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REVIEWS




                                           Rita    Engedalen—Sun      Will  Come—Bluestown

                                           Records

                                           This is the seventh album from Norwegian singer and

                                           guitarist Rita Engedalen, whose band won the European
                                           Blues Challenge in 2012.  We start with ‘Let’s Go Down

                                           and Pray’ an atmospheric acoustic song that reminded
                                           me of British acoustic blues from the likes of Bert Jansch
                                           and John Renbourn and then it’s straight into ‘Sunshine

                                           Devil’ a more electric song with a driving Bo Diddley
       beat, ‘I Wanna Feel Good Tonight’ is similar, with harmonica from Jostein Forsberg

       and a lovely guitar solo from Morten Omlid.  ‘I Am Changed’ is a dramatic, mournful
       ballad with a restrained trumpet solo from Nils Petter Molvaer and the title track
       is  another  atmospheric  acoustic  song  that  throws  the  spotlight  on  Rita’s

       characterful voice.

       ‘Black Cat Bone’ is the Jesse Mae Hemphill acoustic blues song with driving National

       slide guitar from Daniel Eriksen – Rita became friends with Jesse Mae in the last
       years of her life – and ‘North Mississippi Blues’ is a similar trance blues but this

       time an electric full band track, with Rita shouting out the lyrics.  ‘The Right Hand’
       is another poignant ballad, this time with a country influence, while ‘Colors in Rain’
       is a holler with just Rita and backup voices singing over a beat and the final song

       ‘Wait For Me’ is yet another restrained, dark atmospheric song.  I couldn’t say that
       Rita has a wonderful voice but it is very characterful and dramatic – rather like a
       latter day Marianne Faithfull – and the album is very original and enjoyable.  The

       band of Morten Omlid (guitars), Eskil Aasland (drums), Bård Gunnar Moe (bass)
       and Espen Fjelle (organ) also play their part in making this a great sounding record

       that was recorded in the Juke Joint Studio, Notodden, Norway.

       Graham Harrison


                                           John  Mayall’s  Bluesbreakers—Jumpin’—Pilgrim
                                           Records


                                           This  is  a  live  recording  of  a  concert  in  Gothenberg,
                                           Sweden  in  April  1972  and  features  John  and  a  band

                                           comprising  Freddie  Robinson  (Abu  Talib)  (guitar),
                                           Victor  Gaskin  (bass),  Keef  Hartley  (drums),  Clifford
                                           Solomon (tenor sax) and Blue Mitchell (trumpet).  The

                                           sound of the band probably most resembles John’s ‘Bare
                                           Wires’ band i.e. quite jazzy – not surprising given the
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