Andres Roots' 17th appearance at Haapsalu's Augustibluus festival went down a storm - here's a short video clip by Asso Arendi and below are photos by Martin Eessalu. According to Andrus Karnau in the daily Postimees, "Roots plays solo, but creates soundscapes that give the impression of there being more than one musician on stage" - check out the festival review HERE.
Of the April 20th Freilassing show at Kunst Kreativ Kultur (above), the Freilassinger Anzeiger writes: "On the small stage—minimalist, focused, and yet brimming with energy—stood the internationally acclaimed Estonian slide guitarist Andres Roots. A musician who needs no distance. With wit, charm, and impressive virtuosity, he created an intimacy—filling the room with just his guitar. Sometimes raw, sometimes warm, sometimes almost orchestral. It's no wonder the international press describes him as an artist who "sounds like a trio."
"The audience—a diverse mix, from young to old—was part of the evening from the very beginning. You could see it in their faces: concentration, joy, a quiet sense of connection. And by the finale, listening had transformed into a shared experience. During "Roll & Tumble," a nearly century-old blues piece, there was clapping and stomping—the room came alive once more. His own compositions, such as "Tango Walk" and "Spanish Run," also generated palpable enthusiasm. Music that hits you right where it hurts. No detours." (click HERE for the full article in German!)
And over at Nordisch.info, Dr. Martin Pabst muses over the April 24th Berlin gig at Panda Platforma: "Is there a specifically Estonian style of blues? Probably not, but beyond the music, Andres Roots—which is indeed his name, pronounced with a long "o"—can certainly be described as a typical Estonian: quiet, almost taciturn, and with a subtle sense of humor that doesn't take itself too seriously... Even after thirty years of concerts on both sides of the Atlantic and a long list of CDs—both solo and with countless other musicians—Andres Roots hasn't lost his youthful wit." (click HERE for the full article in German!)
The b&w photos below are from the Panda concert, all by Roman Ekimov. More pics to come!
You can read the whole thing HERE (in German)! And above, please find a list of German (and Latvian!) gigs confirmed for September.
Meanwhile, tomorrow - Friday, July 11th, 22:00 - Andres Roots will be playing a set at the Käbliku Beer Camp & Rock'N'Roll festival near Põlva. Click HERE for the full festival line-up - two stages over two days!
With that in mind, here's a detailed list of such "chances" for Irish and UK residents this summer (photo by Siret Roots):
Fri 8 Aug 7pm DUBLIN: Howth Roots & Blues Festival @ The Summit Inn + Ben Reel
Sat 9 Aug 4pm DUBLIN: Howth Roots & Blues Festival @ The Harbour Bar Garden Stage
Tue 12 Aug 8pm BOURNEMOUTH: Mardi Blues Club @ Bournemouth Brewery
Thu 14 Aug 8pm BRIGHTON: Caroline of Brunswick
Fri 15 Aug 8pm TUNBRIDGE WELLS: The Green Duck Blues Club @ The Green Duck Events Space & Bar
Sat 16 Aug 7:30pm MALDON: Madison Heights + Tim Aves, Richard Townend
Tickets are currently available for the Tunbridge Wells and Maldon shows: click HERE for the Green Duck Blues Club and HERE for the acoustic night at Madison Heights!
Yes, the first-ever review from Brazil is in, and you can read the whole thing HERE! The title is "Andres Roots: Estonian Blues That Echoes Around the World", and among other things, Osmar Santos Junior writes:
- "Roots’ new live album "Royal Spa Blues" captures the artist at the peak of his musical expression."
- "His career is a lesson in how music can cross cultural and geographical boundaries while remaining faithful to the raw emotion of the genre."
- "An artist who honors and reinvents the blues... His music speaks directly to the soul."
- "More than a virtuoso guitarist, Roots is a true bluesman."
Muito obrigado! :)
"Roots makes his runs and slides sound relaxed and effortless, despite any challenging intricacies, allowing the gathered blues acolytes the luxury of stretching out and savouring the tunes. He’s skilled at fine picking, underlaid by a bulking bass presence. Roots sometimes emits a jazz mellowness, a pleasing roundness of tone, but still slidin’ deeply when the deft bottleneck starts gliding..."
"Roots has a modernised appeal, but one that rears up from a pallet of vintage down-home US blues. Most of his instrumentals are self-penned, but he adds in touches of Jimi Hendrix (‘The Wind Cries Mary’), and closes the second set with ‘Come Together’, an attractively re-shaped Beatles ditty. Along with traces of tango, Hawaiian spuming and Manouche gypsy jazz, Roots shoves through the fences favoured by many blues songsters."
