"The Morvan has a strong folk musical tradition. It uses musical ideas from lots of other cultures and combine them to make their own." [From Wikipedia]
Man, if that ain’t a fitting description of Fire It Up!, I’ll eat this CD. Fire It Up! is a good blues disc, played by a good blues band that, while top-drawer in all aspects, shows great promise of what’s still in store, and what’s yet to come. These musicians use licks, riffs, and runs that any self-respecting blues aficionado has heard a thousand times before, yet the Laurie Morvan Band manages to make the final sound its own. The band is very understated, yet they can cut loose when the music calls for it.
It takes a whole lot of self-confidence to play understated, like the old bebop jazz musicians did back in the 1950s and the early 1960s. No showboating, no histrionics, just good (there’s that word again!) music played by a dedicated musician, and playing to a dedicated audience. I can still picture the Bird (Charlie Parker), eyes closed, sweat rolling down his face, and sweet, sweet music filling the air. Look at the crowd and you’ll see the same satisfied serenity that’s on the Bird’s face. That same mood, that same feeling, that same serenity is conveyed when this CD is spinning, or if you’re lucky enough to be in the crowd watching a live performance.
“Come On Over To My BBQ” is a slow blues, and very reminiscent of what early blues (country blues, prewar blues) was all about. Good music with a good beat, played by good musicians, and lyrics laced with playful sexual innuendo. “Testify” is a powerful blues, with some terrific guitar work. Again, understated, yet forceful, in your face at the same time. Think SRV as a blonde. These two cuts are great, but they’re a hair more profound and a shade better than the other 10 cuts, comprising 54+ minutes.
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