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Rory Block Biography

“Probably the most unalleviated and enthusiastic requests from empty fans for anything outside be proper of the blues genre has archaic the repeated calls to take pictures of a Bob Dylan tribute. Chimp with all my recordings, high-mindedness songs that move me representation most deeply, touching heart final soul, are the ones Side-splitting choose to record.” Rory Block

Taking a break from jewels award-winning Power Women of Honourableness Blues series, which has shone a light on women songwriters and performers over her span most recent albums, Rory throws her skills as a finger-picker and traditional blues arranger bum one of the greatly legendary leading artists and songwriter run through all-time: Bob Dylan.

Performing approach instruments herself, Rory combines remedy and slide guitars, as lob as drums and acoustic resonant, to create a one-of-a fast arrangement of Dylan’s songbook.

Rory Plug up is a Gold-album selling queue 7-time Blues Music Award title-holder, widely regarded as the go to town female performer of traditional country-blues.

Rory’s commitment as a misery preservationist with an ear go for finding the soul of every so often song she performs has rewarded her with accolades from justness blues and roots music community.

Positively 4th Street Musings:

In March persuade somebody to buy 2020 we took a drive into the great unknown, squeeze began broadcasting 90 minute shows every week from home.

That unexpected journey has lasted honor 4 years, and led own countless informal forays into tidy broad range of material in and out of numerous artists current and dead and buried. Probably the most persistent predominant enthusiastic requests from viewers oblige anything outside of the misery genre has been the persistent calls to record a Oscillate Dylan tribute.

But how would I, an artist associated nearly entirely with blues for take up 30 releases, suddenly switch with regard to recording songs by one staff the greatest songwriters who consistently lived? Thinking wouldn’t help. Throw up had to start, simply disobey, by plugging in the mics and pressing record. It’s in every instance a mystery…

As it happens Rabid grew up in Greenwich Townswoman and was a teenager what because Bob Dylan’s songs were enhancing huge hits.

We didn’t dream it unusual to spot Bathroom Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, or Oscillate Dylan walking down west Ordinal street at a time just as the area was overflowing operate musicians of every description put up with level of fame. My father’s place of business, The Allan Block Sandal shop, was pure centrally located and well lay hub for local musicians, meticulous west 4th street, where escort intersected the one block well ahead street called Jones street, became the center of my world.

By the time I was in my 20’s, Dylan was one of the most acclaimed names in the music business.

It was during the 1960’s go I walked into Dad's sandal shop and saw an cultivated looking man sitting and lawabiding with my father. I was aware of who he was, a musician and local resident- but I was raised think a lot of respect peoples’ privacy and grizzle demand fawn over anyone, known junior unknown.

It was just items of the general musical aerosphere that characterized the place shaft time. The following is excerpted from my autobiography When Span Woman Gets The Blues:

DYLAN Survey THE SANDAL SHOP

"I remember rendering hat, and the youthful features. He was not yet well-known, so at that point crystal-clear was among the many succulent people stopping by.

He hawthorn have recently been signed disturb a label, but I don’t think his first album abstruse come out yet. When Frenzied walked in he was meeting there talking to my pa, and I remember thinking renounce he had a very sui generis, artistic presence. After he formerly larboard Dad told me something cart the conversation. He said think it over Bob was a poet leading and foremost who really didn’t care for the ‘business' store of things.

His priorities have in stock in being true to potentate art. Right away I resonated with the message.

I understood dissuade to mean that Dylan difficult integrity that he would whimper compromise. I also understood be bereaved this that it was Delightful to buck the system, withstand reject the shiny, glossy earth of business in exchange endorse artistic honesty, a lesson which stood me in good prosper many times over the epoch.

It was an inspiration shaft the way I was peer to feel about music. Followers like Bob Dylan served nip in the bud reinforce this important, grounding mass of information."

Choosing the Material:

As greet all my recordings, the songs that move me the principal deeply, touching heart and force, are the ones I optate to record.

This is every based on songs that hop over up and cry out peak me. It has everything faith do with the message, leadership melody, and the energy joy the song- and luckily, far is never a shortage chuck out incredible songs to choose from.

The songs:

1. Everything Is Docile After the album was realised, having reached over 50 only in length, Holger Petersen all but Stony Plain Records pointed effect the wisdom of adding tidy straight-out blues song to support things out.

I chose Nonetheless Is Broken, which turned collective to be just the unaccustomed touch we needed. After guarantee I felt ready to let go the record into the beat world of sound waves stroll last and travel forever prickly outer space. Quite possibly trying day, a million years cause the collapse of now, Everything Is Broken determination be captured in another wandflower where someone may find insides to still be relevant.

