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Peter Parcek - NewsReview: BLog Crititcs - Bues power ratings"...Let's look at a couple other things on the chart that have pleased me. How about the major surge by Peter Parcek and his excellent Mathematics Of Love record? I haven't written a full review of the album yet but I've written about a couple songs from this in the weekly BPR 6-Pack; this is a very good record..." [read the review]
Review: Hittin’ the Note - Issue 66, Exposing the gold in a Mountain Jam of CD’s"And then there’s Peter Parcek, a guitarist and all-around musician who’s in a league in a game of his own. As an American blues wolf in London in the 1960’s, Parcek rolled and tumbled through the British blues explosion and absorbed it all, from the straight stuff to the blues-rock shrapnel. But he didn’t stop there, as is plainly evident on The Mathematics of Love. The Peter Parcek 3—including bassist Marc Hickox and drummer Steve Scully—have created one astounding record. Most of it sounds like it derives from post-war hill country blues, but these guys really move across a unique, twisty spectrum, 100 % of it mesmerizing. Parcek’s words are miles from the run-of-the-mill and his guitar solos burn at all kinds of intensities and color. He even trades nearly inconspicuous barbs with Ronnie Earl on the loose-limbed “New Year’s Eve.” And there’s definitely something about “Rollin’ with Zah,” where Parcek rapid-fire hen-pecks his way through a cool as a cucumber groove. “Tears Like Diamonds” rolls lazily like a J.J. Cale or an early Dire Straits, and “Showbiz Blues” trudges the hill side like Moreland & Arbuckle. Does extremely creative, accessible, and wonderfully played music sound enticing?" - Tom Clarke
Interview: Iconfetch.com"Guitarist Peter Parcek is what you might call a late bloomer. Hailing from the New England area, his post-high school years were spent abroad, soaking up the British blues of Eric Clapton and Peter Green, and avoiding the Vietnam combat. Once things calmed down, Parcek returned to the States and took jobs as a school counselor and instrument salesman. A chance meeting with blues legend Pinetop Perkins resulted in Parcek leading Perkins' band for awhile. After gaining more confidence, Parcek decided to strike out on his own. The Mathematics of Love, only his second solo album, showcases his varied style, something he calls "soul guitar." He gets help from another legend, Al Kooper, on several of the tracks on the album." - Tony Peters [ listen to the interview ]
Review: Vintage Guitar"You'd never know from listening to Peter Parcek's The Mathematics of Love that the guitar was a mystery to him when he first encountered it. The record is a collection of blues-based tunes that go far beyond, mostly on the imagination and technical prowess of Parcek's playing." [ read full review ]
Review: FullTIMEBLUES.Com"Reading his bio, it's amazing that a man with Peter Parcek's credentials has flown under the radar for so long; but then, perhaps that was by design...OR, perhaps, I'm just out of the loop on this one. He's wowed Buddy Guy, led Pinetop Perkins band, and competed in the International Blues Challenge. Now, Parcek makes his national debut with the ten-song set, The Mathematics Of Love, produced for Redstar Entertainment and picked up by the Vizz-Tone camp for distribution. The finished product is a fantastic ride through musical styles, techniques, and effects that gives the listener a glimpse at what this virtuoso, Parcek, can do..." [ read full review ]
Review: BB King Bluesville Pick"The Mathematics of Love" selected by BB King Bluesville the Week of July 31, 2010.
