Tag: Joe Beard

Title: Joe Beard – For Real (1998) [Reissue 2000]
Genre: Blues
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

This has well-presented variations of old-style blues, from acoustic (“Dirty Groundhog”), to slow burners (“Elem”), to Chicago/Muddy Waters style (“Who’s Using Who”). Duke Robillard graciously acts in his role as a team player, although he stands out with a hip solo on “If That’s What Pleases Her.” Portney’s harp on “She’s Wonderful” is slow and easy, reminiscent of a hot summer’s day in the country.

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Title: Joe Beard – Dealin’ (2000)
Genre: Blues
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Influenced by blues greats such as Muddy Waters & John Lee Hooker, Joe Beard exhibits genuine talent on Dealin’. Beard has a respectable fan base mostly concentrated on the East and West coasts of USA.

In the blues world it’s OK to be a late bloomer, and when it came to recording, Joe Beard was exactly that. The charismatic singer/guitarist, whose influences range from Jimmy Reed to Lightnin’ Hopkins, worked “day gigs” when his kids were growing up and didn’t start to build a catalog until he was in his fifties. Blues lovers who heard Beard’s AudioQuest dates of the ’90s found themselves saying, “Hey, this guy is very talented; why haven’t I heard of him until now?” And, of course, the answer to that question is that his nine-to-fives and family life had kept him from being a full-time bluesman. But when his kids reached adulthood, the Mississippi native turned Rochester, NY, resident had more time to devote to music. Recorded in April 2000 (when he was 62), Dealin’ is Beard’s third CD for AudioQuest and underscores his ability to handle a variety of electric blues styles. Beard’s appreciation of Reed and the Chicago blues is evident on gutsy, rough-and-tumble tracks like “Give Me Up and Let Me Go,” “My Eyes Keep Me in Trouble,” and “The Bitter Seed,” a Jimmy Reed classic. Like Reed, Beard favors a gentle and laid-back style of singing but still has plenty of grit and doesn’t mind having a tough, hard-driving band behind him. Meanwhile, “Holding a Losing Hand” and “If I Get Lucky” (both Beard originals) go for the sort of moody, shadowy, haunting ambiance that often worked so well for Hopkins and John Lee Hooker. This isn’t to say that Beard is going out of his way to emulate Reed, Hopkins, Hooker, or anyone else. Dealin’ shows who some of his influences are, but it also reminds you that Beard is an appealing bluesman in his own right.

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