Promo Pics, Press, Bio and mo' Good Stuff
"As a solo artist, bandleader and veteran of Henry Gray and Carol Fran's bands, Marty Christian has cultivated a musical approach that spans multiple genres, including funk, country, zydeco and soul. Yet the heart of his music has always been the blues." - Melanie Young, Living Blues
Hi-Res promo photo for download - Right Click File on Right of page to download.
|
Hi-Res promo photo for download - Right Click file above to save.
| ||
"As a solo artist, bandleader and veteran of Henry Gray and Carol Fran's bands, Marty Christian has cultivated a musical approach that spans multiple genres, including funk, country, zydeco and soul. Yet the heart of his music has always been the blues. The latest solo release from the Lafayette, Louisiana-based guitarist and singer-songwriter is truly that - on Rambling Blues, he performs six classic blues songs alongside seven of his originals, accompanying himself on guitar.
And it's Christian's guitar skills that are front and center here, whether the Delta-style picking on his lovely version of Ida Cox's Rambling Blues, the frenzied, knife-like attacks on Muddy Waters' Country Blues or the flowing-molasses licks on Sitting on Top of the World. The sound is focused and intimate throughout, and the playing at times so intense you can hear the clacking of the guitar body, such as on the lover's plea Now Now. His take on Nobody Knows You When you're Down and Out is surprisingly jaunty, with an almost ragtime feel. The freewheeling style and energy of his originals Carnival of You and Write Me a Letter bring to mind early Van Morrison. Three instrumentals round out the set including the amusing, unusual morsel Russian Tea Biscuit.
Bottom line, Marty Christian makes beautiful music, and Rambling Blues is another fine showcase of his artistic gifts. " - CD Review for Rambling Blues - Melanie Young, Living Blues, October, 2018
And it's Christian's guitar skills that are front and center here, whether the Delta-style picking on his lovely version of Ida Cox's Rambling Blues, the frenzied, knife-like attacks on Muddy Waters' Country Blues or the flowing-molasses licks on Sitting on Top of the World. The sound is focused and intimate throughout, and the playing at times so intense you can hear the clacking of the guitar body, such as on the lover's plea Now Now. His take on Nobody Knows You When you're Down and Out is surprisingly jaunty, with an almost ragtime feel. The freewheeling style and energy of his originals Carnival of You and Write Me a Letter bring to mind early Van Morrison. Three instrumentals round out the set including the amusing, unusual morsel Russian Tea Biscuit.
Bottom line, Marty Christian makes beautiful music, and Rambling Blues is another fine showcase of his artistic gifts. " - CD Review for Rambling Blues - Melanie Young, Living Blues, October, 2018
BIO:
Marty Christian's music might best be described as Bluesicana: Americana with a deep root in the Blues. Christian has combined elements of many Southern genres including Blues, Funk, Soul and Swamp Pop to create a sound of his own. Through 5 original music CDs, Christian tells the story through his music of how he came to leave Cleveland, OH on a search for Southern Blues from his time immersed in the Blues world of Austin, TX to the Zydeco lands of Lafayette, LA and most recently in his current home in New Orleans.
Christian’s experience includes recording and touring as the guitarist for some of Louisiana’s musical greats: Henry Gray (Howlin’ Wolf), Carol Fran (Excello, BlackTop) and Thomas “Big Hat” Fields (Maison de Blues/Zydeco). On his latest CD, Rambling Blues, Christian is still following his own path as a writer and musician, blending the Blues with anything else that happens to pass his way on the journey. "Bottom line, Marty Christian makes beautiful music, and Rambling Blues is another fine showcase of his artistic gifts." - Living Blues
Marty Christian, Lee Zeno and Frank Kincel joined forces with the late Andy Cornett to create a sound of their own with the band Rue Boogaloo in 2012. Offbeat said their all original, self-titled debut CD had “Rue Boogaloo standing smack dab in the middle of where Jimmy Reed, R.L. Burnside and the Meters would all crash and smash”
Follow Marty’s music and latest tour info here: http://www.martychristian.com/
CD releases:
2006 – Bluesicana (w/ Joseph Edward)
2009 – Underground Blues (w/ Andy Cornett)
2012 – Rue Boogaloo (w/ Frank Kincel, Lee Zeno and Andy Cornett)
2014 - What I Came Here To Do (w/ Frank Kincel and Lee Zeno )
2018 - Rambling Blues
Other Marty Christian credits as session player:
2004 - Guitarist and vocalist on Thomas “Big Hat” Fields and his Footstompin' Zydeco Band CD
Big Hat Zydeco Mix, Maison de Blues
2009 – Guitarist for Henry Gray and the Cats - “Times are Getting Hard”, Lucky Cat Records
2010 - Louisiana Swamp Stomp – cd compilation – guitarist for Carol Fran
2020 - Guitarist for Carol Fran - Vinyl LP: "All of my Life"
Marty Christian's music might best be described as Bluesicana: Americana with a deep root in the Blues. Christian has combined elements of many Southern genres including Blues, Funk, Soul and Swamp Pop to create a sound of his own. Through 5 original music CDs, Christian tells the story through his music of how he came to leave Cleveland, OH on a search for Southern Blues from his time immersed in the Blues world of Austin, TX to the Zydeco lands of Lafayette, LA and most recently in his current home in New Orleans.
Christian’s experience includes recording and touring as the guitarist for some of Louisiana’s musical greats: Henry Gray (Howlin’ Wolf), Carol Fran (Excello, BlackTop) and Thomas “Big Hat” Fields (Maison de Blues/Zydeco). On his latest CD, Rambling Blues, Christian is still following his own path as a writer and musician, blending the Blues with anything else that happens to pass his way on the journey. "Bottom line, Marty Christian makes beautiful music, and Rambling Blues is another fine showcase of his artistic gifts." - Living Blues
Marty Christian, Lee Zeno and Frank Kincel joined forces with the late Andy Cornett to create a sound of their own with the band Rue Boogaloo in 2012. Offbeat said their all original, self-titled debut CD had “Rue Boogaloo standing smack dab in the middle of where Jimmy Reed, R.L. Burnside and the Meters would all crash and smash”
Follow Marty’s music and latest tour info here: http://www.martychristian.com/
CD releases:
2006 – Bluesicana (w/ Joseph Edward)
2009 – Underground Blues (w/ Andy Cornett)
2012 – Rue Boogaloo (w/ Frank Kincel, Lee Zeno and Andy Cornett)
2014 - What I Came Here To Do (w/ Frank Kincel and Lee Zeno )
2018 - Rambling Blues
Other Marty Christian credits as session player:
2004 - Guitarist and vocalist on Thomas “Big Hat” Fields and his Footstompin' Zydeco Band CD
Big Hat Zydeco Mix, Maison de Blues
2009 – Guitarist for Henry Gray and the Cats - “Times are Getting Hard”, Lucky Cat Records
2010 - Louisiana Swamp Stomp – cd compilation – guitarist for Carol Fran
2020 - Guitarist for Carol Fran - Vinyl LP: "All of my Life"
“Christian's sweet, country-tinged voice glides over the easy shuffle ...” - Living Blues
"Despite Christian’s folkie sensibility, he also defies strict categorization. His vocals occasionally border on soul-ish and he dives into blues, swamp pop and infectious, Zeno-powered funk at the drop of a hat.”- Offbeat, New Orleans, LA
“Marty Christian recalls the first sides of an acoustic Snooks Eaglin and at times, Van Morrison..." - Soul Bag, France.
