Praise from Blues Bytes
September/October 2019
Confessin’ My Dues by Terry Robb
Terry Robb is, hands-down, one of the finest finger style blues guitarist currently practicing; I’d argue one of the best ever. Having heard several of his previous efforts over the years, I would have to put his current release, Confessin’ My Dues (Niasounds), near the top of the heap. It’s a breathtaking piece of work that encapsulates country blues, jazz, swing, folk, and ragtime. He’s backed on several of these 13 exquisite tracks by Dave Captein (standup bass) and Gary Hobbs (drums), with rhythm guitarist Adam Scramstad sitting in on one track.
The opening track, “Butch Holler Stomp,” is a short but dazzling ragtime workout that you wish lasted much longer than 1:52. The next track, “Still On 101,” is a tough Delta-styled romp, while the spiritually-tinged “How A Free Man Feels” is the first track to feature Robb’s warm vocals. The jazzy “It Might Get Sweaty” is a funky change of pace.
“Heart Made Of Steel” is one of five tracks where Robb plays with the band, and it has an almost-rock edge with some of Robb’s most nimble finger work, and “Now Vestopol” is an extended acoustic workout that covers a lot of musical ground in its six-minute running time.
“Darkest Road I’m Told” is an excellent Delta blues that owes a debt to Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Highway 61,” and “Three Times The Blues” actually leans more toward the jazz side of the blues aisle but with Robb’s work on the resonator being electrifying. The title track is a lively country blues, and “Death of Blind Arthur” (maybe a tribute to Blind Arthur Blake) is a somber minor key blues that shifts into ragtime near the midpoint.
“High Desert Everywhere” is a slide guitar driven instrumental taken at breakneck speed. “Keep Your Judgement” has an old school rock n’ roll vibe, and the pensive instrumental, “Blood Red Moon” is a solid closer.
As stated above, Terry Robb is one of the finest acoustic guitarists on the current circuit. He not only plays with precision but also with passion. Confessin’ My Dues should be in any acoustic guitar fan’s collection.
--- Graham Clarke