“Harpe delivers these timeless songs with style and class – she doesn't simply cover them, she interprets them with passion and depth. Erin Harpe not only possesses the technical skill on the instrument, she embodies this music completely.
Her voice is captivating, whether she's reviving the ballad of “Stagolee,” singing about “Candy Man,” “Frankie,” or “Richland Woman,” pleading for “Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor,” or simply expressing the feeling of “Got The Blues (Can't Be Satisfied).” This is someone who poured her heart and soul into her work!”
Full review:
Mississippi John Hurt (1892–1966) stood out stylistically from all other bluesmen in his home state. Unlike his contemporaries, such as Charlie Patton, Tommy Johnson, Son House, Skip James, or Willie Brown, Hurt's style, with its walking alternating bass lines and melodic fingerpicking, followed the Piedmont blues tradition. His repertoire was also infused with folk, gospel, and pre-blues elements, much like that of a songster. Following Rory Block's "Avalon: A Tribute To Mississippi John Hurt," Stony Plain, 2013, Erin Harpe from Boston is now reviving this exciting music with “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me.”
Together with her husband and musical partner Jim Countryman on bass ukulele, guitarist, singer-songwriter, bandleader, producer, and indie record label owner Erin Harpe has selected nine gems from Mississippi John Hurt's fascinating catalog, complemented by the evergreen “You Are My Sunshine.”Recorded live in the studio without overdubs, Harpe delivers these timeless songs with style and class—she doesn't simply cover them, she interprets them with passion and depth. Erin Harpe not only possesses the technical skill on the instrument, she embodies this music completely. Her voice is captivating, whether she's reviving the ballad of "Stagolee," singing about "Candy Man," "Frankie," or "Richland Woman," pleading for "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor," or simply expressing the feeling of "Got The Blues (Can't Be Satisfied)." This is someone who poured her heart and soul into her work!
(Written by Marco Piazzalonga.)
www.bluesnews.ch - Music