"Despite Christian’s folkie sensibility, he also defies strict categorization. His vocals occasionally border on soul-ish and he dives into blues, swamp pop and infectious, Zeno-powered funk at the drop of a hat.”- Offbeat, New Orleans, LA
“Marty Christian recalls the first sides of an acoustic Snooks Eaglin and at times, Van Morrison..." - Soul Bag, France.
Press clippings:
Offbeat Magazine, Feb 2015 Review by: Dan Willging
Marty Christian originally intended this as a solo project since his songs really didn’t fit his band Rue Boogaloo’s funky-bluesy grooves.
At least that’s what he thought until monster bassist Lee Allen Zeno (Buckwheat Zydeco) and jazz drummer Frank Kincel heard ’em. They wanted in and essentially shaped Christian’s solo affair with a Boogaloo foundation on most tracks.
Christian achieves an artistic milestone with a handful of songs that were written from a third-person perspective.
It’s something he has rarely done but through various encounters, the experiences of others were transformed sonically, such as the offshore worker yearning for reconciliation (“Louisiana, Hold My Baby”) and the ex-con trying to live clean (“Payment Down”).
On “Her Promised Land,” a young mother attempts to battle her way through insurmountable obstacles. The title song sports two versions, an electric and a heartfelt acoustic version.
Despite Christian’s folkie sensibility, he also defies strict categorization. His vocals occasionally border on soul-ish and he dives into blues, swamp pop and infectious, Zeno-powered funk at the drop of a hat.
Additionally, he’s an impressive finger picker—witness the ripping jazz-tinged romp “Too Much.” Christian may not be easy to pigeonhole but he’s nobody’s remora either.
Marty Christian originally intended this as a solo project since his songs really didn’t fit his band Rue Boogaloo’s funky-bluesy grooves.
At least that’s what he thought until monster bassist Lee Allen Zeno (Buckwheat Zydeco) and jazz drummer Frank Kincel heard ’em. They wanted in and essentially shaped Christian’s solo affair with a Boogaloo foundation on most tracks.
Christian achieves an artistic milestone with a handful of songs that were written from a third-person perspective.
It’s something he has rarely done but through various encounters, the experiences of others were transformed sonically, such as the offshore worker yearning for reconciliation (“Louisiana, Hold My Baby”) and the ex-con trying to live clean (“Payment Down”).
On “Her Promised Land,” a young mother attempts to battle her way through insurmountable obstacles. The title song sports two versions, an electric and a heartfelt acoustic version.
Despite Christian’s folkie sensibility, he also defies strict categorization. His vocals occasionally border on soul-ish and he dives into blues, swamp pop and infectious, Zeno-powered funk at the drop of a hat.
Additionally, he’s an impressive finger picker—witness the ripping jazz-tinged romp “Too Much.” Christian may not be easy to pigeonhole but he’s nobody’s remora either.
What I Came Here To Do CD reviews:
"Marty Christian originally intended this as a solo project since his songs really didn’t fit his band Rue Boogaloo’s funky-bluesy grooves.
At least that’s what he thought until monster bassist Lee Allen Zeno (Buckwheat Zydeco) and jazz drummer Frank Kincel heard ’em. They wanted in and essentially shaped Christian’s solo affair with a Boogaloo foundation on most tracks.
Christian achieves an artistic milestone with a handful of songs that were written from a third-person perspective.
It’s something he has rarely done but through various encounters, the experiences of others were transformed sonically, such as the offshore worker yearning for reconciliation (“Louisiana, Hold My Baby”) and the ex-con trying to live clean (“Payment Down”).
On “Her Promised Land,” a young mother attempts to battle her way through insurmountable obstacles. The title song sports two versions, an electric and a heartfelt acoustic version.
Despite Christian’s folkie sensibility, he also defies strict categorization. His vocals occasionally border on soul-ish and he dives into blues, swamp pop and infectious, Zeno-powered funk at the drop of a hat.
Additionally, he’s an impressive finger picker—witness the ripping jazz-tinged romp “Too Much.” Christian may not be easy to pigeonhole but he’s nobody’s remora either." - Offbeat Magazine, Feb 2015 Review by: Dan Willging
Underground Blues CD reviews:
"Gritty, down and dirty and definitely hurting, Underground Blues is everything that the blues should be. A largely stripped down recording of Marty Christian on guitar and vocal, he is joined by Andy Cornett and his harmonica on “Piney Wood Boogie.” Together they certainly punch above their weight. “Last Bus to Memphis” leaves you down and out; standing on the dusty road in the rising steam of summer heat. There are some real nice little guitar accents in this song that really set the mood. Steeped in traditional sound..." - Nancy Vivolo, Victory Review, April, 2009
"A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marty Christian first made himself known in the early 90s as a Blues radio DJ in that town. Then from one side of Austin, Texas to the other side of Eastern France, he honed his skills as a performer. Returning to the scene in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2003, he made his first solo album, "Bluesicana" in 2006. Marty Christian is sometimes heard at the side of pianist Henry Gray, but it is only with the sole support of Andy Cornett on harmonica on two songs (Piney wood Sentimental boogie and blues) that he chooses to speak here. In this "Underground Blues" produced by Evan Jones, there are no mysteries to decipher in the words, unattainable notes to dissect. Just the pleasure of listening to an interpreter in a compelling original repertoire..."
- Dominique Lagarde, Soul Bag, FRANCE, March 2009
Bluesicana CD Reviews:
"James Taylor sometimes deceives himself into thinking he’s got the blues. If Sweet Baby James actually had them—or, more accurately, understood them—he’d probably sound a lot like guitarist Marty Christian, whose debut Bluesicana can’t help but come off genial and uplifting, even in the midst of heartbreak and/or seduction. The 10 originals here (accompanied only by Joseph Edwards’ rubboard) comprise the most jovial blues album to come out of the Sportsmen’s Paradise in many a year. Example? The song “My Mistakes” is all about how Marty can get past them..." - Robert Fontenot, Offbeat, New Orleans, Louisiana, Jan 2007
Rue Boogaloo CD Reviews:
"Rue Boogaloo is a new project that combines a quartet of seasoned south Louisiana musicians: guitarist and vocalist Marty Christian, currently a member of legendary pianist Henry Gray's band; veteran bassist Lee Allen Zeno (profiled in LB #215); drummer Frank Kincel, co-producer with Zeno of their debut; and late bassist and harpist Andy Cornett, who also served as Henry Gray's manager. Together they serve up a delicious stew of blues, funk, and zydeco that, at album's end, leaves this listener hungry for more.
