Hi Blues Army,
Here’s a new review of my CD “Blues Intervention” by the Nashville Blues Society. Enjoy !!! 🙂
Marshall Lawrence hails from ….Edmonton.., ..Alberta…., and played in punk combos before discovering that the roots of rock lay in the blues. Since that epiphany, ….Marshall…. has become a force on the contemporary scene in the playing of blues prevalent in the pre-WWII era of the delta masters.
With his second all-acoustic blues release, “Blues Intervention,” Marshall combines ten originals with three covers that shows not only his prowess in acoustic fingerpicking and slide guitar, but his passion for this genre’ of music as well.
Joined only by Sherman “Tank” Dupree on harp and Russell Jackson on acoustic bass, Marshall wastes no time in getting the party started with the driving boogie of “So Long Rosalee,” as she gets the bad news that “our fun is done.” Dupree’s harp and ..Jackson..’s bass drive smoothly behind ….Marshall….’s running lead lines. Another tune in this vein, “If I Had A Nickel every time you threw me out, I’d be rich” features some sweet fingerpicking runs from ….Marshall….. The drone of the minor-key “Lay Down My Sorrow” weaves a sad tale of the perils of drug and alcohol abuse. ….Marshall…. shows his prowess on mandolin and banjo with “Going To The River,” while his slide gets a workout on the set-closing, traditional, “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad.”
We had two favorites, too. Robert Johnson’s “Walking Blues” is given an amped-up, boogiefied reading, while the good-timey “Going Down To Louisiana” gets everyone in the mood for Mardi Gras, with ….Marshall….’s slide runs and Dupree’s call-and-response harp fills.
Marshall Lawrence has taken the influences and styles of the masters of the past and written fresh, topical material that is in keeping with his storyteller persona. “Blues Intervention” is a very entertaining listen from a bluesman steeped in a time-honored tradition! Until next time….Sheryl and Don Crow.
