Review: Reed Turchi – World On Fire

 

Reed Turchi - World On Fire

Reed Turchi – World On Fire
Format: CD – Vinyl LP – Digital / Label: Xenon
Release: 2025

Text: Bert van Kessel

Reed Turchi has certainly won his spurs in the world of music. But he is first and foremost a bluesman to the bone. The versatile singer/guitarist travels continually incorporating bits and pieces of various aubgenres of the blues into his music. This time he has allowed himself to  be inspired by Mississippi Hill Country acoustic blues.

He has picked nine vintage blues tracks, has stripped them back to essentials and delivers them  stark and sober drenched in warmth and authenticity. The atmosphere is relaxed and languid to say the least. After a hard day of pickin’ cotton it’s time to sit together and sing the blues. Turchi takes us back to the origins of the blues.

The tracks were recorded live in the studio without edits or overdubs in two nights with Turchi’s convincing vocals and fine slide backed up by a laid-back traditional acoustic combo with Eric Burns on second guitar, Seth Barden on (upright) bass and joseph Yount on the snare drum. Some tracks were even recorded in the dark to create a fitting atmosphere.

In the crisp, crystal-clear production of Turchi himself, the dazzling interplay on the acoustic guitars by Eric Burns and Reed Turchi take the songs to another level. Especially so in the classic Backdoor Man, to which he gives his own twist by excelling on the acoustic slide. That very same slide also excels in other stand-out tracks 51 Highway and the gripping opener Walk With Me.

In my favourite track Someday Baby his slide takes on a more aggressive attitude, adding a welcome sharper edge.I can only wish he had done that more often to spice up the predominant tranquillity of the songs.

This is back-porch music at its very best; it is the perfect soundtrack to a lazy summer evening.

Tracks:
01. Walk With Me
02. When You’ve Got A Good Friend
03. Get Back Train
04. Lay My Burden Down
05. Don’t Leave Me Baby
06. Backdoor Man
07. 51 Highway
08. Someday Baby
09. Reprise

Line-up:
Reed Turchi – Guitar / Vocal
Eric Burns – Guitar
Seth Barden – Bass
Joseph Yount – Drums

Website: https://www.reedturchi.com/