Paul and Annie work on one of their electric numbers. (Jim White photo)
As you will no doubt remember, I was really looking forward to seeing the very fine blues duo of Paul Rishell and Annie Raines Friday night at the Thunderbird Cafe. Well, I did exactly that, and I did not leave disappointed -- just like the rest of the audience.
Their ability to create an intimate evening of passionate music carved from the legacy of country blues was not really surprising, since it's what they've been so doing well for years, but still leaves you in awe of both the power of the music and the ability of Paul and Annie to so completely capture its essence.
They not only play and sing, they talk about their music with love and intelligence, putting the songs into a little historical perspective as they perform them.
They kicked off the evening with Blind Boy Fuller's "Custard Pie," one of those classic blues in which the "custard pie" could be almost anything, but most likely has something to with a woman.
It's worth mentioning that guitar and harp duos are not all that common anymore, but Paul and Annie make all their music sound as though this was just the way it was always meant to sound. The music moves effortlessly from guitar to harp and back, always complementing, never overstepping their boundaries. They've done a lot more than learn to play the blues -- they've absorbed the music and are sharing what the blues have made them. That's why what they share is so authentic and so damn good.
They filled their set with a number of songs from their current CD and now DVD, "A Night in Woodstock" -- Tommy Johnson's "Canned Heat Blues" (with a little introduction on the value of Sterno), the stark Johnny Winter tune, "Dallas," Scrapper Blackwell's "Trouble Blues," Spider John Koerner's "Good Luck Child," before which Paul noted that Koerner was one of his favorite artists.
At one point, Annie used her mandolin to flavor Ma Rainey's "Black Eye Blues," and they turned the traditional "Old Man Mose" into a sing-along.
They are both masters of their acoustical domains, and they took turns displaying Paul's prowess with guitar and slide, and Annie's uncanny blues harp. They did a version of their own "Got to Fly," featuring Annie's vocals and harp, and her soaring solo midway was simply breathtaking.
Then they turned the last part of their set into an electric version, with Paul giving up the Resonator that speaks so well of him, and Annie using a gritty-sounding hand-held mike for her harps. She said they've been trying to revive their shows' electric segment, after having given it up a few years ago.
It's an excellent revival. Yes, they're unmatched in their acoustic prowess, but also do great work while plugged in. The result was still the same -- a powerful tribute to their ability to channel the blues.
Among other electric things, they turned Big Maybelle's "Candy" into a stunning instrumental, and closed with their untraditional and very slowwww version of the usually fiercely upbeat Sophie Tucker thing, "Some of These Days" -- very, very interesting.
They spent about 90 wonderful minutes doing all this, and the evening went down just like good whiskey -- satisfying, yet leaving you wanting another taste. And then another. Thank you both very much. I suppose that sounds trite, but it's awfully hard to capture the spirit of great music with mere words.
A few related after-thoughts
-- Paul and Annie passed on a copy of their new DVD, "A Night in Woodstock," a visual record of their CD by the same name,from a live show at Woodstock, N.Y., featuring Rishell, Raines, their band, plus Bruce Katz on keyboards and John Sebastien. It add a couple of songs not on the CD, and includes an interview with the pair that focuses on how they got interested in the music they play. Paul talks about growing up hearing black music from the '50s in New York. Then he heard old recordings by Son House, and said it was his "rosetta stone" for the blues. The DVD is a very nice, personal experience if you're a fan -- or if you don't know yet that you are.
-- It's always fun to see the people who make the music you love, especially in an up-close setting like the T-Bird. It's the first time I've seen Paul and Annie -- and they could be the reason that I move back to Massachusetts (Yes, BlueNotes, child of the Mon Valley when it was still hell with the lid off, lived and worked in Mass for a few years).
-- I only had a brief chance to chat with both, and the best thing I can say is that they both seem like real people.
-- The show was sponsored by Calliope, the Pittsburgh Folk Music Society. I caught Calliope board member Phil Smith helping to carry in Paul and Annie's gear. "Just a roadie," he said.
-- Tim, also known as BlueNotes contributor rd350c, passes along some photos and videos he took at the show. Thanks, Tim.
Posted
Nov 02 2009, 01:00 AM
by
Jim White