Claude Bourbon • WE’LL MEET AGAIN • Frog Records •
This French-born guitarist
grew up in Switzerland
where for a time he was classically trained, but he soon felt the need to
explore the guitar without the limitations of written music and delved headlong
into folk, blues, jazz and rock music. Now based in the UK, he has
become a world-renowned player, highly acclaimed for his finger-picking
style—plucking, picking and strumming at such speed that his fingers seem to
appear just as a blur. This latest album utilises strains of folk, western,
jazz and blues through such melodic delights as the traditional English
Dance, the hypnotic Rodrigo and a gorgeous version of the Rolling
Stones’ Angie. Claude also adds vocals to some tracks such as Rhyme
or Reason and The End of the World displaying a slightly gruff,
world-weary voice.
www.claudebourbon.org
Maverick
Magazine / February 2011
REVIEW OF CLAUDE'S CONCERT AT SHAKEDOWN BLUES, SEPTEMBER 2010
THURSDAY 16th September 2010
St. Kyneburgha Church, Castor, Peterborough
The promotion notes indicated that we were in for an eclectic evening of
acoustic guitar playing. In the event most have us had never seen or
heard anything quite like it.
Claude’s playing is firmly rooted in classical Spanish guitar and no
doubt he could have entertained us with a full repertoire, within this
genre, and we would all have gone home happy. What he does though is add
elements from a vast array of influences, east and west, ancient and
modern.
His fingerpicking is exquisite and if I closed my eyes I could clearly
hear two guitars playing. Just when I recongnised a theme he moved on
with a mesmerising cascade of notes which kept on flowing. He added a
driving bass, for a version of “She knows how to stretch it”. By the
time he sang the first verse he had 'stretched it' from Spain to the
Caucuses, and from the concert hall to the bar room. His forte is
obviously his wonderful guitar work, but he does occasionally burst into
song and what you then get is something between Bob Dylan and Cat
Stevens, combined with a French accent! C’est magnifique.
For the technically minded he played a steel strung Gibson acoustic and
used no effects - well unless you count behind the nut bends, harmonics,
and retuning a string in the middle of a song - without missing a beat!
He does play in standard tuning, but there were numerous alternatives
as well as slide playing. There’s many a country blues player who would
kill for a right thumb like Claude’s. The natural acoustics of the
beautiful St Kyneburgha church seemed made for him.
This wasn’t the blues but it was a very enjoyable evening. Thank you Shakedown
Dave Bailey
Category: Music
Claude
Bourbon The Travellin’Man FROG
With a name like Claude
Bourbon, your mind strays perhaps to Louisiana, but this packed double
CD set was recorded in Southsea. CD1 is a showcase for Claude’s guitar
playing skills and, make no mistake, they are considerable. Instrumentally, there’s
a variety of guitar styles here, from the opening “Medieval” and the
Andalusia flavours of “Echo” yet track so “A light In The Night”
immediately puts one in mind of Ry Cooder’s “Paris, Texas”. If this
collection just included Bourbon’s guitar playing, it would be well
worth having for its mesmeric quality. But on CD2 he accompanies himself singing
nine songs, which perfectly match the rolling meditative mood of the
first CD. It’s all like a more nimble-fingered version of JJ Cale, so
it’s no surprise to discover a Cale song included “Sensitive Kind”. So
here we have another fine example of the prodigious talent which is
treading the boards in UK clubs. That said, if you see his name flagged
up in your area, go along – based on this set you could be in for a very
entertaining night. Roy Bainton Blues Matters – UK March 2009
TUNES
Influences / References
: Blind Blake, Nick Drake, John
Renbourn, Van Morison
Description : Blues Finger-Picker with an tinge of the darker depths
Similar acts of today :
Leo Kottke
Haunting blues: What
secrets lurk beneath? BY MARK GRABOWSKI
Blues
fingerpicker and vocalist Claude Bourbon appears to be a man
without a past. His own management company writes, "Who cares?" when
asked (by themselves, in a press release no less) about the performer's
pedigree.
Perhaps
there's something lurking deep within the mists of time that Bourbon is hiding,
a "…Tell-Tale Heart" of fantastic proportions. Perhaps he was a
member of a
mutinied
crew who stranded their captain on a Pacific atoll. Perhaps he was the frontman
for a long-forgotten '80s glam metal band lost in a sea of makeup and spandex.
Perhaps it is something even darker.
We
don't know, but there are hints of whatever it is in his music, which projects
a sense of deep sorrow and isolation such as I've never heard in the
blues before.
A
few facts slip out as you troll for nuggets along the information superhighway.
Bourbon is French-born ('The Frog with the Blues" is his tag line) and now
resides in Portsmouth, U.K. His latest album, The Fifth, released
December 12, is indeed his fifth LP. But other than useless items like
"plays over 100 shows each year," the details of his life seem to
have been rendered inconsequential by the power of his performances.
