Page 47 - BiTS_06_JUNE_2023

PG Petricca/ Rough Max/ Gianluca Giannasso – Dispersi –
Road Sweet Road
(www.facebook.com/PgPetricca/)

It used to be the kiss of death for European blues outfits (or bands
outside Europe, come to that) to sing in anything other than
English. They might - just – get away with French if they included
a zydeco styled accordion, but other than that, forget it. Times
have begun to change (slowly) though, and these three guys here
perform original, sometimes Americana tinged blues - musically,
at least - with vocalist and guitarist PG singing in Italian and the
dialect of the Abruzzo region. And you know what – it’s OK, it
works.

For a good example, try ‘Nell’incertezza’, with its deliberate vocal, clean but gritty guitar work,
heavy bass by Max, and an almost martial beat supplied by Gianluca, certainly in blues territory,
but also strongly individual, and a little reminiscent of UK blues-rock outfit Free. Or lend an ear
maybe to the swampy groover, ‘Voglio Te’, with its driving slide guitar playing, or the slightly
more up tempo ‘Baricentro’, again with swooping slide playing.

I admit I haven’t got a clue what PG is singing about for more than half of the time. But it really
doesn’t matter too much if the feeling is right, and yes, this does feel right.

Norman Darwen

John Rutherford—Midnight Microphone (EP)—JRM
(www.johnrmusic.com)

This is a four-track CD EP release from Canadian John Rutherford.
He is an experienced guitarist who first heard the blues growing
up in Toronto in the 70s, before working with blues bands in
Calgary, Alberta in the following decade. Here he works with bass
and drums, and the producer is guitarist Tim Williams; Tim has
worked with many, many blues musicians, and some older readers
may recall that American born Tim’s first album, in the late 60s,
featured George “Harmonica” Smith and guitarist Pee Wee
Crayton, besides being produced by Arhoolie’s Chris Strachwitz –
so he’s a good judge of blues credentials.

John lives up to that, with a nice down-home edge to the opener, ‘Fell For The Blues’ with its
raspy vocal and strong lyrics. ‘Juke Joint Guru’ has some strong slide playing and good lyrics
again, the short instrumental ‘Black Diamond Strings’ has an ever-so slightly jazz-tinged edge,

and the final number, ‘Blue Deja Vu’ is a louder, moody electric blues sound picture – and the
lyrics contain the source of the album title.

This is an individual take on the blues, by an artist very much in tune with the music but unafraid
to put his own spin on it. I liked this a lot.

Norman Darwen