SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RENE TROSSMAN – LIVE IN PRAGUE

Rene Trossman
Live In Prague
Hold It!

Guitarist and singer Rene Trossman cut his blues teeth in the small clubs of Chicago back in the ‘80s, which he sings about this on the fine shuffle “Down At Rosa’s”, before he settled in Prague in the Czech Republic back in the middle of the following decade. He has created a strong reputation for himself on the Central European blues scene since that time, both as a backing musician for touring acts and in his own right too.

This release shows just why. Rene may not the best singer I have heard, but he improves as the set moves along, and gets by just fine. However, his guitar technique is neat, clean’ and concise, very much in line with the soulful side of the blues that was evolving in the Windy City clubs during his formative years – there is no blues-rock bombast here, which immediately marks this out as a blues album worth a listen.

Recorded in Prague in September 2018, this is a fine no-nonsense blues set. The band, including trumpet and sax to add a fine soulful flavour, is spot-on, and these are good songs too, mostly originals, though with an excellent, moving cover of Albert King’s “As The Years Go Passing By”. Listen also to his easy-swinging solo on “I Don’t Need No Technology” or the easy-rolling shuffle of the appropriately titled “I’m On A Roll”. But blues lovers can listen with confidence to any track at random…

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