BAD TEMPER JOE * THE ACUSTIC BLUES GUITAR REVUE ! *
When it comes to blues in Germany, there's no getting around Bad Temper Joe. The grumpy blues bard from the East Westphalian countryside has become an absolute standout on the blues scene in recent years. This is evident not only in the numerous albums with songs as raw as they are haunting that BTJ has released, but also in his win of the German Blues Challenge, his nominations for various blues awards, and the German Record Critics' Award. With a dedication to the old bluesmen from the Mississippi Delta, Bad Temper Joe effortlessly transports the often-declared-dead blues into the 21st century – and does so with everything that characterizes blues at the highest level: excellent songwriting, a strong sense of tradition, and captivating performances. BTJ is also making waves internationally. In 2020, he was the only European act to make it to the finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, USA. The British Blues Matters Magazine concludes: “It's hard to believe that the sounds of the Mississippi Delta have relocated to Germany, but they have.”
"The Acoustic Blues Guitar Revue" presents the Bielefeld native as an interpreter of traditional blues pieces from the 1920s to the 1960s. The album's track list, including songs by Charley Patton, Elizabeth Cotten, RL Burnside, and Mississippi John Hurt, reads like the "what's what" of the blues. And Bad Temper Joe's fresh interpretations of the genre classics sparkle with joy and a love of improvisation. With each song, the guitarist exploits the diverse potential of his instrument – in most cases a Weissenborn lap steel, an acoustic guitar with a hollow neck that is laid flat on the lap and played with a slide – and shows no dependence on a rhythm section. And yet the question remains: Is this really just BTJ with a guitar? This makes it all the more impressive that the album was recorded entirely live and without overdubs. Bad Temper Joe by no means simply delivers further versions of compositions that are between 60 and 100 years old – versions that one has heard many times before. Nor does he dissect the songs into fashionable, postmodern or desperately original versions. Quite the opposite: BTJ seems to have an ability to capture the essence of the songs and play them in such a way that it seems as if the classics were always meant to sound this way. Using only guitar and vocals, the blues bard succeeds in captivating and captivating his listeners throughout the entire album in a highly varied, always entertaining and intellectually stimulating way. On three tracks, Bad Temper Joe is also accompanied by Marcel Rahe on the harmonica, providing virtuoso and unobtrusive accompaniment.
Without question, Bad Temper Joe is one of the few contemporary blues musicians who doesn't seem to be overshadowed by his influences; instead, he has fully internalized them and thus developed his own distinctive style. With "The Acoustic Blues Guitar Revue," he impressively underscores his creative power as a performer, his talent as a singer, and his sensitivity as an instrumentalist. BTJ proves that he is also capable of filling the large footsteps of his musical heroes as a composer with his own composition, the eight-minute blues epic "If Tears Were Diamonds," which concludes the album. For anyone looking for an outstanding acoustic blues album but doesn't know where to start, "The Acoustic Blues Guitar Revue" by Bad Temper Joe is the perfect introduction.
01 Down the Dirt Road Blues
02 Poor Black Mattie
03 Freight Train
04 Baby, What You Want Me to Do
05 Spoonful
06 Since I've Laid My Burden Down
07 Come on in My Kitchen
08 Big River
09 Goodnight, Irene
10 If Tears Were Diamonds
Info: https://timezone-records.com/collections/bad-temper-joe
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More info:
Bad Temper Joe
Official music video for "Poor Black Mattie" from the album The Acoustic Blues Guitar Revue!
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