The
Fifth is 18 tracks in length, including 10 originals and the rest composed of
covers of extremely varied origination. In a drifting version of Gershwin's
"Summertime," Bourbon's gravelly accented voice floats over his
sauntering acoustic guitar notes at a pace that would probably make your skin
crawl in a horror movie if it weren't so beautiful. Vocally, shades of '60s
folk casualty Nick Drake can be heard, but Bourbon takes his mournful pipes
along avenues quite distinct from those of that singer/songwriter, eschewing
folk trends for the deep Mississippi blues.
"Travelling
Man" is a fine example of Bourbon's trademark rambling style. Its story of
a wandering minstrel is perfectly presented to reach the fullest possible
effect-- a walking beat, haunting vocals, and some utterly brilliant
Hemingway-simple lyrics seem to make the tale come alive as you listen,
entranced, to the melody.
"You
Don't Know" finally reveals Bourbon's guitar virtuosity,
with a Spanish intro before it shifts gears into the lackadaisical (and yet
again, haunting) story of a conversation with the Lord.
Claude Bourbon is a unique figure today-- with his influences deeply buried beneath the
surface, what sallies forth from his playing is almost indescribable. The only
way you can clear up the mystery is by going to hear him for yourself.
Claude Bourbon
"Merci - Thank You"
Frog Records
This cd, recorded in Brussels
in 2005, is a showcase of fingerpicking, noodling and to a lesser degree,
vocalizing from France's Claude Bourbon. The blues is a big part of Bourbon's
repertoire, but that's not all he does. Ravel's "Bolero" gets a ten
minute-plus workout, and during the tune "How To Stretch It" he not
only quotes the Muddy Waters standard "Baby Please Don't Go"; Bach's
"Bouree" finds its way into the mix as well.
This is solo acoustic guitar that
is dazzling. Acoustic calisthenics might be a better word for some of the
fretwork done here, which at times sound like the pyrotechnics of Monte
Montgomery. Bourbon may also remind the listener of Leo Kottke and Jorma
Kaukonen. Rarefied air, indeed. With guitar like this one might wonder why
vocals would be needed, but Bourbon has a pleasant baritone that gets his
message across.
Listen to "Merci-Thank
You" and immerse yourself in beautiful music. A must for guitar players.
Willie Painter
Durham, NC , USA - 2005
Hungerford festival 2004 two
hours on Friday evening. He began with an earthy
coutry blues that sounded like a cross between Big Bill Broonzy and The
Rolling Stones, but that statement is meant in the most positive sense
because nobody on the British rock scene has been closer to genuine
blues expression than Mick Jagger's crew.
Bourbon added touches
of flamenco, coutry and hillibilly music to his exhaustive recital. His
sources all congealing together merrily in an explosion of blues-fuelled
guitar artistry.
Moving back towards his early classical
training, he played Ravel's Bolero with an insistent two note bass line
that was every bit as constant and monotonus as that irritating snare
drum commentary that runs throughout the orchestral version. And
surprisingly he managed to insert a few bars of Leadbelly's blues
classic Pick a Ball of Cotton into
the middle of his performance; a first time for that combination I
suspcect. Bourbon's ballad artistry was also impressive on I See Your Face.
This was one
of the few interns he announces with titles, reffering to several other,
including the Ravel Bolero, as
a "French song".
So a little more information on the material
and, in some cases, its source, would have been welcome but as to the
music, it was performed with flair, enthusiasm and a very great deal of
technical expertise on the guitar.
After two hours of varied
music, the audience would not let him go without playing an encore, and
this he did, marking a well attended, much admired Hadcaf concert.
He
modestly calls himself ‘the frog with the happy blues’, which endears him to you
immediately, yet no one was really prepared for the incredible talent that this
Frenchman has - at times it seemed there were three or four guitarists on the
stage, not just one. His fingers became a blur as he produced medleys that
incorporated what he terms ‘medieval blues’ (and that’s exactly what it sounded
like) and personal interpretations of classical, folk, jazz and footstompin’
blues numbers. His musicianship is ‘premier league’ and leaves many better-known
artists wanting.
But Claude can do sad as well as happy; he is also a
master of the ‘chanson triste’ and songs like ‘there’s somebody missing
tonight’, ‘ghost’ and ‘I see your face’ (it’s worth buying his album ‘Stop
breaking down’ for this alone) mark him down as a great songwriter and lyricist.
The evening was truly memorable; the delivery sincere and effortless and
he also has the best agent that we have worked with in two years of running the
club. All in all, it’s no surprise that he has a gig list as long as your arm
for 2010.
Our advice – book him if you run a club, and go and see him
somewhere else, if you missed him at ours.
Brighton Folk &
Blues Club / February 2010"
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009 review
Claude Bourbon
There’s
a film you haven’t seen. Laden with aggressive romance, heartache,
betrayal and allusive sub-plots all spliced between shots of
breathtaking landscapes. You haven’t seen it because it doesn’t exist.