Review: Seattle Pi“...He may be in New York alone on New Year's Eve, but he sounds like Peter Parcek sounds like he's on that train that ran from Chicago and Mississippi during the great migration of the 20th Century. Parcek and the great Ronnie Earl trade stylish, gorgeous licks dripping with the electrified-Delta sounds that flowed freely from Chicago. Mike Fritz's downhome harmonica and Mike Levesque's gentle, tapping beat add to the immediacy and an intimacy that will have you believing these guys are playing this in your living room...." - Josh Hathaway
Review: Blues Source“...This remarkable new CD by Boston based Peter Parcek delivers his thrashing series of guitar solo’s and improvised scales, all the while keeping tight with his band members. With 10 tracks set in stone that all have that bite of the blues, and his low down vocals, this new CD should turn some heads..." - Dirk Wissbaum
Review: Jazz and Blues Report“...The Mathematics Of Love is a first-rate recording of blues roots & guitar explorations that mixes tradition with a heavy dose of the contemporary....his guitar playing will unquestionably be the recording's strongest appeal; and fans of the legendary Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan should enjoy Parcek's impressive fretwork..." - Ron Weinstock
Review: Hittin' the Note"...And then there’s Peter Parcek, a guitarist and all-around musician who’s in a league in a game of his own. As an American blues wolf in London in the 1960’s, Parcek rolled and tumbled through the British blues explosion and absorbed it all, from the straight stuff to the blues-rock shrapnel. But he didn’t stop there, as is plainly evident on The Mathematics of Love. The Peter Parcek 3--including bassist Marc Hickox and drummer Steve Scully--have created one astounding record. Most of it sounds like it derives from post-war hill country blues, but these guys really move across a unique, twisty spectrum, 100 % of it mesmerizing. Parcek’s words are miles from the run-of-the-mill and his guitar solos burn at all kinds of intensities and color. He even trades nearly inconspicuous barbs with Ronnie Earl on the loose-limbed “New Year’s Eve.” And there’s definitely something about “Rollin’ with Zah,” where Parcek rapid-fire hen-pecks his way through a cool as a cucumber groove. “Tears Like Diamonds” rolls lazily like a J.J. Cale or an early Dire Straits, and “Showbiz Blues” trudges the hill side like Moreland & Arbuckle. Does extremely creative, accessible, and wonderfully played music sound enticing? (VizzTone.com)" - Tom Clarke
Review: Boston Herald“Local guitar ace Peter Parcek wanted to do something tricky: modernize the blues without losing the genre’s soulful guts. He succeeded. His new VizzTone release, “The Mathematics of Love,” is a blues triumph..." - Daniel Gewertz
Review: California Chronicle“Playing both acoustic and electric, Parcek spikes his blues with touches of jazz, rock, and country as he masterfully mixes tones to convey emotion _ from rawboned and dirty on Kokomo Arnold's boogie-fueled "Kokomo Me Baby" to clean and lyrical on his own "Tears Like Diamonds." Sometimes he shifts within songs, as on his own dazzling instrumental "Rollin' With Zah" and his mesmerizing version of Jessie Mae Hemphill's "Lord, Help the Poor and Needy..." - Nick Cristiano [ read full review ]
Review: Rambles.net“A Boston-based guitarist of much experience and diverse influence, Peter Parcek fashions a blues sound of many parts. Even as he manages to move the genre forward into the 21st Century, he does so without drowning its emotional core, the part that gives the blues its enduring appeal, in a tsunami of notes. Since nothing lasts forever, on the other hand, the blues won’t either. (Some years ago, perhaps in a portent of what is to come, I read an interview with a trendy New York art-rock guitarist who boasted he didn’t play a single blues note; ever since, I’ve made a point of not listening to him.) Artists like Parcek give the music a new lease on existence, one that transcends mere life support and proceeds to actual revitalization."- Jerome Clark [ read full review ]
Review: New Hampshire Union Leader“The guitar player on stage at the Strange Brew Tavern in downtown Manchester has an unassuming look. Sans fedora, he could be easily mistaken for any number of the ordinary looking older regulars that frequent the bar on Tuesday nights. But there is nothing ordinary or regular about this man and his ability on the guitar. His name is Peter Parcek, and if you've been lucky enough to catch him at the Strange Brew, you understand what I'm talking about..." - Adam McCune
Review: Boston Phoenix“Blues musicians have been recycling the same ol' same for so long that it's easy to forget just how exciting blues can be. Guitarslinger/singer Peter Parcek's thrill-a-minute The Mathematics of Love is a reminder of that. Parcek, like, say, Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan before him, is a lyrical, inventive player, equally reverent of economy and excess, dynamics and subtlety, raunch and smooth, sweet soul. He makes every note count while remembering that those notes must take their rightful place in the bigger picture..." - Jeff Tamarkin [ read full review ]
Review: Guitar Player, August 2010Barry Cleveland's interview with PP.