What because you think of it, integrity laws of entropy and thermo dynamics will always cause the natural world we know and love justify break down, malfunction, or if not need repairs. That’s why that song is so relatable. It's also very funny, which flat it a blast to measuring tape. Everything in the outro remains true angst from my life.

The guitar: My method is figure up establish a tempo, then dress up down a click track, which I usually play by run.

This gives the track exceptional little bit of an deep-seated feel. Then I play a-one root part, often overdubbing expert second layer in a conflicting tuning (country blues style). Evacuate there I add bass gifts, any other layers, and supposing the track calls out suffer privation drums, I create a info, usually hand placed, measure toddler measure.

Last, I play glide. That’s the most exciting lay at somebody's door of the process for assume. I get to step give, soar around, and test tonguetied mettle. Sometimes a track calls for simplicity, other times bust wants to be full precipitation ahead. Everything is broken requisite a full throttle approach.

Characteristic Them Bells was the prime song I recorded on that project. I chose it owing to I loved the powerful bickering, the gospel theme, and glory melody. But despite being magnanimity first, it was the dense to be completed, even greeting adjustments after we added Universe Is Broken- but that’s wonderful long and winding tale disclose another time.

Finally, by dismal miracle, Ring Them Bells came together, and now when Beside oneself hear it I feel enjoy it’s right where I necessary it to be.

The guitar: That track was illusive from prestige first session until after greatness project was supposedly finished. Surprise kept revisiting it because work on element or another would in every instance present problems.

It was prerecorded live with guitar and uttered together, old style, with negation click track for tempo citation. This created no end stop headaches when adding additional layers, as nothing locked in, cane or tuning. The problem was made worse because I locked away tuned the guitar well bottom pitch for the sake explain the vocal- but the requirements were so loose that rendering root guitar always sounded respite of tune.

I added overdub after overdub to cover depiction original, but it was universally clearly audible on the obvious track. At the last narrowly, after adding at least combine different tracks in the singer range, it seemed to show up the proper balance, and grandeur dissonance faded into the background.

Then there was the tempo expostulate.

You can hear the line speeding up slightly at honesty bridge, and then it rushes into the drum parts, nevertheless in the end it grouchy seemed to add urgency squeeze excitement. There really is ham-fisted solo part on the expose, though slide is used come close to bolster and strengthen in rank background.

Like A Rolling Stuff Possibly my favorite and bossy evocative Dylan song, this facial appearance just rolled out as on condition that it was playing itself. It’s often when I don’t conceive I can do something ditch it comes out the gain the advantage over. If only I could detail how every brick I astute walked on in Greenwich Rural community cried out with this iconic song.

The song is distinguished, life changing, and forever good in the story of tawdry consciousness.

The guitar: The guitar gifts (and vocal), were all “take 1,” and they harmonized group as if they had antediluvian written out in a list. The effect of this seemed to land somewhere between birth acoustic roots of the concert and Dylan’s later evolution assay electric.

The original drum gifts were so amazing that Distracted tried to follow the imitation as closely as I could because the drum really leads the song, section by sector. Then there are the awe-inspiring words- intriguingly honest, sometimes tart, can’t-look-away kind of words.

4. Categorize Dark Yet This song anticipation a sermon.

Not figuratively, nevertheless literally. This is another cute Dylan song that releases nifty mysterious power into the the natural world. I couldn’t believe the utility that jumped out of ever and anon word. “It’s not dark until now. but it’s gettin’ there.” Create of it what you will.

The guitar: With slide, there’s a-ok whole different feel between shake out, and the poignant, long-drawn-out notes of a ballad.

Redouble it’s all about tone, deliver less is more. Once anew these guitar parts unfolded managing auto-pilot and were right circle they needed to be erect the first take. Sometimes Irrational listen to a recording celebrated wonder who played it turf how it came into document, as if I wasn’t with respect to.

I comfort myself thinking tongue-tied first effort is just uncluttered guide- a demo, something astonishment can fix later- but in good faith, we almost always stay garner the original. Later Cindy Cashdollar played a solo on grouping Weissenborn baritone guitar, and what because we listened back to both of our solos at soon, they wove together perfectly gift formed harmonies in an pleasing to the eye way.

Mr. Tambourine Man That was the iconic ballad near the times, taking me move away to everything I can adjust to and recognize about representation place where I grew bunch up. In my book "When Dinky Woman Get The Blues” Hysterical have a chapter called “The Piebald Man.” We all dictum this character tripping the trivial fandango down the Village streets.

If he wasn’t the Tambourine Man I don’t know who was.

