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What, is that like a crawdad? - Bill Williams, turning down the opportunity to partake in a crab feast

Author Topic: Love, Murder and Mosquitos-new Paul Geremia CD-RedHouse RHR CD 172  (Read 2950 times)

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Offline uncle bud

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Paul has a new one out called Love, Murder and Mosquitos. ('Bout freakin' time!) Anyone heard it yet?

Tracks are:

1. Meet Me in the Bottom
2. Pony Blues
3. Tootie Blues
4. Rising River Blues
5. This Morning She Was Gone
6. New Bully of the Town
7. Slow Mama Slow
8. Another Friend Like Me
9. Evil World Blues
10. Mosquito Moan
11. Loners' Blues
12. Don't Forget It
13. Bad Dream Blues
14. When Your Way Gets Dark
15. Frankie
16. Scrapper Scraps
17. Keep a Love Light
18. I Feel So Good


Offline Slack

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Re: Love, Murder and Mosquitos-new Paul Geremia CD-RedHouse RHR CD 172
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2004, 01:11:59 PM »
Great!  18 tunes and some good ones. I have not heard it, but I just placed an order.

cheers,
slack

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Love, Murder and Mosquitos-new Paul Geremia CD-RedHouse RHR CD 172
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2004, 01:51:48 PM »
The Red House site has samples for each of the tunes. Some mando, banjo and fiddle accompaniment (separately) on some tunes.

Edited to add: a relatively recent interview with Paul is available here. And a little bit on the new album here.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2004, 07:38:31 PM by uncle bud »

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Love, Murder and Mosquitos-new Paul Geremia CD-RedHouse RHR CD 172
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2004, 12:31:46 PM »
OK, so here's the lowdown on the new CD:

It's hard to believe it's been 5 years since Paul Geremia's last record, The Devil's Music. That's too long for a musician of this calibre to go without a release, IMO. Just received Love, Murder and Mosquitos in the mail. (Tracklist in post above.) There's quite a bit of twelve-string on this one, with a good eight tracks - almost half the CD - played on that great-sounding twelve he restored. The record is probably more strictly country blues than his previous release - no Ray Charles, Percy Mayfield - although aside from John Hurt's 'Frankie' and Patton's 'Pony Blues' there aren't many songs from the country blues Top 40 (which is just fine with me). Even Frankie is given a rather unusual treatment on twelve-string, and Pony Blues features Martin Grosswendt on fiddle to distinguish it from the usual take on this Patton classic, while at the same time recalling Patton's work with Henry Sims.

Participants from the Port Townsend Workshop when Geremia was in attendance may remember his take on some of the tunes that appear here: Pink Anderson showed him 'Meet Me in the Bottom' which opens the record (12-string, great version) and which Paul played at PT in the 12-string concert he did with Ernie Hawkins; Blake's 'Tootie Blues,' slightly different from the version that appeared on the Shanachie "Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues" compilation; Jesse Thomas's 'Another Friend Like Me,' which I believe he went into a bit in his workshop; Blind Willie McTell's 'Don't Forget It,' another one he did with Ernie if I recall. 'Rising River Blues' is done on twelve again and also features Paul on harmonica (strap on that rack, Slack!). It's a pretty stunning version of an unusual tune, sounding very fresh, and I'm wondering if he got the idea of doing this one from John Miller, who I think was doing it that year at the workshop.  ;) Also on the disc is Patton's 'When Your Way Gets Dark,' which Geremia did at the introductory session at PT and blew people away with - tremendous here as well.

There are only a few original tunes on the record. One is really an update of Bully of the Town (New Bully of the Town) and is an angry dig at current US anti-terrorist legislation and foreign policy. Evil World Blues is another sort of protest song, this one about homelessness, a fairly bluesy issue. Loners' Blues is more of an old-style folk tune and features clawhammer banjo from Grosswendt.

This Morning She Was Gone is a Jim Jackson tune and includes Jim Bennett on mandolin and Rory McLeod on string bass - good time music, nice mando playing. Slow Mama Slow is the Sam Collins song Blueshome was asking about on the lyrics board (Paul sings, "I got ways like the devil, I'm slipping on your floor"). Played on 12-string with slide here, a rather menacing-sounding take. Bad Dream Blues is a Dave Van Ronk tune in the Statesboro Blues style, and Paul's notes say, "He was my closest friend whose passing leaves a forever void in the world of music and truth." 'Mosquito Moan' is the Blind Lemon tune and provides the mosquito reference in the odd album title. It's sort of a reprise of Paul's version of 'Booger Rooger Blues'  from The Devil's Music - same progression (which Paul adds a D7 to when coming off the A7), similar licks. It's of one my favorite Lemon themes so I'm happy to hear more interpretations. 'Scrapper's Scraps' is Scrapper stuff in D played brilliantly - he's really in command of this. 'I Feel So Good' is the Big Bill Broonzy piece (sometimes known as Ballin' the Jack), an up-tempo tune to close the album.

I've only had the record for a day but can say that Geremia is in top form as usual, perhaps a bit more sombre than past records. You can't really go wrong picking up a new CD from one of the premier interpreters of country blues.

