Music
Press
"The combination of cascading notes, Marshall's craggy weathered voice, and occasional lap-style slide work is satisfying." - Blues Revue
Of "Floorwalker": "...comparisons could be made to Muddy Waters' groundbreaking Electric Mud album or Buddy Guy's masterpiece Sweet Tea." - www.jazzreview.com
"The band’s raw, sparse sound is complemented by Marshall’s weathered vocal and silky, funky guitar." - Don Sechelski, Muse's Muse - Muse's Muse
There are moments on Sam Marshall’s The Absolution Of Sunny Boy Sam when you can feel the sun on your back and the dirt between your feet. For much of the album Marshall leads you gently by the hand through some wonderfully warm pickin’ blues.
His cover of You Are My Sunshine is rough, ready and quite magical, at a stroke Marshall transforms the song from the childlike original to deeper expression of belief, it moves along impervious to anything around it.
The album is at its very best when Marshall is alone with his guitar, he drawls through Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down and makes it steamy and almost sensual. By contrast the instrumentals on the album, while showcases for an undoubted playing ability, lack the same heart. When stood in the shadow of The Unquiet Grave and Bucket Blues they are a little pale.
With Sam Marshall there is no dilution of his country/blues roots, he plays it acoustic and he entwines it around your heart, it’s that simple.
- Americana UK
"Great player, great singer." - Tony Furtado - Tony Furtado
"(An) acoustic guitar master." -Luna Jazz - Luna Jazz in Eugene Weekly
If you were driving down State Street last night (4/17) around 8:30 p.m., you might have seen a guy with a huge upright bass plucking away outside the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern. Now, this musical beacon may not have drawn you, but you know I couldn’t resist.
Turns out the Sam Marshall Trio (Sam Marshall on guitar and vocals, Bennett Kling on bass, Collin Andresen on drums) had just burned into town from Seattle to grace B’ham jam lovers with a taste of their Bluesy, acoustic styling. They haven’t been around for that long. They formed in spring 2008. Before that, Marshall put out two of his own albums: The Absolution of Sonny Boy Sam (2007) and Long Hammer (2008).
Watch video from Green Frog show here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QyuICEpQDY)
I really enjoyed their performance. Marshall is a gifted blues guitarist whose style reflects a firm foundation in the Blues, while moving with a Jazzy, almost-improvisational progression. His gravelly, weathered-sounding voice masks his young age, but it flows from slow to quick with varied rhythms that make you want to stomp your feet.
Thanks for coming to Bellingham Sam Marshall Trio…Come back anytime!
ST
- What's Up Magazine (Bellingham, WA)
"A talented young bluesman who's making quite a name for himself at a relatively young age." - Washington Blues Society
Discography
Sam Marshall Trio:
Floorwalker - 2009
Sam Marshall:
Long Hammer - 2008
The Absolution of Sunny Boy Sam - 2007
Photos
Bio
- NEWS: Sam has been nominated for a 2010 Washington Blues Society "Best of the Blues" award: Best Traditional Blues Act -
Sam Marshall -
Sam Marshall is an acoustic blues musician from Seattle. Blending influences ranging from contemporary blues, to his father’s blues based record collection, to his formal jazz training (and, until now, secret fondness for progressive rock and metal) Sam distills a new form of roots music. As a solo musician, he has toured throughout the Northwest and has shared bills with notable artists and influences such as Robben Ford, Tony Furtado, Mark DuFresne (Roomful of Blues), Too Slim & The Taildraggers, Curtis Salgado, and Joe McMurrian.
In 2007, Sam released his debut album The Absolution of Sunny Boy Sam (which refers to a nickname given to him at his old landscaping job, combined with the fact that Sam was listening to a lot of John Fahey at the time). Americana UK said, “There are moments on Sam Marshall's The Absolution Of Sunny Boy Sam when you can feel the sun on your back and the dirt between your feet. For much of the album Marshall leads you gently by the hand through some wonderfully warm pickin' blues.” Blues Revue remarked, "The combination of cascading notes, Marshall's craggy weathered voice, and occasional lap-style slide work is satisfying."
Just prior to forming the Sam Marshall Trio in 2008, Sam released his second solo effort entitled Long Hammer. Although still in the roots vein, Long Hammer is a more improvisational release, and hints at the direction the Sam Marshall Trio would soon take.
Sam Marshall Trio -
The Sam Marshall Trio formed in the spring of 2008. With Bennett Kling on bass and Collin Andresen on drums (both having played with The Jazz Underground Big Band and The Jayne Simpson Group), the trio achieves a progressive roots sound that is highly groove and improvisationally oriented. Since their first gig as a trio at the Conor Byrne Pub in Ballard, WA, on April 17, 2008, the trio has brought their unique sound to venues throughout the Northwest sharing bills with roots music staples such as Tony Furtado and the Joe McMurrian Quartet.
SMT released their debut album Floorwalker in 2009.
In 2009, Randy Rush began joining SMT for numerous shows...his groove was infectious...and now the trio most often plays with their new "organ trio" lineup.
(And in case you haven't caught them live, audio samples will be coming VERY soon!)
Links
