CD/LP/Track Review
Geoff Muldaur: Beautiful Isle of Somewhere (2003)
C. Michael Bailey
...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...For most people, Geoff Muldaur is famous for being the former husband of Maria Muldaur and for playing in Paul Butterfield’s Better Days. But that short changes the multi-instrumentalist. Muldaur took the 1990s off to pursue business interests that included winning an Emmy Award for Television and movie soundtracks. Beautiful Isle of Somewhere is his third recording since returning to the music scene in 1998 after a decade in the corporate would. What the listener holds here is Geoff Muldaur and his guitar, proving that Richard Thompson was not kidding when he said, "There are only three white blues singers and Geoff Muldaur is at least two of them."
Recorded in Bremen, Germany, Beautiful Isle of Somewhere is an eclectic collection of originals and standard old time blues, country, and spirituals. Of original note is "the Common Cold" where Muldaur applies the poetry of Tennessee Williams to music, very effectively I might add. He then navigates through the Vera Hall moan "the Wild Ox Moan" and the Blind Willie Johnson spiritual "Trouble Soon Be Over." Add to this Sleepy John Eastes' "Sloppy Drunk" and Muldaur's own title cut.
Geoff Muldaur is somewhere between a footnote and an index entry in the book of the blues. He is a most excellent guitarist as is evidenced on this live recording. We should be grateful for such talent.
Track Listing: The Common Cold; My Tears Came Rolling Down; Wild About My Lovin
Personnel: Geoff Muldaur
Record Label: Tradition & Moderne | Style: Blues
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