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including Fabrizio’s harp, restrained acoustic guitar and flute. Shar also sings the

very moving ‘Amazing Grace’ and also ‘Every Life Matters’ both again have subtle
backing that highlights her upfront vocals. Elsewhere Fabrizio does his own original

blues song ‘Pilgrim’, Fred McDowell’s ‘You Gotta Move’ and ‘Slowhand’, an acoustic
song by Volker Kinast and Hubert Dorigatti in praise of Eric Clapton.

We also get Little Milton’s ‘The Blues is Alright’ an upbeat blues with electric guitar

and Hammond organ and of course Fabrizio’s harp. Fabrizio is a very good harmon-
ica player but an average singer and so the better numbers here are the ones with

Shar or Guy out front.

Graham Harrison

Dom Martin—Buried Alive—Forty Below

Singer, guitarist and songwriter Dom Martin is fast
establishing a strong reputation on the blues scene and

beyond, which is only fair as that is the musical territory

he inhabits. He tends not to play too many straight
twelve bar numbers – though there are a few, and do

listen to ‘Howlin’’ if you have any reservations – but the
blues permeates many of his songs, as this double live

set shows.

‘Buried In The Hail’ is a good example of the latter, with its huge sounding slide guitar

work. He is a proud Irishman, and as such, he feels that comparisons with Van
Morrison and particularly Rory Gallagher are justified – to some extent.

Here he draws on material from the three studio albums he has made since bursting
onto the scene in 2019, drawn from various shows across Europe. He has won

numerous awards as an acoustic act, though he also leads a fine electric trio, and both
of those sides are represented here. The songs ‘Daylight I Will Find’ and ‘Belfast Blues’

are also present in both formats, allowing for a direct comparison if you wish to do
that, but I’m just happy to have both.

With his raw electric sound and relatively more considered acoustic side on a bunch
of intelligent songs, Dom has become a big draw on the UK blues and roots scene.

This fine release shows just why.

Norman Darwen