Customer Reviews

Greens From the Garden

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've never written a review before, but I'm moved to in this case because I love this album! Since some people seem to be grumbling about it not being "pure" blues, and are put-off by it's eclecticism, I just want to say that these are the very reasons I find this so engaging. I consider myself so very lucky to have stumbed across it from my own growingly diverse tastes. This album becomes more comfortable and precious every time I listen to it -- a tour through a musician's heart. It has a warm feeling of home - which I think is very much intended. Thank you Corey Harris for making this beauty. I love the variety and the pace. I want more like it.

Corey Harris has two excellent Cds before this one on which he plays incredible blues songs. There was no need for him to make yet another, and if he had I would have thought it a sign of artistic stagnation and lack of inspiration. What you get on this recording is a movement forward, into the living, breathing depth of the music. It is in many ways an exploration of the great similarity of spirit that binds ragtime, blues, folk, jazz, and reggae music together. The CD is best, in my opinion, as a whole. Each song, and each interlocking spoken segment bewteen them, compliments and feeds off of each other. I applaud Harris' move forward, and for his great ability to push the limits of what must be the most limiting of genres.

A delicious combination of sounds, a bluesy heart pumping into arteries of a variety of genres, but focusing on its eclecticism misses the point. Mr. Harris delivers life. Hey, it's more than just greens--I can taste bits of cilantro, arugula, and squash flowers as well.

I have earlier Corey Harris tracks, but to be fair, I had heard "Eh La Bas" before picking this one up, so I knew it was going to be more than the usual ride. Mr. Harris has captured, well, joy (which makes sense, coming from a blues artist).

Gets high ratings from our adolescent contingent here, too, despite the lack of video presence on MTV.

Well, for a blues purist, this CD might seem a dissapointment. But for any person with open ears (and open soul, too) this is a real gem. If you've listened to Corey's first two albums, then you'll see that it's just a logical step forward. I was waiting for something like this from Corey. On his second CD he added tuba and trombone, here he plays with lots of other musicians (and he fools around with lots of styles). Don't listen to guys telling that those aren't blues. They are... for sure. Even behind reggae rhythm there is a solid 12 bar basis. Just open your soul and you'll hear it in every note. Harris is a pro, and being one he is wise enough not to limit himself by only one aspect of the great style. He goes in the same direction which Taj Mahal once went.

Great voice, great guitar playing, great rhythms - great CD!

Peace.

Dmitry aka Cat's Eye

http://www.chat.ru/cats_eye/

La música hecha con alegría hace alegres a quienes la escuchan, y me parece que Corey Harris y sus compañeros se han divertido mucho tocando esta variedad de ritmos, y yo lo estoy pasando a las mil maravillas. Han logrado un disco inagotable, de esos que, cada vez que pasan, ofrecen un nuevo sonido para descubrir, una nota, un arreglo, una risa! No me extiendo. Gracias por devolverme las ganas de escuchar estas músicas, estaba en un punto en que lo único que me quedaba de blues en la cabeza era unas "takes" de Muddy Waters con Johnny Winter. ¡Felicitaciones!

This is innovative and engaging music. I'm a devoted blues fan, but I actually prefer this CD to Corey's earlier, more traditional efforts, which sound like he's trying too hard to be "authentic." By contrast, "Greens" is lively, original, and fun. If I want authenticity, I can always pull out Robert Johnson.

Want to travel around the country in 60 minutes? The ticket price is...well...the cost of this CD (and it is worth every penny)! Mr. Harris gives us a sampling of every style of blues we ever had a hankering for (and a few we forgot, 'till Harris reminded us). New Orleans, Delta, Texas, Creole mambo, and even a few mixed bags like a sweet reggae ditty, and a grinding funk number.

Interspersed in between tracks are excerpts Corey Harris recorded on a tape recorder (he studied linguistic anthropology in college) of people talking about eating, cooking, and enjoying greens. And this is apropos because this CD has quite an authentic, energetic and flavorful feel much like that of the greens he talks about.

My favorites on the CD? Check out "Eh La Bah," a funky Creole mambo with lyrics in French Creole. There is also "Wild West" with an electrifying rythm and groove that would be as appropriate on contemporary radio as in a small blues club. Then, there are the accoustic diddys. The first of which, the New Orleans infested "Honeysuckle," finds Harris duetting with a great Professor Longhair-esque pianist. There is also the slow delta of "Black Angel" and the more upbeat, Carolina-style, "Diddy wa Diddy."

I will stop there, as I could literally go on singing the praises of every song on here. Needless to say, by now, if you value good, smart, and well-flavored blues, you should look no further than Corey Harris's "Greens From the Garden." Take the trip around the country in 60 minutes!

This is one of the best albums made! It is sweet soul blues.

Corey Harris is amazing. Check out his bio sometime, and you'll see why this album -- and his style in general -- contains so many outside influences that make this such a cool, funky-bluesy gumbo.

Think of this album as one part Louisiana, one part Carolina, one part Caribbean, and you've got a good sense of how this album sounds. Special bonus: dinner conversations with the family, dubbed into the beginning and end of some of the songs. Tastee!

as mr. harris has already said, this album is somewhat of a departure from his 2 earlier efforts. this, in and of itself, should not deter "open eared" listeners from appreciating the work. harris' efforts to combine/merge/blend other relevant styles to his music is in some ways risky if the only consideration is to please previous buyers of his work. music, in particular, and art, in general should not be restrained by past successes or failures. i, for one, am pleased that corey harris ventured out and presented us with some unique and creative combinations of instrumentation and style. harris' core of blues influences is never forsaken in the process; rather he widens the horizon of his "party." i recommend this album to those willing to forego musical "expectations."