Christian's sweet, country-tinged voice glides over the easy shuffle of Know What to Do About You, while Cornett's harmonica style brings to mind Jimmy Reed's. The funky jams Everything's Picking Up and They Tell Me swing with a Meters-style appeal; Talk About It and the instrumental Rue Run are fun dancehall romps. Creeper, My Baby's Sweet Like That, and In the Course of a Night are also, each in their own way, made for dancing - of the slow kind; the latter track features Christian singing in both English and Cajun French. The lovely, gently rolling Special Friend brings the party to an all-too-soon close. Rue Boogaloo is not currently scheduled to tour this year. "We got something so good, Lord, that it hurts this much to lose, " Christian pleads in the wistful Had a Good Run. Here's hoping Rue Boogaloo's run is far from over."
- Melanie Young, Living Blues , August, 2012
"When it comes to making music, blues guitarist and singer Marty Christian likes to let it flow. There's no playlist, no schedule. Just pick up the instruments and follow the inspiration. "The whole idea for me, when I pick up the guitar, is that I have no preconceived idea of the song," said Christian. "I feel that is a really big element of a lot of blues-based musicians.
"Once you have that language of the blues down, you don't want to go in there and memorize the speech. You want to chit chat, scream, cry, jump around with the music. Who knows what songs are going to come out?"
The free-flowing blues shines through on the self-titled, debut CD of Rue Boogaloo. The disc contains 10 original songs, all written by Christian, along with music from some of Lafayette's most experienced and well-traveled musicians.
Drummer Frank Kincel, who has performed and recorded with The Bluerunners, has deep jazz roots. Besides playing with Fats Domino, Snooks Eaglin and other greats, Lee Allen Zeno is a longtime bassist with the Grammy- and Grammy-winning band, Buckwheat Zydeco..."
- Herman Fuselier, The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, LA, March 2nd, 2012
"Marty Christian originally intended this as a solo project since his songs really didn’t fit his band Rue Boogaloo’s funky-bluesy grooves.
At least that’s what he thought until monster bassist Lee Allen Zeno (Buckwheat Zydeco) and jazz drummer Frank Kincel heard ’em. They wanted in and essentially shaped Christian’s solo affair with a Boogaloo foundation on most tracks.
Christian achieves an artistic milestone with a handful of songs that were written from a third-person perspective.
It’s something he has rarely done but through various encounters, the experiences of others were transformed sonically, such as the offshore worker yearning for reconciliation (“Louisiana, Hold My Baby”) and the ex-con trying to live clean (“Payment Down”).
On “Her Promised Land,” a young mother attempts to battle her way through insurmountable obstacles. The title song sports two versions, an electric and a heartfelt acoustic version.
Despite Christian’s folkie sensibility, he also defies strict categorization. His vocals occasionally border on soul-ish and he dives into blues, swamp pop and infectious, Zeno-powered funk at the drop of a hat.
Additionally, he’s an impressive finger picker—witness the ripping jazz-tinged romp “Too Much.” Christian may not be easy to pigeonhole but he’s nobody’s remora either." - Offbeat Magazine, Feb 2015 Review by: Dan Willging
Underground Blues CD reviews:
"Gritty, down and dirty and definitely hurting, Underground Blues is everything that the blues should be. A largely stripped down recording of Marty Christian on guitar and vocal, he is joined by Andy Cornett and his harmonica on “Piney Wood Boogie.” Together they certainly punch above their weight. “Last Bus to Memphis” leaves you down and out; standing on the dusty road in the rising steam of summer heat. There are some real nice little guitar accents in this song that really set the mood. Steeped in traditional sound..." - Nancy Vivolo, Victory Review, April, 2009
"A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marty Christian first made himself known in the early 90s as a Blues radio DJ in that town. Then from one side of Austin, Texas to the other side of Eastern France, he honed his skills as a performer. Returning to the scene in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2003, he made his first solo album, "Bluesicana" in 2006. Marty Christian is sometimes heard at the side of pianist Henry Gray, but it is only with the sole support of Andy Cornett on harmonica on two songs (Piney wood Sentimental boogie and blues) that he chooses to speak here. In this "Underground Blues" produced by Evan Jones, there are no mysteries to decipher in the words, unattainable notes to dissect. Just the pleasure of listening to an interpreter in a compelling original repertoire..."
- Dominique Lagarde, Soul Bag, FRANCE, March 2009
Bluesicana CD Reviews:
"James Taylor sometimes deceives himself into thinking he’s got the blues. If Sweet Baby James actually had them—or, more accurately, understood them—he’d probably sound a lot like guitarist Marty Christian, whose debut Bluesicana can’t help but come off genial and uplifting, even in the midst of heartbreak and/or seduction. The 10 originals here (accompanied only by Joseph Edwards’ rubboard) comprise the most jovial blues album to come out of the Sportsmen’s Paradise in many a year. Example? The song “My Mistakes” is all about how Marty can get past them..." - Robert Fontenot, Offbeat, New Orleans, Louisiana, Jan 2007
Rue Boogaloo CD Reviews:
"Rue Boogaloo is a new project that combines a quartet of seasoned south Louisiana musicians: guitarist and vocalist Marty Christian, currently a member of legendary pianist Henry Gray's band; veteran bassist Lee Allen Zeno (profiled in LB #215); drummer Frank Kincel, co-producer with Zeno of their debut; and late bassist and harpist Andy Cornett, who also served as Henry Gray's manager. Together they serve up a delicious stew of blues, funk, and zydeco that, at album's end, leaves this listener hungry for more.
Christian's sweet, country-tinged voice glides over the easy shuffle of Know What to Do About You, while Cornett's harmonica style brings to mind Jimmy Reed's. The funky jams Everything's Picking Up and They Tell Me swing with a Meters-style appeal; Talk About It and the instrumental Rue Run are fun dancehall romps. Creeper, My Baby's Sweet Like That, and In the Course of a Night are also, each in their own way, made for dancing - of the slow kind; the latter track features Christian singing in both English and Cajun French. The lovely, gently rolling Special Friend brings the party to an all-too-soon close. Rue Boogaloo is not currently scheduled to tour this year. "We got something so good, Lord, that it hurts this much to lose, " Christian pleads in the wistful Had a Good Run. Here's hoping Rue Boogaloo's run is far from over."
- Melanie Young, Living Blues , August, 2012
"When it comes to making music, blues guitarist and singer Marty Christian likes to let it flow. There's no playlist, no schedule. Just pick up the instruments and follow the inspiration. "The whole idea for me, when I pick up the guitar, is that I have no preconceived idea of the song," said Christian. "I feel that is a really big element of a lot of blues-based musicians.
