Blues Music Review: Eric Lindell - Between Motion And Rest - Sparco Records 2010

You hear the Blues influence right off the bat, as the set kicks off with a couple guitar and harmonica riffs ahead of the full band on "Lucky Lucky," a song written by Lindell's friend Peter Joseph Burtt. Burtt remarked to Lindell in a conversation between the two that he had written the song for him, and Lindell gladly obliged him to put it on the record. Burtt even appears a little later on in the album. The album's title draws itself from the lyrics of "Lucky Lucky," when Lindell sings "What do you call the space between motion and rest?" There are great layers in this song, sonically, whether it's the horn section, the organ playing by Ivan Neville, or any of the other talented players. Perhaps the coolest element of it all, though, is that in the live to tape element of recording together, you can actually hear the band members communicating in the background. This song sets the tone for a stellar, if not brief, set of tunes. Between Motion And Rest comes in at just over 27 minutes in length.

"Try To Understand," the first of five songs written or co-written for Between Motion And Rest by Lindell himself. Chris Arenas gains a co-writing credit for "Bodega," and is likely the friend who remarked to Eric Lindell "Leaving Bodega is hard to do, huh?" - A question that sparked the proverbial lightbulb over Lindell's head, sending him in a dash to write the rest of the lyrics. Lindell's vocals are incredibly soulful, and throughout this album, you can actually hear his emotion in that vocal. In addition to singing, Eric lays down harmonica, lead, and rhythm guitars for the album. There's also a standout performance on the drum kit worth mentioning here by Jake Brown.

"True Blue Love" has a fantastic groove, and during an instrumental break in the song, you get a great sense of the collaborative element that exists throughout Between Motion and Rest. This is certainly a do-it-yourself record from nearly every aspect. Lindell produced the record himself, and released it on his own Sparco Records. He had a friend screenprint the album covers, and do to his love of the product, Eric Lindell made a special effort to get Between Motion And Rest pressed onto 1,000 copies of vinyl (some that I've personally seen of which are autographed, for you collectors out there.)

"It's So Hard To Believe" is a cover of one of the great Curtis Mayfield's tunes, and is done with a classically Soulful feel - especially in Ivan Neville's keys, which are beautiful beyond description. The job Neville does is so wonderful that it draws emotion out of the listener in some shape, form, or fashion. There's some really great slide fills dropped here and there on the song, as well. Thomas Johnson handled slide for the sessions, and is featured on "Bodega," too. Lindell works a "Wah" filled solo into the middle of this great ballad.

Mentioned a couple of times already, "Bodega" was a must-listen for this reviewer, as when the copy arrived, many folks who were already in the know said "You've gotta hear 'Bodega!'" It's the perfect beach song, that's for sure. I received my copy of Between Motion And Rest in August, (Yes, that's how far behind I am on reviews, I'm only one man!) and at the time, the disc provided a perfect soundtrack to those late summer months; and "Bodega" conjures memories of warm breezes and cool beverages - a welcome thought as I write during January. This is no novelty track, though. The lyrics deal with the real life battle Eric Lindell was having with himself at the time the song was written. Lindell was in California, hanging with friends and recording tunes for the record, and had to get back home to New Orleans to get married. I mentioned that Thomas Johnson features on slide here, and it is certainly worth mentioning again, due to the outstanding job that he does on the track.

Lindell also provides insights into his impending nuptials on "Matrimony," a rolling tune that if you were to describe it solely on the instrumentation, you may have to categorize as Country-Funk. Funktry? It's a cool tune with some "chicken pickin'" from Johnson and light, bouncy organ from Neville, who closes the songs with a couple bars from "Here Comes the Bride."

Turn the page on the upbeat and rocking "Matrimony," and you find yourself faced with one of Between Motion And Rest's masterpieces - a cover of Blues great Magic Sam's "That's Why I'm Crying." I mentioned Peter Joseph Burtt earlier, and he actually sings lead vocals on this number. Burtt taps into the torment of the lyrics for his vocal effort, and does an incredible job. In addition, Burtt plays a traditional African instrument on the track, called the kora. The kora is kind of a primitive cross between the guitar and sitar. It struck me funny that mere weeks after I got my copy of this album, I was watching one of the films in the Martin Scorcese-produced series of Blues documentaries and films that featured footage of African peoples playing the kora. It creates higher pitched, almost twinkling notes. In addition to Peter Joseph Burtt's efforts, Johnson returns to the slide guitar for the track, and the other band members all lock in perfectly. Chris Arenas features on bass throughout the record, and alongside Jake Brown on drums, the pair keep this song in lockstep. The horns from Adam Theis on trombone and Joe Cohen on sax are perfectly arranged. I can't say enough about this song!

Eric Lindell wraps up Between Motion And Rest with the rocking "Don't Fret," which features a little fuzz on the guitar, and a great beat that sends you out tapping your toes and nodding your head. Lindell co-wrote the number with Peter Smith, and he also gets a chance to get down with a guitar solo. It's interesting to note that at the end of the solo, just before returning to the vocals, Eric Lindell can faintly be heard giving direction to the band. The song and album close with roughly 40 seconds of the horns noodling back and forth before wrapping it all up.

I used to live by the belief that I wanted my money's worth out of music with quantity. I didn't mind paying a dollar per song, but a CD had better have 10 songs on it. I always looked for value that way. I'm much older now, and wiser, and I realize that it's certainly quality when it comes to spending your music dollar, especially in the Blues. So, I'm not upset in the slightest that Between Motion And Rest has only 8 songs. I am a little blue that there weren't more songs, but that's due to the fact that they're all wonderful. This is a great disc.

Standout Tracks: With only eight tracks, they're honestly all worth checking out. Personal favorites include "That's Why I'm Crying," "Bodega," "It's So Hard To Believe," and "Lucky Lucky"

Links: EricLindell.com Purchase Between Motion & Rest

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