When Ronnie Earl released ‘Hope Radio’ in 2007 little did we know that plans were in the works for those songs to subsequently be filmed at Wellspring Sound in Acton, MA before a small (and very fortunate) private audience over two nights in April 2007. The resulting ‘Hope Radio Sessions’ DVD, released in mid October brings us closer to the magic that was released during those two nights. With backing band The Broadcasters in tow, Earl moves through the ‘Hope Radio’ repertoire with spellbinding grace and ease even adding alternate arrangements to the set list. The intimacy of the small gathering allows Earl to shine and shine he does. When Ronnie Earl interacts with his audience the two-time, (only two?), W.C. Handy Award winner for ‘Guitarist of the Year’ is in his element and his playing communicates to his audience the soulful mastery of his chosen instrument.
The set opens with a minute and a half of Earl running through his warm-up. Like a world class athlete that’s warming up before a big performance…you know what’s coming is going to be special. You can tell by the look on his face and the attentiveness of the audience who seem aware that they have been plucked from a legion of fans to bear witness to the moment.
Night one continues with a musical journey through a myriad of styles that Earl has mastered. The jazz overtones of ‘Bobby’s Bop,’ reminiscent of the west coast swing of Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith, highlight the interplay between Earl and keyboardist Dave Limina. Earl touches on subjects dear to his heart as in ‘Blues for the Homeless’ which finds him at his most soulful bluesy moment on night one. Earl beckons the audience to stand and be healed on ‘Eddies Gospel Groove’ another foray into Earl’s unique blend of traditional gospel and blues styles. ‘I Am With You’ and ‘Kay My Dear’ are tone rich blues numbers that reinforce the acclaim of Ronnie Earl as one of his generations most gifted players. It’s not all about speed with Ronnie Earl although he could possibly shred with the best of the over-playing-speed-demons that tend to muck the blues waters from time to time. No, with Ronnie Earl it’s about tone, soul and making every note seem as though it’s a piece in a complex puzzle assembled within the imagination of the listener. The first night closes with another jazz infused spiritual journey, the beautiful ‘New Gospel Tune’. It is here that the juxtaposition of Limina’s brilliant piano playing against Earl’s mesmerizing guitar is most assuredly the musical highlight of the evening.
Night two begins with the addition of guitarist Nick Adams as Earl pays homage to his predecessor, the great Otis Rush. Adams and Earl are a tour de force on ‘Blues for Otis Rush’ ripping through a series of leads that left me speechless. ‘Blues for the West Side’ is once again a lesson in tone as a replacement for speed. Each note Earl plays is a word in his composition and when he converses with his audience in such a manner every eye and every ear are glued to him. The live portion switched to ‘Lightnin’ Hopkins
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