"Once you have that language of the blues down, you don't want to go in there and memorize the speech. You want to chit chat, scream, cry, jump around with the music. Who knows what songs are going to come out?"
The free-flowing blues shines through on the self-titled, debut CD of Rue Boogaloo. The disc contains 10 original songs, all written by Christian, along with music from some of Lafayette's most experienced and well-traveled musicians.
Drummer Frank Kincel, who has performed and recorded with The Bluerunners, has deep jazz roots. Besides playing with Fats Domino, Snooks Eaglin and other greats, Lee Allen Zeno is a longtime bassist with the Grammy- and Grammy-winning band, Buckwheat Zydeco..."
- Herman Fuselier, The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette, LA, March 2nd, 2012
"Despite Christian’s folkie sensibility,
he also defies strict categorization..."
" - Offbeat, New Orleans, LA 2015
"James Taylor sometimes deceives himself into thinking he’s got the blues. If Sweet Baby James actually had them—or, more accurately, understood them—he’d probably sound a lot like guitarist Marty Christian” - Offbeat Magazine, 2007
"Underground Blues is everything that the blues should be" - Victory Review, April 2009
"Delta styled picking...flowing molasses licks" - Living Blues 2018
¨A compelling original repertoire” - Soul Bag - Paris, France, 2009
Rue Boogaloo Press:
"Smack dab in the middle of where Jimmy Reed, R.L. Burnside and the Meters would all crash and smash." - Dan Wilging, Offbeat Magazine Feb 2013
"Together they serve up a delicious stew of blues, funk, and zydeco that, at album's end, leaves this listener hungry for more. " - Living Blues, Melanie Young, August, 2012
he also defies strict categorization..."
" - Offbeat, New Orleans, LA 2015
"James Taylor sometimes deceives himself into thinking he’s got the blues. If Sweet Baby James actually had them—or, more accurately, understood them—he’d probably sound a lot like guitarist Marty Christian” - Offbeat Magazine, 2007
"Underground Blues is everything that the blues should be" - Victory Review, April 2009
"Delta styled picking...flowing molasses licks" - Living Blues 2018
¨A compelling original repertoire” - Soul Bag - Paris, France, 2009
Rue Boogaloo Press:
"Smack dab in the middle of where Jimmy Reed, R.L. Burnside and the Meters would all crash and smash." - Dan Wilging, Offbeat Magazine Feb 2013
"Together they serve up a delicious stew of blues, funk, and zydeco that, at album's end, leaves this listener hungry for more. " - Living Blues, Melanie Young, August, 2012
More Reviews for Marty Christian:
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marty Christian first made himself known in the early 90s as a Blues radio DJ in that town. Then from one side of Austin, Texas to the other side of Eastern France, he honed his skills as a performer. Returning to the scene in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2003, he made his first solo album, "Bluesicana" in 2006. Marty Christian is sometimes heard at the side of pianist Henry Gray, but it is only with the sole support of Andy Cornett on harmonica on two songs (Piney wood Sentimental boogie and blues) that he chooses to speak here. In this "Underground Blues" produced by Evan Jones, there are no mysteries to decipher in the words, unattainable notes to dissect. Just the pleasure of listening to an interpreter in a compelling original repertoire...
- Dominique Lagarde, Soul Bag, FRANCE, March 2009
"Marty Christian is into the Basics..." – Baton Rouge Advocate:
Marty Christian is into the basics, and it’s reflected in the blues and soul music he plays, as well as his original music. “Where it comes from is like the guitar of the blues guys is really my focus on the guitar work. And then the singing is a soul sound. Even though I may be doing a blues song, I may sing it like a soul singer,” he said. “Or I might do a soul number and throw some blues guitar in there.” And then there’s Christian’s original stuff. “I guess it combines a lot of my favorite music from Louisiana and even Texas,” he said, adding “and Chicago blues and Memphis soul as well. It’s not to say I’m a master of any of that stuff. I’m just influenced by it all.”
You can hear it for yourself Saturday evening at the Blue Moon Saloon when Christian performs at his CD release party for “Bluesicana.” Christian said playing his acoustic guitar helps him “get there,” but, when he plugs it in, “I can even get to a different place that’s real close to electric blues,” he said. “With the washboard and the electric acoustic kind of turned up it’s very cool. You can get very powerful with it, but you can also turn the volume down for the acoustic soulful ballads.
“I didn’t think about all that stuff; it just started happening,” Christian said. “I’m a real, well, I don’t want to use the word ‘purist,’ but I’m a real, real big fan of the electric blues of the ’50s and ’60s and the soul music.”
As a blues disc jockey in Cleveland, Christian got immersed in the music of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, “to the lesser known cats like Johnny Littlejohn, Magic Sam …,” he said. There was also the soul music of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and William Bell.
“They had so much going on that they never even really got very popular,” Christian said. “The music that became popular was more Motown and real over-the-top stuff like James Brown and Aretha Franklin — who I love to death — but even in their beginning days it was a much simpler style that they were doing that really, really motivated me.”
It’s here you’ll find the essence of Christian’s music. Call it rootsy or earthy; a back-to-basics style that may well have brought him to Lafayette as a resident last year after commuting from Austin for three years, almost all of it playing guitar in Thomas “Big Hat” Fields’ zydeco band. “Playing old-school zydeco with ‘Big Hat’ was great because it wasn’t watered down at all,” Christian said. “Everybody (in the band) was so attentive to what everybody was doing. I didn’t see it like, ‘Oh, it’s a very simple form. You do one or two chords and you know the music.’ I saw it as every single song needs to have as much power as possible, and that’s the way they saw it, and we just jelled right off the bat. In those 2 and a half years, every single song was important. It was amazing.
“And that’s the way I see blues and soul music,” he said. “I’d never seen that before.”
Then something from within, a muse perhaps, kept tugging at Christian’s guitar strings, and it wasn’t zydeco music, either. It slowly started about five years ago, then about three years ago he wrote a couple of songs and put them out on CD with some covers.
“The weird thing that started happening was that I started writing my own music,” he said. “And people really remarked on the original stuff, and I thought that was pretty wild. I was really excited about the covers I’d done — they’re not really covers, they’re interpretations — because they’ve really been changed up.”
Inspired and enthused, if not perplexed, Christian left Big Hat’s band to pursue a solo career.
“I ended up writing so much music that it kind of became more of my focus to do what I was writing. I had to figure it out. I had to figure out what was going on,” Christian said. “I tried to do both, but eventually we started booking our same gigs the same nights.”
Christian stayed with the band until Fields found another guitar, then he jumped into his own music with both feet and a guitar.
“I always wanted to do this kind of ‘pure’ music, I didn’t know how I was going to do it,” he said. “Originally, I wanted to do it in a band. Then I wanted to do it with somebody else’s band, but my singing became real important to me,” he said. And when you’re not fronting your own band, well, singing your own songs for three hours a night could be considered somewhat presumptuous, if not outright tacky.
