Paul Rishell and Annie Raines
Moving To The Country
(Tone-Cool)
A revivalist like John Hammond Jr., Rory Black, Keb' Mo' (Kevin Moore)
and Taj Mahal (Henry St. Claire Fredericks), Boston singer/guitarist
Rishell plays mostly country blues in the style of Lightnin' Hopkins and
Brownie McGhee. And longtime partner, Little Annie Raines, supplies the
Sonny Terry harp. Rishell is certainly not the first to take this solemn
preservational approach to the blues, but the soft-spoken singer and
excellent guitarist does it extremely well - among his impeccable cover
choices are Robert Johnson's "32-20 Blues," Blind Boy Fuller's
"Mamie," Skip James' "Devil Got My Women," Blind
Blake's "Too Tight," Django Reinhardt's "Tears," Blind
Blake's "Sweet Jivin' Mama" and Jim Jackson's "Kansas City
Blues." Find a copy of the 1993 Tone-Cool release Swear to Tell the
Truth, and you'll find Rishell stretching farther into the electric band
style; Raines and the tight band of Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters
back him. It is evident that this duo knows, loves and respects the music
they play. Moving to the Country is a primer of popular American music
from the turning of the 19th to the turning of the 20th Century. The blues
needs more people like Rishell, Raines and Hammond to deliberately point
listeners back to the originals.
- Matt Alcott -
Southwest Blues CD Review - February 2000
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