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While admittedly not as much of a potential minefield as jazz music, the blues genre is still capable of tripping someone up and bringing the wrath of the dreaded gatekeepers down upon them. The kind of gatekeeper who for some inexplicable reason decides to shout “Play some blues” at the uber-talented Eric Gales during one of his freeform soulful guitar solos at a gig a few years back in Glasgow, resulting in Gales (rightly so) losing his rag for a few brief moments.
Don’t ever get your Delta blues confused with Chicago blues. Don’t get the Three Kings mixed up. And don’t be too young because as South African incendiary guitarist/singer-songwriter Dan Patlansky once told this reviewer; there are those out there who feel that to play “The blues”, one has to have “Lived the blues”, and you can’t have lived the blues unless you are at least 40 or 50 years old, right? Beep. The survey says that’s the wrong answer. Or as Brighton-based, YOUNG, up-and-coming blues artist Will Wilde proclaims during the title track to his latest album ‘Blues Is Still Alive’: “I say the blues are a feeling, we all get from time to time”.
In his regulation black stage clothes and trademark harmonica bandolier, Wilde is a pretty formidable figure, and one hard to miss. His vocals are raw, unschooled, full of grit, and (just to appease those gatekeepers) full of life. Within a few moments of the title track – which also opens the album – it’s obvious that Wilde is not merely going through the motions. Blues legend Walter Trout is alongside him to lay down an impressive guest guitar solo, but equally impressive is how Wilde makes his harmonica sound like a guitar during the fiery interchange between himself and Trout, and where you might expect a guitar solo, you will find Wilde wailing away on his weapon of choice. It’s a fresh, vibrant slant on what can sometimes be a cookie-cutter genre.
It’s the harmonica that makes ‘Wild Man’ sizzle, and thanks to the stellar drum sound from the impeccable Steve Rushton and some fizzing piano from Greg Coulson, the song rattles along at a fair old pace. The guitar work from Bobby Harrison is on-point and he continues to impress throughout the album. As per the title track, where you are expecting a guitar solo to kick in, Wilde lets loose on his harmonica for a solo that makes the neck hairs stand on end (ditto ‘Don’t Play With Fire’).
Although slower moments such as ‘Gypsy Woman’, ‘Stole My Love’, and the trad-blues of ‘Broken Dream Blues’ stand out, where the album excels is when Wilde floors it. The prime example would be rockier tracks like ‘Trouble Of That Girl’ and ‘Learn How to Love’ which fuel comparisons to Canvey Island’s most famous sons Dr. Feelgood. It’s easy to imagine the much-missed pair of Lee Brilleaux and Wilko Johnson going toe-to-toe on these tracks. Bassist Russell Carr deserves a mention roundabout now because his non-fussy playing is perfect and the backbone that he and Rushton provide is crucial, especially on the more uptempo moments.
Harmonica is not for everyone, and here there is no escaping it. At 10 tracks in length, Wilde keeps it lean, and when it is played with such ferocity and more importantly, played with creativity (is it a guitar that you are hearing, or a harmonica?) then any reservations about ‘Blues Is Still Alive’ being so harmonica-heavy quickly evaporate as body parts start inexplicably moving. This is a real toe-tapper of an album. With YOUNG guys like Will Wilde and blues-trio The Zac Schulze Gang on hand, gatekeepers need not fret for the future of the blues is in very good hands.
Available now, more information HERE.
Review – Dave
