Todd Albright – Blues For Dexter Linwood
This showcase almost sounds like it was recorded in the same manner as the original Robert Johnson classics. Detroit-based Todd’s recording is pristine, but his voice & his 12-string guitar have that old mono (it is recorded in monaural) presence that drips from every note. It’s actually charming. Dusty, vintage, with lots of humidity in the compositions. It’s the way the late John Fahey managed to acquire that special sound on his skillful Takoma label fingerstyle acoustic guitar performances (the live 1978 Hamburg take “Poor Boys Long Way From Home,” the LP “Blind Joe Death”).
It’s basically pre-war folk/blues. American primitive guitar in tradition & Todd manages to lay down his tunes like early Taj Mahal as well (“Giant Step/De Ole Folks At Home”). There’s a deep rural sound in Todd’s voice throughout the opening tunes “Drive Away Blues,” “Real Kind Mama,” & definitely on “ Stockin’ Feet Blues.”
Yes, these are blues pieces, but there’s a deeper South in these pickings than urban swipe. From this basic style spring the attractive country-blues stylings. Todd’s voice is scary good – he sounds like a seasoned 80-year-old — been around the barn a few times, spit tobacco in a tin can & drank hooch from a mason jar. In a word: he’s authentic on a single microphone & his fingerstyle country blues guitar playing & Delta blues is superb.
On this, his 4th album, some tunes on the 11-track Blues For Dexter Linwood (Drops April 17/Misfortune Records) produced by Charlie Parr (2nd guitar/slide guitar) have some eccentric-like Leo Kottke (a protégé of John Fahey) excursions. But the music comes from a deep well of Blind Willie McTell, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Boy Fuller, Leadbelly & Mississippi John Hurt, among so many others.
It’s hard to explain how the blues infects a musician. Italian singer & Milan-based Eugenio Finardi (“Anima Blues”) charted with his all-English album in Texas. The blues seeps into the pores & gets absorbed because it’s a human expression in its simplest form from the plantations down South. And anyone can get the fever. Todd’s low-tuned guitar resonates on “John Hurt’s “Frankie, with his late John Campbell-like voice & guitar (“One Believer,” “Howlin’ Mercy”) crossed with the late John Hammond Jr.
The grandfather of rock ‘n’ roll is found in these little tunes. You can hear it in Todd’s playing. If you want to listen to American classical music, this is the place. Then, hunt down the originals & get drunk on some unique sounds that come from the soil, the wind, & sweat of the past. Todd Albright brings it.
Highlights – “Drive Away Blues,” “Real Kind Mama,” “ Stockin’ Feet Blues,” “Skin Game Blues,” “Step It Up & Go,” “If That Woman’s Love Was Whiskey” & “Frankie.”
Musicians – Dave Hundrieser (Harmonica).
Photos by Agnes Fischer. CD @ https://www.misfortunerecords.com/ & https://www.toddalbright.com/