Al Lerman Country-Fried Blues AlLermanMusic.com
Al Lerman has the blues flowing though his veins.
Nominated countless time across almost thirty years for Maple Blues Awards, Lerman won a Juno Award with Fathead for Blues Recording of the Year. His previous Northern Bayou album was a Fervor Coulee favourite in 2019, and Country-Fried Blues has wasted no time making a favourable impression this spring.
Lerman (lead vocals, harmonica, and guitars including reso) doesn’t mess around. Country-Fried Blues was recorded in a two-day blast late last November with minimal overdubs. Alec Fraser again produces while also contributing upright bass, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals. The album has a clean sound and there is no overcrowding of the instruments.
Lerman has bit of Levon Helm in his singing style (give the excellent “How Much Longer Can a Broken Heart Last” a listen to hear what I mean), and one feels echoes of The Band elsewhere (“You By My Side.”) When one encounters “Can’t Pin a Colour” mid-set, the Bobby Charles’ connection one wasn’t quite able to solidify becomes apparent. Other covers- “Big Bill’s Blues,” “Come On in My Kitchen,” and Hank Williams’ “I Heard that Lonesome Whistle” provide additional grounding, but the heft of Country-Fried Blues is revealed within Lerman’s originals.
Beyond the aforementioned “How Much Longer Can a Broken Heart Last,” Lerman struts his creativity within energetic songs including “That’s What Friends are For,” “How High Is Up,” and “Lowdown Just the Same.” “Too Bad for You (Too Bad for Me)” and “Last One to Leave the Party” bring the album to a raucous, unapologetic conclusion.
Jimmy Bowskill (Blue Rodeo, The Sheepdogs, and more) provides a range of sounds sharpening the textures of Country-Fried Blues including mandolin, fiddle, electric and acoustic guitars, and backing vocals. Chuck Keeping returns on drums and percussion with Steve O’Connor contributing keys on select tracks.
Blues and roots radio programmers will be well-served by Country-Fried Blues with every song deserving of airplay. Listeners are sure to appreciate the flow and substance of this quality album.
Special credit goes to Bruce Greenaway for killer graphic design and layout: look at that cover!
Fervor Coulee- roots music opinion 