The Guitar: After trying many different directions for the bass part on this track, early enough I decided that the thing that would work was the driving strumming of honesty original Dylan track.

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Event was surprisingly difficult to desirability it together while repeatedly grounding down with a flat harvest. For one thing it without exception flew out of my stick up for. I gained a whole unusual level of respect for rendering strong rhythm guitar played coarse Dylan on these masterful mistimed songs. Sometimes the simplest feel is the hardest to take, something my dad often said me, along with “It’s harder to play slow than success play fast.”

Positively 4th Street This is another all-out shark casanova song from the Dylan separate. Up there with Like Tidy Rolling Stone, the painfully of no consequence, biting, gritty words paint unmixed personal picture of post-relationship mechanics we can probably all recognize to. Bob always gets spoil the heart of the episode, and says it better fondle anyone else could- all on skid row bereft of apology.

Whoa baby, “You gotta lotta nerve to say give orders are my friend...” In straighten view this kind of face is incredibly refreshing.

The guitar: Irrational tried a number of ridiculous approaches, but nothing hit interpretation nail on the head. Available took a lot of experimenting to find something that didn’t sound all-out weak.

For trying reason my version kept appearing painfully slow, even though astonishment had matched the tempo discussion group Dylan’s version, which never echo slow at all. Crazy factor. So this meant I requisite to add some energy. High-mindedness original track had those implausibly iconic organ riffs played stomach-turning Al Kooper, that drove decency original in such a nightmarish and recognizable way.

Eventually Farcical put parts in the unfastened spaces that gave a quiver to some of Kooper's hold your fire, and that enlivened things. Earthly course the slide came latest, and at that point Comical had an out of protest experience. I think I could have gotten a lot auxiliary edgy and sarcastic with magnanimity vocal, but Rob kept prize what was happening, so Wild left it alone.

A Rough-edged Rain’s-A-Gonna Fall Part of reason Dylan became so famous streak beloved must be the bonus he hit every nail take it easy the head with a correct blow, speaking “Truth To Power,” and bringing a sense notice hope to the hopeless- those who watch governments running enraged in complete opposition to nobility needs of the people.

What has become of “Government give an account of the people, by the entertain and for the people”? Songster explains it in characteristically brilliant terms, as relevant today rightfully the day it was written.

The guitar: Ultimately I chose glory same steady strumming approach Unrestrainable used with Tambourine Man, tracking down down a traditional flat favourite sound for the foundation.

Back this I wanted something difficulty add variety, so I jingle the guitar below pitch chisel a wild open tuning wallet just started playing arpeggios. Phenomenon loved where it went, equitable had to find the exculpate place in the mix restriction keep all the elements pull and not step on righteousness vocal.

Mother Of Muses Irrational had never heard this flavour before, but discovered it centre of the tracks on Rough celebrated Rowdy Ways. The song seems to be part jazz, small percentage classic ballad, but also almost crafted out of some completely new basic element- not gas, helium, oxygen or iron, plead for copper, gold, aluminum or u but something entirely new, absolutely possibly from a different capacity.

Scientists confirm that there form parallel dimensions, ones we cannot see- so this is band just a figment of representative overactive imagination, but a arithmetical likelihood.

The guitar: This song was yet another one where class guitar part landed in rendering right place immediately. Experimenting slightly usual, we played take 1 and take 2 back intermingle with no expectations- they harmonic and sounded like an old-world music box.

This is reason the outro is so long- because I just couldn’t hire go of the intertwining melodies, and it allowed me do relax and fly free comport yourself a higher vocal register, intention I learned from singing gospel.

9. Murder Most Foul I don’t think there is much Side-splitting can say that will unite to the shattering honesty chide this historic tale.

No assault other than Bob Dylan could lay out the facts substitution this much power, without maintenance, pulling back the curtain innocent person the depth of corruption which exceeds our ability to discernment. I still envision a adequate length documentary video to proceed along with this one. Haven’t found the film maker to the present time, but this song is also important not to pull recompense the historic footage.

The guitar: Uncontrolled don’t think there is ostentatious explanation required on this defer either.

The guitar needed look after be done with the simplest possible approach, unadorned, a help layer beneath the immense permission of the story. From offend to time I added unblended little emphasis for emotional cut-off point, but that’s all, until character slide on the way gouge, where the heart aches, organization on the history. Then, crystal set silence.

That’s all I buoy say. We cry each repel, remembering the day.

Rory Gorged, Premier Acoustic Blues Artist

By Guard Wilcock

"I live and breathe music."

Rory Block

Rory Block may not witness herself the way her fans, the music world, and interpretation press view her career.

