MARK HARRISON – THE WORLD OUTSIDE
2014 – Self
Released
Mark Harrison has been feted as an accomplished, highly skilled and original blues singer/songwriter as well as guitarist, and yet in the music world nothing is ever quite that simple. You really can’t place a man with his abilities in one narrow genre, although the comments about his skill are correct, but there is a lot more to his music than just the ‘bluesman’ label. He is an excellent and expressive vocalist and a tremendous resonator guitar player as well as being a terrific songwriter who tells a variety of stories, with all twelve of the compositions on this album being excellent Harrison originals.
None of the instrumentation is ever overdone, with every song having a sparse open feel and sound, and although it’s difficult to define why, the overall sound, to me at least is reminiscent of Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ without ever actually being much like it! Maybe it’s some of the instrumentation or the spaciness of the production, but despite that comparison Mark Harrison has a refreshing and totally individual style.
The lineup on this recording is Mark Harrison on National and 12 string guitars, as well as lead vocals, Charles Benfield handles double bass, Hammond C3 organ, harmonium, percussion, electric guitar and backing vocals, Ryan Carr is on mandolin, vocals and electric guitar, Will Greener, harmonica and vocals, Ed Hopwood on drums and percussion, Ben Walker on mandolin and electric guitar, Josienne Clarke’s extraordinary vocals add some tremendous harmonies and lead vocals on the exquisite Not All Right as well as on Floatin’ Around. The album was recorded at Livingston Studios, Wood Green, London and produced, mixed and mastered by Charles Benfield, a man who, on the strength of this recording, seems able to allow plenty of space around every instrument and vocal giving a degree of separation that we are not often treated to.
The songs themselves are beautifully arranged and performed, with some, whilst not overtly ‘blues,’ getting very close to that classic genre, such as Your Second Line. It has a tremendous resonator guitar sound and some highly skilled playing on an excellent composition that includes some terrific propulsive drumming. This intensely dramatic story has some gorgeous harmonies from Josienne Clark giving the song a slightly eerie, ethereal feel all added to by some terrific harmonica support. Big Mary’s House has an excellent repetitive percussive sound allied to Mark’s resonator guitar on a song that has a bluesy, folksy, country feel in the mix giving the song a pretty much unique sound with nice double bass and driving harmonica joining in on another excellent lead vocal and harmonies. Not All Right starts with a slow moody resonator guitar before being joined by the gorgeous and hugely atmospheric lead vocals of Josienne Clark on a slightly spooky song that has a strange otherworldly feel, gradually building in intensity, blending folk with blues that in many ways feels like a throwback to the music of many decades ago. Long, Long Way To Go is a lovely slow moody, reflective song with resonator guitar, mandolin and the excellent bass and drums with Josienne Clark’s atmospheric harmonies blending beautifully, whilst In The Neighbourhood includes an excellent horn sound giving more variety to the album on a lyrically dark, but musically easy going atmosphere and tempo with Mark’s usual excellent resonator guitar sound.
This is a terrific album by a high quality artist who has developed his own style, one that includes a strong bluesiness, a powerful folksy feel and, strangely, a little of the laid back feel you might expect from music made somewhere such as the Caribean. All this combines to ensure a highly atmospheric and original recording that should grace the music collection of anyone who likes something a little different from their roots music.
http://markharrisonrootsmusic.com/
Mark Harrison has been feted as an accomplished, highly skilled and original blues singer/songwriter as well as guitarist, and yet in the music world nothing is ever quite that simple. You really can’t place a man with his abilities in one narrow genre, although the comments about his skill are correct, but there is a lot more to his music than just the ‘bluesman’ label. He is an excellent and expressive vocalist and a tremendous resonator guitar player as well as being a terrific songwriter who tells a variety of stories, with all twelve of the compositions on this album being excellent Harrison originals.
None of the instrumentation is ever overdone, with every song having a sparse open feel and sound, and although it’s difficult to define why, the overall sound, to me at least is reminiscent of Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ without ever actually being much like it! Maybe it’s some of the instrumentation or the spaciness of the production, but despite that comparison Mark Harrison has a refreshing and totally individual style.
The lineup on this recording is Mark Harrison on National and 12 string guitars, as well as lead vocals, Charles Benfield handles double bass, Hammond C3 organ, harmonium, percussion, electric guitar and backing vocals, Ryan Carr is on mandolin, vocals and electric guitar, Will Greener, harmonica and vocals, Ed Hopwood on drums and percussion, Ben Walker on mandolin and electric guitar, Josienne Clarke’s extraordinary vocals add some tremendous harmonies and lead vocals on the exquisite Not All Right as well as on Floatin’ Around. The album was recorded at Livingston Studios, Wood Green, London and produced, mixed and mastered by Charles Benfield, a man who, on the strength of this recording, seems able to allow plenty of space around every instrument and vocal giving a degree of separation that we are not often treated to.
The songs themselves are beautifully arranged and performed, with some, whilst not overtly ‘blues,’ getting very close to that classic genre, such as Your Second Line. It has a tremendous resonator guitar sound and some highly skilled playing on an excellent composition that includes some terrific propulsive drumming. This intensely dramatic story has some gorgeous harmonies from Josienne Clark giving the song a slightly eerie, ethereal feel all added to by some terrific harmonica support. Big Mary’s House has an excellent repetitive percussive sound allied to Mark’s resonator guitar on a song that has a bluesy, folksy, country feel in the mix giving the song a pretty much unique sound with nice double bass and driving harmonica joining in on another excellent lead vocal and harmonies. Not All Right starts with a slow moody resonator guitar before being joined by the gorgeous and hugely atmospheric lead vocals of Josienne Clark on a slightly spooky song that has a strange otherworldly feel, gradually building in intensity, blending folk with blues that in many ways feels like a throwback to the music of many decades ago. Long, Long Way To Go is a lovely slow moody, reflective song with resonator guitar, mandolin and the excellent bass and drums with Josienne Clark’s atmospheric harmonies blending beautifully, whilst In The Neighbourhood includes an excellent horn sound giving more variety to the album on a lyrically dark, but musically easy going atmosphere and tempo with Mark’s usual excellent resonator guitar sound.
This is a terrific album by a high quality artist who has developed his own style, one that includes a strong bluesiness, a powerful folksy feel and, strangely, a little of the laid back feel you might expect from music made somewhere such as the Caribean. All this combines to ensure a highly atmospheric and original recording that should grace the music collection of anyone who likes something a little different from their roots music.
http://markharrisonrootsmusic.com/