It's refreshing to review a band from Australia, something we don't seem to do very often. I've travelled extensively down under, and know for a fact that there are plenty of bands waiting to be discovered, so it puzzles me that in a country with such a vast expanse of nothing between towns there are not more groups using the internet to spread the word. Hey ho!
Bluestone is based in Adelaide and consists of Mick Kidd on Guitar, Peter Thomas on Bass and Colin Jevons on drums. Influences range from Jimi Hendrix to Phil Colins, so you can expect a wide ranging musical style from this group - they describe themselves as Rock n' Blues, which sounds fair to this reviewer. For the sake of this article, I listened to the album "In our own sweet time", which certainly showcases many jazz/blues influences as well as plenty of original style from the band themselves.
Originally a boogie band back in the early 90's, Bluestone have evolved over the years into the guitar trio we see today. Their repertoire includes numbers from artists such as Ronnie Earl and early ZZ Top - even Hendrix. These are ambitious names to attempt to emulate, and I couldn't help wondering if Bluestone could live up to the task...
To start with, I should say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of Bluestone's debut album, having heard many many bad attempts at this genre. However, I feel strongly that this is a band who would put themselves across much more successfully live - CD as a medium just can't deliver the sound that a live venue can, and for this reason I will bow to the obvious love that the bands many fans in South Australia have for their performance. After over 500 live shows, they have something of a following and have proved themselves an act to be reckoned with.
The CD, unfortunately, doesn't have the oomph for me that I love in a blues band, but blues CDs seldom do - this is a genre that exists for the live audience. You have to hear the sound all around you, see the guitarwork in action. If you are a fan of the style, then you'll love to add this album to your collection, but I feel certain I'd enjoy the live act much more from a personal point of view. But then, I am a live jazz and blues fiend!!!
http://www.listen.to/bluestone
