John Trudell - Blue Indians
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CD Details
Artist: John TrudellEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1999-07-06
Music Label: Dangerous Disks
Soundtracks:
- Blue Indians
- Bad Dog
- All Nite Cafe
- Toy
- Devil And Me
- Johnny And Joe
- Angel Of Sin
- Terminal Neon
- Dizzy Duck
- Grassfire
- The Only One For Me
- You Were
Music reviews of Blue Indians
Music Review: The Best Album Ever?
Rating: 5 Stars
To me Blue Indians is one of the greatest records ever made, just to let you know before you read on.
Historians usually claim the Blues (which is the ancestor of Rock 'n' Roll, Jazz, R'n'B, Hip-Hop, Metal and other popular music) was created by the fusing of European and African music by slaves in America. However, this doesn't explain why it fused there and then and not any other time when European and African music met in the thousands of years before.
"Blue Indians" shows what was missing: the third ingredient, the music that was already there in America, that of the American Indians.
Not to diminish what either of the Old World cultures brought to America and without trying to steal anything from black Americans, the heartbeat of the blues never was European or African, it always was the Indian drum. And so are it's melodies; simple like the five notes of the Indian flutes and chants. This album reveals how much modern music was influenced by American Indian music. To me it seems to go back to the beginning of blues and then takes a side road. A small dirt track showing familiar places from a different angle. From which every so often one can see the travelers on the high way: Lightning Hopkins, Sonny Terry, John Lee Hooker, Elvis, Lennon, Dylan, Santana, Reed, Tupac while staying off the beaten track.
The blues is bare and open, for everybody to join and follow. It's sophistication is the lack of that, it's not intellectual or artificial but instead a straightforward vehicle for feeling and meaning, to reflect life. Likewise "Blue Indians" shows us how little is needed for good music: voices, a couple of guitars, perhaps some keys and percussion, that's it. Oh yeah, and heart, most of all.
Compared to the great layered rock sounds of "Johnny Damas and Me" the music here is stripped to the essentials. No drums, no bass (almost), no hornsection, no overdubs. And you won't miss them.. It gives an intimate and comfortable sound, like these are just a couple of guys playing in the corner of a tiny pub or diner in the middle of nowhere or perhaps next door. Nothing pretentious, just telling stories. Not trying to prove anything and with that proving the blues is (at least partially) theirs aswell and they can play it like no-one else, blow the dust off it and make it fresh. But while essentially blues, it's blues in all its forms from rock to lounge, psychedelic to dirt, southern to hip-hop. And instead of following the main road (the road that puts some people off the blues) their side-track shows chord progressions with a surprise and riffs with a twist, breathing new life in the style. All the while keeping the heart beat going with a natural flow.
Mark Shark's and Billy Watts' Yin and Yang make a guitar tandem second to none. The slide playing of flamboyant Shark is terrific while Watts is always there on the beat, inventive and never playing a note too much. Their playing is the foundation, the red line through the music of this album while never falling into cliches. Showing there's much more possible than an 8 or 12-bar just as Robert Johnson showed. Leads and solos are pretty much equally shared with their sound ranging from raw and biting to sweet and atmospheric.
Quiltman's chants are always heartfelt and show were Hooker got his humming, Wolf his howling and Hendrix, Guy, Clapton and Santana their mournful screaming. His traditional American Indian drum also leaves no doubt where the rhythm of the blues came from.
Ricky Eckstein perfectly joins Shark and Watts playing understated keyboard with the timeless sounds of (electric) piano or organ. He succeeds in giving colour to the songs without competing with the guitars, blending in. And by refraining from the use of modern sounds it never sounds dated.
The percussion added by either Luis Conte or Wally Ingram is simple and sublime. Each song is given a slightly different flavor by the use of different percussion instruments, cajon, djembe, congas or udu but hardly ever more than one at the time, they don't need to. Accompanying and emphasizing the guitars instead of taking them over they have amazing depth and punch.
Overall the band sounds tight, fluent and always original while remaining natural.
Trudell's voice sounds energetic, his timing impeccable. Some people might think speaking lyrics instead of singing them is an easy way out. Try it; it's not. The truth is, spoken word doesn't hide emotion behind melody. It's far harder to sound convincing, unless you actually mean what you say, speaking the truth. And Trudell's words are always true, so he can speak them and reach us in a far more direct manner then singing could have. His lyrics on most tracks are less universal than on "Johnny Damas and Me" and instead more personal. Relating individuals touched by drink, drugs, heartache, loneliness and violence they are brought more to our level.
By reclaiming the blues as a (at least) partially American Indian music style this album re-writes history, or at least adds to it. That alone makes it a great album. Indeed, reclaiming is the word I use and they might object to it. Perhaps what I mean is that it reveals the influence of American Indian music on the founders of the blues, how it's another ingredient that should be acknowledged. But most importantly it does so without trying to prove anything, making that it never sounds thought-out or artificial.
Apart from all that, I find it a great album musically, just love listening to it. The apparent simplicity never bores and how many albums never bore? Also each song completely stands up on its own while fitting in AND adding to the other songs at the same time. Never mind my whole essay about the history of blues, after 6 years of listening I never had the urge to skip a single track. Of how many albums can I say that? Not of Sgt.Pepper's, Abbey Road, Pet Sounds, What's Going On, Songs in the Key of Life, Tutu, Straight Outa Compton, Temple of Low Men or even Dark Side of the Moon or anyone else I forgot. That alone must mean that for me, this is one of the greatest albums ever. And that's just the music, the lyrics easily out-do those other albums because they actually mean something.
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