposure
to the Blue Rider Trio was back in the 90’s with their
first release on Mapleshade called Preachin’ The Blues.
The “kid,” Ben Andrews, was a delta blues playing
maniac capably backed up by Mark Wenner and Jeff Sarli. Almost
ten years later the same music playing package is still intact,
but they’re better now. Ben’s voice, though he’s
only 41 years old, sounds more mature, more gravely, more
true to the character of the songs chosen. After all, how
does one sing “Sweet Home Kokomo,” “Black Betty,”
or “Stagolee” with a baby smooth voice? You can’t,
and from the sound of it Ben’s been sucking down a couple
of packs of filterless Lucky Strikes a day to sound the way
he does.
Considering the performance, a master of the
medium knows and instinctively understands what a song needs
to convey the original intent most effectively. Melody, lyrics,
musicianship and mood all have to come together to make for
a great performance. The Blue Rider Trio, by reason of their
abilities, experience, whatever, capture just the right mood
for each song with something a little extra to make it exciting.
Whether it be a 1930’s rag, or a rajun’ cajun rendition
of a Robert Johnson standard, these guys cook. And be thankful
that Pierre Sprey is there with his ultra customized, and
tweaked to the max, recording studio which includes no mixing
board, filtering, compression, equalization, noise reduction,
multi-tracking, or overdubbing. How’s that for purity?
If you’re into Stefan Grossman (especially), John Renbourn
or Bert Jansch, this is must have material.
September 2001
All Music Guide:
reviewed by Dave Nathan
Mix in a few measures of folk country blues
with Georgia red clay with an occasional rock rhythm and
you have the Blue Rider Trio's first album in nine years.
They have come a long way, showing greater confidence and
ease with the music. They're tough when they have to be,
and tender, too. The program is a conglomerate of traditional
tunes mixed in with original material. All of them are handled
by the rough, down-to-earth voice of Ben Andrews. He also
employs a mournful howl from time to time for emphasis.
The traditional material is delivered with imagination and
given new character. Don't think of Ray Charles as you listen
to Andrews do "See See Rider." The version here
has an almost Western country gait to it rather than the
mournful blues feeling often heard with this tune. A favorite
of New Orleans jazz musicians, "Make Me a Down Pallett"
takes on a different meaning when done with that good old
country boy feel to it. There can be a lot of fun in the
blues, which seems to be a contradiction in terms. But the
bouncy "Diddy Wa Diddy" is just that — a
good time. There seems to be stronger story telling ingredients
than in the traditional blues as in Andrews' vocal recitation
of the downfall of the mean "Stagolee." The entire
proceeding is bounded by Andrews' hard-sounding steel guitar
and Mark Wenner's crying harmonica weaving in, out, and
around the melody. English piano player Larry Willis sits
in with the group for three cuts. His piano takes the edge
off some of the trio's roughness. Eight years is a long
time to wait for a second album. But here the hanging in
there was worth it. Recommended.
Billtown Blues Notes:
reviewed by Bill Wilson
The Blue Rider Trio has been long overdue
for a new release, but it has been well worth the wait.
Harp, Steel and Guts brings Ben Andrews, Jeff Sarli and
Mark Wenner back together for a delightful set of acoustic
blues that confirms the notion that this material, in its
most natural state, is as powerful in the year 2000 as it
was in the 1920s. Individually, these are three of my favorite
performers...each well versed in most styles of music...each
deeply rooted in the blues. Bring them together and the
results are absolutely magical. Their love of the music
is evident from the opening notes of the first track. These
guys make it sound easy...pouring out heart and soul with
all the ease, power and passion of a man conversing with
an old love. The album includes covers by Mississippi John
Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker,
Leadbelly and more, plus an original Ben Andrews tune. Quite
frankly, the masters have never received a greater tribute.
Harp, Steel and Guts is as sweet as it gets.
August 2000
|