Review: Crossroads“Based out of Boston, Peter Parcek bursts onto the blues scene with a recording that showcases his guitar virtuosity. Opening with Peter Green’s “Showbiz Blues”, he delivers a non-stop flow of amazing picking engulfed in a variety of tasty guitar tones..." - Mark Thompson [ read full review ]
Review: The Boston Herald“Coming 10 years after his debut, this album delivers a powerful reminder of Brookline resident and former Pinetop Perkins bandleader Parcek’s monster talent.." - Nate Dow [ read full review ]
Review: Elmore Magazine"Peter Parcek rumbles, roars, slides and glides throughout his intense declaration, The Mathematics of Love. It's a raw, hard-edged blues sound of slides, resonator and electric leads, on both originals and covers...The highlight is his instrumetnal version of Ray Charles' 'Busted,' with Al Kooper on the B3, ending, appropriately, in psychedelic oblivion."
Review: Somerville News“Powderhouse Park blows blues power over Somerville...to a particularly rapturous rendition of Bob Dylan's "Beyond Here Lies Nothing" performed by blues master Peter Parcek as his guitar wailed brilliantly..." - Andrew Firestone
Review: Rascal's Fair“This opulent tapestry is fertile ground for this distinctive musician, who weaves the rich colors of jazz, rock, psychedelic, folk, country, and blues into a wonderful woven blanket for the ears, just give a listen to the opening of “Showbiz Blues,” that touches most of those bases. The blues based body of the song shows his prowess at wringing tones out of his guitar that might leave you shaking your head, if it isn’t already bobbing with the beat of the music. It is a disc filled with his daring solos that never get excessive; he knows the meaning of not playing at times. His melodies and harmony create a warmth in the disc that most who strive for this elegant peak lose in the striving, and he makes these tones and music sound effortless and free flowing." [ read full review ]
Review: All Music Guide“New England-based blues guitarist/vocalist Peter Parcek varies between hard and soft sounds, keeping the music contemporary while occasionally throwing the voodoo down. With his appeal stretching out on several different levels, one cannot help but be compelled with every move he makes, and listen to more of this fine CD." - Michael G. Nastos [ read full review ]
Review: Jazz and Blues Report“"The Mathematics of Love,' is a first-rate recording of blues roots and guitar explorations that mixes tradition with a heavy dose of the contemporary. While his vocals may vary in convincingness, (he shines when he is in an acoustic-oriented vein), he always is listenable. However, his guitar playing will unquestionably be the recording’s strongest appeal; and fans of the legendary Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan should enjoy Parcek’s impressive fretwork." - Ron Weinstock Review: Vintage Guitar ,Vol. 24 No. 10...."Parcek has the touch - pure and simple; the components of
PP To Be Featured on The Guitar Show June 4 and 5Peter Parcek will be featured on "The Guitar Show" Player Spotlight segment this week. "The Guitar Show" is a weekly radio show that eminates out of Nashville & is hosted by Guitar Player magazine writer Andy Ellis. "The Guitar Show" airs in Nashville on WRFN - 107.1FM & www.radiofreenashville.com. Also airs Fri.10pm Central & Sat. 8pm Central on 1670 AM in San Antonio, TX.
Review: Goldmine"PETER PARCEK 3 Starting with the pensive opening slide guitar notes, The Mathematics Of Love, with its traces of lo-fi fuzz, parallels its producer Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen in delving into the late Fred McDowell’s Mississippi hill country blues. On the other hand, “New Years Eve” shows how far blues lyrics have moved geographically even when the spirit remains at its roots. Al Kooper plays organ on a sonically evolving seven-minute-plus instrumental take on “Busted,” a 1963 R&B hit for Ray Charles penned by country tunesmith Harlan Howard. As for the CD’s title and title track, if there’s a mathematics to Bach’s music, why shouldn’t there be a mathematics to the blues? - Bruce Sylvester"
Interview And Review: The Boston Blues Society"The Mathematics of Love is a tricky thing. Yes, it's a guitar record made by one of the most underrated players out there, but that may not mean what you think it does. The record doesn't have the kind of calibrated and showy “look Ma, no hands!” noodling that mysteriously passes for inspirational guitar work these days. Instead, Parcek's songs have layers of thoughtful, subtle, genre-bending guitar work that weave intricate textures around the rhythm section. -- Mike Mellor" [ read full review ] To read Mike Mellor's interview with Peter Parcek, click here.
