The juxtaposition of the new (to me) and familiar is a big part of what makes this album click. That, and it's cool to hear the mandolin used in unusual ways and surprising environments. Now if someone could just find a way to look cool playing a mandolin. The size of the instrument and the sound it produces makes it pretty hard to rock, and anyone who tries winds up looking ridiculous. Image issues aside, this is one of the coolest blues releases you're likely to hear this year.
Two songs from Since Way Back were used as music interludes on NPR's Morning Edition. You can hear clips of "Since Way Back" and "That Woman" on NPR's web site.
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Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
at first i wouldn't have thought that the mandolin made sense in a blues context...but then i thought the same thing about it for jazz until i heard the Garcia/Grisman material (and yeah, yeah...i know about the Jazz Mandolin project).
this stuff is much grittier than people might expect.
2 - Josh
I keep thinking our friend Pico would like this one. it is grittier than people might expect. I would have thought they might have softened the Chicago blues sound to incorporate mandolin, but they didn't. They kept that same blueprint and stuck a mandolin on it. It's going to be one of my favorite records this year just for that.
Thanks, Mark.
3 - Mark Saleski
ah right!
oh Piiiicoooooooooo!
4 - Josh
Yes, Pico, we're calling you out!
I can't wait to hear more about what you think, Mark. I think you'll like the record should you pick it up. I also couldn't help feeling that Pico would get into this one. It's just a hunch.
5 - Connie Phillips
Congrats! This article has been forwarded to the Advance.net websites and Boston.com.
6 - Pico
If Harry Manx can make a raga fit in the blues, I have no doubt Hundt is doing the same with a mandolin. Yup, I'm interested.
Can't wait until someone introduces an electric cello to the music form, that would be especially cool.
7 - Charlie Jones
There is a small but well established mandolin blues tradition dating back to the 1930s that is actually rooted in Chicago Blues.
Yank Rachell
Johnny Young
8 - Josh
I read a little about those guys in the liner notes to the album. I still don't think mandolin when I think Chicago blues, but I love this record.