Search - Catfish Keith :: A Fist Full Of Riffs

Outstanding acoustic instrumental blues

Nobody important | 06/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Catfish Keith is a fascinating guitarist. He plays in a variety of acoustic blues styles, including delta, Piedmont and Texas, although he plays with a level of energy that sounds more like juke joint blues. He is also one of the most tonally adventurous guitarists around, and his playing is heavy on string bends and harmonics (frequently at the same time). This is his instrumental album, and it is my favorite so far because I find his voice a bit distracting. He isn't a bad singer, but his singing style is a bit affected, and for me, that detracts from the value of his instrumental work. He sings like a somewhat less gruff Bob Brozman, which is ironic because Brozman is probably the only guitarist comparable to Catfish Keith. Like Brozman, he has a fondness for resonator guitars, interesting tones and flashy riffs, and like Brozman, his voice sounds affected. The difference is that Catfish Keith isn't as wedded to slide, although his slide playing is nearly as impressive as his fretwork. Still, if you like Bob Brozman's blues stuff (as opposed to just his globe-trotting cross-cultural collaborations), you will assuredly like Catfish Keith.



Unfortunately, this is the only instrumental album that he has released so for, but guitar freaks should also pick up Sweat Pea, Twist It Babe, ad Fresh Catfish, which are probably the best of his vocal albums."