"...Ad van Meurs, a singing Dutchman whose forceful stage style underscores the concept of Hard Folk..."
Rolling Stone
After the release of eleven albums in both Europe and the United States over the last seventeen years, Singer/Songwriter, Roots-Rocker and Dutch export, Adrian van Meurs, a.k.a. THE WATCHMAN, is still considered to be one of Holland's best kept secrets.
The Watchman: Live Anderson Fair captures the excitement and spontaneity of THE WATCHMAN (Van Meurs & band) in concert performing at one of America's mainstay folk-music/singer-songwriter venues, Anderson Fair, in Houston Texas. The album was produced by Earl Willis, best known for producing the quintessential live album by the late Townes van Zandt (Live at the Old Quarter), and engineered by long-time Anderson Fair proprietor, Tim Leatherwood.
In addition to the usual supects of road-tested, acoustic musician-warriors that make up the THE WATCHMAN: Theo Wijdeven, bass & vocals; Eric van der Lest, drums & percussion, and Jeroen Jongsma, mandolin...is back-up vocalist, Ankie Keultjes, who would later go on, after the release of this CD, to form & record with the Dutch female Americana/Euro-Folk duo, THE VERY GIRLS; the very group who broke out on Triple AAA & Americana radio in Europe and in the US with the release of their CD...Elsewhere Bound.
If you enjoy the slide guitar techniques of Ry Cooder fused into the "melancholic" songwriting styles of Leonard Cohen, Townes van Zandt, Johnny Cash and John Hiatt, then you will enjoy The Watchman: Live Anderson Fair (By the way, Van Meurs sings in English in case you were wondering).
Ad van Meurs' track record includes:
The Watchman, Hannibal/Rykodisc, 1991, US release
Narcisse, VAN, 1992, European release
Peaceful Artillery, Cleveland International, 1994, US release
Broken Lock & Rhyme, VAN, 1996, European release
Flight Over Life, VAN, 1998, European release
Live Anderson Fair, VAN/Virgin, 1999, European release
Melancholicus Realisticus, Munich, 2001, European release
Carnival of Circumstance, CRS/Binky, 2002, European/US release
Weep On Willow, CRS/Rounder, 2004 European release
High Acres, CRS/Rounder, 2006 European release
Ad van Meurs' presence is also felt on THE VERY GIRLS' release, Elsewhere Bound, by way of performing on, co-producing and writing eleven of the twelve tracks on the CD. In addition, Van Meurs also produced and contributed one track to the new release, Proud Heart, by singer/songwriter and Texas expatriate, DAVID RODRIGUEZ.
Currently, The Watchman, Adrian van Meurs, is performing throughout Europe as a member of the "Arabicana" ensemble, NO BLUES, signed to Rounder Records Europe.
While we still have your attention, feel free to check out ELSEWHERE BOUND by THE VERY GIRLS, PROUD HEART by DAVID RODRIGUEZ, and RIVER THROUGH THE SUN by PHILIP RODRIGUEZ, right here at CDBABY.COM!
Read more...