This fusion of rural blues with Hindustani classical music retains its blues authenticity, but with the added spice of Manish Pingle’s Indian slide guitar (the mohan veena) and Gurdain Rayatt’s ethereal tabla sounds.
The vibe of the blues is enhanced by Pingle’s rhythmical, silvery strings, starting with Fred McDowell’s You Got To Move. Messer excels with brilliant lap steel technique on the traditional Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms and the beautifully arranged instrumental, Sweetheart Darling. You Gonna Be Sorry and Bhupali Blues are where eastern and western cultures and music blend seamlessly.
Messer’s blues roots run deep in Rollin’ And Tumblin’ and I Can’t Be Satisfied, both masterclasses in bottleneck-style guitar. On Anyway The Wind Blows he recreates perfectly the vocals of the original JJ Cale classic. This exceptional album heightens even further Messer’s distinguished reputation as an individual, contemporary and innovative musician.
