Vince Mtz. & The Great Blue Yonder

One of my best friends in the entire world is currently driving across the US with his past, present and future shoved into every nook and cranny of his car. He’s leaving Seattle, heading back East to a place we both thought was compartmentalized as a period of time with great friends and great memories, not a place that might be his home again. I guess that’s why the songs from Seattle resident Vince Martinez hit home these days.

On his new record – Vince Martinez & The Great Blue Yonder – are more suited to the dusty trails in Nevada or New Mexico than they are the coffee house streets and rain of Seattle, but the themes Vince delivers on are pretty universal. Over straight ahead acoustic, violin and harmonica Vince (with support from Carla Brauer) sings of alienation, depression and the never ending desire to roam while constantly being called back home. The slight drawl in his voice adds some personality to the tracks and the 9-songs are easy to embrace. - herohill.com

It easy to like the style and voice of Vince Martinez. The first song ‘Sycamore’ is a great example of Vince's simplicity and focus on lyrics, with a few background instruments. ‘Sycamore’ and ‘The Oak’ are my favorites of the bunch. The Great Blue Yonder is a Seattle-based folk quartet: Dean Moody on Mandolin and Harmonica, Mark Mulligan on bass guitar, and Simon Martin on Drums. The cover indicates that this is the first CD from Vince with a full

band. “…most of the 12 songs were written during transitional periods over the past 4 years when Vince was traveling…” ‘Little Devil & His Owner’ seems to be an ominous warning via the blues. You will like the beat of ‘Riverbend,’ which picks up the pace, rolling along through the lost innocence. ‘Seeds in the Wind’ continues the voice and soft poetry of the first song and makes a good use of harmonies. This is an anthem of farming. Martinez and his band show a lot of promise, the style is comfortable, the songs are a reflection of his experiences—it’s always good to borrow perspective. ‘Forgotten Son (Wounded Man)’ sums up a serious theme that seems to underlie the whole collection—loss of youth or connection. ‘The Oak’ ends the CD with a nice guitar lick and an experience we can probably relate to—leave and come back to find that not much has changed. When you aren’t sure what to do, go with a tree song and go see Vince when he passes through. [Bob Riley] - Victory Review: Acoustic Music Magazine

This is a really cool record, for reasons explainable on an "impressionist" level: Vince Martinez possesses a spirit and vision of America and its sounds such that this CD is infused with the ancient tones and soul-stirrings benchmarked by The Band. Every song evokes lifetimes of musical experiences, reaching back to primordial blues, jazz, country, and folk ballads. The music itself is spare and raw, and Martinez and duet partner Carla Brauer sing with the antique-y, unadorned intensity last heard on field recordings and 78s from the 1920s and 1930s: think Charlie Poole. Fortunately, modern recording technology and better instruments mean we do not have to strain through groove hiss to hear what's groovy. Several songs really do sound like what The Band's demos must have been like (two-man versions of great Americana), in particular "All I Need" and "Anchor." Again: very cool – a record to be experienced and absorbed, not just listened to. (Tom Petersen) - Victory Review: Acoustic Music Magazine