Since graduating in 1991 harp player Kurt Crandall has been on a musical and intellectual sojourn that has taken him to several places in the US. After passing through Charlottesville, Kansas City, Washington DC and Macon, Georgia he recently wound up in Atlanta. It is the influence of the harp playing of Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter in particular that come through most strongly though.
The SBWII influence shines through strongly on the opener, "But One Regret." Crandall has a good voice and a nice fat tone to his harp playing. There is a retro feel to this track which persists throughout the album, which is helped by the use of vintage instruments and amplification. Having said that, the band never really sound dated.
Whilst there is quite a strong Chicago harp influence running through the album, the overall sound is more West Coast than Chicago. Every now and again, Crandall will throw in some jazzy phrasing. This is most notable on the opening to "Sammy," which opens out into a Louis Jordan style song. This style is also used to very good effect on "Eeep Opp Ork Ah Ah"--a title Jordan would have been proud of!
The first eight tracks on the album are all originals, but the album rounds off with a trio of covers. "Bumpity Bump," which is most usually associated with Smiley Lewis is followed by a fine extended workout on SBWI's "My Little Machine." The last word is left to "Evans Shuffle"--attributed here to Little Walter, rather than Muddy Waters--which takes things home in style.
Harp fans in particular will find much to admire on "True Story." If you are looking for reference points, William Clark and R.J. Mischo are probably the nearest thing to the band's overall sound. Crandall gets excellent support throughout, with guitarists Karl Angerer and Pete Kanaras working particulalrly well together. "True Story" offers plenty of promising signs that mark Kurt Crandall out as a talent to watch out for.
www.kurtcrandall.com
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