Original Detroit Electric Blues

12 MP3 Songs
BLUES: Electric Blues, BLUES: Detroit Blues

Details:
In the market for one divorced man? Here's one you can take home without a second thought. In cut number eight on this disc, the charming "One Divorced Man For Sale", the Reverend Marc Falconberry assures us "I don't owe no back taxes and I ain't spent no time in jail."

Ah, but the Reverend is too modest in listing his attributes. Here are some I would add to his roster: Great tunesmith, lyricist, storyteller, humorist, vocalist and instrumentalist.

When it comes to singing the blues, the Reverend Marc has it down. His voice features a natural yawning resonance and a vibrato comparable to Eddie Taylor's or Jimmy Rogers'. Add this to his Chicago-style pronunciation and down-home vocal inflections, and, if you didn't know better, you'd almost swear he was a blues cat from way back.

Falconberry's music is such, you can't help but suspect he'd be fun to see live. Having seen him live, I happen to know your suspicion would be correct. In fact, Falconberry is one of only about three or four Detroit bluesmen who can single handedly capture an audience with nothing save an acoustic guitar.

On his CD, the Reverend uses a tight four-piece band for the most part, comprised of him on vocals, tambourine and guitars (acoustic, electric and slide); Phil "The Fool" Ryski on keyboards and harmonica, Wesley Smith on bass, and Bob Lee (Miklues) on drums. Falconberry does do one tune, though, "Fast Blues Train", with nothing but a slide guitar and a tom to keep the beat. Very cool. He even does a tune - Son House's haunting "Grinnin' In Your Face" - with no musical accompaniment whatsoever and only the slightest effect on his voice.

Of 12 cuts included here, nine are Falconberry originals. Most, like "One Divorced Man For Sale", are to some extent humorous. Take "Three Times A Fool", in which the Reverend uses his endearing brand of self-deprecating humor in reflecting on three romances he should probably have known to avoid. With "Stop Peepin' At Me" you can almost visualize the psycho-bitch hanging out in the Reverend's drive. In "I Come From The Motor City" Falconberry takes a lighthearted, unapologetic look at his beloved hometown. And you'll definitely balk when the Reverend invites you into his "Blues Jacuzzi" ("it's a 55-gallon drum")! Yikes! "Back Down in the Bottle" is more sombre in tone with its spooky, Gospel-drenched Wurlitzer. "If You Go" is a shuffle with plenty of harp and piano, and "Trixie Takes A Walk" is a pure acoustic blues instrumental. Falconberry also covers Willie Dixon's "My Baby is Sweeter" and Howlin' Wolf's "I'm Leavin' You".

All in all, here's a disc you'll probably enjoy whether or not you're in the market for "one divorced man"!

-Barbara Scott, Blues Review, April 1998

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