Page 45 - BiTS_01_JANUARY_2024

Big Harp George—Cut My Spirit Loose—Blues Mountain
Records BMR CD05
Big Harp George (George Bisharat) resides in the San Francisco
Bay Area and in a former life, he was a criminal defence lawyer,
an award-winning professor of law at UC Hastings College of
the Law, and expert commentator on law and politics in the
Middle East. But, the lure of the chromatic harmonica and the
blues was too much of a temptation to resist and has trans-
formed himself into a blues singer, songwriter, who plays the
chromatic harmonica.

He recorded his first album, “Chromaticism,” in 2014, Four
successful albums followed, with this his most recent. Joining George; lead vocals and harmon-
ica, in the Greaseland studios in San Jose in California are his core band of musicians who are;
Kid Andersen; guitar and banjo, Joe Kyle Jr.; bass, June Core and Derrick D’Mar on drumming
duties, Chris Burns; keyboards, the horns are provided by; Michael Peloquin; tenor and
baritone saxophones, Doug Rowan; baritone saxophone, Mike Rinta; trombone and tuba, Ed
Morrison and Jeff Lewis; trumpet. Backing vocalists include, Sons of the Soul Revivers who
are; James, Dwayne, and Walter Morgan.

The opener ‘Big Tuesday’, possesses a lovely swinging feel in the tradition Louis Jordan, the
humorous subject matter here, is the social restrictions and confusion of days created by the
pandemic ‘lockdown’. On ‘Pile Driving Sam’, we enter the world of swinging horns, rich guitar
and percussion pounding funk and Big George is bemused as to why the ladies are more than
fascinated by a hunky workman steamily working a pile driver on ‘road works’ in the street.
On the invitingly slow and lazy, harmonica, trombone and banjo led, rich New Orleans stroller
‘Give Me The Dark’, George professes a distinct dislike for the sun-rich daylight, he, prefers the
anonymity of the dark.

A change of mood is indicated with the instrumental ‘Bustin’ Out’, the sweet, bright horns lead
us into a swinging Latin feel with BG leading the way with his infectiously goodtime swinging
harmonica, the blasting horns and a tight percussive groove keep the hips swaying. The only
cover on the album is the Beatles ‘She’s A Woman’, whilst retaining the original spirit of the
number he gives it a “loose-as-a-goose” feel with his infusion of jazzy/rumba inflections into
the normally sharp and edgy rock touch.

‘Jump Abu Luka’, is a rather fine jumping instrumental that highlights BG’s alluring dexterity
of swing, there are also some very fine vocal interjections from Sons of the Soul Revivers. BG’s
black sense of humour is once again to the fore on the gently swinging ‘Prince of Downward
Mobility’, his bouncing harmonica mixes well with the blasting horns and jollying piano.

‘Captain Jack’, concerns the usual late 19th century practice of relocating a native race to a
“reservation”. Here, it is The Modoc tribe who were deprived of their native lands in Califor-
nia, Kintpuash, leader of the Modoc tribe also known as “Captain Jack”, He led a band from the
Klamath Reservation to return to their lands in California, where they resisted the U.S. Army
from 1872 to 1873, but, were captured and Kinpuash was the only Native American Leader
charged with war crimes, he was executed by the Army, along with several followers, for their
ambush killings of General Edward Canby and Reverend Eleazar Thomas at a peace commis-
sion meeting. The Modoc leaders were hanged for "murder in violation of the laws of war" by
the Army. This is a stark piano and hauntingly solemn harmonica piece with ephemerally
floating flute backed with cold backing vocals.

Commendable!

Brian Harman.