Stony Plain Records artist: Eric Bibb and North County Far with Danny Thompson - The Happiest Man In The World - New release Review

I just received the newest release, The Happiest Man In The World, from Eric Bibb and North County Far with Danny Thompson and it's quite fun. Opening with title track, The Happiest Man In The World, Eric Bibb creates his upbeat blues style with a rural flair joined by Danny Thompson on upright bass, Ollie Haavisto on slide guitars and Janne Haavisto on drums and percussion. Toolin' Down The Road is a really cool track with a nice weave of acoustic instruments bringing instant comparison in my mind to early Ry Cooder work. Very nice. I'll Farm For You has a cool little guitar riff and Bibbs superb vocals supported by light but intriguing slide work. Tossin' And Turnin' has a real smooth feel a nice blend of acoustic and resonator guitar work and upright bass and features Petri Hakala on fiddle. Creole Cafe' has a real nice 3/4 time making it one of my favorite tracks on the release. Bibb really has a nice voice and with lightly appointed mando work, this track is super. With a light funk, Born To Be Your Man, has a bit more drum and jazzy instrumentation giving it a fuller sound. Prison Of Time is a really strong ballad with a lightly salted Hawaiian feel. King Size Bed has a Piedmont style and a happy go lucky feel. With light percussion, a cool mandolin solo and nice slide, another favorite on the release. 1912 Skiing Disaster is a nicely textured instrumental. With it's solid melody and beautiful bass lines by Thompson, balanced against Bibb's acoustic guitar and Olli on slide this track is excellent! Wish I Could Hold You Now is a solemn ballad featuring Petri's mando and Olli on slide providing a beautiful canvas for Bibb's extremely sensitive vocals. Instrumental, Blueberry Boy, is very nicely crafted, again showing superb bass lines, articulate guitar work and a cool Irish whistle solo by Mary Murphy. Wrapping the release is Ray Davies' You Really Got Me. One of my all time favorite rock tracks, Bibb gives it a sensitivity that I suspect never entered Davies head when he was writing it. Pepe Ahlquist on harp and Michael Jerome Browne add nicely to this total blowout of this classic rock track (with a surprise country blues acoustic guitar finish). Very nice closer.


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Eric Bibb Is "The Happiest Man in the World" on New Stony Plain Records CD, Coming May 6

Tasty Country Blues Musical Gumbo Teams Award-Winning Roots Musician and North Country Far with Legendary Bassist Danny Thompson

EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records has set a May 6 release date for The Happiest Man in the World, the latest album from award-winning roots musician Eric Bibb, which teams him up with the group North Country Far and legendary bassist Danny Thompson.

The Happiest Man in the World is a 14-track tasty gumbo of country blues songs recorded in the English countryside with an exuberant, soulful spirit that feels like the perfect soundtrack for relaxing on the back porch or the front parlor. Led by multiple Blues Music Award-winner Eric Bibb, this stellar acoustic band is made up of musicians who have known each other for years. It features famed upright bassist Danny Thompson, whose resume includes work with such acclaimed artists as Alexis Korner, Donovan, Richard Thompson (no relation), Pentangle and John Martyn.  The album also includes a bonus instrumental track, “King Size Bed,” which is available only in the Deluxe digital edition.

To celebrate the release of the new CD, Eric Bibb and the band created a special video EPK about its making that can be viewed bekow:

In the liner notes for The Happiest Man in the World, Eric Bibb talks about how the album came together. “Some years ago, when I was living in Helsinki, I had the good fortune of meeting the Haavisto brothers – Janne, a very groovy drummer, and Olli, a wonderful dobro and pedal steel player. In addition to being fine musicians, both of them are experienced recording engineers. We became friends and began working together on various recording projects. Olli introduced me to Petri Hakala. He not only plays great mandolin & mandola, he also makes his own instruments! We started playing gigs advertised as Eric Bibb and North Country Far. Like most musicians, we began sharing road stories, telling tall tales and name-dropping. At some point I mentioned that a few years back I’d had a chance to tour with Danny Thompson, the legendary bassist. Fast-forward. One day, during a recording session, Olli said, ‘It would be great to make a record with Danny – he’s one of my heroes. Any chance?’

“And it happened - because it was meant to be! We met at The Grange (a residential studio where I’d recorded an album years before) near Norfolk, England. Together, for a few days in the month of July, with veteran sound engineer Dave Williams at the console, we experienced something beautifully friendly and elevating. I’d do it again in a heartbeat!”

The Happiest Man in the World continues Eric Bibb’s tradition of versatility in expressing his musical craft. His last album, the universally-acclaimed Lead Belly’s Gold, was a tribute to the iconic bluesman that saw Bibb join forces with French harmonica master JJ Milteau for an album of songs recorded at famed Paris jazz club, The Sunset, as well as five new studio recordings.

Eric Bibb’s career spans over five decades, 36 albums, countless radio and TV shows and non-stop tours, making him one of the leading bluesmen of his generation. Bibb tours regularly throughout the world and already has dates booked at both showcase venues and festivals throughout the spring and summer in the USA and Canada.

The Happiest Man in the World – Track Listing

1.      The Happiest Man In The World / Words & Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

2.      Toolin’ Down The Road / Words & Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

3.      I’ll Farm For You / Words & Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

4.      Tossin’ An’ Turnin’ / Words & Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

5.      Creole Café / Words & Music by Eric Bibb & Ulrika Pontén Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

6.      Born To Be Your Man / Words & Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

7.      Prison Of Time / Words by Eric Bibb & Wendell Berry, Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

8.      King Size Bed / Words & Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

9.      On The Porch / Words by Wendell Berry (from The Sabbath Poems 1979-1997 “They Sit Together On The Porch”, 1994), Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

10.  1912 Skiing Disaster (instrumental) / Music by Olli Haavisto & Petri Hakala

11.  Tell Ol’ Bill / Traditional/Arr. by E. Bibb

12.  Wish I Could Hold You Now / Words & Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

13.  Blueberry Boy (instrumental) / Music by Eric Bibb, BMG/Chrysalis

14.  You Really Got Me / Words & Music by Ray Davies, Sony/ATV Songs LLC

15.  (Bonus track: King Size Bed - Instrumental bonus track)

www.ericbibb.net / www.stonyplainrecords.com