Paul Reddick

"Acclaimed producer and blues musician Colin Linden has noted that fellow Canadian Reddick is "one of the most original and inventive singer- songwriters in blues today." So, it's no surprise that Linden lends a heavy hand as producer and player on Reddick's latest release. Imagine a rocks and gravel voice intoning beat poetry lyrics alongside the eerie, raw Delta vibes of Fred McDowell, Son House or Sleepy John Estes and you'd be close to the muscular yet expressive folkloric sound Reddick and Linden create.

At their best, songs like the pulsing, euphoric title tune (a centuries old form of work song), a Gospel-suffused, slide guitar braced "Five Silver Dollars" and moody tour de forces such as "Some Afternoon Alone" and the gloriously understated "This Time of Year," Reddick and Linden (who plays all of the guitars and mandolins) stitch a melody-rich quilt that mesmerizes as it constantly surprises. A trio of drummers (Bryan Owings, Gary Craig and Stephen Hodges), bass player Larry Taylor and John Dymond along with Richard Bell's soulful, long-noted piano and organ work all add visceral sonic textures to select songs.

Discreet employment of distorted scratchy 78 rpm record reverberations, various local loops and Reddick's deep-toned, slurred harmonica fills also effortlessly embellish this criss-crossed landscape of American traditional music without getting in the way.

Linden is front and center on two originals. In fact, his blurred, ethereally energized "Hook's in the Water" is one of the album's highlights. His growling, lowdown "Dog Catcher" powerfully recalls Chicago songwriter and bassist Willie Dixon and that 1957 South Side sound."

-Gvon T
Sing Out
Spring 2005

- Sing Out

"Paul Reddick is one of the most inventive and passionate bluesmen working today. His uncanny ability to bring the feel of the pre-war masters to life and transplant them into a contemporary setting guarantees he'll be a force in the blues nation for years to come. Check out "Villanelle" and get acquainted with Paul Reddick, truly a Renaissance man of the blues!!"

-Sheryl and Don Crow
Music City Blues Society, Nashville

- MCBS

"Singer, songwriter and harp player Paul Reddick, steps away from fronting the Sidemen for this unusual set of songs that are steeped in rural blues forms of the deep south, influenced by various forms of poetry and filtered through the atmospheric, often rumbling studio techniques of producer Colin Linden. In fact, the album probably belongs as much to Linden ­ who provided the guitar, bass and mandolin tracks, co-wrote most of the songs with Reddick and wrote two of the songs himself ­ as to Reddick. Standouts include Five Silver Dollars, where Reddick's vocals and harp playing mix seamlessly with Linden's slide guitar and heartbeat-bass while Richard Bell's organ provides colour in the background, and the pretty Villanelle, which is nicely enhanced by Kathleen Edwards's violin. "
-Mike Regenstreif
Montreal Gazette
- Montreal Gazette

"Paul Reddick is a studier of long-gone prose and song, but is no duplicator. With strong participation from guitarist and producer Colin Linden, the Toronto musician has fangled new from old, taking from deep-rooted Americana to fashion an imaginative, rich record, one that is sunset in colour and fearless. There are straight blues, but they are in the minority and not as ear-catching as the soulful, easy-striding Blue Eventide and Stone of Indigo, both with vocal looping and watery guitars for texture. There is little fault throughout -- Reddick's harp play is attractive, though not abundant; the vocals suit the songs, sounding hollow and distant on some, aggressive or intimate on others. The lyrics intrigue. On an album that takes its name from an obscure verse form, it is Reddick's poetry that is in motion."

-Brad Wheeler
Globe & Mail

- Globe & Mail

"For the best variety and sound in Blues and Americana to be heard, Villanelle is the album to head straight for. You'll find yourself playing it over and over again, and never grow tired of listening to it. 10 out of 10."

-Ray Tyrell
Blueswax
- Blueswax

Reddick is a talent with a unique vision of the blues. He loves the raw, acoustic, pre-war sounds and makes them the focus of his music. But rather than attempt any slavish copy of the style, he - along with producer/guitarist Colin Linden, who deserves as much praise as Reddick, being an integral part of the sound - comes up with an individual take on it, which can range from the soft gospel of "Five Silver Dollars" to "Winter Birds" with its nagging riff and wonderful mix of acoustic and dirty electric guitars. At its best, like with the title cut or "Stones of Indigo," this proves to be a remarkably inventive album, taking clichés of the genre and turning them upside down. And if this was as far as it went, it would be more than adequate. But Reddick's lyrics, influenced by a wealth of poets, are pure gold, literate and mesmerizing, while still falling very much within a blues format. He's also a formidable harmonica player, although he uses it sparingly - a word that describes much of the disc. Linden injects plenty of space into the proceedings throughout, letting the songs breathe. While the scratchy pre-war sound that's used at times might seem like a gimmick, it actually creates an atmosphere that permeates the entire record, and quite justly. An excellent, and very original, piece of work."

-Chris Nickson
All Music Guide

- All Music Guide