Steve Howell – Gallery Of Echoes
Out Of The Past Music – 2023
www.stevehowell.ws
11 tracks; 41 minutes
Steve Howell is, by his own admission, a lover of American music from the first half of the Twentieth Century, hence his label being called Out Of The Past. He has recorded several albums before, some with his band, The Mighty Men, some in duo/trio formats, but here he plays solo on material that he has been playing for over 50 years. Steve has an easy style, finger-picking in the Piedmont tradition and singing in a clear, warm voice that draws the listener into the narrative, as the players of yesteryear did. Steve saw Mississippi John Hurt play when he was thirteen and it was a pivotal moment for him, as he then went back to earlier artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson and The Rev. Gary Davis, both of whom feature strongly here.
Steve opens with Lemon’s 1926 song “Stockin’ Feet Blues”, the walking bass line being the heart of the tune as the author is rebuffed by the girl, a song that includes the line “make me down a pallet on your floor”. “Cluck Old Hen” is a traditional Appalachian tune that dates back to the nineteenth century; Steve is joined on the comic song by producer Jason Weinheimer who adds bass to the arrangement. “Statesboro’ Blues” has become a staple of modern blues bands, courtesy of Taj Mahal’s and The Allmans’ covers, but Steve returns the song to Blind Willie McTell’s 1928 original in a very laid-back and relaxed version. A second visit to Blind Lemon’s catalogue is “Easy Rider Blues” which Lemon recorded in 1927.
Rev. Gary Davis recorded both gospel and secular songs and Steve visits both sides of his repertoire here. “Twelve Gates To The City” was based on a verse from Revelations, describing the different entry points into Heaven, while “Sit Down On The Banks Of The River” dates from the later part of Davis’ career, being first recorded in 1960. In contrast, “Sally, Where’d You Get Your Liquor From?” is definitely secular with references to a girl who likes a drink and “raising sand”!
William Brown’s leisurely instrumental “Mississippi Blues” was recorded by Alan Lomax in 1942 in Arkansas and Steve points out in his liner notes that this is not the same Willie Brown who was Robert Johnson’s running mate. Two other tunes are classed as ‘Traditional’: “All My Friends Are Gone” recounts the real-life murder of a 14 year-old girl in Savannah and has been covered by many artists, including Rev. Gary Davis, but Steve uses the arrangement by Stefan Grossman and delivers the sad tale in convincing manner; “I’m Going Away” is another traditional folk song, this version being inspired by Nick Katzman and Ruby Green’s 1976 version. Steve closes the program with the instrumental “Dallas Rag”, originally recorded by The Dallas Stringband in 1927; like everything here, its is beautifully played and fans of traditional acoustic blues can check this release out with confidence.
