Roots Art Records artist: Andres Roots - Breakfast In September - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Breakfast In September, from Andres Roots and it's quite good. Opening with The Sheik of Hawaii Pt. 1, Andres Roots is on a steel resonator and making terrific slide sounds. With a riff that has just a touch of middle eastern flavor, Roots attacks the strings. His work is sure and true. Excellent opener. Tango Walk features Roots, joined by his one time teacher, Halvo Livamagi blending a tango guitar rhythm and slide soloing by Roots. This is a nicely balanced track with well blended techniques. 4 AM Hot Dog is a cool rag time track clearly showing Roots finger mastery and authentic style. Very nice. Another excellent blues track, Leif's Guitar Blues is a super display of finger picking and slide technique. Thing Stephan Grossman. Waltzin' Blue on electric guitar with slide is really lush with super bass notes injected much like Kottke does. Very nice. With really fat slide tone, 7th Heaven is really cool. A fast boogie, this track defines slide. Excellent. Stumbleweed is a nice, traditional Delta style blues with varying tempos and European melodic overtones. Very nice. Wrapping the release is The Sheik of Hawaii Pt. 2. with a much more complex, electric slide overtone. I really like this release and can't wait to listen to it on my home stereo.

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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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