Review Text
Calgary based Tim Williams is a master of many styles of the blues. A talented multi-instrumentalist and musicologist, he is as conversant in the songs of the delta as he is in Hawaiian blues. This trip down The Blue Highway stops at many of the diverse and beautiful styles of the blues visiting it's earliest forms in Stephen Foster's 'Hard Times', the traditional 'Blues Like Showers Of Rain', Willie Johnson's 'Nobody's Fault But My Own', and stopping in the southwest for a little Pachuco and Lalo Guerrero's famous 'Muy Sabroso Blues', then crossing the Pacific where Tim's brilliant Hawaiian lap guitar highlights 'The Lei Vendor's Song'. But this Blue Highway also contains powerful new original tunes including the title track which is 'a lot more than twelve bars and my baby's left me...'. Tim's writing shows his depth and maturity of a songwriter with songs like, 'Tequila, Be A Friend Of Mine' achingly touching on the loss of love and the misguided advice agave can give. 'One Wheel Turning' is a rocking blues number with Tim's Slide playing echoed by Steve Marriner's wicked harmonica. 'Set My Mind On You' and 'Mamie's Rag' are brilliant finger style blues. Tim was born in California but now lives in Canada making Calgary his home a few decades ago. Calgary is also home to co-producer and Juno Award winning, Russell Broom (Jann Arden, Chantal Kreviazuk, Emm Gryner). Together they have crafted an authentic sounding trip through The Blue Highway well travelled by one of Canada's greatest blues players and songwriters.
