Search - Steve James :: Boom Chang

A Little to Country!

deepbluereview | SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA USA | 06/19/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Steve James plays country style blues with a hint of Bluegrass. He is joined on this recording by guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart (Big Mama's Door-Territory and Start with the Soul), Dobro Player Cindy Cashdollar (5 CD's with Leon Redbone, Artie Traum, Livingston Taylor and others) and harp player Gary Primich (7cd's including Hot Harp Blues, Company Man and Brothernation.) While born and raised in New York, James moved from New York to Tennessee at the age of 23, where he honed his guitar skills playing with Bukka White, Walter Lewis and RL Burnside. The CD contains 6 originals penned by James and 7 covers. While this CD is well done it is a little to country for me. If you like Bob Brozman, Artie Traum, Bukka White or Livingston Taylor, chances are you will like this CD as well."

A folk music history lesson, but a fun one

Nobody important | 06/25/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Too country for another reviewer. Interesting. On this album, Steve James reaches back to an era when the distinction between blues and country just didn't exist. One of the dirty little secrets of music history is that the distinction between white folk music (later known as country) and black folk music (later known as blues) was created by record executives in an era of segregation when selling "black" music to white people was considered unseemly.



Try this as an assignment. Go back and listen to some old Mississippi John Hurt recordings from 1928. Then, listen to some of Hobart Smith's guitar recordings (he was a multi-instrumentalist who played everything, but to compare him to Mississippi John Hurt, you have to compare apples to apples, which means listening to his guitar recordings). Which one played blues? Which one played country? The answer to each question is, "both," because they came from an era in which the distinction didn't exist. As record companies began marketing musical styles to people of different skin colors, blues and country split off from each other, and they are clearly distinct traditions today, but it wasn't always so.



On this rather fun history lesson, Steve James reaches back to an era in which folk music was just folk music, before record companies created a distinction between country and blues. To call this pre-war blues is misleading. It would be more accurate to call this music pre-blues since it is just folk music. The roots of blues are here, as is the spirit of jug band music, ragtime (or should I say, Piedmont blues-- are we seeing a pattern here?), and even some Scots-Irish traditions. The second track is called The Gina Reel. A reel, of course, is a particular type of fast Irish instrumental tune, and although The Gina Reel is not literally a reel, if you listen closely, you can hear the roots.



If you consider yourself a blues fan who doesn't like country, and your conception of blues is limited to delta, Chicago, Memphis, Texas or some other specific sound, don't bother with this one. However, if you are an open-minded fan of all folk music, you couldn't ask for a more fun history lesson than this effort by Steve James.



Further listening: Otis Taylor's Recapturing the Banjo. The banjo, while associated with "white" country music, is of African origin. Listen and learn."

Best thing since sliced bread

Kris | Spain | 02/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It seems to me like any any lick that steve dosent play is'nt worth playing. Ive been listening to prewarblues ever since I can remember and the sound of fying eggs behind those great lonesome guitarslingers is not present here a lovely crisp recording but Steve have them turn up your Voice you are in tune. Steves delivery is the most honest and refreshing, it has me head in hands from the sound of the first chord tickeled on his guitar till the last strum on the disc Boom Chang Boom Chick,boy does Steve Know his stuff, While his right hand bounces back & forth his left dances all around the fretboard leaving you dazzeld. Steve may not have the best vocals but he's not putting on any crude imitation & like I said before honest. Steve Plays A National Style N guitar to slide around some of his songs Thank god there's no hiss or frying egg you won't want to miss a thing. Take my Advice buy this disc, and his other Three you wont be Sorry."