“That was really a different thing. My guitar was so important to me most of my life (since age 12; Christian is 36), but the past 10 years, singing has become just as, if not more, important to me as a musical instrument,” Christian said. “And then the writing became a way for me to sing even more. I guess the stuff I write has more of my soul, as opposed to me trying to understand Otis Redding, or B.B. King, or Muddy Waters.”
- Dominick Cross, Baton Rouge Advocate - May, 2006
"Even Whiteboys got to Shout" – Times of Acadiana:
"It's kind of like I had all the keys but I didn't have the doors yet. I know I had them damn keys for a long time, maybe my whole life," Marty Christian speaks metaphorically, his voice full of too much soul for a long-haired, sandal-wearing white boy from Cleveland. Despite his physical appearance, his Mid-Western upbringing and a name like Marty Christian, the guitarist and singer is well-versed in the blues, evident in the acoustic sets he performs in his new Lafayette stomping grounds.
Specifically, the doors he finally lined up his keys with are Thomas "Big Hat" Fields & His Foot Stomping Zydeco Band. Spurred by his love of blues and a knack for the French language, Christian -- a Texan at the time -- decided to check out zydeco music and happened to read about Café Des Amis breakfast sets on a Web site.
"See, I already speak French, I love blues -- zydeco is a natural thing for me," says Christian, also known as Whiteboy. When he came to the Zydeco Breakfast gig, he met Fields' wife Geneva, who informed him they were looking for a new guitarist. After the show, he spoke French with the band for three hours to prove himself.
Though he laughs about the trial, it's apparent he is not joking. It took 15 calls before Fields began to take him seriously and invited him to play a Labor Day gig. For a year he played with the band -- never missing a gig or practice -- although he lived in Austin, Texas.
However, the Lafayette life and music scene are doors he's been wandering toward since he was a teenager. In August 2004, he introduced his solo acoustic rhythm & blues performances to Blue Moon happy hours. To play here, he would crash on someone's floor or couch for a few days out of the week before commuting back to Austin. As he began to do the trip once a week, gas prices rose making it a costly venture. Two months ago he pulled up stakes, leaving behind the live music capital of the world to became a Lafayette resident.
His sets cross the charts of old blues and R&B. He does write original material, but he stresses the interpreter aspect of the blues, using his voice and tone to re-invent classics by Ottis Redding, Sam Cook, Albert Collins and the like. He sees it as writing music on stage as it comes to him through his record vault of a mind.
If you would have asked Christian about his new home a few years ago, he wouldn't have had the foggiest idea where Lafayette was or what life down here was all about. Lafayette is the latest stopping point for world traveler Christian. After growing up in Cleveland, a prime place for the blues he says because of its mid point between Chicago and New York, he got into radio. At 20, he left Cleveland for the first time, traveling to France for college, but admits "I didn't' do too much studying, but I did a whole lot of music."
Quickly, Christian learned French and says he blended into the lifestyle so seamlessly, people wanted to fight him, thinking he was a Frenchman pretending to be an American just to pick up chicks. From there, he touched down at various spots across the United States, even venturing up to Alaska. His most recent relocation, Austin, lasted about six years. He went through several bands before he built his own guitar and went solo -- because he says its hard for him to find someone with his range.
"I just wanted to learn the music. I just wanted to be somewhere where I could get in with good guys and that's it," he explains. "(I) never wanted any more than that until I felt like I feel now, like I understand what I am delivering, what's coming to me."
While it's not the France he felt so comfortable in, the Acadiana life and the diversity of American music make his new home a favorite.
"For me it's a perfect blend of the French life and the American music life," Christian says. " I don't know if that would fit everybody in Austin, and I don't know if it's going to be a good career move.
"If I got to work at a car place five days a week and I can only play music on the weekend, so be it, as long as I get to sing my music for people who give a shit, for real, that's what I want."
- Times of Acadiana, Lafayette, LA - May 2005
"Underground Blues is everything that the blues should be" – Victory Review:
Underground Blues CD Gritty, down and dirty and definitely hurting, Underground Blues is everything that the blues should be. A largely stripped down recording of Marty Christian on guitar and vocal, he is joined by Andy Cornett and his harmonica on “Piney Wood Boogie.” Together they certainly punch above their weight. “Last Bus to Memphis” leaves you down and out; standing on the dusty road in the rising steam of summer heat. There are some real nice little guitar accents in this song that really set the mood. Steeped in traditional sound... - Nancy Vivolo, Victory Review, April, 2009
"Acoustic-flecked balladry..." – Independent Weekly - Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina:
Taking his inspiration from the legendary forefathers of blues and soul, Marty Christian rises up from the soulful sludge of Muddy Waters to meet the acoustic slow burn of Jimmy Reed's Southern shuffle. His newest album, Bluesicana, is a roots-inspired romp through acoustic-flecked balladry marked by sure-handed guitar filigree.
- Independent Weekly - Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, November, 2006
Marty Christian “Underground Blues”. Street Man 2009. En este cd encontramos el buen hacer de un músico nativo de Cleveland, Ohio. Su pasión por el blues comenzó en 1991, cuando trabajaba como Dj en la WRUW. El cantante, compositor y guitarrista Marty Christian se inspira en el sonido del cantante y guitarrista Robert Lockwood Jr. y sobre todo en muchas de las bandas de la zona de Cleveland practicantes del ‘deep south blues’ de Chicago. Christian provoca en el oyente sensaciones honestas y sinceras que son transmitidas gracias a la pasión con la que aborda su blues mas intimo, desgarrado y emotivo, desprovisto de todo tipo de artificios y amaneramientos. Marty toca lo que siente y como lo siente, de forma directa, sencilla y sin pretensiones. Diez temas originales mas una versión del “Bluebird” de Howlin’ Wolf se dan cabida en este álbum donde la guitarra acústica y la voz de Marty son los únicos protagonistas, exceptuando la participación del armonicista Andy Cornett en dos cortes. El resultado es interesante y esperamos que el disco tenga la suficiente repercusión que el artista merece. MUY BUENO.
Here comes a cd with the good work of a musician born in Cleveland, Ohio who discovered his love for blues in 1991, when he was a DJ at WRUW. Singer, song writer and guitar player Marty Christian finds inspiration in the sound of singer and guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr. and especially in many blues bands of Cleveland area which perform the most classic Chicago deep south blues. Christian will communicate you honest sincere feelings, which are passionately given thanks to an emotional intimist heartrending playing in a very unaffected plain way. Marty really plays what he feels and how he feels it on straight simple sincere way. The cd includes ten original songs plus a version of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Bluebird”. Marty’s guitar and voice lead the whole cd, except when he gives place to Andy Cornett’s harmonica playing in two cuts. The result is an interesting album of an artist who deserves consideration among media and fans. VERY GOOD.
