The Blue Rider Trio - Early Morning Blues: The Complete Blue Rider Trio Sessions

Size: 116,5+111,1 MB
Time: 49:41+47:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Acoustic Blues
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Preachin' Blues (4:18)
02. Stomp Down Rider (4:40)
03. Gallows Pole (4:29)
04. Blue Goose Blues (2:56)
05. Early Morning Blues (5:03)
06. Cincinnati Rag (3:59)
07. Payday (6:15)
08. Walkin' Blues (3:29)
09. Georgia Rag (2:47)
10. Freight Train Boogie (3:44)
11. Statesboro Blues (3:32)
12. She Don't Do Me Wrong (4:24)

CD 2:
01. Salty Dog Blues (2:46)
02. Easy Rider (4:02)
03. Last Fair Deal Goin' Down (3:43)
04. Death (Don't) Have No Mercy (4:21)
05. Ride Till I Die (4:29)
06. Make Me Down A Pallet (3:34)
07. Black Betty (3:05)
08. Stackolee (4:10)
09. Kokomo Blues (5:06)
10. Silver City Bound (3:50)
11. Long Tall Momma (2:26)
12. CC Rider (2:47)
13. Diddie Wah Diddie (2:49)

Personnel:
Ben Andrews: Vocals & Guitar
Jeff Sarli: Bass
Mark Wenner: Harmonica

Early Morning Blues combines the Blue Rider Trio's two albums, 1991's Preachin' the Blues and 2000's Harp, Steel and Guts, in one package, essentially creating a complete recorded works set for this fervent but hardly innovative Maryland acoustic blues ensemble.

"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...” raves Blues Revue. That out-of-print debut became a treasure among both hard-core blues fans and audiophile connoisseurs. Early Morning Blues joins this collectors’ jewel with the Trio’s final and arguably best album. On that last session, Ben Andrew’s voice and wailing guitar have gained a seared-by-life bluesiness; Mark Wenner’s moaning harmonica cuts even deeper; and Jeff Sarli’s slap bass adds layers of subtlety to his knock-you-down drive. The rich vocal detail, intense dynamics, and three-dimensional overtones add extra excitement and authenticity to this tasty collection of Chicago, Delta, and Texas acoustic blues. The Absolute Sound was unambiguous: “This is as close to live as I’ve heard a recorded trio get...I dare you not to fall in love with this uniquely American music and this firecracker performance."

Early Morning Blues CD 1
Early Morning Blues CD 2

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The Blue Rider Trio - Harp, Steel & Guts

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 108.0 MB
Styles: Harmonica blues
Year: 2000/2010
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. Salty Dog
[4:02] 2. Easy Rider
[3:43] 3. Last Fair Deal Going Down
[4:21] 4. Death Have No Mercy On This Land
[4:29] 5. Ride Till I Die
[3:34] 6. Make Me Down A Pallet
[3:05] 7. Black Betty
[4:10] 8. Stagolee
[5:06] 9. Sweet Home Kokomo
[3:50] 10. Silver City Bound
[2:26] 11. Long Tall Momma
[2:47] 12. CC Rider
[2:49] 13. Diddy Wa Diddy

Bass – Jeff Sarli; Guitar – Ben Andrews; Harmonica – Mark Wenner; Piano – Larry Willis; Vocals – Ben Andrews.

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. ~Dave Nathan

Harp, Steel & Guts mc
Harp, Steel & Guts zippy

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