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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
In Praise of Ryan Hartt
In Praise of Ryan Hartt
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Michael Rubin
1142 posts
Jan 21, 2017
8:17 AM
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Just put on a Hartt CD Call My Name.
He is a triple threat! Great singing and songwriting and harp. I am really enjoying it.
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Rhartt1234
221 posts
Jan 21, 2017
9:20 AM
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Hey, that's me!
Thanks Michael. I really appreciate it. It's been a tough few years here in the Blues desert that is New England, so when a guy like you recognizes my CD it is invigorating.
I'm starting work on another one soon.
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cliffy
250 posts
Jan 22, 2017
5:55 AM
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Ryan is a buddy of mine (mostly from online, but we hung out a bit back in the 1990s at the Hungry Tiger blues club in Manchester CT), and I am a big fan of all of his albums. It's good to see him getting a little recognition.
This is a review of Ryan's "Call My Name" album that I posted on Harp-L. I thought I posted it here, but I couldn't find it in the search archives.
Hello Harp-L’ers,
I have spent the past few days listening to Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts’ new album, “Call My Name.” I really liked the entire album and thought I’d post a review here.
The first thing I noticed about the album is the overall sound of it; it is gorgeous, with attention to tone and groove everywhere. The production on the disc is fantastic... it was recorded in a friend’s barn in Deep River, CT, with the recording engineered by guitarist Eric Ducoff and bassist Jeff Berg. The rhythm section, Jeff Berg on bass and Nick Toscano on drums, sound like one entity throughout the entire album. The harp and guitar sounds throughout the album are excellent. I would have loved to know about the gear on used on each of the songs (note to Ryan—put that in your next album’s liner notes).
The first track, ‘Anti-Blues Pill’, starts with a vintage cool crackly old record-sound to it before busting into the rest of the song. It’s a funky blues in E with killer guitar and a real nice harp solo. When listening to this track, it’s best to crank up the vintage record part so that the modern-sounding part knocks you senseless when it kicks in. At least that’s how I listen to it.
The second song ‘Love at First Sight’ shows a Fabulous Thunderbirds influence, especially with the super-twangy guitar riffs that punctuate the vocals and harp parts. Ryan plays some nice tongue-split octaves on this and it sounds great.
Third on the album is ‘One More Night’, which has an early-rock-n’-roll feel. I loved the harp solo on this one (second position in G), particularly the octave parts in the second half. The entire solo follows the song’s groove well and works well as a whole, not as a collection of licks. The song suits Ryan’s voice well and I think the best signing and best harp playing of the album is on this track.
Jeff Berg, the bassist, wrote track 4, ‘When It Rains’. The song juxtaposes some filthy-toned slide guitar with Eric Ducoff’s rhythm work. My only criticism of the song is that I wanted even more of the slide guitar; the tone is perfect and beautiful. Jeff sings this one and he does a good job.
When I first saw the title of the fifth song (and the album) was “Call My Name”, I thought perhaps the song would be a blues braggadocio-type thing along the lines of “I’m A Man”… not even close. This song reminds me of Sam and Dave and has a nice R&B groove throughout. Ryan sings well here and there are nice harmonies on the vocal (I think it’s the bassist, Jeff); the whole song grooves nicely and it’s a suitable title track for the album.
‘Kaboom’ is a ska-groove harp instrumental played on a natural minor harp and it sounds great. It’s nice to hear a harp instrumental in a different groove, and with a different feel to the harp playing. This track was previously released on YouTube so many of you will have heard it already.
I can’t write any more without taking time to talk about the Blue Hearts’ guitarist, Eric Ducoff. I think he’s the best blues guitarist on this coast, hands down. I’ve loved his playing on all three of Ryan and Eric’s albums and he does not disappoint here. I could easily see him becoming a “go-to” studio guy the way Junior Watson and Rusty Zinn are used by numerous top blues frontmen for their recordings. I don’t know if that’s a possibility for Eric (I think he has a day job), but Eric Ducoff is a pro blues musician for sure and I’d cut off my arm to record with him.
Back to the music. Track 10, ‘New Love, Old Love Part 2’ starts with a sick, filthy-toned guitar riff. The guitar solo is killer, both tone and playing-wise. I loved this tune and the way the guitar rhythm drives this song. One of my favorites on the album, this one kicks major ass.
The last song, ‘Dartboard’, is a funny send-up of all the shitty gigs most of us have played… standing in front of a dartboard, no stage, people pissed that you’re blocking the way to the ladies’ room, and the club owner saying they’re making Fridays into Reggae Night, so no more blues! The lyrics are very well written and most gigging musicians will identify with many of the clever lines in this tune; it’s a good way to finish out the album.
There is a twelfth hidden track, but it’s just some noodling and horsing around in the studio. The addition of this track is my only other criticism of the album; I say this mainly because the hidden track on Ryan’s first album is awesome. The hidden tune is a recording of some jam session and it is really funky, with a loose feel and a great piano part . It’s more of a song that, with a little bit of work, could have been fleshed out into a complete song (and one that would have kicked ass, in fact). So, in the battle of the hidden tracks, Ryan’s first album wins easily over Track 12.
Overall, Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts’ “Call My Name” is easily worth the fifteen bucks and I found the whole album really enjoyable. The sound and production of the album are amazing, the songs are well written and sound great. Ryan’s singing, playing, and harp tone are toneful and solid, and Eric Ducoff’s guitar work is phenomenal. His guitar tones are killer and his playing is off-the-charts amazing. If you have enjoyed Ryan’s first two albums, you will dig “Call My Name” and appreciate the growth and development of this thoroughly kick-ass Connecticut blues band.
Bill Lifford
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