Genre: Blues
Rate: 192 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:51:54
Size: 71,20 MB
North American audiences will be very familiar with singer/songwriter/guitarist Joe Louis Walker but what about Otis Grand? For starters, he has played a major role in the evolution of modern British blues. Known as the 'Gentle Giant of the Blues', Grand has absorbed a wide spectrum of blues styles over four decades. With nobility he carries the torch for the heroes of yesterday with superb blues guitar technique and originality. Otis has received a number of awards including UK Blues Guitarist of the Year for seven straight years (1990-96). My first encounter with Otis Grand took place at this year's Ottawa Bluesfest. There, his captivating guitar playing completely blew me away. My second encounter was this riveting 50 minute disc. It provides solid evidence that what I experienced was not a fluke but rather just another regular night out for Grand.
The cohesion felt on this disc comes from the long history Walker/Grand have with each other. Joe produced Otis' first 2 records and has appeared on a lot of his stuff. Together, the 2 have done tours of England as well as the San Francisco Blues Festival. Further adherence is provided by Robert Watson (bass), Clarence James Jr (drums), Cash Farrar (sax) and Steve Long (trumpet). "Snake Bit" features Walker on an old Rickenbacker lap steel and it's impressive. He makes it slither, twist and venomously hiss like a reptile. Grand's big band style is all over the bopping "Imitation Ice Cream Blues". The tune contains smooth yet sharp and icy note picking. He swings the blues again on "Regal Blues" sounding very reminiscent of B.B. King. More than a few songs feature the incredible interplay between these 2 perfectionists. Neither one is willing to compromise a note on "I Like It This Way". The 2 instrumentals "Friends" and Bliss Street Blues" feature the 6-string wizards working their magic individually. Things get blistering on the rock-edged rhythm of Walker's distinctive version of the former while the latter delivers Grand's finely-tuned and precise fretwork atop George Bisharat's strident harp. He continues with more shrill harmonica on "I'm Gonna Leave You" where the brilliance of Chris Burns' keyboard glows. He keeps his 88s boogie-ing on the swinging 50s rock sounding "Rude Women". Passion overflows on the slow and sexy "Better Off Alone". (http://www.mnblues.com)
Tracklist:
01 - Snake Bit 05:28
02 - Imitation Ice Cream Blues 04:23
03 - I Like It This Way 05:01
04 - Better Off Alone 07:53
05 - Friends 05:54
06 - I'm Getting Drunk 04:40
07 - Rude Women 04:42
08 - Regal Blues 04:26
09 - Bliss Street Blues 04:53
10 - I'm Gonna Love You 04:34
Joe Louis Walker & Otis Grand here:
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