MP3 Keith Dunn - Alone With The Blues

Keith Dunn's songs go to the heart and soul of the blues. They address social, economic and political themes with razor sharp vocals and melodic harmonica. The analog sound gives a warm and intimate ambience.

14 MP3 Songs
BLUES: Delta Style, BLUES: Blues Vocals



Details:
"Alone With The Blues" is an appropriate title as this entire album features voice and harmonica, in a solo, one musician playing alone, format. Harmonica players used this set-up in the past but deeTone records uses it here, for the first time, for a complete album. This makes "Alone With The Blues" unique.

Because of the album's solo format, Sonny Boy Williamson's European recordings immediately come to mind. In fact, of the 14 songs that Keith Dunn performs on "Alone With The Blues" the sole cover is his version of a song that Sonny Boy recorded for Chess Records, Willie Dixon's "Bring It On Home."

"Alone With The Blues" goes to the heart and soul of the blues with songwriting described as having, "...the political activism of J. B. Lenoir and the attitude and punch of Junior Wells..."

Keith's songs address social, economic and political issues as well as the day-to-day themes of life in the 21st century . Two of the songs, “Strange Things Are Happening” and “Need To Make A Dollar” have received songwriting awards.

A listen to "Deep In My Heart For You" reveals the time that Keith Dunn spent with the blues legend Jimmy Rogers; the harmonica intro lets us know that he also had his days with harmonica innovator, Big Walter Horton.

"Alone With The Blues" offers you plenty variation of time, rhythm and keys. There is a short song with work-song cadence, "California Dream", a song in the swing style, "Kool Struttin'" and the gospel-inflected "A Feeling Called The Blues". There are two harmonica solo pieces, "deeTone Dance" and "Myers, Below, Jacobs and Myers". "Trouble Is Going On" is a deep-blues, the type rarely heard these days, that Keith delivers in the key of Dm on a harmonica that he constructed himself.

The album recorded in one day without overdubs has the spontaneity of classic blues recordings. Keith, who produced the recordings, tells the story.

"Alone With The Blues" is a self-produced album that I released on deeTone records. I like the look of the CD as well as the sound of the recordings. We cut the record using tube amplifiers and a Teac analog tape recorder. The result is a sound that is big, warm, personal and full of life. Please take a listen to "Playing The Blues."

Asked why he started deeTone records and recorded such a different type of album as "Alone With The Blues", Keith Dunn, who has over thirty years of experience in the blues world, gave the following answer:

"I started deeTone records in order to avoid the plantation, sharecropping mentality that sometimes exists in the record business. As for making a solo, harmonica and vocals album, Muddy Waters made me promise him to keep the blues alive. By making "Alone With The Blues" I am doing my best to maintain that vow."