Root Art Records artist: Steve Lury & Andres Roots - Live In Lerwick - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Live In Lerwick, from Steve Lury and Andres Roots and it's simply cool! This live performance was recorded at the Shetland Blues Festival in Lerwick in September of 2013. Opening with Jr. Wells' Tomorrow Night, Steve Lury handles vocal and harp and Andres Roots on slide guitar with Peeter Piik on bass. Next up is Sonny Boy Williamson's Born Blind. Roots is excellent on slide nicely balancing Lury's harp work. With a very stripped down approach but with modern amplification, the notes soar. On Tampa Red's Rambler's Blues they pick up the pace a bit and Lury really digs in for some great harp riffs. Roots original, Build Me A Statue, has a slow and somber pace. With Roots leading the way on a slide guitar melody and nice harmonizing on harp by Lury, this is one of my favorite tracks on the release. Very nice! On Robert Jr. Lockwood's Take A Little Walk With Me, Roots really winds out the slide, Elmore James style, with lead vocals by Lury. A hot harp solo in the track over a quickly accelerating rhythm guitar by Roots turns into a sliding foot race to the end. Excellent! On Charles Brown's Driftin' Blues, Lury plays a very nice intro prior to taking the lead on vocal. Gradually building from a quiet track to a very fat slide with harp track the dynamics are quite interesting. Next up is Robert Johnson's Walkin' Blues, and Roots again demonstrates his finesse on slide with super tone. Lury handles vocals and Piik the bass. Muddy Water's Gone To Main Street has a real Chicago feel with Lury leading the way on super harp. This track has super tempo and really gets your blood flowing. Roots picks up the slide work after the first chorus accented by Lury on harp. Then Lury on lead with accents by Roots. Lury wraps the track on vocals with Roots really sailing on slide. Super! Another Muddy Water's track, You Can't Lose What You Never Had, finds the addition of Paul Archibald on drums and a real feel of a Muddy Water's band, sans Water's voice. This band is tight. Roots uses the lowest octave for his early slide work which is contrary to Water's own style but very cool. Then taking the higher octaves, he makes his guitar absolutely sing. A nice open roll for Lury on harp is melodic and crisp. Very nice! Wrapping the release is Memphis Minnie's What's The Matter With The Mill with a driving "Messing With The Kid" style. Roots and Lury jam together on harp and slide for a cool ending to a real traditional blues concert.  

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