An impressive mix of bluegrass, blues and Celtic folk with a hint of jazz.
Chicago-born Brendan Forrest has now moved to the mountains of south-west Colorado and on this, his debut album, you can hear the influences of both Chicago blues and the bluegrass of rural America. It is very strong musically with Forrest’s flatpicking guitar complementing the mandolin and fiddle perfectly. The excellent mandolin comes from Grammy-winning young Nashville musician Dominick Leslie. IBMA winner George Jackson shows great flair on the fiddle.
Forrest has been a producer in the past and has also played many shows worldwide. This has caused him to be influenced by the “world” music he has encountered on his travels. This album is a move towards the acoustic folk and bluegrass which he loves and away from the earlier electric sounds of his youth where he had a taste for 70s psychedelic rock.
Five of the nine tracks are instrumentals and they are impressive. Most interesting is ‘D Min Tune’ with fiddle providing a Gaelic folk feel but the piece ending with jazzy guitar and bass. However with instrumentals, you lose the chance to either interest, inspire or touch the heart of the listener with your words and so it is the tracks with lyrics that are more memorable here.
‘Autumn Child’ details an enchanting encounter with a hippy free-spirit: “Autumn child/ Running wild/Living free/My barefoot queen”. The single ‘Lowdown Stray Dog Blues’ has the singer with no ties, drinking and carousing but somehow not finding this completely satisfying: “Have me some fun but when it’s over and done /Got them lowdown stray dog blues”. Here, the blues and bluegrass are expertly fused using intricate guitar and mandolin to give a real “hoedown” feel.
Most affecting is ‘Lowly Cabin’, a slow lament with shimmering mandolin, with the singer telling of his longing for his estranged darling to come home. ‘Song For John Prine’ was written as a tribute to the great man written on the night of his passing. It has a strong chorus and a slight Dylan-like drawl in the vocals, although this isn’t always there on other tracks.
“This album marks a significant milestone in my musical journey,” says Forrest. “It’s a blend of my urban roots and my newfound love for the pastoral landscapes of Southwest Colorado. I’m excited to share these stories and melodies with the world.” It is an album that will appeal to fans of bluegrass and blues who appreciate skilled musicianship.
