"Bermuda Triangle Exit"
Stefan Grossman & Tokio Uchida

Stefan Grossman has been at the forefront of acoustic blues in a career spanning five decades – and I can well remember, eagerly picking up albums on his Kicking Mule label back in the 60s and his collaboration with Rory Block on “How To Play Blues Guitar” in 1966.

Grossman’s latest imprint is Stefan Grossman’s Guitar Workshop – the two CDs under consideration here being superb examples of his, and his musical collaborators, mastery of acoustic blues.

“Played A Little Fiddle” reunites Grossman Danny Kalb and Steve Katz, who between them have played with / formed such seminal bands as the Even Dozen Jug Band, Blues Project, The Fugs and Blood, Sweat and Tears. Grossman and Katz both studied under the Rev Gary Davis whilst Kalb was a protégé of Dave Van Ronk, and cut his musical teeth as a session player with the likes of Phil Ochs, Judy Collins and Pete Seeger.

All of the above influences permeate the wide range of acoustic blues that make up this set which opens with the title track, a wonderful performance replete with melancholy vocals, haunting harp and “enchanting” mesmerising guitar picking. Unfortunately the CD booklet gives no indication of who is playing which instruments on which tracks – and although I have my own thoughts, the three artists meld together so naturally it is difficult at times to be sure.

“Old Country Rock” is a lilting instrumental featuring washboard, percussive harp and clear ringing guitar tones – Mississippi John Hurt’s “Richland Woman Blues” is a lilting piedmont blues with beautiful harp and guitar picking – whilst Muddy’s “Long Distance Call” evokes a brooding simplicity enhanced by the seamless interweaving of guitar and harp. Hurt’s influence is also evident on the lilting “Living In The Country” and ethereal beauty of “Candyman Fantasia” which also highlights the importance of Davis’s mentoring.

“Shuffle Rag” is a jaunty instrumental that raises the spectres of Rev Davis and Mississippi Fred McDowell – “Green Rocky Road”, which features beautifully understated slide, is permeated with shades of country gospel, Appalachian mountain and Celtic influences – whilst “Kettle Of Fish” has a folksy Dylanesque feel.

Add in a moody and pleading rendition of Broonzy’s “Southbound Train”, an exuberantly infectious “Glory Of Love” - and “Rising Of the Midnight Sun” with it’s haunting slide and harp – and you have a set that can only come highly recommended.

“Bermuda Triangle Exit” is an all instrumental set featuring Grossman with Japanese guitar maestro Tokio Uchida – a man described by Bob Brozman as “having the smoothest sense of rhythm” he had encountered. Uchida met and studied under Grossman in the 80s – having his first lessons with him when on honeymoon in the USA. The friendship developed as Uchida was transformed into what Grossman described as “a guitar monster” – culminating in Grossman visiting Uchida in Tokyo in 2006 to perform a series of lauded concerts.

The set comprises a varied mixture of Grossman and Uchida originals combined with some well chosen covers spanning a wide range of acoustic blues styles – opening with “Bermuda Triangle Exit” an exemplary demonstration of the two men’s styles that is as evocative as the image the title conjures up.

Grossman’s own “F Rag”, “Struttin’ Rag” and “Dance Of The Man Who Ate Raw Chicken” are all jaunty pieces that are reflected in their titles (I will leave you to draw your own conclusions with regard to the latter title) – whilst “Tribute To Lonnie Johnson” is quite simply a master-class in the great man’s style.

Uchida contributes “Blues For Clifford” and “Kawazu” – the former loping along with an innate fluidity that confirms Brozman’s earlier comment, whilst the latter is permeated with intriguing Latino influences.

“Black Eye Blues” is a mellifluous piece featuring haunting slide – “Special Rider Blues” has a haunting quality that would delight Skip James – “My Creole Belle” (which also appears on “Fiddle” is permeated with an Hawaiian feel – whilst Charley Jordan’s “Keep It Clean” is the perfect description of the wonderful guitar picking on show.

Add in rollicking renditions of Broonzy’s “Pig Meat Strut and Elizabeth Cotton’s “Freight Train”, and the almost melancholy exuberance of “Jesse James” and you have another treasure trove of acoustic blues that can’t fail to delight.

Rating 10/10
Mick Rainsford
Blues in Britain Magazine

Review from Vintage Guitar

Grossman has spent a lifetime teaching as well as playing guitar - championing the styles of past greats, founding a couple of record labels, and typically including tablature booklets as part of his releases. And if all that instruction had yielded only one ace student, in Tokia Uchida, it would have been worth it.

Uchida contacted Grossman in the '80s, seeking guitar lessons, and a friendship developed, as well as a teacher-student relationship. In 2006, the pair finally performed onstage together in Japan, and a year later they cut the 18 instrumentals included here.

Grossman provides a half-dozen originals, but the bulk of the repertoire is public domain (like "Crow Jane") or from country blues artists Skip James' "Special Rider," Libba Cotton’s "Freight Train," Bill Broonzy's "Pig Meat Strut" - with Uchida (who also wrote two) handling most arrangements. The two guitarists' interplay breathes new life into Rev. Gary Davis' "Candyman," and Uchida's slide gives John Hurt's "Creole Belle" a new, Hawaiian-tinged wrinkle.

Triangle is a nice addition to Grossmans catalog, which already boasts collaborations with Danny Kalb, John Renbourn, Duck Baker, Rory Block, and others.

Dan Forte, Vintage Guitar