- La Hora del Blues, Spain, Novembre, 2009
http://esdocs.org/docs/index-159.html
Hoe noem je Americana met sterke blues - invloeden? Bluesicana, dacht Marty Christian uit Austin Texas en daarmee had hij ook de juiste titel voor zijn eerste CD, een vlag die ook meteen de lading dekt. Marty was jarenlang een deejay van een blues en soul radioprogramma in Austin. Omstreeks 2002 verhuisde hij naar Lafayette in Louisiana en begon zich toen ook intensiever met zelf muziek maken bezig te houden, iets wat voorheen slechts als een hobby plaats gevonden had. Invloeden voor zijn nummers komen van overal, in de song "Willow Tree Girl" hoor je de stijl van het nummer veranderen van Memphis naar de Delta en terug. Soms waaien er flarden jazz binnen zoals op het mijmerende "Lonely Man". Het cajunsausje waarmee "Walk Around With Me" dan weer overgoten is, smaakt me ook wel. Wel raar is dat de enige begeleider die vermeld is (Joseph Edward) op washboard, die met verschillende artiesten uit de zydeco wereld op de planken stond, nergens te horen is. Wel duikt er hier en daar een accordeon op, waarvan in de credits dan weer niks te lezen staat. Maar terug naar de muziek, want daar gaat het toch om. Om je een beeld te vormen van de stem van Marty, wel die is heel simpel te beschrijven. James Taylor dacht wel eens dat hij de blues had, wel als hij die zou hebben, zou hij klinken als Marty Christian. Enkel met zijn “Steamroller Blues” is James even in de buurt van Marty’s stem gekomen. Voeg bij dat heerlijke bluesy stemgeluid een gitaarstijl die vaak aan Lightnin Hopkins herinnert en je krijgt een heerlijk akoestische CD waarvan ik je de aanschaf je zeer kan aanbevelen, in mijn cd speler zal hij ongetwijfeld dikwijls vertoeven. Omdat alles op constant hoog niveau zit, kan ik moeilijk een favoriet nummer uitpikken, maar “Sally Mae Blues” is zo ’n mooie sfeervolle song, dat deze wel een eervolle vermelding krijgt. Prijs van de maand wat mij betreft.
(RON) http://www.rootstime.be/CD%20REVIEWS/cd%20reviews-januari20078.htm
Underground Blues.
een indrukwekkend nieuw album van Marty Christian
Singer-songwriter Marty Christian uit Lafayette, Louisiana bewijst dat de blues springlevend is. Geen uitgekauwde versies van grijsgedraaide bluestraditionals, maar tien ijzersterke nieuwe songs en – o.k. – één Howlin' Wolf cover. Een klasse album.
Het probleem met veel hedendaagse blues is dat het zich uitsluitend begeeft binnen gebaande en dikwijls platgetreden paden, waardoor elke spanning en opwinding ontbreekt. Singer-songwriter Marty Christian is daarop een gunstige uitzondering.
Met de release van zijn tweede CD 'Underground Blues' is hij er buitengewoon goed in geslaagd om de sfeer van zijn akoestische live-optredens vast te leggen. In negen sterke nummers horen we Marty solo de blues vertolken en nergens vervalt hij in het reproduceren van uitgekauwde deuntjes.
Met zijn karakteristieke soulvolle, soms scheurende stemgeluid en zijn sterke gitaarspel neemt hij de luisteraar mee op een persoonlijke tour waarin we de invloeden van de Mississippi Delta, Chicago, Memphis en Louisiana proeven. De negen nummers waarin we Marty solo horen worden aangevuld met twee ijzersterke songs waarin hij wordt onder-steund door mondharmonicaspeler Andy Cornett: Louisiana blues op zijn best. Op één Howlin' Wolf cover na - "Bluebird" - zijn alle nummers door Christian zelf geschreven.
De van oorsprong uit Cleveland, Ohio, afkomstige zanger/gitarist vestigde zich begin jaren '90 in Austin, Texas en ontwikkelde gaandeweg zijn eigen stijl als solo-artiest. Daarnaast maakte hij deel uit van de band van Thomas "Big Hat" Fields and His Foot Stompin' Zydeco Band, een old-school Zydeco band uit de Louisiana bayous.
Met zijn solo-optredens in de kleine clubs van Louisiana en Texas bouwde hij in de loop der tijd een kleine schare trouwe fans op. Met dit tweede sterke album lijkt het moment gekomen dat een breder publiek hoort wat deze man te bieden heeft.
Tenslotte mag ook de verpakking van de CD niet onvermeld blijven want kunstenaar Kelly Guidry uit Louisiana heeft er een zeer fraai en bij de sfeer van het album passend geheel van gemaakt. Nog een goede reden om een origineel exemplaar van deze CD aan te schaffen.
http://www.yellowdog.nl/Home/updates3/tabid/440/Default.aspx
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marty Christian first made himself known in the early 90s as a Blues radio DJ in that town. Then from one side of Austin, Texas to the other side of Eastern France, he honed his skills as a performer. Returning to the scene in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2003, he made his first solo album, "Bluesicana" in 2006. Marty Christian is sometimes heard at the side of pianist Henry Gray, but it is only with the sole support of Andy Cornett on harmonica on two songs (Piney wood Sentimental boogie and blues) that he chooses to speak here. In this "Underground Blues" produced by Evan Jones, there are no mysteries to decipher in the words, unattainable notes to dissect. Just the pleasure of listening to an interpreter in a compelling original repertoire...
- Dominique Lagarde, Soul Bag, FRANCE, March 2009
"Marty Christian is into the Basics..." – Baton Rouge Advocate:
Marty Christian is into the basics, and it’s reflected in the blues and soul music he plays, as well as his original music. “Where it comes from is like the guitar of the blues guys is really my focus on the guitar work. And then the singing is a soul sound. Even though I may be doing a blues song, I may sing it like a soul singer,” he said. “Or I might do a soul number and throw some blues guitar in there.” And then there’s Christian’s original stuff. “I guess it combines a lot of my favorite music from Louisiana and even Texas,” he said, adding “and Chicago blues and Memphis soul as well. It’s not to say I’m a master of any of that stuff. I’m just influenced by it all.”
You can hear it for yourself Saturday evening at the Blue Moon Saloon when Christian performs at his CD release party for “Bluesicana.” Christian said playing his acoustic guitar helps him “get there,” but, when he plugs it in, “I can even get to a different place that’s real close to electric blues,” he said. “With the washboard and the electric acoustic kind of turned up it’s very cool. You can get very powerful with it, but you can also turn the volume down for the acoustic soulful ballads.
“I didn’t think about all that stuff; it just started happening,” Christian said. “I’m a real, well, I don’t want to use the word ‘purist,’ but I’m a real, real big fan of the electric blues of the ’50s and ’60s and the soul music.”
As a blues disc jockey in Cleveland, Christian got immersed in the music of Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, “to the lesser known cats like Johnny Littlejohn, Magic Sam …,” he said. There was also the soul music of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and William Bell.
