A Stonking Tribute to the Blues
I fired up the stereo because it was a cd to play, and glad I did. I listen to so much digital music at the pc (though let’s be clear: it’s through a Marshall Stanmore III speaker, that usually on 50, right in my face) but the stereo volume was way up from last time I used, and on opener Rattle Down, it begins with snare and hi-hat setting a beat, guitar suggesting itself, and then on 30 seconds, the blues raucous really begins with all that volume set and ready to make me beam a smile. What a start!
Second That’s When the Blues Begins is not just the title track, but also a composition by UK Blues supremo Julia Piper – sadly passed – to whom this EP is dedicated. Hall and Piper’s ‘re-imagining’ of this is a funky blues with thundering chorus emerging from its swamp layers.
Lucy Piper (Julian’s daughter) is on drums, and Lee Hall is on guitars, vocals and harmonica. I’m going to go ahead and say it: on this track the singing reminds me a little of a young Jack Bruce.
Authentic Delta blues, the whole also reminds me of classic British blues in all of its repurposing glory (if you'll embrace the paradox...). There is wonderful stomp and sublime slide; a driving rhythm of drums propelling this fine duo – check out the slithering and the beat on Nobody’s Fault But Mine.
The final on this fine tribute and showcase is Trouble Come My Way, and this is glorious. Hall has a great voice, and this sultry blues is graced with the rhythmic boom of drums, a haunting harmonica, with the tandem vocal&guitar melodic line both soothing and brooding.
Southern Fried Groove Queens has played locally a number of times and I have definitely missed out, no doubt, on a memorable live experience. Perhaps I can put that right one day, but for now I have the genuine joy of this EP, which is now on its third play as I come to the end of this highly recommending review.
To buy (and you should consider) you can contact Lucy here: https://www.facebook.com/lucypiperdrums
