Search - Tarbox Ramblers :: Tarbox Ramblers

Must I Holler

01/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When you hear this CD, you'll know that though many of the songs are from the pre-WWII era, the Tarbox Ramblers are not some revivalist project. When most performers tackle songs like these, they turn out ever-so-faithful renditions of the old 78's, prettied up and minus the scratches. Tarbox, however, has a rare genius for coming up with new arrangements that dig deep enough into the spirit of the old songs to make something new, even after those songs have been repeatedly plowed under by decades of reverential covers. Not only that, but the original tunes on the CD shine through, which can only mean there are good things ahead. Listen to the ragged open D sound of Third Jinx Blues, the war-dance beat, Tarbox's low growl, "Oh, honey whadya go an' do that for?" or listen to the snarling guitar and snake charmer drums of No Harm Blues, that shivery slide run that makes you feel the cold ground the singer has just slept on, and then those three perfect cymbal strikes at the end just to rub it in. The same barroom spirit infuses the traditional songs as well with rockabilly-tinged and jug band bass, smooth country fiddle as well as bluesy plucked fiddle, slide ranging from edgy to rapturous, primal drumming, gritty vocals, cracked harmonies, and the closing refrain of "sounds so sweet, it's hard to beat" as a kind of good-natured manifesto. What a recent New York Times article said about a certain influential band applies here: "it can make you wonder if the purpose of most of what is on the market now is simply to help you forget that anything like this music was possible in the first place, or could ever be again." That was how I felt until the night I heard the Tarbox Ramblers. After suffering through years of hockey arena rock, leisure suit blues, professorial folk, and sullen singer-songwriters, I'd finally found what I didn't even know I was looking for."

Electric folk that kicks butt

R. Sohlberg | Baltimore, MD USA | 01/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording by a member of the esteemed Tarbox family is a lot of fun. We saw them live last night and were stomping our feet for a good two hours. The Ramblers play acoustic instruments with electric pickups (which sound pretty good on the fiddle and stand-up bass). Bought their recording at the show and found that the Rounder release accurately captures the intensity that this band has live. Michael Tarbox switches from acoustic to electric guitar for some numbers, but mostly he plays acoustic with a tres cool slide technique. (If like this band, check out RL Burnside and John Spencer and Frum the Hills -- if you can find it)."

Folk Art for the Ears

Bridget Lehane | New Orleans, LA | 05/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Tarbox Ramblers slide and drum and sing and strum their way into the American collective unconscious with songs from the grittier, sweatier, dustier edges of the good ole days. They make you want to travel. They make you want to see get to the old Delta, the panhandle, the places where dirt and sweat live - the guts and heart of the America. You'll want to shout and sing and cry and moan and barn dance and slow-slide your hips to a shimmering rawness before the CD is finished. Get it. Then get it for your friends."