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| FLESH & BONE - ALFIE SMITH (2005) |
| Hamilton-area musician Alfie Smith has never been one to go off on a musical tangent, although he�s fully qualified to do so. These 15 tracks, comprised half-and-half of originals and traditionals, average around the three-minute mark, so you know you�re getting some tasty musical morsels without the extraneous wanking. This was a solo acoustic performance at Grant Avenue Studio, recorded, mixed and mastered by Paul Riemens (with Alfie co-producing). Overdubbing was obviously not required.
Along with his main forte as a dexterous fingerstyle instrumentalist (he plays a 7-string resophonic, a Johnson bottle slide triolian, 5-string banjo and a couple of Nationals here), Smith possesses a vocal duality that alternates between a grinding, gnashing growl and the softly tempered croon of a wandering minstrel. The CD begins with a couple of pleasant originals - �The Reaper�, a cautionary cut-time shufflin� boogie and the mournful spiritual, �How Can I Find My Way Home�. The rockin� �Home Town Blues� is played and sung aggressively, expressing a sense of persecution and frustration, professionally and perhaps romantically-speaking, as well. �St. James Infirmary� is an appealing fusion of funk-reggae-bluegrass on banjo that starts off placidly enough but gradually becomes an up-down rollercoaster of emotion. �Future Blues� is the first of two traditional compositions (along with �Delia�) that were also recorded by Toronto bluesharpist Carlos Del Junco on his Big Road Blues CD. That�s followed by a clever amalgamation of �Amazing Grace� and �House of the Housing Sun�. I hadn�t previously realized that one of them was evidently a plagiarism, however coincidental, of the other. Alfie�s a master at accompanying himself, so it would probably be even more amazing to hear what he can do while supported by an entire band, including a drummer/percussionist. �Northern Star�, a wistful ballad with a Spanish influence, is another of Alfie�s originals and it is a great example of his more soothing vocals and anthropological lyrics, easily the best track on the disc. I�d love to hear a version of it with harmonica accompaniment. �Nobody�s Fault But Mine� jolts the listeners� quiet reverie back to that jarring musical buzz-saw that Alfie obviously prefers. It�s certainly an acquired taste, but if you�re in the mood for rockin� the blues, Alfie Smith will properly show you how it�s done on a slide guitar. �Flesh and Bone�, the title track, which is strummed on a 7-string banjo, is mesmerizing, and its jangly rhythm recalls a vaguely European or even Middle Eastern flavour. Its dramatic flair is unlike any of the other compositions, which adds more versatility. I�ve never heard Blind Willie Johnson�s version of the gospel chant of �Soul of a Man�, but it�s another song for those who are more attuned to Alfie�s full-throttle, testosterone-filled vocals, as opposed to the more prettily melodic �Delia� that follows it. �Slide on Over�, played on bottle slide, is an original manic ode to that particular genre of blues music. Despite the gruff vocals, it�s a kick-ass tune! �Death Don�t Have No Mercy� (also recorded by the Rev. Gary Davis and Orville Johnson) almost sounds like a happy song here, in its jazzy ragtime delivery, but the fun he seems to have had while playing it is infectious. The CD closes with two more original compositions - �Deep Blue Heart� and �Train Song�, the first a laid-back, raunchy-sounding Delta-blues slide recitation about soul-cleansing freedom, and the second, which bemoans the lack of an escape route to that very same destination. Whether you prefer teddy bear or grizzly bear vocals, there�s no doubting Alfie�s a songwriter that has been woefully overlooked in the Canadian roots-blues music scene. |
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