Album:
Delta Days
Size: 102,3 MB
Time: 43:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Styles: Blues
Art: Front
1. Delta Days (3:26)
2. Lonesome Highway Blues (3:34)
3. Killing Floor (4:11)
4. Chatbot Blues (5:49)
5. The Full 12 Bars (3:37)
6. Strum Und Drang (3:40)
7. Harlem Boogie (3:18)
8. Roll The Dice (5:18)
9. Gypsy Lady (3:40)
10. Mississippi Delta Blues (3:49)
11. Cakewalkin' (3:34)
"Delta Days" is the 3rd album from Russell Ballantine following the instrumental ‘celtic’ influenced ‘Palmyra Rain’ (2007) and the first solo blues offering ‘Harpo’s Jazz’ (2023). The album contains 9 self penned tracks leaning heavily on traditional blues forms. Contemporary themes, stemming from the ‘day job’, of Chatbots, AI and big tech, appear alongside the usual journey of love, heartache and redemption but this album strives to be simply - a blues album. There is no multi-layering of guitar parts or intricate use of studio effects. All tracks were essentially recorded in one or two takes over 4 days, with no intention to create anything new but rather maybe capture something lost. "Delta Days" is notable for its collaboration with an impressive line-up of very experienced local musicians, each bringing their unique flair to the project.
The album opens with the title track "Delta Days," with Russell's guitar and Cameron's harmonica providing the improvised counterpoint that permeates the entire album. This interplay is very much in evidence in the instrumental ‘Strum Und Drang’ (a Bo Diddley and SRV influenced offering) with the guitar and harmonica sharing the lead duties. The album's penultimate track is an arrangement of Willie Brown's ‘Mississippi Blues’ (featuring Angus Lyon, from Blazin' Fiddles, on accordion) with the final curtain call being the guitar instrumental ‘Cakewalking’ with some cheeky, rhythm section work from Jim and Kenny. From beginning to end, every song is a testament to a deep-rooted love of blues music. "Delta Days" is an album that honours the rich legacy of the blues. This fleeting collaboration with guest musicians has produced a spontaneous, exciting and interesting album, making it a must-listen for blues aficionados and newcomers alike.
Personnel: Russell Ballantine (vocals, guitar); Cameron Grey (harmonica); Kenny Hutchison (bass); Jim Drummond (drums); Angus Lyon (accordion).
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