#474 : Robert Connely Farr - Country Supper

 

2020 – Robert Connely Farr

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 5, 2020

From the first listen to Robert Connely Farr’s 2019 Dirty South album, I was hooked.  His music is deep and infectious, his words are sung with an honest conviction.  Mentored in the Bentonia, Mississippi Style of Delta Blues by Jimmy “Duck” Holmes (2021 Grammy Award Nominee for Traditional Blues Album), Farr now resides in Vancouver, BC.  His latest album, Country Supper, stays the course with a batch of sixteen absolutely killer tracks.  Farr, on guitar and vocals, is joined by guitarist Jon Wood, bassist Tom Hillifer aka ”Tommy Ribs”, and drummer Jay Bundy Johnson.

“Cypress Grove”, the classic Skip James song gets the album going with its slow ominous groove.  The sound of Farr’s slide guitar is beautifully haunting.  Once this is concluded, Farr ferociously rips into Leo Bud Welch’s “Girl in the Holler”.  The adrenalized beat Johnson throws down on this song is fabulous.  Farr elegantly covers two songs by Jimmy “Duck” Holmes as well: “Train Train” and “Must’ve Been the Devil”.  Heart-wrenching and performed with a finesse, they are indeed a respectable pair of tributes to his friend and mentor.  

Farr’s original blues compositions deserve highest accolades.  “Water’s Rising” vividly paints a dire scene on the canvas of a dark and ominous melody.  I love the rolling and unstoppable groove on “Cadillac Problems”.  With a thunderous bassline from Tommy Ribs, the intoxicating “Can’t Be Satisfied” leaves me in an unsettled state of impending doom.  Like a locomotive barreling down the tracks, “Bad Bad Feeling” barrels down a hypnotic groove laced with a slab of psychedelic guitar licks.  it’s so damn good.  

Country Supper is a downright gem of an album.  Farr’s music truly deserves to be heard. 

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For more information about the artist, visit this website: robertconnelyfarr.com

 

 

Take a listen to the album on Apple Music, and if you decide to purchase it, use my special link.  This helps keep the PhillyCheeze site going.

#391 : Robert Connely Farr & the Rebeltone Boys - Dirty South Blues

2018 – self-released

By Phillip Smith; May 11, 2019

Growing up in Bolton, Mississippi (hometown of Charlie Patton and The Mississippi Sheiks) and mentored by Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, puts Robert Connely Farr in a righteous spot to carry the torch for Bentonia blues.  Now a resident of Vancouver, Farr enlisted the expertise of Leeroy Stagger to produce this ten-track album featuring nine tremendous original songs, called Dirty South Blues.  Backing Farr, is the Rebeltone Boys, comprised of Evan Ushenko on lead guitar, Tyson Maiko on bass, Kyle Harmon on drums, and Michael Ayotte on keys.

The hypnotic rolling rhythm of “Ode to the Lonesome” quickly garners my attention as Farr poignantly reflects upon his fortress of solitude at the Cyprus Swamp.  Title-track “Dirty South Blues” gets real quite fast with Farr’s matter-of-fact lyrics accented by gobs of swampy slide guitar.  “Magnolia” is captivating and gut-wrenchingly dark.  Ayotte contributes a thick layer of ominous keys adding to the intensity. 

Farr pays homage to the oldest surviving juke joint in Mississippi with the wonderfully gritty original “Blue Front Café”.  The Blue Front Café, owned by Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes is one of the many sites on the Mississippi Blues Trail, and is still in operation today.  Holmes even shares writing credits with Farr, on “Just Jive Blues”, a ripping piano-heavy blues tune with lots of twang.  This is a fun one indeed.  The way Farr tackles Skip James’ “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” is plumb terrific.

Dirty South Blues is one rock-solid record of blues, and Robert Connely Farr is the real deal.   

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For more information about the artist, visit this website..  https://www.robertconnelyfarr.com