I acquired a copy of Abi Wallenstein & BLUESCULTUREs "In Concert" CD, featuring Steve Baker on harmonica, a month or so ago, and have listened to it a few times since. This is a brief review of the CD.
Wallenstein's band is in the classic configuration of Little Walter's early trios, with electric guitar, drums, and (mostly amped) harmonica, with Wallenstein performing the guitar and most of the vocals. Steve Baker is the harmonica player, and he is of course well known to harmonica players and fans worldwide. The overall sound of the group is very satisfying, with Wallenstein laying down strong bass lines and chords and Baker throwing down some very tough harmonica. I almost said very tough harmonica "on top", but that wouldn't be quite accurate; Baker's harmonica is woven deep into the fabric of this group, and some of the most striking moments on the CD occur when the harmonica is driving the rhythm. The drummer's kit is not a traditional trap set; instead of the kick drum, he plays a "cajon," an instrument that I was not familiar with before I heard this CD. The result is a drum sound that blends into the band instead of dominating it. The group doesn't sound quit!
e like anyone else out there, which is refreshing and cool.
The band's repertoire includes a wide range of moods and styles. The name "Bluesculture" is apt, because the music always has the sound of Chicago blues in it, even when the band is not playing blues per se--which is the case a fair amount of the time. On boogies and blues, the band is just as likely to use a straight-ahead feel as a shuffle. The effect is to up the intensity, and probably the most intense track--certainly the most intense on harmonica--is the title track, whose lyrics explain what the band is about, where Baker pushes the band (and presumably the live audience) into a frenzy with his precisely executed, honking (almost quacking) rhythm licks. (My son, who plays Sonic Youth-style music on electric guitar, listened to that cut with me on one occasion. When it started up, he shrugged and said "It's blues," meaning "so what." But Baker's solo got him genuinely interested.)
You have to go back to Magic Dick, or perhaps some of Jean-Jacques Milteau's work, to hear amped harp played with such consistent and potent rhythmic precision, and I found myself wondering whether Baker had been influenced by Dick back in the day. He wouldn't be the first. Anyway, the harmonica throughout the CD is colorful, played with masterful technique and emotion, and pretty much worth the price of the CD by itself. It's worth noting that a lot of the harmonica on this CD is apparently played on non-standard tunings, in particular the Country tuning. Baker's said before that he plays a lot of his stuff with this tuning, and this record proves the point. The harmonica chording as well as single note lines is inventive throughout.
The CD has 13 cuts, 6 of which were written by Wallenstein or Wallenstein and Baker. Of the covers, I especially liked the band's take on "Chain of Fools" and J.B. Lenoir's "Alabama." The CD has something in the neighborhood of 70 minutes of music on it, meaning that it's ideal listening for long drives and late nights.
This record shows how a very traditional blues sound can be applied to a lot of different material, and I have no doubt that blues fans in particular, including almost every harp player, will enjoy the approach and the playing.
Regards, Richard Hunter
author, "Jazz Harp"
latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp
more mp3s at http://taxi.com/rhunter
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
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