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Reviews:

The Alternate Root
By Reb Landers

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. (more)

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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Honest Tune
By Bill Whiting

Former Roomful of Blues lead guitarist Ronnie Earl and his backing unit, the Broadcasters, teach a defining class in the healing power of jazz and blues throughout the Hope Radio Sessions DVD. Earl has an illustrious career, spanning the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. In 1993, he changed direction by going towards an all instrumental approach on the records Language of the Soul, Blues Guitar Virtuoso Live in Europe and Grateful Heart: Blues and Ballads.

On Hope Radio,Earl secured the facilities of Wellspring Sound Acton in Massachusetts to film a two night blowout of gospel rhythm and blues before a select audience of admirers. Having traveled the long road with Jimmie Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Robert Lockwood Jr., Earl illuminates his past in an interview conducted by Holger Petersen. But it is his stretching dynamics on guitar that continue to stun the masses via the first night gems "Blues for the Homeless" and "Eddie's Gospel Groove."

The Broadcasters, a consistently thrilling combo to view and hear, push Earl on successive sets, as drummer Lorne Entress, keyboardist Dave Limina and bassist Jimmy Mouradian stretch boundless drops of improvisation into soul searching grooves. They are aided by special guests' Nick Adams on guitar and Michael "Mudcat" Ward on upright bass and piano. But, the proof is in the pudding, and Earl slams it down hard on the second night, expressing through his instrument major shifts in amplification and tone on "Blues For Otis Rush" and "Blues for the West Side."

Listeners of Earl's recent discs - The Duke Meets the Earl and Now My Soul- recognize him as a supreme artist and master of emotionally wrenching masterpieces filled with call and response jazz and blues and occasional forays into distortion and reverb. Now, thanks to Hope Radio Sessions DVD, the world can finally join in and view the magic and majesty that exists on a double performance video with Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. It's more than worth the price of admission.

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Phoenix Blues Society – BluesBytes
By Graham Clarke

Earl is at the top of his game, with an enthusiastic audience, tearing into tracks like “Blues For Otis Rush,” a ten-minute track that you hate to hear come to a close, and “Eddie’s Gospel Groove,’ which sounds like a lost Santana Woodstock track.

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Ronnie Earl released Hope Radio near the end of 2007. It was well-received and considered one of Earl’s best albums. It was recorded live in the studio over two nights with an audience of invited guests and the end product was Ronnie Earl at his best. No one currently on the scene is as adept as mixing jazz and blues guitar as Mr. Earl. He receives high marks from critics of both genres.

Because Earl has battled health problems in recent years (including diabetes), he has not toured in a long time, so as promised, Stony Plain has released Hope Radio Sessions on DVD. For fans who have missed seeing Earl live, this is a wonderful substitute. Earl is at the top of his game, with an enthusiastic audience, tearing into tracks like “Blues For Otis Rush,” a ten-minute track that you hate to hear come to a close, and “Eddie’s Gospel Groove,’ which sounds like a lost Santana Woodstock track.

Both nights are captured on the DVD, with the first night mixing blues and jazz in equal amounts with “Bobby’s Bop,” “Kay My Dear,” and the somber “Blues For The Homeless.” Night two is a blues thing, with three tributes featured; the aforementioned “Blues For Otis Rush,” “Blues For the West Side,” and “Lightnin’ Hopkins Thing,” a marvelous track that wasn’t on the CD.

As mentioned in my CD review last year, this is an instrumental set that never lags. Earl’s playing is so powerful and so dynamic that you’re literally on the edge of your seat at times, waiting for what he’s going to play next. Plus, he gets sympathetic backing from his.

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