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The Old Ramblers—Find Me on the Road Somewhere—Bone

Union Bur1102

How much do you know about the blues scene in Turkey? If it’s
the same as me, right, let’s start at the very beginning with this
release. Bone Union is a new label, a subsidiary of the better-
known Dutch label Black & Tan, looking to document the Turkish
blues scene by issuing new music and older recordings made from

the mid-90s onwards. The Old Ramblers is a trio from Izmir which
has been together since 2016. Sarop Keskiner plays electric
guitars, bass, and maracas and sings; Orhun Keskinbicak is on
harmonica and Türker Özer on acoustic guitar.

They have a knockabout style influenced by the likes of LeadBelly, Blind Blake, the Memphis jug
bands of the 20s and 30s, Jimmy Reed (!) and audibly at least, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee.
Unfortunately, in concentrating on older styles, as non-native English speakers, and probably -
hopefully - more from enthusiasm than anything else, they do keep some of the racial and racist
terms that were present in the originals and which are not acceptable - so listen with that
reservation. Musically the sound is fine and there are echoes of the early days of folk-blues in
Britain, but please take more care next time, guys.

Norman Darwen

Sunnysiders—the Bridges—Dancing Bear DBCD 547

Croatia might not seem like a hotbed of blues, but think of blues-

rocker Vanja Sky and harp maestro Tomislav Goluban. Now add to
that list Sunnysiders, a duo from Zagreb comprising male singer
Boris Hrepic Hrepa and female vocalist Antonija Vrgoc Rola,
backed by a large crew of musicians from all over to help them
mark ten years together.

The result is an individual album, from the rollicking, harp and
boogie guitar-driven ‘Crossroads Of Your Own’ to the UK-inflected
sound of the closing ‘Heaven Blues Band’, with the UK’s own Norman Beaker Trio providing suitable
accompaniment. In between are a variety of blues-based numbers, all sung in English and with a
wide variety of arrangements. They range from out-and-out blues-rock like the explosive
‘Blockstop’ and the tough slow blues of ‘You’re Not That Good For Me To Cry’ (with its electric

guitar work recorded in a hotel room in Shanghai!) to the gentle, moving ‘Tiny Soul’ and the moody,
American-sounding pop-rock of ‘Flogging A Dead Horse’, with lead vocals swapping around between
the two singers on different tracks.

This enjoyable set was mastered at Ardent Studios in Memphis, and is completed by very fine
packaging, with the lyrics and personnel listed and interesting notes on the background to each

individual song. Rather fine European blues all round, this one.

Norman Darwen