[Harp-L] Paul Reddick CD Now at Borders

["Fred Litwin" <fred@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

If you haven?t heard Paul Reddick play harp, you owe it to yourself to check
out
his latest CD, Villanelle.  It is now featured at Borders around the
country, so
it's easy to find.  Here's a review of Villanelle from the latest issue of
Blues
Revue Magazine.

Paul Reddick
Villanelle

"Three years after receiving critical raves for Rattlebag (W.C.
Handy-nominated, Toronto Blues Society's album of the year), Canadian
harpist, vocalist, and songwriter Paul Reddick returns with a project that
beats his previous one.

Villanelle could vaguely be defined as coming from the pre-war blues
tradition, but that would only begin to describe Reddick's unique approach.
Like Ry Cooder, Reddick uses the structure of older blues to fashion his own
sound, layering instruments subtly to paint a portrait that shimmers with
feeling.  Truly an album whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts,
each track on Villanelle is immaculately crafted to fit the larger picture.
Sure, there are changes in tempo and feel throughout the 15 tunes, but
there's also a cohesiveness that melds New Orleans second-line to
Mississippi acoustic soundds and the edgier attack of Chicago blues.

Riffs repeat as if on loop, shifting from the lowdown dirt funk of "Big Not
Small" to the mandolin/harp-driven train-time clatter of "Luck in Love."
The effect is not unlike a dream as Reddick's emotive gritty voice and
harmonica drift through but seldom dominate the mix.  The music is notable
for its space; instruments and vocals are added only as needed.  As with
Charlie Musselwhite's recent work, you sense this was conceived as a
conceptual piece as opposed to a collection of tracks.  To be fair, Reddick
shares the disc's success with producer/guitarist Colin Linden, whose
contribution is so substantial that his picture greets the listener as they
open the slipcase.  The dup adds a small group of sidemen for drums, bass,
and keyboards, but leaves the sound stripped down, primal, and natural.

This is not an album that jumps out at the lisener; it's charms seep in
gradually through repeated spins.  Like the Sirens of The Odyssey, it
entrances, hypnotizes, and beckons you back for more."
    Hal Horowitz


Fred Litwin
NorthernBlues Music, Inc.
225 Sterling Road, Unit 19
Toronto, Ontario M6R 2B2
www.northernblues.com