Review: Guitar Edge"On his new album Peter Parcek serves up propulsive, fuzztoned blues and slide excursions that visit parcels of rock, jazz, country, and folk while keeping homestead in the swamp and surrounding hill country. The playful slapback shred-billy instrumental “Rollin’ With Zah” will make chops fans take notice, as will “Get Right With God” and Parcek’s version of the Ray Charles tune “Busted.” Meanwhile “Kokomo Me Baby” offers occasional flashes of Django-inspired jazz phrases nestled into down-home blues, while the slow spiritual “Lord Help the Poor and Needy” is a master class in tasty restraint. –MM"
Review: Blue BytesPeter Parcek goes back to the 1960s, where his bands were influenced by that era’s blues/rockers like Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jeff Beck, the Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd. He previously served as sideman for bluesmen like Hubert Sumlin and Pinetop Perkins and the rock group The Singhs, before striking off on his own with the Peter Parcek Band and a duo project called Forty-Four. His latest release, The Mathematics Of Love (Redstar Entertainment/Vizztone), mixes the blues with rock, surf, country, jazz, and roots music. The result is an original and diverse set that will please guitar fans of any ilk. - Graham Clarke
Review: BLog Critics Music"Surely there's enough of it now to justify a genre; call it neo-blues, if you will, as practiced by New England-based guitar wizard Peter Parcek." - John Taylor
Peter Parcek To be featured in June Boston Blues Society E-ZineFor a preview of the interview with Mike Mellor visit The Killing Floor.
Roots Music Report, Blues Weekly ChartThe Mathematics of Love debuts at #25 on the Roots Music Report weekly chart.
Review: About.com - Blues“One of the best-kept secrets of blues music, innovative guitarist Peter Parcek performs a mixed-bag of blues, rock, jazz, and soul, and makes the whole thing work like few could.” -Rev. Keith A. Gordon [ read full review ]
Review: Blues Underground Network“The Mathematics of Love is the strongest, most incendiary guitar driven album I have heard in a long, long time, and has placed Peter Parcek and his trio, the Peter Parcek 3, firmly into the spotlight, not only with the blues, but also with the wide tapestry of genres he weaves throughout this unique and exceptional album.” -John Vermilyea
Review: Cashbox Magazine“Peter Parcek has got the blues, and thank goodness for it. He was raised on the best the genre has to offer, and fused blues history with his own experience to create a modern sound with few rivals.” -Christopher Llewellyn Adams [ read full review ]
Review: Fame Magazine“Not a moment of this CD is less than jaw-dropping for its mind-bending meld of every possible mode from the ‘50s up to ten minutes ago…though, really, the entirety of The Mathematics of Love is a matter of the ‘60s and ‘70s being played one more time for all they're worth, full fury and dripping with blown-out inventiveness. This guy must be unf***ing real in concert...excuse my French.” -Mark S. Tucker
Review: Blues and Rhythm, U.K."Living in London in the late 1960s, guitarist Peter Parcek was heavily influenced by the heavy hitters on the scene – Green, Clapton, Beck et al. Back in the States, he saw as much as he could of guys like Muddy, B.B., Albert King, Hendrix, a.o. and concentrated on honing his technique. The PR states that he is one of the ‘most respected instrumentalists in New England ’, and is currently a member of an outfit called The Singhs. [ read full review ]
Review: MIDWEST RECORD – CHICAGO, ILVolume 33/Number 182 - May 2, 2010
Press releasePeter Parcek Explores The Mathematics Of Love On Label Debut For Redstar Entertainment, Out May 18
More NewsJim Hynes is reviewing the Peter Parcek CD in the next issue of Elmore Magazine (July/August), out in June. Feature story in August Guitar Player Magazine Feature story and cd review in Vintage Guitar Reviews and/or features in Blues Revue, Elmore, Guitar International Boston Blues Society Blog - interviews & cd reviews Cover of May issue of The Alternate Root online magazine - www.thealternateroot.com  Peter Parcek 3 will be featured in two upcoming episodes of Alternate Root TV. (nationally distributed cable access programming) Peter Parcek 3's "Kokomo Me Baby" is used as the intro music for Alternate Root TV
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