“They had so much going on that they never even really got very popular,” Christian said. “The music that became popular was more Motown and real over-the-top stuff like James Brown and Aretha Franklin — who I love to death — but even in their beginning days it was a much simpler style that they were doing that really, really motivated me.”
It’s here you’ll find the essence of Christian’s music. Call it rootsy or earthy; a back-to-basics style that may well have brought him to Lafayette as a resident last year after commuting from Austin for three years, almost all of it playing guitar in Thomas “Big Hat” Fields’ zydeco band. “Playing old-school zydeco with ‘Big Hat’ was great because it wasn’t watered down at all,” Christian said. “Everybody (in the band) was so attentive to what everybody was doing. I didn’t see it like, ‘Oh, it’s a very simple form. You do one or two chords and you know the music.’ I saw it as every single song needs to have as much power as possible, and that’s the way they saw it, and we just jelled right off the bat. In those 2 and a half years, every single song was important. It was amazing.
“And that’s the way I see blues and soul music,” he said. “I’d never seen that before.”
Then something from within, a muse perhaps, kept tugging at Christian’s guitar strings, and it wasn’t zydeco music, either. It slowly started about five years ago, then about three years ago he wrote a couple of songs and put them out on CD with some covers.
“The weird thing that started happening was that I started writing my own music,” he said. “And people really remarked on the original stuff, and I thought that was pretty wild. I was really excited about the covers I’d done — they’re not really covers, they’re interpretations — because they’ve really been changed up.”
Inspired and enthused, if not perplexed, Christian left Big Hat’s band to pursue a solo career.
“I ended up writing so much music that it kind of became more of my focus to do what I was writing. I had to figure it out. I had to figure out what was going on,” Christian said. “I tried to do both, but eventually we started booking our same gigs the same nights.”
Christian stayed with the band until Fields found another guitar, then he jumped into his own music with both feet and a guitar.
“I always wanted to do this kind of ‘pure’ music, I didn’t know how I was going to do it,” he said. “Originally, I wanted to do it in a band. Then I wanted to do it with somebody else’s band, but my singing became real important to me,” he said. And when you’re not fronting your own band, well, singing your own songs for three hours a night could be considered somewhat presumptuous, if not outright tacky.
“That was really a different thing. My guitar was so important to me most of my life (since age 12; Christian is 36), but the past 10 years, singing has become just as, if not more, important to me as a musical instrument,” Christian said. “And then the writing became a way for me to sing even more. I guess the stuff I write has more of my soul, as opposed to me trying to understand Otis Redding, or B.B. King, or Muddy Waters.”
- Dominick Cross, Baton Rouge Advocate - May, 2006
"Even Whiteboys got to Shout" – Times of Acadiana:
"It's kind of like I had all the keys but I didn't have the doors yet. I know I had them damn keys for a long time, maybe my whole life," Marty Christian speaks metaphorically, his voice full of too much soul for a long-haired, sandal-wearing white boy from Cleveland. Despite his physical appearance, his Mid-Western upbringing and a name like Marty Christian, the guitarist and singer is well-versed in the blues, evident in the acoustic sets he performs in his new Lafayette stomping grounds.
Specifically, the doors he finally lined up his keys with are Thomas "Big Hat" Fields & His Foot Stomping Zydeco Band. Spurred by his love of blues and a knack for the French language, Christian -- a Texan at the time -- decided to check out zydeco music and happened to read about Café Des Amis breakfast sets on a Web site.
"See, I already speak French, I love blues -- zydeco is a natural thing for me," says Christian, also known as Whiteboy. When he came to the Zydeco Breakfast gig, he met Fields' wife Geneva, who informed him they were looking for a new guitarist. After the show, he spoke French with the band for three hours to prove himself.
Though he laughs about the trial, it's apparent he is not joking. It took 15 calls before Fields began to take him seriously and invited him to play a Labor Day gig. For a year he played with the band -- never missing a gig or practice -- although he lived in Austin, Texas.
However, the Lafayette life and music scene are doors he's been wandering toward since he was a teenager. In August 2004, he introduced his solo acoustic rhythm & blues performances to Blue Moon happy hours. To play here, he would crash on someone's floor or couch for a few days out of the week before commuting back to Austin. As he began to do the trip once a week, gas prices rose making it a costly venture. Two months ago he pulled up stakes, leaving behind the live music capital of the world to became a Lafayette resident.
His sets cross the charts of old blues and R&B. He does write original material, but he stresses the interpreter aspect of the blues, using his voice and tone to re-invent classics by Ottis Redding, Sam Cook, Albert Collins and the like. He sees it as writing music on stage as it comes to him through his record vault of a mind.
If you would have asked Christian about his new home a few years ago, he wouldn't have had the foggiest idea where Lafayette was or what life down here was all about. Lafayette is the latest stopping point for world traveler Christian. After growing up in Cleveland, a prime place for the blues he says because of its mid point between Chicago and New York, he got into radio. At 20, he left Cleveland for the first time, traveling to France for college, but admits "I didn't' do too much studying, but I did a whole lot of music."
Quickly, Christian learned French and says he blended into the lifestyle so seamlessly, people wanted to fight him, thinking he was a Frenchman pretending to be an American just to pick up chicks. From there, he touched down at various spots across the United States, even venturing up to Alaska. His most recent relocation, Austin, lasted about six years. He went through several bands before he built his own guitar and went solo -- because he says its hard for him to find someone with his range.
"I just wanted to learn the music. I just wanted to be somewhere where I could get in with good guys and that's it," he explains. "(I) never wanted any more than that until I felt like I feel now, like I understand what I am delivering, what's coming to me."
While it's not the France he felt so comfortable in, the Acadiana life and the diversity of American music make his new home a favorite.
"For me it's a perfect blend of the French life and the American music life," Christian says. " I don't know if that would fit everybody in Austin, and I don't know if it's going to be a good career move.
"If I got to work at a car place five days a week and I can only play music on the weekend, so be it, as long as I get to sing my music for people who give a shit, for real, that's what I want."
- Times of Acadiana, Lafayette, LA - May 2005
"Underground Blues is everything that the blues should be" – Victory Review:
Underground Blues CD Gritty, down and dirty and definitely hurting, Underground Blues is everything that the blues should be. A largely stripped down recording of Marty Christian on guitar and vocal, he is joined by Andy Cornett and his harmonica on “Piney Wood Boogie.” Together they certainly punch above their weight. “Last Bus to Memphis” leaves you down and out; standing on the dusty road in the rising steam of summer heat. There are some real nice little guitar accents in this song that really set the mood. Steeped in traditional sound... - Nancy Vivolo, Victory Review, April, 2009
"Acoustic-flecked balladry..." – Independent Weekly - Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina:
Taking his inspiration from the legendary forefathers of blues and soul, Marty Christian rises up from the soulful sludge of Muddy Waters to meet the acoustic slow burn of Jimmy Reed's Southern shuffle. His newest album, Bluesicana, is a roots-inspired romp through acoustic-flecked balladry marked by sure-handed guitar filigree.
