Maximum BluesLive 2001Various Artists

Maximum Blues - Live 2001 - Various Artists

Written by John Taylor

Canada's a big country, and the vast distances between major centers render touring impractical for many bands. As a result, we tend to have isolated pockets of activity, and sadly many remain isolated despite more than enough talent to achieve widespread acclaim.

I wasn't familiar with any of the bands appearing on Maximum Blues Live 2001, a compilation of tracks recorded during the annual festival in Carleton. That's a shame. There's some serious talent here.

Take the opener, a frenetically swinging Rock This Town by 42a (yup, apparently that's their name). It's a burner, a short but oh-so-sweet blast of rock 'n' roll energy and attitude; yet Dale Boyle & The Barnburners raise the heat even higher with a Thorogood-like take on No Particular Place To Go, followed by a scorching They Call Me The Breeze. True, some would say this isn't "real blues"; neither is Twe Twe, the traditional African chant performed acappella that follows. But they sure do provide an interesting pair of bookends for where the blues came from and where it seems headed today.

Besides, purists will find satisfaction with Bottleneck's acoustic take on Muddy's Louisiana Blues. It remains pretty close to the original while giving Bottleneck (strange names!) ample room to add his own flourishes on guitar. Slash-and-burn guitar returns with Preachin' Blues' take on SRV's Let Me Love You. They do a fine job indeed on this one. There's more rockin' blues with Drinking Beer, this from Cnuzote (these names!) - let's just say the music's appropriate for the activity. Harmonica makes its very first appearance with Blues Berry Jam's Automobile Blues, but the mix isn't great and one almost has to strain to hear it. The Grey Goose Gospel Choir return with another all-too-short interlude, then we get 42a's I Shot The Sheriff, closer to Clapton than Marley; the organ here is superb, but I can't say I'm entirely sure about the violin.

Why I Sing The Blues marks the return of both Blues Berry Jam and tradition; it's a slow grinder that starts quite softly and builds to a fever pitch over its almost-seven minutes. It also gives harp fans something to chew on at last, with nice work from Rick Snave. The GGGC employ percussion for a rousing Cumbaya, before the only appearance by the 001 Blues Band shows them a tastefully restrained outfit not out to stretch any boundaries. Vocalist/saxophonist Caroline Boudreau, however, sounds a little tentative. She's quite good - she just needs to believe it herself.

Lyle Lovett's Where I Am is typical for the guy with the strange hair. A catchy melody, a great hook, with unusual breaks (in this case, a weird spoken-word shtick) to shake things up. Folelevachmol make the best of a difficult song, though, and on the whole it works. JP And Ride Salsa Blues Band sound as though they'd be right at home in the roadhouse, with an original, Make Up Your Mind, that simply cooks. For me, though, the absolute highlight here isn't even blues at all. Annie Queenton of Folelevachmol delivers such a transcendent voice-and-piano version of Tennessee Waltz, I can't imagine anyone remaining unmoved. It's a stellar way to end a fine set.

For all the variety, though, what surprises me is that there's a sense, somehow, of community running through the package. So many artists, so many styles, yet collectively they sound like a group of friends taking turns around a mike or two. There are a few points where sound levels vary and a little post-production might have evened things out to improve the flow, but that's pretty well my one and only quibble.

I can't say I'm optimistic that a disc like this can break any of these acts nationally, but at the very least it presents a vast array of talent, and shows the blues is indeed surviving because there are others out there, some of whom we may never hear, who are playing their hearts out. Maximum Blues 2001 provides an opportunity to hear some of those bands. It's also, on its own, a fine listen.

Recommended!

Copyright 2003. Review by John Taylor.

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