Offline waxwing

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Re: Love, Murder and Mosquitos-new Paul Geremia CD-RedHouse RHR CD 172
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2004, 03:01:04 PM »
Sounds great, UB, thanks for the review. Now I know I gotta catch his gig down at Hennings, May 5th. It's in the hills above Santa Cruz. Bit of a drive, but you just made it sound well worth it. I'll pick up the CD at the gig. And a friend, J. L. Stiles, is opening for John Hammond Jr. at the Fox in Redwood City (much closer) a few days before that, so I guess I'm gonna get some schooling in rack harp. That's a great idea to add harp to Risin' River Blues (our theme song here this year). I've been playin' it on my 12 and it sounds fine, but I can't wait to see Paul do it. Maybe it will inspire me to put on the rack, something I've been meanin' to do. Say, I don't recall any 12 players on the PT roster this summer. You say Paul and Ernie were both there one year? Dang, I missed that. I'll have to lobby for a twelve player next year, 'cause I could use some advice.
All for now.
John C.
"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it."
George Bernard Shaw

“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.”
Joseph Heller, Catch-22

http://www.youtube.com/user/WaxwingJohn
CD on YT

Offline Slack

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Re: Love, Murder and Mosquitos-new Paul Geremia CD-RedHouse RHR CD 172
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2004, 05:53:34 PM »
Hey UB, great review (those editor skills come right out! :) )... I bought this CD also and really like it.? It is amazing that Paul's lst CD was five years ago - goes to show you how much and how dependent he is on touring.

Love the 12 string, I prefer it to most of his 6 string pieces - I like the ringing clanging, full sound of his old restored 12's.? To state the obvious, Paul G. is a Country Blues player - he's got his own sound, immediately recognizable, taking old songs and creates new songs (very easy to hear some of his influences), right in step with the tradtion. Some I don't like so well - not too fond of his Rising River Blues for example - but only because I love the original so much I think.? Rack harp? not for me thanks <g> - Paul gets a fabulous tone out of that rack harp, which is only possible after many, many years of playing... what a great asset to have.

18 cuts, very nice artwork, good liner notes, what a deal.? Gotta quote the Hunter Thomson quote that Paul quoted.? :o

"The music business is a shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where pimps and thieves run free and good men die like dogs.? There's also a negative side."? :P

cheers,
slack

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Love, Murder and Mosquitos-new Paul Geremia CD-RedHouse RHR CD 172
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2004, 06:23:00 PM »

Love the 12 string, I prefer it to most of his 6 string pieces - I like the ringing clanging, full sound of his old restored 12's.

Interesting. I think he's one of the best twelve-string players around, but ultimately I think I prefer it in slightly smaller doses. The impact of that big jangly sound is greater then. Or it may be that I don't have a 12 and can't try and play along. :P

Quote
? To state the obvious, Paul G. is a Country Blues player - he's got his own sound, immediately recognizable, taking old songs and creates new songs (very easy to hear some of his influences), right in step with the tradtion.

Well put. Listening to the Scrapper's Scraps tune, I thought, oh yeah, he's a Scrapper fiend, he plays it with such authority, which I hadn't actually noticed before. I also hear Lemon and Blind Willie McTell in his style, even when he's not playing their stuff. That looseness and free approach to riffs.

Quote
Some I don't like so well - not too fond of his Rising River Blues for example - but only because I love the original so much I think.?

Really? Geez, I thought he did a really nice version, lots of neat bits. He certainly fancies it up a bit but I thought very tastefully.

Quote
? Gotta quote the Hunter Thomson quote that Paul quoted.? :o

"The music business is a shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where pimps and thieves run free and good men die like dogs.? There's also a negative side."? :P

A classic....

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Love, Murder and Mosquitos-new Paul Geremia CD-RedHouse RHR CD 172
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2004, 06:30:47 PM »
Sounds great, UB, thanks for the review. Now I know I gotta catch his gig down at Hennings, May 5th. It's in the hills above Santa Cruz. Bit of a drive, but you just made it sound well worth it. I'll pick up the CD at the gig. And a friend, J. L. Stiles, is opening for John Hammond Jr. at the Fox in Redwood City (much closer) a few days before that, so I guess I'm gonna get some schooling in rack harp.

Hi John - Just in case you hadn't seen the quote before, here's John Hammond on Paul Geremia: "Paul Geremia is a phenomenal country blues player. The guy is a killer, a great singer and songwriter...I'd go a thousand miles to hear him play." So travelling should be worth it.

Some nice shows you're getting to see out there in Arnold's empire!


Offline book

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Re: Love, Murder and Mosquitos-new Paul Geremia CD-RedHouse RHR CD 172
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2005, 12:55:12 PM »
http://weeniecampbell.com/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=42
Quote
://weeniecampbell.com/mambo/images/stories/cdcovers/Geremia_Mosquitos.It's hard to believe it's been five years since Paul Geremia's last
record, The Devil's Music[/em]. That's too long for a musician of this
calibre to go without a release. Finally we have Love, Murder and
Mosquitos[/em].



? There's quite a bit of 12-string guitar on this album, with a
good e. . .


Geremia  has always been the best!
Roy BB

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