Gig Review
Martin Harley Band
Saturday, 21 April 2007:
It is always interesting to turn up to a concert to listen to an artist I have never heard of and feel a sense of expectation of "what will this be like?" This concert turned out to be a cracker! Featuring Martin Harley (guitar/vocals and main composer), Peter Swatton (drums/harmony vocals) and a recent recruit Graeme Ross (stand-up bass/harmony vocals) - together they turned on a consummate performance.
The majority of numbers played were Martin’s own compositions ranging from slow gentle ballads to rip-roaring boogies. My impression was that the concert was evenly balanced and the level of musicianship was superb. Martin’s chops and finger picking was masterful. He played with assurance, ease and confidence. He also has a very expressive voice that bring out the emotion and poignancy of his songs, i.e. his personal life experiences, sometimes sounding like Joan Armatrading or right out to Joe Cocker - it made for a varied and colourful show. He played two guitars one being a lap style for slide numbers.
In the first set there was a very good version of Leadbelly’s "Goodnight Irene", also a manic rendition of Muddy’s "I Can’t Be Satisfied". This was tempered by "One For The Road", a really beautiful ballad. The set ended with "Nobody’s Fault But Mine", an outright raucous rocker.
Note: Click thumbnail to view full artist image.
Photo credit: Paul Martin.
... continued
The second set started with "Carnival Girl" an excellent piece, very nicely structured. The next song "How Long?" was very interesting as Graeme used a double bass bow and Peter played a balalaika. This was a gentle and subtle number, very enjoyable. "Blues at My Window", again one of Martin’s on which he played lap slide, was a slow blues, sustained and emotional. "Summer Shadows" swung really well. On "Money Don’t Matter" the chops were very good and the backing vocals of Graeme and Peter fleshed it out nicely. Pete had what could be described as a very minimal kit, but the sounds that he created according to the nature of the song were excellent. On the bass Graeme showed dexterity and feel that perfectly complemented the other two. There was an easygoing rapport between the three of them with a certain amount of witty repartee. One of my favourites of this set was "Can’t Help Moving" an outright tour-de-force, a real barnstormer. To rapturous applause we got them back on where they did Robert Johnson’s "Crossroads Blues" (superb) and Hendrix’s "Voodoo Chile" (fantastic) both on lap slide. Absolutely fabulous!
On the strength of Martin’s compositions, the effort they put into their performance and their passion and feeling, the Martin Harley Band trio deserve full marks for such an excellent gig! With such quality the future of British roots and blues is assured. A very memorable night; they certainly deserve a far wider hearing. A must see!
Review by: Lewis A Harris.
© Bluesnights. The Dorset Blues Society.
21 April 2007.
