Daniel Eriksen – Live at Cudrio Recording
Independent
12 Tracks – 45 Minutes
Norwegian born Daniel Eriksen studied the old slide masters like Mississippi Fred McDowell and Blind Willie Johnson and learned directly from modern players like Roy Rogers and John Mooney in developing his style of Delta blues, although since he grew up north of the arctic circle, he calls his guitar work “Arctic Slide”. His website says he plays “Mississippi Delta blues infused with New Orleans rhythms”. As a touring musician, he has played with many other artists including Lazy Lester. Rick Danko, Fiona Boyes, John Mooney, Lightnin’ Malcolm and Eden Brent among others. He has also served as an opening act for B.B. King, The Yardbirds, and John Mayall.
He released his first album, Ya Ya, in 2006, has been the recipient of many international awards, and was selected as the second-place finisher at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. His 2018 album, Narrative Boogie, was nominated for Acoustic Album of the Year at the 2018 Blues Blast Music Awards. Like many performers his career was waylaid by the pandemic in 2020. He chose that time to go into the Cudrio Studios in Langesund, Norway to record this album as a live solo performance in April 2020, which were broadcast in real time without retakes or overdubs.
The twelve songs were taken from his catalog of albums that span from his first album to his most recent. “Squeeze This Trigger” quickly establishes his credentials as a fevered slide guitar player and fervent performer of Delta styled blues along with a growl suitably compatible to the old Delta bluesmen. He kicks off a boogie and sings “When I have done the best I can, “I Want My Crown””. On “Over the Hill”, he states “when I get to heaven I’m going to sit right down, ask the master just to get my starry crown down”.
On “Baby, You’re A Star”, he says ” I want your poster on my wall”. and “I’m your biggest fan, I am putty in your hands”. “Blind Fiddler I’m Going to See the King” features some acoustic picking. “Refugee Camp Moan” kicks up the energy again as he explores the plight of a man in a refugee camp who has lost his family and has to endure the indignities and pain of such a life.
A cover of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean” follows next. “Wrecked by Snooks” moves into a rock ‘n’ roll rhythm as he learns guitar playing from an old country man down in New Orleans. “What I learned that day, you cannot learn in books”. “Cypress Grove” is a moody venture into the swamps as he says, “I will drink muddy water and sleep on a brick all the time” as he begs her “to go up north” but she says, “there is too much snow” and he does not want to return to the south as “there are too many who want to kill me”.
It is way past midnight, and it’s dark and I am all alone” as he seeks “Old Tim’s Marking Stone” in a tale of murder. From the Delta, Erik moves to “Summertime in Langesund” and tells that “B.B. King is doing a sound check, and we are all going to see the show”. He concludes the album with “Arctic Slide Take Five” which lets him really rip out on the guitar.
For someone from Norway, Erik has completely got the Delta Blues in hand with the constant riffing of his guitar to the deep voiced vocals that are prevalent with the Delta blues musicians.
