Curtis is the sho-nuff living, breathing real deal blues. AND he has a killer sense of the importance of sound over technique, something that all the greats (think Cooder, Hooker, Miles) have as evidenced by his work on the diddley bow and National.
Barry, thanks for the track by track run down. You've got my ears watering to hear this. Next stop Curtis' site (www.curtisblues.com folks) to nab me one. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Curtis, > > I came back from walking my dogs along the beach this > evening, and found that the Blues Fairy had left a gift > for me. (At least I think it was from the Blues Fairy; > that's a more woo woo explanation than it having been > left by the postman, and makes me seem SO much more > important, so in keeping with FFL tradition, I'm > gonna go with it.) > > In the Blues Fairy's package were two copies of a new > CD by yourself. I've been reading a bit about you and > the misery of your lifestyle here on FFL, so I could > barely wait to hear that misery expressed in all its > depressing splendor in the form of the Blues. I figured, > "Misery. Blues. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me." > > I am hereby writing to complain that I was disappointed. > I found not a gram of misery in your album. What I found > instead was a kind of joyous celebration of life, with > all of its highs and lows. What a gyp! After what Dan > said, I was expecting misery. > > :-) > > Seriously, dude, great work. You *know* that Blues is > not my first love in terms of music, but here I sit in > my garden as the sun goes down, sipping a nice glass of > Lagavulin and listening to the album for the second > time, straight through. It's that charming and capti- > vating and above all, infectious. Just now a couple > staying at the hotel next door walked out onto their > balcony and stood listening for a while, obviously > infected as well. They actually danced a little to > Easy Rider Blues. > > It may be too soon for me to have favorites, but I'll > do my best with first (really second) impressions. > > * I loved Baker Blues. Great opener, and had me tapping > my foot and fondly remembering rolling some dough of > my own. This one must be a real gal-pleaser in person. > Excellent slide and harmonica work. > > * Hard Luck Shoes had me musically thinking about the > time I got to see Mark Knopfler sit in with an English > skiffle band. He loves this kinda stuff. This one has > some tremendous lyrics. > > * Little School Girl got me to missin' Edg. He'd be > all over my predator butt for liking it. > > * You may have recorded the best version of One Kind > Favor I've ever heard...it shifted my assemblage point > and catapulted me into a kind of Jim Jarmusch movie > alternative reality, akin to "Dead Man." Or maybe it > was dashing off the Western movie post that did it. > Whatever. > > * The Stones should be so lucky as to do a version of > Love In Vain this smokin'. > > * Loved the sound of the cigar box guitar on Second > Chance. Robert's gonna love this one. > > * Traveling Riverside Blues got *me* dancing. > > * The diddley bow is wonderful on Well Worn Blues. It's > amazing how much range there is in a one-stringed instru- > ment. And it's also amazing how much range there is in > your lyrics. You have written a beatiful song here, > Curtis. It's truly lovely, world class. Deep bow. > > Deep bow all around. Great work, man. Even if you did > leave out the misery. > > Unc >
