Page 49 - BiTS_12_DECEMBER_2021

Charlie Barath—Just Me and My Friend(s)—Own Label

Charlie Barath is a new name to me, though as a harmonica
player recommended by Joe Filisko, he’s definitely going to
be worth a listen. He is versatile too. The first three tracks
comprise a Leadbelly-flavoured work-song, a pre-war
Memphis styled guitar and harp instrumental with traces of
Robert Wilkins, and an electric blues number with amplified
harp.

The notes do tend to emphasise our man’s eclecticism
though, and after this opening trio, things then venture
towards the bluesy side of western swing with the jazzy ‘Losin’ My Mind Over You’, driven
along by Pete Freeman’s pedal steel playing, before veering off to the traditional American
folk ballad sound of ‘Ohio’, though ‘Just Me And My Friend’ brings back the rural blues
sound in excellent style.

There is more too: elsewhere there is the pure country of ‘Little Turtle Nightlight’, the hard
electric Chicago-flavoured blues of ‘No Smoking’, a jug band styled ‘Much Better Now’ and

the “Paris in the 30s” sound of ‘Heart Of Mine’.

‘Ollie Ollie’ has country harp and fiddle, and ‘The Briar Hopper’ is a sprightly novelty
country instrumental, a huge contrast with the ragged early post-war Chicago blues
approach of ‘Highball And A Covered Dish’ and the honky-tonk sound of ‘She Drives Me To
Drink’. The closing number of this hugely enjoyable if eclectic set is a fine cover of the
barber/ bluesman William Moore’s ‘One Way Gal’.

Norman Darwen

(www.charliebarathharmonica.com) `

Bernie Marsden—Chess—Conquest CNO 002cd

Guitarist and singer Bernie Marsden has come a long way
since he was a member of heavy rock maestros Whitesnake,
playing to vast audiences worldwide. But at the height of
their success, Whitesnake had a hit with a cover of Bobby
Bland’s ‘Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City’, which was
perhaps something of an indicator of the journey Bernie had

already made—from his blues roots, and this set (and
“Kings”, its predecessor in his “Inspirations” series) shows
that he has made the trip back again.

This is indeed a collection of covers of Chess Records
material, some of it the kind of thing that Bernie used to buy on Pye International singles
back in the early to mid-sixties. Even the most cursory of listens reveals just how well he

does it too. Backed by some of the UK’s finest—including Alan Glen on blues harp and
keyboards player Bob Haddrell—and recorded in Oxfordshire, the album contains stellar
performances of material from Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Little Milton, Bo
Diddley, Elmore James and others. There are also two fine original guitar instrumentals to
close out.