CD Review: Bob Brozman - Blues Reflex - Page 2

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.

Although he has an obvious passion for the old resonator sound generated by a variety of National guitars, he knows enough not to limit himself to just one tone musically. To take some of the hard edge of the steel strings away, he will almost always use at least one softer strung guitar. What this allows him to do is create two distinct sounds (at least) so that the listener can easily discern the multiple textures of a song.

Listen to "Poor Me", Bob's adaptation of a Charley Patton recording. He doesn't change the lyrics, plays it like the old time song it is (1920s blues) but the guitar sounds are something out of Bob's heart and mind. He starts with the sweeping sounds of the softer strung guitars, according to the credits two seven string Hawaiian guitars, and then part way through the song he adds the stronger sound of the National.

Like the symphony orchestra properly utilized by a composer and a conductor, Bob uses the various sounds at his disposal to increase the impact of his pieces. He doesn't just cover classic blues songs and play them, he interprets them for his audience.

Article Author: Richard Marcus

Richard Marcus is the author of the forthcoming book What Will Happen In Eragon IV? and has had his work published in print and on line all over the world. The not so long-haired Canadian iconoclast writes reviews and opines on the world as he sees …

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