Guitarist, singer and songwriter Alvin Youngblood Hart is continuing in the path laid down by acoustic blues practitioners like Taj Mahal, Guy Davis and other 1990s blues revivalists, but his roots go back much further than that, to the classic stylings of Bukka White, Charley Patton, Leadbelly and Blind Willie McTell.

"Start With The Soul" CD released May 16, 2000
On his debut, Big Mama's Door, Alvin "Youngblood" Hart let us know that his roots lay in the blues. But don't pen him in. On Start with the Soul, his third great disc, 'blood steps out as a rocker, playing big, crunching chords with a wide-open amp, the garage addressing the arena. "Fightin' Hard" is fightin' mad--angry, rabble-rousing rock & roll. You'll need that adrenaline for his take on the Cornelius Brothers' "Treat Her Like a Lady," fueled by the merging of rock guitars and soul horns.

Hart's version could end race riots. His "Once Again" could start economic ones; it'll be a contender for deepest blues of the 21st century. Consistently interesting production--varied textures, a female chorus--keeps the sound as diverse as the styles. On the last track, Hart commandeers the spirit of Delta great Tommy Johnson, expresses it with the voice of Howlin' Wolf, and lets them both sing to the new millennium. This record ain't about the roots, it's about the branches. --Robert Gordon (Amazon.com)

Another view...
Big Mama's Door showed us Greg "Alvin Youngblood" Hart exploring his Delta roots. Territory gave us a hint of things to come, with blues, honky tonk, rock and more tossed in a delightful musical stew. On this, his third release, Hart shows a maturity that is astonishing. This is one of the best albums of the year. Not one of the best blues albums, but one of the best albums despite the genre. It's too bad that Hannibal/Rykodisc doesn't have the publicity power of a major label, since a little more exposure would surely land Hart in the middle of mainstream success.

For now, he's a tasty musical delight for those who know to seek him out. If his third effort is this great, what do we have to look forward to? I saw Hart on the Grateful Dead reunion-style Furthur Festival in '96 and he impressed me then. He's come a long, long way in four years. He's surely destined to be one of the top musical stars of the 21st Century. Check him out now, before be breaks into the big time. That way, you can say, "Yeah, I knew of him back when..." Five stars. A very, very well-made pair of cowboy boots indeed! Reviewer: Jac Polsgrove from Tucson, Arizona

AMG Bio for ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART
Guitarist, singer and songwriter Alvin Youngblood Hart is continuing in the path laid down by acoustic blues practitioners like Taj Mahal, Guy Davis and other 1990s blues revivalists, but his roots go back much further than that, to the classic stylings of Bukka White, Charley Patton, Leadbelly and Blind Willie McTell.

Born in Oakland, Calif., Hart accompanied his parents on summer trips to his grandparents' home in the hills of northern Mississippi, and it was there that his passion for acoustic blues was first sparked. On visits to his grandmother's house, he saw people as they lived in the 19th century, without the luxuries of indoor plumbing or phones, and often saw horse-drawn wagons in place of cars. Although there was not a lot of music around the hills of Carrollton, Mississippi, where his grandmother lived, his uncle sparked his interest by playing guitar and telling him stories about Charley Patton. His grandmother also played blues piano, furthering his knowledge and interest.

Despite the trips back to his roots, Hart cites recordings by Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones with helping him along in his blues guitar studies. His father worked as a salesman for General Electric, so the Hart family moved a lot. He adopted the nickname "Alvin" from the harmonica-playing frontman for the TV cartoon group the Chipmunks. His parents had a good record collection, and he began playing guitar in his early teens, studying the recordings of Jimmy Reed, B.B. King and Jimmy Witherspoon. Read more:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/x.dll?p=amg&sql=B174759~C

See also:

WHERE TO FIND THE BLUES
http://www.guitarsite.com/newsletters/000417/14.shtml

HOW TO SING THE BLUES
"Persons with names like Sierra or Sequoia will not be permitted to sing The blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis..."
http://www.guitarsite.com/newsletters/991108/21.shtml

BLUES TRIVIA...
The word "blues" has appeared over 400 times in Guitar News Weekly (GNW) over the last six months...

and...

The Acoustic Guitar Workshop is the home of acoustic blues tuition on the net.
http://www.acousticguitarworkshop.com/

PAUL RISHELL & ANNIE RAINES
http://www.paulandannie.com/
Vintage blues in a brand new bottle!
Also see GuitarSam interview with Paul Rishell:
http://www.guitarsam.com/interviews/paul_rishell.htm