I discovered Bob Brozman on a French TV show back in 97. It was a concert at the New Morning in Paris and the guy had it all: virtuosity, humour, musicality, all you could want in a musician. I was hooked. Yet Brozman is often criticised by blues lovers for not taking the blues idiom seriously enough. I think that's the stupidest thing I ever heard. Just because you love a musical idiom doesn't mean you should enshrine it. Brozman plays with the form but his deep love of the original musics he is inspired by is evident if you listen open-mindedly.
Over the last few years, Brozman's repertoire has expanded widely to all kinds of world music, although he tends to prefer music from the disenfranchised and the creative uses of the guitar brought by conquering white men to colonised islands and countries around the world. The following piece, originally from Trinidad is called Down the Road and is probably my favourite Bob Brozman tune ever. I love the chord structure, the lopsided groove, the way Brozman slaps his guitar for rhythmic accompaniment...
Down the Road was originally released on the sadly out of print Slide a Go-Go, but it's a styaple of Brozman's live performances, so you can still find various versions on other releases. My recommended version if from the otherwise stunning Live in Germany.
Comments