Album Notes

With a guitar/harmonica/bass/drums line-up, Woodbrain might be mistaken for a typical blues collective — at least until this fiery Portland, Oregon foursome begins to play, when it quickly becomes apparent they are potentially an evolutionary force in the genre. Or several genres at once. Woodbrain's energy is incendiary; their music deeply rooted in tradition. And yet their songwriting and improvisation pull those roots in all kinds of directions informed by the generations of Son House, Jimi Hendrix, and John Coltrane. Without sacrificing an iota of heart or soul, their sound effortlessly skirts boundaries to reach blues, rock, Americana, and jam scene listeners alike. Like fellow roots-based new music trailblazers Derek Trucks, Medeski Martin & Wood, and Widespread Panic, it is the exhilaration of making music within a profound tradition, and yet without boundaries, that keeps Woodbrain's creative fires blazing. "They're extremely innovative with a sound completely their own... This quartet should be viewed as sculptors, or painters. They're creating a new dimension of the blues within our dreams." -—Cascade Blues Association