Rick Holmstrom

Rick Holmstrom - Late In The Night - 2007 - M.C. Records

A terrific blues album from the Alaskan born bluesman, Rick Holmstrom. Influenced by greats like Muddy Waters, and Johnny Dyer, Holmstrom has created a great album here. Rick Holmstrom has played with greats like R.L. Burnside, Jimmy Rogers, Smokey Wilson, and Billy Boy Arnold. Buy his brilliant 2002 album, "Hydraulic Groove," which was a superb blend of jazz, funk, and blues. "Hydraulic Groove," was described as ."blues for the avant mind", by Billboard, and Amazon voted it one of the best releases of 2002. "Hydraulic Groove" has also been cited as one of the most original, and innovative blues/roots albums of the decade.

TRACKS

1. Peculiar Hop (R. Holmstrom, Genome)
2. I'm Leaving (R. Holmstrom, J. Mankin)
3. One Last Chance (R. Holmstrom)
4. 77 Red V8 (R. Holmstrom)
5. Tutwiler (R. Holmstrom, R. Dziubla)
6. Better Way (R. Holmstrom)
7. On The Vine (R. Holmstrom)
8. Descanso (R. Holmstrom, S. Hodges, J. Turmes)
9. Dig Myself a Hole (Traditional w/ lyrics & arr. by R. Holmstrom)
10. Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 (B. Dylan)
11. Hey Johnny (R. Holmstrom)
12. Wham-O (R. Holmstrom)
13. In The Night (R. Holmstrom)

MUSICIANS

Rick Holmstrom (guitar)
Jeff Turmes (acoustic bass)
Stephen Hodges (background vocals)

REVIEWS

Along with long time band members Stephen Hodges and Jeff Turmes (Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, R.L. Burnside, Mike Watt, John Hammond), Holmstrom delivers a recording that's fresh, innovative yet completely steeped in the blues. Late In The Night features twelve new Holmstrom songs as well as a unique cover of Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35." Doug Boehm (the Vines, Moby, Elliott Smith) mixed the CD with a punchy, gritty, stripped down sonic. Rick will be touring Europe in March and will be hitting the road in the U.S. & Canada in the Spring and Summer. His last CD, Hydraulic Groove (2002), which Billboard called ".. .blues for the avant mind", was voted one of the best releases of 2002 by amazon.com and frequently heralded as one of the most innovative blues/roots releases of the decade. A twenty year veteran, Rick has also played and recorded with R.L. Burnside, Billy Boy Arnold, Johnny Dyer, DJ Logic, Rod Piazza, Chuck Prophet and John Medeski. © www.mc-records.com/html/rick_holmstrom.html

Rick “L.A. Holms” Holmstrom lives in that timeless zone where country, swing, and jump blues cohabitate with ’50s rock and roll and atmospheric instrumentals, and his seductive tone is powered by the juiciest natural distortion this side of Willie Johnson (when he played with Howlin’ Wolf). Born in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1965, Holmstrom’s early musical odyssey was informed by the blues and rock records his DJ father brought home. Upon moving to Southern California in 1985, Holmstrom immersed himself in the West Coast blues scene, which led to prime gigs with harp blowers William Clarke, Johnny Dyer, and Rod Piazza. He embarked on a solo career with the instrumental Lookout! in 1996, and then flamed the purists in 2002 with Hydraulic Groove, which featured loops, samples, and guest turns by DJ Logic and John Medeski. Late in the Night [M.C.], his first studio outing in five years, finds him leading a trio, and playing with the rawness that makes his live show a guitar player’s dream. © Dave Rubin June, 2007, www.guitarplayer.com/article/rick-holmstrom/jun-07/27782

When he made Hydraulic Groove a few years ago guitarist Rick Holmstrom drew shots from the blues traditionalists even though he says he is still very much at heart a traditional kind of blues man. That said, Late in the Night should cement his relationship with the revisionists, not the traditionalists. But who cares? Late in the Night (as well as H- Groove) is an engaging work by a master bluesman with brio enough to follow his own path. You may recall Holmstrom from his brilliant tenure as guitarist with Rod Piazza’s Mighty Flyers. Even then, he showed that he is an uncompromising artist capable of reaching deep to come up with something new in a genre that was relevant, say, seventy years ago. **** stars. © Dave, © 2008 NBC Universal, Inc ,www.nbcsandiego.com/whatshot/13253944/detail.html

BIO

Rick Holmstrom was born on May 30, 1965 in, of all places, Fairbanks, Alaska. His father was a disc jockey and Rick was brought up listening to the likes of Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and the Ventures. In 1985 his family moved to Southern California. There, in Los Angeles, he started a garage type blues band covering Jimmy Reed and Chuck Berry songs. He began going to blues clubs like the Pioneer Club, Babe & Ricky's, and the Pure Pleasure Club and began hanging out with such greats as Smokey Wilson and Junior Watson, one of Rod Piazza's original Mighty Flyers. From 1985 to 1988 Holmstrom toured with harmonica player William Clark, spending one year of this time as rhythm guitarist only. During that period he also backed up Jimmy Rogers, Smokey Wilson, Billy Boy Arnold, and Finis Tusby. Later he was befriended by another great harpist, delta bluesman Johnny Dyer who he started playing with in 1989. And in 1994 he was featured on Dyer's "Listen Up". This was followed by Shake It! (again with Dyer) in 1995. Both were released on Black Top Records. Through Black Top, Holmstrom had worked with Rod Piazza on numerous occassions. So when Rod's guitar player, Alex Schultz, gave his notice in 1995, Holmstrom was the obvious choice. In 1996 he recorded the all instrumental "Lookout!" for Rounder Records. This was followed by his Tone-Cool debut "Gonna Get Wild" in 2000. On that disc Holmstrom not only plays guitar but takes over lead vocals, and has written all thirteen songs. There is no doubt about it. Rick "L.A. Holmes" Holmstrom has come a long way from his Alaskan roots and garage band guitar licks. Says Blues Revue Magazine "...Holmstrom is destined for greatness." Having seen him many times live, I can not be in more agreement. Holmstrom brought a much needed blaze of fire to the Flyers, whose 1997 Tone Cool album, Tough and Tender, proved Rod and his group were the hottest band on the circuit. The Holmstrom solo effort Gonna Get Wild followed in the spring of 2000. Holmstrom played another year with the Might Flyers, leaving after 2001's Beyond the Source. Holmstrom turned some heads with his 2002 release, Hydraulic Groove, where he brought a bit of jazz and funk to his blues, also utilizing loops and samples and guests like John Medeski and DJ Logic. Holmstrom stayed busy producing other acts and playing guitar before releasing Live at the Cafe Boogaloo in 2006. © R.J. Bianchino, Blues Internet, www.jazzinternet.com/boulderblues/holmstrom/index.html