DVDfever.co.uk – Matt Schofield: Heads, Tails & Aces CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Nugene Records
- Released: May 2009
- Rating: 8/10
- Vote and comment on this album:View Comments
Matt Schofield: old-school bluesman with 21 century tricks.
If there was ever a proper bluesman, then 31 year old Brit Matt Schofield is he. Head, Tails and Aces shouts out, Im here, check me out! And, yes, some of the greats better look over their shoulders because hes hot on their heels, and I mean hot. This guys got it all, just like all the greats, rolled into one.
Steeped in the territory of blues rockers such as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and co, Schofield is a rare breed of axemen who knows how to thrill with each note. And thats key here. Touch, like the brotherhood of Page, Carlos Santana, Rory Gallagher, Hendrix, Paul Kossoff et al, is crucial to getting the right effect.
Theres nothing gratuitous going on here. Each note is meant to be savoured making the solos memorable in every way, whether theyre energetic sojourns or laidback, which is the measure of a great guitarist, which he is.Its taken some time for him to reach this point. Schofield has learnt his trade well by being a side-man, spending four valuable years with British Blues Diva and Dana Gillespie, touring the UK, Europe and India.
What we get here is an exquisite collection written (or co-written) and produced by Schofield. Hes a useful singer too, with husky-lite timbre. Together he, organist Jonny Henderson, bassist Jeff The Funk Walker and drummer Alain Baudry pool their collective skills to maximum effect – this is a band effort – and it feels like it.
Though primarily a blues album, he masterfully throws in occasional funky grooves, jazz lines, though not as many as previous albums like the cool and measured Nothing Left that includes one his best vocal performances. This and Nothing Left, reminds me of Claptons crossover blues of the early-mid 80s, whereas his sublime solos on Lay It Down are echoes of Pages wizardry on Since Ive Been Loving You (Led Zeppelin 2).Its when hes really attacking the neck hes at his most effective, like the rip-roaring opener What I Wanna Hear. Check the string bends.
This is bettered by some astonishing deft touches on War We Wage, bringing back memories of Kossoffs hanging style from say the Heartbreaker album of 1973.Again hes on top form on the wailing guitar blasts of Betting Man, one of the best tracks here.Its a long time since Ive heard such great use of the wah wah pedal.
This is heavily featured on the blistering and funky Cant Put You Down. If evidence was needed that Schofield is one of Britains finest, then this is it.Just like the opener, Stranger Blues is all-out-attack with gushing, fluid riffs and frenetic licks, which turns out to be a showcase for his stylish skills.
Closing a mightily impressive album, he does things nice and easy early- on, on Not Raining Now, where his disciplined skills come to the fore all over again, though without his superb band none of this would be possible. For the run-in he goes all out to impress with monster solos which mark Schofield as THE rising star of the blues today.
The verdict: Clapton beware !
Weblinks:mattschofield.com /nugenerecords.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. What I Wanna Hear
2. Live Wire
3. War We Wage
4. Betting Man
5. Lay It Down
6. Cant Put You Down
7. Woman Across The River
8. Nothing Left
9. I Told Ya
10. Stranger Blues
11. Not Raining NowView the discussion thread.blog comments powered by Disqus= 0) {query += ‘url’ + i + ‘=’ + encodeURIComponent(links[i].href) + ‘&’;}}document.write(”);})();//]]]]>]]>
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.