Ryan “Bluwrath” Newman – Wrath of Blues
The problem with many electrifying blues guitarists is the eventual sameness. The skills & performance are there, but the approach is basically the same. Some artists have a distinctive style that develops & manages to keep their finely tuned ability from interfering with the tradition of the blues. What am I saying: An effective blues guitarist should develop musically what sets them apart from all others. A skillful musician who is still emulating a previous master doesn’t help their career.
Eric Clapton & the late Roy Buchanan were great because, despite their influences, they didn’t sound entirely like Albert King, Buddy Guy or B.B. King. And therein lies their special ingredient. Hendrix – he was in a universe of his own. There are 14 deeply etched blues on this Ryan “Bluwrath” Newman debut solo effort, Wrath of Blues (Drops July 10/Feverbarn Recordings/57:48), produced by Jon Grossbard (percussion) & recorded at Feverbarn in CT.
A highlight is Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Texas Flood” with exceptional Ryan guitar & vocals. There are moments when older listeners will feel a tug toward ’60s blues traversing the circuitry of Ryan’s work. He possesses clarity & focus rather than the more heavy-handed veterans of the blues like John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy & Albert Lee.
Ryan’s proficient. His vocals are effective & he has a well-defined, creative, captivating structure to his performances not evident in others. Herein lie Ryan’s special ingredients.
“Your Mind Is On Vacation” has one blemish. The silliness of the brief dialogue. Not necessary. Let the guitar work, let the thickets of horns blare, allow Ryan’s instinctive voice the space in the speakers. The majority of songs have a broad scope & he succeeds in playing vintage blues (“Dust My Broom” & “The Thrill is Gone”) while allowing them to breathe as if reinvented.
There’s an emotive style & essence to his set. Fortunately, the playing comes from the heart & mind, not just well-practiced fingers. There are no dark blues pieces like the late John Campbell, Duster Bennett’s fiery harmonica, or the dual guitar pyrotechnics of Michael Bloomfield & Elvin Bishop. But guitar aficionados will find Ryan Newman a worthy addition to their guitar hero roster.
Highlights – “Dust My Broom,” “Your Mind Is On Vacation,” “Texas Flood,” “The Thrill is Gone,” “Miss You,” with “Let Me Love You” & “Good To Me As I Am To You” (vocals: Arlene Wow).
Musicians – Marlo E. Sprouse (acoustic & electric pianos/synth), Scott Spray & Tim Leffingwell (bass), Vic Washington (Hammond/piano/Wurlitzer/bgv/vocal on “The Thrill is Gone”), Bobby Torello, Tony Lewis & Mitchell Igneri (drums), John Isley (tenor & baritone saxes), Charlie Lagond (tenor sax), Artie Bressler (baritone sax), Rob Funk (trombone), Don Harris (trumpet/flugelhorn), with Patrick Casey (trumpet), Keith Lafond (tenor sax), John Smayda (baritone sax) & Ken Florendo (percussion), Russell Landis (bass/guitar), Dave Robbins (harmonica), Tenishia Toussaint (vocals/bgv), Anita Antoinette (rap) & Joan Duquette (bgv).
CD image courtesy of John Loreaux. Sample music on Spotify. CD @ https://www.facebook.com/stratomaster96/