Biography
Hailing from Gainesville, Florida, 2010 Independent Music Awards Blues Song of the Year and 2010 IMA Vox Pop People's Choice Award winner the Root Redemption (formerly Used Blues band) has been reinventing traditional blues forms since 2000. After a few personnel changes the resulting line up (Alan Yeatter, guitar/vocals; Gus Olmos, harmonica; Rick Wagner, drums, Steve Roper, bass) has done just that on their first album, fusing the electric blues formula with rock, soul and traditional delta sounds to create a unique and yet evocative debut not to be missed.
The title track, "Deep Down in Florida", is a raucous homage to blues giant Muddy Waters and a playful tip of the hat to the band's stomping grounds. From there the album careens into more soulful territory with the searing R&B lament "Fix Me Up", followed by the Otis Redding-influenced confessional "Don't You Go". The band next digs deeper to produce the superstitious, haunting delta-esque "Palm Reader Blues" (winner of the Blues Song of the Year at the 2009 Independent Music Awards) before changing things up yet again with the bouncy Chicago-style harmonica rollick "Gator Stomp". "Guess I'll Hit the Road" and "I Told You" find Used Blues sounding very much at home in the Texas house-rocker style, complete with blistering guitars, growling vocals, howling harps and rock steady rhythms. The band slows things back down for the soul-searching 12 bar guitar showcase "No Place in the World". The angst-ridden "That's How Much" hints at jazzier leanings while still maintaining the band's emotional edginess, while the bittersweet "One for My Love" picks things up again, mixing Motown and reggae into the bluesy milieu. The listener will hear the echo of Led Zeppelin in the intense "No Color but Gray", and with the plaintive acoustic version of "No Place in the World" the band wraps it up where it all started; slide guitar and vocal, the blues, as vital as ever in the hands of the Root Redemption.
Instrumentation
Rick Wagner - Drums
Agustin Olmos - Harmonica
Alan Yeatter - Guitar & Vocals
Steve Roper - Bass
Discography
Deep Down in Florida-2009