Peter Parcek - News

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.

This release is a mixture of originals and covers (including Peter Green, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Fred McDowell, Cousin Joe). The bluesier numbers are damn good, including Green’s ‘Showbiz Blues’, Parcek’s own ‘The Mathematics Of Love’ and ‘Tears Like Diamonds’, Hemphill’s ‘Lord, Help The Poor And Needy’, and Mississippi Fred’s ‘Kokomo Me Baby’. An instrumental take on ‘Busted’ starts nicely enough but comes a bit unstuck in the free form picking in the last couple of minutes, while ‘Rollin’ With Zah’ while definitely not blues is a deftly played instrumental displaying a guitarist with an awesome technique.

Maybe not a release for your average B&R reader, but if you are looking for something different this guy is worth investigating."

- Phil Wight