I've finally run across one of those musicians where I can honestly say; what can I say about this guy? I could say he plays guitar and sings; but, that's like describing a beautiful, multi-coloured flower, with an exquisite scent, as a plant. It's so damn inadequate.

Faced with an artist who somehow meshes the musical styles of three continents (at least) into one song, it doesn't seem right to call him a blues guitarist, but that's the best place to start for Bob Brozman. It's not that he doesn't play the blues, because lord knows he plays them better than most anyone alive today; but again, it comes back to the plant thing: inadequate.

Just look at the instruments he's credited with playing on Blues Reflex. The average song will feature at least three guitars; ranging from a National Tricone Baritone, a Kona Rocket Hawaiian Guitar, a regular National Tricone and others; a variety of other stringed instruments including a seven string Hawaiian and a ten string Bolivian Charango; and just for variety he does the percussion and sings as well.

So, I hear you saying, there's lots of guys who do that. What's the big deal? The big deal is that with the exception of only a couple other guitarists that I can think of (Ry Cooder and Harry Manx) he's one of the few that immerses themselves in the guitar and its culture to learn how to incorporate it into what they are doing musically. It's not just cool, or a passing fad for him; it becomes part of his sound.

Blues Reflex shows off that variety of sound in one package. In fact it's sort of like a mini world tour of Bob stylistically. Being this is the blues it makes sense the disc starts in church with "Dead Cat On The Line". It's introduced by a taped clip of a 1929 radio sermon from the Rev. J.M. Gates and then moves into the song. It's a message song about communications and how the wires don't sometimes connect because there's a dead cat on the line messing with transmission.

It's a slow rolling song with two guitars, playing off each other, and Brozman's voice scratching and chopping out the lyrics. First impressions are what usually stick with me, and in the case of Bob, whether he actually sounds like him or not, he evoked in me thoughts of Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong with a Tom Waits attitude.

It's on the third track, "One Steady Roll", that our world tour starts with a stop in Reunion Island for and infusion of African sega rhythms. Bob plays all the percussion on the two guitars used in the song, and moves Chicago blues to the Indian Ocean without missing a beat.

From here on in our odyssey is in full swing. Whether it's an original song penned for this recording, "New Guinea Blues", or a reworking of a classic like "Death Come Creepin'" Bob's versatility and comfort with a variety of musical styles shines through.