Bull Harman is an acoustic guitarist from my hometown of St. Louis, MO. He's played around for roughly 20 years, recording with various groups including The Harman Family, Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, and his more recent lineup, called Bull's Eye. His first solo release (also called Bull's Eye) was a great feat in bluegrass tuneage, combining 7 of his original pieces and some of Bull's favorite cover tunes. It was completed with guest appearances by many of Bull's friends from over the years (the most recognizable of which probably being Alison Krauss). His newest venture, called Rosewood, Spruce, and Ebony, is centered around one of the bluegrass instrumentalist's favorite subjects: the guitar. I've heard many bluegrass songs written on the subject of instruments, which makes sense when you listen to the music they make: for my money, the bluegrass musicians tend to be more in touch and proficient with their instruments than your average musician. This disc is a perfect example of that notion, as it contains superbly tight runs, picking, and phrasing indicative of the bluegrass music being created of late.
That being said, the most obvious highlight of this disc for me is the musicianship of the players Bull has assembled on each track. Everyone is rock solid, from Randy Kohr's ever-so-tasteful resophonic guitar, to Gena Britt's banjo that rolls nonstop like a train barreling down a steep mountain, to Cecil Tinnon's vibrant, exciting mandolin picking and Bull's wife Tammy Harman's presence in several capacities, from bass to backing vocals. Bull's tastes meander through several genres on this record, but they are all kept in focus by his obvious love for the instrument. This is definitely an album any guitar lover would enjoy, bluegrass afficionado or not. I love the extra steps Bull takes to throw more interesting chords and passing tones into the music; they help bring this disc more depth and character. I also very much enjoyed the liner notes, in which Bull writes a bit about each track- maybe an anecdote about where the inspiration came from, the story behind gathering the musicians, or whatever. (Ex: Cross Eyed Cricket is a tune that originated from tuning: sometimes simply tuning your instrument can bring out some inspiration, and this piece is the happy result of Bull simply putting on some new strings. He named the piece for a campground they drove past on a visit to Virginia the following day.)
This cd also has a nicely varied roster, with several different guest vocalists and musicians. The second track, C.F. Martin & Me (written and sung by Carl Jackson) is about a Martin guitar, and has some great lyrics, and I especially like the nice suspended/augmented chords Bull throws in. Track 5 is a solo acoustic arrangement of The Beatles' Norwegian Wood, one of my personal favorite Beatles songs. Bull's arrangement is great, and he uses some very nice new jazzy harmonies toward the end, adding a new flavor not heard in the original. Track 11 is the song Snowbird, at one time played by Doc Watson, although I know it best from Anne Murray (my mom used to listen to her a lot). It's good to hear this bluegrass-twinged version of a great tune I haven't heard in a long while. Snowbird also features vocals by Bo Jamison, who wrote the song January Wind which appears on this record. Your Last Chance is a wonderful solo acoustic original of Bull's, with a great feel, wonderful chords, and very focused melodies. Waiting on Cecil was actually written while the band were waiting for Cecil Tinnon, the mandolin player, to show up to practice (which 98% of the musicians out there have surely experienced at one time or another). Arkansas Traveler is an old traditional song that many may not recognize by name, but will no doubt remember upon hearing it (I can't help but recall several Bugs Bunny cartoons that used it), and Bull & company do another terrific job pulling just enough of the familiar melodies out to make sure you know what's going on, yet keep throwing in much of their own personalities and twists to keep it lively and give the tune a new flavor all their own. Track 7 has Rhonda Vincent providing a very solid performance on a gospel tune, with very thought-provoking lyrics that is one of the band's most requested tunes. Baby You're Gone is another song in which Randy Kohr's resophonic guitar playing stands out for me: he's got such amazing command of his instrument, and his phrasing of the melodies is rock solid and whimsical at the same time.
Not only has Bull produced a great record, but he himself is a very personable guy. He even insisted on pausing the band's practice an hour and a half before their stage time at this January's Bluegrass America Winter Festival to have me play his new guitar- which, by the way, was a very sweet custom ivoroid bound Mahogany dreadnought with a Red Spruce top, made by Mario Proulx of Ontario (www.ProulxGuitars.com).
If any of you out there less familiar with bluegrass music have tired of your O Brother! soundtrack and are searching for a good place to start loving REAL bluegrass music, I can't think of a better place to start.
- Eric Burnley | 2003-01-16
