Customer Reviews

Down in the Alley

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While of course Alvin Youngblood Hart has the right to do any kind of music he chooses, it would be hard to dispute that he does downhome African-American music best. He's in top form on this splendid recording, which harks back to the sound of his first. Like Lead Belly, Mississippi John Hurt, Henry Thomas, and Mance Lipscomb, he is a gifted bluesman but not only a bluesman. He is also immersed in the older rural traditions out of which the blues emerged a century or so ago. Thus, for two examples, the riveting renditions of the deep-folk songs "Deep Blue Sea" (not to be confused with the Tommy McClennan "Catfish Blues" variant of the same name) and "Chilly Winds." Though credited to Odetta, the latter is actually a cobbling-together of the title song (ubiquitous in both black and white tradition), "Pea Vine Whistle," and "K. C. Moan" -- themselves merely versions of older songs of murky origin. Hart not only revives the all-but-lost art of African-American five-string banjo but also masters it. The result is a sound nothing short of exhilarating.

I like everything on this album, with one small qualification. Hart boldly takes on the masters, making even Charley Patton's "Tom Rushen Blues" beautifully his own. Yet Skip James defeats him, as James seems to defeat everybody who tries him. Hart's version of "Devil Got My Woman" isn't bad, but James's original has an otherworldly quality which manages always to evade capture or even reinvention. If somebody has ever done a better version of any James song than James himself, I have never heard it.

This quibble notwithstanding, this is the sort of recording one has a very hard time taking off one's turntable. It should make all who hear it grateful that Hart is a relatively young man and that there's more -- plenty more, one hopes -- where it comes from.

As a country blues album, this cd is superb. While I agree with the reviewer who noticed that it could have included a couple more songs, I don't think his gripe about the song selection is warranted. First, whether or not Carter's version of Alberta is better than Leadbelly's is a matter of taste and opinion. I personally prefer Leadbelly's. Next, while it could be said that Devil Got My Woman has been done many times before, I think Hart's unusual vocal rendition is reason enough to have it on the album. That said, I want to say that I haven't stopped listening to this damn thing since I got it. It opens with Judge Bouche, a Lewis classic which sounds phenomenal in Hart's hands and voice; great open E slide work. Next is How Long Before I Change My Clothes, a Bukka White number, which scared the hell out of me when I first heard Hart's version. Melodically, the song is similar to Bukka's, but Hart changes it up a bit, and that howl is unearthly; I have never heard anything like that on record. Deep Blue Sea is a great number on which Hart accompanies himself on banjo. I liked this song so much, I've started playing it myself;... Next comes what is called "Jinx Blues", and the notes indicate that Son House wrote this one. Now, while Son did write a beautiful piece called Jinx Blues, this ain't it; this is a version of Patton's Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues. Hart's guitar work on this is astounding, maybe even almost worthy of Patton himself, but let's not jump the gun. Next is a rollicking rendition of the Sheiks' Bootlegger's Blues. Then the aforementioned Alberta; was expecting the Carter version, but was pleasantly surprised to hear Leadbelly's instead; Hart is spot-on with this one. Estes' Broke and Hungry is next, on which a mandolin is used, and put to good use; people used to Willie Brown's version of this song will find new life in this rendition. Then we have Devil, about which I've aready said my piece. Then we have Chilly Winds, an Odetta number; Hart wields a banjo for this and makes the room windy enough to cry. Next is Patton's Tom Rushen Blues; great rendition, and I love Hart's use of the bottleneck on this one; he expands on Charlie's arrangemet, especially on the third line of each staza,making it his own and giving us the treat of hearing a great musician interpreting another great musician's work. Next is Please Baby, a piece I had never heard before this; I don't know who wrote it, but it's listed as traditional in the notes; it's a nice blues piece with some sweet dobro work. Lastly we have Motherless Child; this one has Hart's hallmark on it, from beginning to end, complete with unique vocals... In my opinion, [this album] is every bit as good as Big Mama's Door, and thank God he's come back.

This is a wonderful CD. Alvin is back at what he does best. If you are an acoustic country blues fan. BUY THIS!! Easily the best acoustic blues album of 2002. Period. His version of Bukka White's "Change My Clothes" will blow you away with the wonderful cornfield holler falsetto. Damn!

Alvin is a young (below 40) guitarist and vocalist that took the world by storm with his debut Big Mama's Door in 1996. Since that countrified blues effort, he delved into country-swing and rhythm & blues with his later two efforts. This time he is back where he started, in the deepest Mississippi with just his guitars and vocals. His covers of Patton, Lewis and others are vehicles for his syncopated rhythm work and intricate vocals. The recording sounds as live in the studio as they come and it grabs the listener with a veritable force. This is as good as acoustic blues comes and even though no other instruments than guitar, banjo and dobro are used they are not missed. This is truly inspiring stuff!

This cd is excellent. It is almost flawless. It's also just a step or two below "Big Mama's Door", which was Hart's first release. The only real flaw on this cd is the song selection. Hart does Leadbelly's "Alberta", instead of doing the Mississippi Sheiks/Bo Carter version of the song, which happens to be a much more melodic and pretty tune. Also, Alvin plays "Devil Got My Woman", which has been done to death by everyone and their grandma. The cd also seems a bit short; there are twelve songs on this disc and you could probably fit fourteen or maybe even fifteen. Still, this cd marks a return to acoustic country blues for Hart. Buy this, you will not be disappointed!

This cd is excellent. It is almost flawless. It's also just a step or two below "Big Mama's Door", which was Hart's first release. The only real flaw on this cd is the song selection. Hart does Leadbelly's "Alberta", instead of doing the Mississippi Sheiks/Bo Carter version of the song, which happens to be a much more melodic and pretty tune. Also, Alvin plays "Devil Got My Woman", which has been done to death by everyone and their grandma. The cd also seems a bit short; there are twelve songs on this disc and you could probably fit fourteen or maybe even fifteen. Still, this cd marks a return to acoustic country blues for Hart. Buy this, you will not be disappointed!

This cd is excellent. It is almost flawless. It's also just a step or two below "Big Mama's Door", which was Hart's first release. The only real flaw on this cd is the song selection. Hart does Leadbelly's "Alberta", instead of doing the Mississippi Sheiks/Bo Carter version of the song, which happens to be a much more melodic and pretty tune. Also, Alvin plays "Devil Got My Woman", which has been done to death by everyone and their grandma. The cd also seems a bit short; there are twelve songs on this disc and you could probably fit fourteen or maybe even fifteen. Still, this cd marks a return to acoustic country blues for Hart. Buy this, you will not be disappointed!

I don't want to harp on this too much. I'm a huge fan of this type of music, and Hart is one of the best at it. If this had come out first (before Big Mama's Door, that is) would I like it better? From here, it seems that BMD is more cohesive, more compelling: I suspect it's just an illusion. This (DITA) is probably just as good.

I feel sort of sorry for Hart: he's so good at this stuff that he's apt to get pigeon-holed, which would be a shame. His previous release, "Start With the Soul", deserves more attention than it gets.

I can't comment on any other of his efforts but this one is not very good. In fact, it's somewhat hard on the ears. Much better choices in this genre are Guy Davis, Eric Bibb and Buddy Guy.

WHO ELSE CAN PLAY A GUITAR OR BANJO WITH A DIFFERENT COORDINATED RHYTM AND MELODIE. HE REMINDS ME ON A JUGGLER.