The March UK tour kicked off on March 1st with Andres Roots' first-ever show in Wales: a double header with the fabulous Dave Arcari at the Mid Wales Rhythm & Blues Club at The Muse in Brecon - with local harmonica ace Dilwyn Roberts joining the duo for an encore jam.
Of Roots' solo set, Jim Kerslake writes on the club's website: "Andres delivered a masterclass in acoustic guitar finger-picking. His playing is delicate and dexterous, and his overall sound mellow and warm. The interplay between his expressive use of slide on the top strings and rhythmic thumb-picked bass line on the lower strings was particularly impressive. He clearly has complete mastery over his guitar, and plays with great charm and taste… often exhibiting just the right degree of restraint to create a subtle tension.
"The diversity of Andres’ repertoire was most remarkable, as he ranged between powerful self-composed acoustic blues, through Eastern European-influenced mandolin-like strumming, to expert renditions of standards by Hendrix and Alvin Lee… with even a bit of tango rhythm along the way."
Below are a few photos by Barry Hill, the last one with the Mid Wales Rhythm & Blues Club chief Angus Kings front and centre:
The latest issue of Blues in Britain magazine comes with a look back on summer festivals in the UK - and their Upton Blues Festival gallery below features a lovely image of Andres Roots from the festival's Acoustic Roots Stage in St Peter & St Paul's Church, by Chris Roberts. Cheers!
2023 saw the release of the first Andres Roots album since 2020 and "Vol. 12" has now received more praise from critics than any Roots Art release in ages - here's a few select quotes:
"It’s almost as if muddy waters were flowing into the Gulf of Riga. Musicians of this sort run counter to all expectations, and upset various purists." - Ted Gioia, The Honest Broker, USA
"Mixing blues of every origin... energetic and poetic, that we never grow tired of listening to." - Christophe Mourot, Soul Bag, France
"Roots has a great sense of blues as it fits in today's world." - Bman's Blues Report, USA
"If you still harbour doubts about the instrumental attraction of one man and his guitar in a, say, concert situation, you have no reason to. For Andres wields magic that many others lack." - Pete Hoppula, Blues News, Finland
"Let yourself be immersed in the world of acoustic slide guitar blues, a world that Andres Roots masters like no other." - Eric Schuurmans, Rootstime, Belgium
"Estonia's finest, and one of the prime acoustic blues instrumental players." - Norman Darwen, Blues in Britain, UK
Work also continued on the upcoming album with Red Mouth and Jantso Jokelin, with two more tracks released digitally: "Retirement Blues" and a new reading of the instrumental "Django". A note to vinyl lovers: the 2014 Estonian tribute to Hurriganes compilation that features a version of Ten Years After's "Hear Me Calling" by Andres Roots, Raul Terep and Mikk Tammepõld has now been re-released on vinyl!
A return to form was also evident on the gig front, with 64 concerts in 53 venues in 29 towns and villages in 5 countries: 28 in Estonia, 24 in Finland, 4 in Latvia, 4 in Germany and 4 in the UK. Live collaborations included sets and/or jams with Jantso Jokelin (FI), Ismo Haavisto & Matias Partanen (FI), Pan Salmenhaara & Herbert Quelle (FI/DE), Sir Douglas Groovers (FI), The Rhythmbreakers & Curtis Brazis (FI/US), Louie Fontaine & John DC Washington (DK/US/LV), and Pat Fulgoni (UK).
On other occasions, Andres Roots shared billing with Ahmed Ag Kaedy (Mali), Etuk Ubong & the Etuk Philosophy (Nigeria), Banjolectric (US), Faarao Pirttikangas & Nubialaiset (FI), Black River Bluesman & Bad Mood Hudson (FI), Tomi Puukko (FI), Otto Mikkola (FI), Steve Augarde (UK), and many others - including Lifetime Beat Poet Laureate Ron Whitehead (US).
In January 2024, Andres Roots will be returning to Latvia, in April to Germany, in May to Scotland, and - if not before! - in July to Finland. A few summer festival bookings in Estonia ought to be revealed soon enough, too :)
As always, a big thank you to everybody who attended gigs, put on gigs, wrote about gigs, took photos or filmed gigs, bought records, played records, wrote about records, made records, broke records - and to everyone that's been kind. Thank you, and Happy New Year!
