Adlin and Appleford
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Adlin and Appleford

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Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Jaundice Bitters"

Like the snake oil bottle of "jaundice bitters" on the cover of their CD, Rich Adlin and Mark Appleford concoct a gritty brew of acoustic music that is wonderfully out of step with the century just begun.
Although it was released in 2002, Jaundice Bitters' intentions seem to come from another era, a time before corporate slickness, self-conscious emulation of the past, or contemporary angst and irony ruled the day. The duo's solid, controlled songwriting and performances are refreshing and rare--both sincere and mature, joyful and carefree, catchy and deeply affecting.
Appleford's virtuoso harmonica riffs and Adlin's slide guitar are signature sounds throughout, mixing perfectly with the duo's beer and whiskey-chaser vocals. "House Just off the Highway" opens the proceedings like a rusty pickup truck rolling down a gravel road, stopping long enough to extol the virtues of chicken frying, Mr. Clean-swilling chicks on the track "Bittersweet Blues."
But these guys aren't beyond taking some detours into melody-rich territories, like the warmhearted waltz, "Can You Blame Her?" and "A Moment of Your Time," which could pass as an easygoing Tom Petty tune.
"Fire in Your Belly," an optimistic ode to keeping an eye on your dreams, ranks with the best acoustic anthems ever written, providing the CD's finest (and catchiest) tune. "You got to find it in the corners of your mind, and mine it from the bottom of your soul," they sing. "Don't get stuck in any ruts when they start to check your guts, keep the fire in your belly, child."
Producer Joel Fairstein's piano lays down even more texture, whether on the bouncy "Shakespeare's Shuffle" or the contemplative "Idlewood”, which with the help of some congas shapes up like an exquisite mood piece worthy of Nick Drake.
"Not warranted to cure every disease," reads the label on Adlin and Appleford's bottle of jaundice bitters, "but will invariably relieve the bilious class, embracing two-thirds of the people, suffering from dizziness and dullness of the head." It's a guarantee they make good on.

- David Potorti


"Jaundice Bitters"

"...Immediately ingratiating...filled with catchy songs and fine acoustic musicianship. Mark Appleford has a distinctive and likable voice, and Rich Adlin handles a variety of instruments with taste and skill. The duo performs with a confidence and ease rare on self-released debut discs..."Shakespeare's Shuffle" deserves to find itself of AAA radio stations across the country."
--Wayne Bledsoe, Knoxville News-Sentinel

"…done just right. It gives those unfamiliar with their music a taste of their bluesy originals and leaves us wanting more. The lyrics are clever and the vocals are often a little reminiscent of Tom Waits. It’ll be interesting to see what the duo does for their next project."
--Dirty Linen, Internationally distributed folk & World Music magazine

"Rich Adlin knows his way around an acoustic guitar, and Mark Appleford can shred through a harmonica solo...This duo is obviously well versed in the time-honored folk/blues tradition...guitar and harmonica solos to wow blues enthusiasts..."
--Metro Pulse, Knoxville's Arts & Entertainment paper

"Rich Adlin and Mark Appleford serve up some tasty laidback country blues...From the upbeat "Bittersweet Blues" to the Reggae tinged "It's Time", this CD offers some fine acoustic blues. Adlin's tasty fingerpicking and slide guitar blend with Appleford's harp in a pleasantly relaxing sound..."
--David Patterson, The Blues Groove, Official Newsletter of the Knoxville Blues Society

"Imagine a warm summer evening. After a nice meal sitting in your rocking-chair on the veranda and having Rich Adlin and Mark Appleford playing their music for you. This feeling came over me listening to their CD. Their music is most of the time acoustic Country-folk and country-blues songs, even a reggae song (It's Time). Mark has a nice voice and also plays the harmonica, while Rich knows how to handle anything about strings. Outstanding tracks are "Shakespeare's Shuffle" and "Fire In Your Belly".
--Roots Revival Radio
- assorted


Discography

Jaundice Bitters (2002)
Manchild (Mark Appleford solo CD- 2003)
All Over The Place (2006)

(See www.adlinappleford.com for more music samples, purchase CD's, etc.)

Photos

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Bio

Adlin & Appleford’s music is like a rusty pickup truck rolling down a gravel road, detouring into melody-rich territories and contemplative moods. They twist the roots and weave them into catchy, well-written songs with clever lyrics. Their original music winds through the mountains to Memphis, the Delta to Dixie, and Beale to Bourbon. Beer & whiskey chaser vocals and a gritty brew of acoustic and electric music are stirred into songs that each have their own flavor.

Rich Adlin plays lead acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, and fiddle. Mark Appleford is the lead vocalist, harmonica player, and rhythm guitarist. Often, Adlin’s fingerpicking and slide guitar blends with Appleford’s smokin' harmonica, transforming the time-honored folk/blues tradition into their own concoction. Backed by a variety of instruments from banjo and brass, pedal steel and piano, each song is distinctive.

Rich Adlin & Mark Appleford have so far focused almost exclusively on recording their original material. Like their music, their lives have taken twists and turns that prevented them from performing, until now. Their collaboration started in Knoxville, Tennessee, but was distracted by birth, death, and distance. Their partnership continued with Rich still in Knoxville and Mark in Asheville, North Carolina (where he performs both as a solo act and with his other project Locomotive Pie). Adlin & Appleford's history and music are "All Over The Place", the title of their recently released CD. Their first CD, 2002's "Jaundice Bitters", received very complimentary reviews and was played on several radio stations (regionally & nationally). As Dirty Linen magazine described it, Jaundice Bitters “leaves us wanting more.” All Over The Place is the response, and this new CD
is already getting airplay and praise (regionally & nationally)!!!
As of 2007, Adlin & Appleford have signed on with Tribe Management, a music promotion agency based out of Asheville, North Carolina. For booking information on Adlin & Appleford, please contact: www.tribemanagement.net
For more general information, please visit us at www.adlinappleford.com or www.myspace.com/adlinappleford