Encore: Unheard Recordings Of Bahamian Guitar And Singing (studio album) by Joseph Spence

From Mercury 10/12/2021 18:04

(Joseph Spence was awesome. Check him out. And yes, this is a perfectly good place to start with your discovery of Spence. A whimsical, all-over-the-place, archival collection that manages to capture the magical essence of "peak" Joseph Spence.)

This is the Deep blues with a twist - or many many twists - because Spence just didn't play by any rules when it comes to rootsy acoustic blues even considering that he came from another country and so its expected he'd have a different take on the sound. His voice is gloriously unpredicatble and imprecise. His guitar picking is all over the place and beautifully off-the-cuff at all times. The intimacy of these tracks paired with the utterly fascinating power of Spence make this a beautiful album.

This is a collection of previously un-released songs from that mid 60s "peak" for Spence. The songs are sometimes rough demo-quality, often times live, and there is a sense of nonchalant fun, and exploration and a sense that Spence and those who he sings and plays with are just going wherever their whims take 'em.

Something about this collection of tracks is just a pleasure to hear. I have long loved Joseph Spence. I remember when I was 13 or so I borrowed a compilation of his from the local library and when I listened I was confused. This man's music was unclassifiable, strange, his vocals sounded alien and drunk at times, and like nothing I had heard or have heard since. And his acoustic playing is so mercurial, fast and precise at times and sloppy and wildly offbeat other times.

This collection is just another excellent archival release showcasing one of the true originals of the blues and the blues' various interpretations across the world. This album has a disjointed, whimsical quality that is fun and seemingly inconsequential. Yet, I have heard it many times since it dropped and I have never once left listening to this without feeling good, re-acquainted with that humanity that oozes from these songs. If you love acoustic blues and folk, I highly recommend giving Joseph Spence a good close listen and this archival release isn't a bad place to start.