- Independent Weekly - Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, November, 2006
Marty Christian “Underground Blues”. Street Man 2009. En este cd encontramos el buen hacer de un músico nativo de Cleveland, Ohio. Su pasión por el blues comenzó en 1991, cuando trabajaba como Dj en la WRUW. El cantante, compositor y guitarrista Marty Christian se inspira en el sonido del cantante y guitarrista Robert Lockwood Jr. y sobre todo en muchas de las bandas de la zona de Cleveland practicantes del ‘deep south blues’ de Chicago. Christian provoca en el oyente sensaciones honestas y sinceras que son transmitidas gracias a la pasión con la que aborda su blues mas intimo, desgarrado y emotivo, desprovisto de todo tipo de artificios y amaneramientos. Marty toca lo que siente y como lo siente, de forma directa, sencilla y sin pretensiones. Diez temas originales mas una versión del “Bluebird” de Howlin’ Wolf se dan cabida en este álbum donde la guitarra acústica y la voz de Marty son los únicos protagonistas, exceptuando la participación del armonicista Andy Cornett en dos cortes. El resultado es interesante y esperamos que el disco tenga la suficiente repercusión que el artista merece. MUY BUENO.
Here comes a cd with the good work of a musician born in Cleveland, Ohio who discovered his love for blues in 1991, when he was a DJ at WRUW. Singer, song writer and guitar player Marty Christian finds inspiration in the sound of singer and guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr. and especially in many blues bands of Cleveland area which perform the most classic Chicago deep south blues. Christian will communicate you honest sincere feelings, which are passionately given thanks to an emotional intimist heartrending playing in a very unaffected plain way. Marty really plays what he feels and how he feels it on straight simple sincere way. The cd includes ten original songs plus a version of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Bluebird”. Marty’s guitar and voice lead the whole cd, except when he gives place to Andy Cornett’s harmonica playing in two cuts. The result is an interesting album of an artist who deserves consideration among media and fans. VERY GOOD.
- La Hora del Blues, Spain, Novembre, 2009
http://esdocs.org/docs/index-159.html
Hoe noem je Americana met sterke blues - invloeden? Bluesicana, dacht Marty Christian uit Austin Texas en daarmee had hij ook de juiste titel voor zijn eerste CD, een vlag die ook meteen de lading dekt. Marty was jarenlang een deejay van een blues en soul radioprogramma in Austin. Omstreeks 2002 verhuisde hij naar Lafayette in Louisiana en begon zich toen ook intensiever met zelf muziek maken bezig te houden, iets wat voorheen slechts als een hobby plaats gevonden had. Invloeden voor zijn nummers komen van overal, in de song "Willow Tree Girl" hoor je de stijl van het nummer veranderen van Memphis naar de Delta en terug. Soms waaien er flarden jazz binnen zoals op het mijmerende "Lonely Man". Het cajunsausje waarmee "Walk Around With Me" dan weer overgoten is, smaakt me ook wel. Wel raar is dat de enige begeleider die vermeld is (Joseph Edward) op washboard, die met verschillende artiesten uit de zydeco wereld op de planken stond, nergens te horen is. Wel duikt er hier en daar een accordeon op, waarvan in de credits dan weer niks te lezen staat. Maar terug naar de muziek, want daar gaat het toch om. Om je een beeld te vormen van de stem van Marty, wel die is heel simpel te beschrijven. James Taylor dacht wel eens dat hij de blues had, wel als hij die zou hebben, zou hij klinken als Marty Christian. Enkel met zijn “Steamroller Blues” is James even in de buurt van Marty’s stem gekomen. Voeg bij dat heerlijke bluesy stemgeluid een gitaarstijl die vaak aan Lightnin Hopkins herinnert en je krijgt een heerlijk akoestische CD waarvan ik je de aanschaf je zeer kan aanbevelen, in mijn cd speler zal hij ongetwijfeld dikwijls vertoeven. Omdat alles op constant hoog niveau zit, kan ik moeilijk een favoriet nummer uitpikken, maar “Sally Mae Blues” is zo ’n mooie sfeervolle song, dat deze wel een eervolle vermelding krijgt. Prijs van de maand wat mij betreft.
(RON) http://www.rootstime.be/CD%20REVIEWS/cd%20reviews-januari20078.htm
Underground Blues.
een indrukwekkend nieuw album van Marty Christian
Singer-songwriter Marty Christian uit Lafayette, Louisiana bewijst dat de blues springlevend is. Geen uitgekauwde versies van grijsgedraaide bluestraditionals, maar tien ijzersterke nieuwe songs en – o.k. – één Howlin' Wolf cover. Een klasse album.
Het probleem met veel hedendaagse blues is dat het zich uitsluitend begeeft binnen gebaande en dikwijls platgetreden paden, waardoor elke spanning en opwinding ontbreekt. Singer-songwriter Marty Christian is daarop een gunstige uitzondering.
Met de release van zijn tweede CD 'Underground Blues' is hij er buitengewoon goed in geslaagd om de sfeer van zijn akoestische live-optredens vast te leggen. In negen sterke nummers horen we Marty solo de blues vertolken en nergens vervalt hij in het reproduceren van uitgekauwde deuntjes.
Met zijn karakteristieke soulvolle, soms scheurende stemgeluid en zijn sterke gitaarspel neemt hij de luisteraar mee op een persoonlijke tour waarin we de invloeden van de Mississippi Delta, Chicago, Memphis en Louisiana proeven. De negen nummers waarin we Marty solo horen worden aangevuld met twee ijzersterke songs waarin hij wordt onder-steund door mondharmonicaspeler Andy Cornett: Louisiana blues op zijn best. Op één Howlin' Wolf cover na - "Bluebird" - zijn alle nummers door Christian zelf geschreven.
De van oorsprong uit Cleveland, Ohio, afkomstige zanger/gitarist vestigde zich begin jaren '90 in Austin, Texas en ontwikkelde gaandeweg zijn eigen stijl als solo-artiest. Daarnaast maakte hij deel uit van de band van Thomas "Big Hat" Fields and His Foot Stompin' Zydeco Band, een old-school Zydeco band uit de Louisiana bayous.
Met zijn solo-optredens in de kleine clubs van Louisiana en Texas bouwde hij in de loop der tijd een kleine schare trouwe fans op. Met dit tweede sterke album lijkt het moment gekomen dat een breder publiek hoort wat deze man te bieden heeft.
Tenslotte mag ook de verpakking van de CD niet onvermeld blijven want kunstenaar Kelly Guidry uit Louisiana heeft er een zeer fraai en bij de sfeer van het album passend geheel van gemaakt. Nog een goede reden om een origineel exemplaar van deze CD aan te schaffen.
http://www.yellowdog.nl/Home/updates3/tabid/440/Default.aspx
