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Chris Jones & Steve Baker - Acoustic Music Records 2003, Zomba 319.1303.2
Live in Concert
"Though we have the greatest respect for the blues tradition, we're not purists. The only way to touch people's hearts is to play with passion and commitment." So says harmonica maestro Steve Baker, and his duo partner Chris Jones adds: "The blues has as many different faces as the musicians who have played it down through the years. We do our best to live up to this tradition." Their music is a seething mix of folk, acoustic blues and rock'n'roll. Outside their duo, Jones and Baker have long enjoyed excellent reputations as top-class accompanists, but together they share a particularly deep musical partnership, which brings out the very best of their individual capabilities.
The combination of Chris Jones' expressive voice and inimitable guitar groove - played mostly in various open tunings - and the sometimes earthy, sometimes ethereal sound of Baker's harp, creates a unique energy which is all their own. Passion and awareness of tradition without shying away from tasteful modernisms are definitely central characteristics of their style. Steve Baker puts it more simply: "Rock'n'Roll without a band!" And they don't need huge stacks of equipment to suck the listener into the whirling vortex of their music. As well as original compositions they also perform traditionals and fascinating cover versions of songs by such diverse artists as Lowell George, Mark Knopfler or Hank Williams. But Jones and Baker craft such a compelling musical statement that everything they play ends up sounding like them. Modern acoustic blues-based music at its best!