But Claude Bourbon has the score at his fingertips. He began by
demonstrating technical brilliance through irregular rhythms gradually
leading the listener into epic instrumental narratives at ten minutes
apiece. Time enough for the initial fluctuations to give way to dashes
of melodic Spanish strumming. Occasionally those scenes of impassioned
emotions would suddenly vanish behind Bourbon’s fairly average vocals
flecked with an American country twang that turn the rich landscapes
into lacklustre dirt roads. But always the masterful compositions would
flood back to leave a lasting impression of intense talent.
published: Sep-2009
Rhys Pearce
Saturday saw me back at the
Imp. Where international guitarist Claude Bourdon was playing. The reason I
went in the first place is because the poster I'd seen said he was going to
play Spanish Medieval Blues. I was intrigued to hear what this would sound like.
I half hoped that he'd play actual Spanish Medieval Blues. Maybe The Don
Quixote Blues or El Cid Boogie. But joking aside this turned out to be far from
the case. Claude Bourbon instead played a set which displayed his remarkable
playing style to the full. He did indeed blend Spanish guitar and Blues guitar
together seamlessly. Full on Spanish guitar in the wrong hands can be a drag
but here Bourbon switched back and forth between the styles using slide and
finger picking to produce a sound both airy and haunting. His fingers floating
over the strings. Then the song slipped into a version or Summertime (the
living is easy) And for the first time the audience was introduced to his warm
French accent mingled with the easy vocal style of Ry Cooder .
Best illustrated by the title
track of his latest CD. 'Traveling Man' This song also saw Bourbon show his
mastery of the nudges and taps which gave subtle sustain to his notes.
Combining also percussive backing to the songs. But most remarkable for
me was what he was doing during one of his song , an up tempo blues song to
begin with. All thought which he played a constant bass line with his thumb
while finger picking. A song which lasted maybe 15 minutes. I'm no guitarist
but even I could tell that was something special.
Watching Bourbon is a master
class for any would be guitarist . And for the layman a real experience of what
can be done with an acoustic guitar in the right hands.
And I wish all guitarist
could tune up as quickly and with the flare he did.
Claude Bourbon - "Merci, Thank
You", Live in Brussels…
The newest cd of Claude bourbon, alias
The Frog With The blues, is pure art! "Merci, Thank You" is a live
album recorded in Brussels in May 2005. What can be heard is infinitely
beautiful. Claude understands the art of playing incredibly accurate slide and
fingerpicking guitar and his voice makes you shiver. Starting from the blues he
takes you on a trip with songs which are sometimes inspired by Spanish bolero's
or by the protest songs of singer/songwriter Bob Dylan or then again he takes
you sailing into the world of classical music but always to return to the
blues. Gershwin’s 'Summertime' takes on new dimensions in about twelve minutes:
from solemn over affectionate to melodramatically gripping. 'How To Stretch' is
a sixteen minutes lasting masterpiece. It’s a traditional but Claude has
rewritten it with so much love that only one question remains: how this is
possible? Also the bewildering 'Travelin' Man' (Bourbon/Hammond) and Ravel’s
Bolero are masterpieces of their kind. To my knowledge nobody has ever
performed these songs this beautifully. The interludes between these gems allow
you to get an idea of the public’s reactions. I only have one thing to say to
Claude: Merci, Thank You! For the aficionados: Claude will perform soon in
Belgium. The official release of his cd will be on Saturday 29 October in the
Centre Culturel Armillaire, Jette, Brussels.
For
many years The Triangle Tavern has developed a reputation for attracting
outstanding musicians on a regular basis, but last Friday guitarist
extraordinaire, Claude Bourbon, exceeded all expectations.
The
attention of the onlookers was captured from the precise pluck of the first
note as Claude launched his mesmerising master class, a dynamic demonstration
of acoustic guitar work, the like of which I had never previously witnessed.
Claude
begun his mostly self-penned set with a complex finger picking instrumental,
leaving me thinking that he was one of those musicians that tries to impress
with their best number first; but this for far from the reality. On his second
track, Claude brought the element of slide guitar into the equation providing a
further depth and dimension, both audibly and visually. Throughout the rest of
his performance, the audience sat in awe from one exhilarating number to the
next; vocal numbers interspersed with instrumentals.
Classically
trained in Switzerland for many years, Claude has created an unbelievable
fusion of classical and jazz with ethereal Eastern influences, with a soupcon
of Eastern and Western folk.
His
inimitable style incorporates all five digits on each hand dancing
independently but in unison, plucking, picking and strumming at such speed and
precision that his fingers often melted into a blur.
Responding
to a requested encore of a repeat ofhis
one and only slide sensation of the night, the audience were left spellbound,
having witnessed a naturally superb musician who posses the X factor, the wow
factor and has now invented the Bourbon factor.
