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JOHN LONG - LOST & FOUND - ALBUM REVIEW

Randy Chortkoff, producer at Delta Groove, heralds John Long as a unique discovery, even as the songster hits the tail end of his fifties. Long is a lifetime student of the blues, particularly pre-war country acoustic blues, and if you allow for the deceit of modern recording technology, these tunes sound as if they really could be from the 1930s.

The first two tracks ‘Hokum Town' and ‘Pressure Cooker (‘Bout to Blow)' showcase Long's key talents: acoustic guitar, finger style and slide; country harmonica using a neck holder; foot stomping; self penned, quirky, sometimes amusing lyrics and of course, the retro voice, full of the nuances and tricks of his black heroes, with the added slight twang of a white man singing the blues. He plays the guitar expertly, varying from lead to rhythm to bass to percussion, using counter timing and tempo injections to keep things interesting, not always easy as a solo performer.

Long is joined by pianist Fred Kaplan on ‘Hell Cat'; ‘Stranglevine' and ‘Leavin' St. Louis' (of which there's also a solo version), with a lazy, bar room boogie style and a strong left hand, which compliments Long's voice well.

‘Johnny's Jump' is a jaunty instrumental with some good country harp, whilst ‘Blues And Boogie Woogie' has a similar feel, though slower, with a hint of cowboy yodel in the vocals. If given a different treatment, there's the whiff of a doo wop ballad hidden in the tune of the more personal ‘Healin' Touch'.

Long emulates the back porch Delta with ‘Foot Stompin' Daddy' (“stompin' here, I'm stompin' there, standing up, sit down stompin' in my chair”) and ‘Mean Old Rootin' Ground Sloth' - a country blues title if ever there was. He follows other familiar traditions like travelling with ‘Greyhound Driver' (written by Claude Long) and running from a troublesome woman in ‘Leavin' St. Louis'.

John Long is dedicated to the music of the past, which he clearly loves, and is a stalwart practitioner, regardless of fashion. This album was recorded in one day, no messing, so if you also love this type of thing, but could do without the scratchy recordings, you'll find no better. If the harshness of those early recordings has previously distracted you from the music, then ‘Lost & Found' is a good way to hear how it all started.