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JOHN
LONG "LOST & FOUND"
Source: Blues In
London
Date: 02/2006
Writer: Ricardo |
It's
always a pleasure when a package from Delta
Groove arrives here at Bluesinlondon Towers.
On a gray rainy London winter's morning an envelope
that's come all the way from Coldwater Canyon
Blvd, North Hollywood, California bearing tidings
that the blues is alive, and well, on the West
Coast is a ray of sunshine indeed.
This
latest arrival is no exception. As is usual
for Delta Groove it's been beautifully put
together - their attention to detail on the
photography, packaging and notes reflecting
their commitment to the music contained within.
As is also usual, that music is of the highest
standard.
John
Long has, apparently, been a long time coming.
For over 40 years he's been developing his
backlog of original material, mostly unnoticed
and unrecorded. Although some bloke called
Muddy Waters is quoted, over twenty years
ago, as having said "John Long is the
best young country blues artist playing today."
This
CD was, according to producer Randy Chortkoff,
recorded in a single day. "It's difficult
to fully describe the experience of having
Long transport us back in time to the glory
days of pre-war blues. He's the only artist
I've ever encountered who seems to have control
of a musical time machine." Says Chortkoff.
"Spending that day with someone who so
closely embodies the roots of the blues tradition
refreshed and rejuvenated my love of this
musical genre."
And
he's got a point. Long's songs, and playing,
have a tremendous sense of the past. However,
they also retain a freshness, a 'now-ness',
that makes you realize he's not just some
retro authenticist ploughing an obscure blues
furrow for the enjoyment of a handful of beard-strokers
but a living, breathing, doing it NOW real
blues player.
What
you get is 12 tracks (41 minutes! Brilliant!
Can everybody please stop doing hour-long
albums - they're too damn long) of simply
recorded top quality original country blues.
John plays guitar and harp (in a rack) with
absolute assurance. He's clearly a master
of styles - slide and otherwise - but he manages
to avoid the leaden studiousness people like
that Clapton feller seem to bring to all attempts
at re-creating the 'old' days. Maybe this
is because Long is, fortunately, not re-creating
anything but simply playing the way he plays.
Joined
on three tracks by legendary pianist Fred
Kaplan, this is a beautifully paced proper
old school acoustic folky country-blues album
that proves there's plenty of life left in
the form yet. That I've played it to some
of my non-blues media type friends at a dinner
party and they loved it too shows that, like
the Buena Vista's, if you're doing your thing
right, with heart and soul and passion and
honesty, there are no musical boundaries.
Let's just keep that Cooder chap out of it...
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