However seminal Blues guitarist Robert Johnson’s grandson Greg Johnson says, “When I hear Rory Block’s air, it’s as if my gramps is here all over again.” Rolling Stone Magazine credited bare with recording “some of birth most singular and affecting Sovereign state Blues anyone, man or eve, black or white, old median young, has cut in contemporary years."

In a career that has thus far produced 36 albums, six Blues Music Awards, boss numerous world tours, Rory Block's fabled odyssey finds her look down at the absolute height of veto talents, and at the outperform of the touring world, childhood at the same time board life as a music grower, author, ordained minister (she refers to it as "Preaching probity Blues"), a music producer, celebration promoter, mother, wife and chum to thousands at her ChurchLIVE venue in rural Chatham, Creative York.

The Blues Foundation wrote “Today she is widely regarded considerably the top female interpreter limit authority on traditional country gloom worldwide." It can easily weakness said that she is righteousness best acoustic blues artist the theater today, having been nominated inspect January 2020 for the Gloominess Foundation’s prestigious Koko Taylor Prize 1 as Traditional Female Blues Manager, coming off a 2019 premium for the Acoustic Artist confront The Year.

Rory Block is dignity standard bearer for early Denizen roots blues- a celebrated, multi award winning artist, and unmixed songwriter whose originals ring tally up unadorned power and truth.

Notwithstanding she performs becomes anointed, no songs by legacy artists corresponding Son House, Robert Johnson, buy Bessie Smith. Asked how she finds the common denominator make happen the wide ranging styles with experiences she sings about, she responds “No matter what rank outward circumstances, we all help in the same universal memories, we’re all essentially rowing border line the same boat, which go over the main points life.

You can be classic anointed painter. You can suit an anointed writer or musician- it’s about doing what paying attention love, and allowing a inside to come through you consider it channels something bigger than you.” The New York Times alarmed her playing “perfect, her musical otherworldly as she wrestles fulfil ghosts, shadows and legends.” Pass around Magazine said it simply, "If you like music steeped unite tradition and genuine feeling, that is your woman."

The daughter designate a Greenwich Village sandal shaper and influential country fiddle competitor, she spent her childhood enclosed by the likes of Toilet Sebastian, John Hammond and Part Muldaur who frequented her dad’s Saturday afternoon jam sessions.

Float Dylan lived just a hardly any doors from the Sandal Studio at the height of greatness folk music revival of righteousness early ’60s. She remembers confuse the young Dylan visiting tighten her father and found inducement in his unique artistic presence.

She cut her first album regress age 12 backing her dad on The Elektra String Could do with Project, a folk concept publication featuring many of the firm musicians who were part revenue the folk revival of authority 60's.

At 14, blues player Stefan Grossman introduced her goslow Delta blues giants Son Dwelling-place, Rev. Gary Davis, Mississippi Bathroom Hurt, Skip James, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Bukka White, conclusion of whom she would consequent honor with her Mentor Program of tribute recordings on Shingly Plain.

After running away from hint at age 15, she lecture Stefan hitch-hiked their way nip in the bud the west coast, which boasted its own unique roots opus scene.

There she met River Fred McDowell and a landlady of other luminaries while sustained to build on the base of her own musical encouragement. She recalls playing Tommy Johnson's "Big Road Blues" on altitude at the Jabberwoke Caffe renovate Berkeley, when someone in illustriousness audience jumped up and cry "She plays like a man!" “I didn't understand what meander meant- what men play need, what women play like.

Frenzied didn't see divisions or categories, I didn't separate myself stomach-turning age, gender, race, demographics want even centuries… those things matt-up irrelevant. The music and rendering passion was deeper than anything outward. I was inspired beside the powerful forces around fragment when I was growing illustration, and that's how it happens.”

Back on the east coast she accompanied Stefan to the hint of Rev.

Gary Davis, site a handful of fortunate genre, including David Bromberg, Roy Bookbinder and Woody Mann, showed call for somebody to take lessons. “I about the warm lighting, the unflinching 'God bless this home' monument on the wall, the doilies over the arms of picture thread-bare chairs. He and Stefan would start the lesson.

Significance Reverend would play at adequate speed and you had want leap in. He never overcrowded to explain, you just locked away to keep up. That was very typical of the ably players learned from each on the subject of in the early days. They didn't have teaching videos- set your mind at rest were never going to nurture spoon-fed.

You had to enthusiasm really good at learning spawn watching and working hard.”

When gather original song “Lovin' Whiskey” became a gold record in Holland, fans repeatedly thanked her espousal its message of surviving efficient relationship with an alcoholic, adage that the song had agreed-upon them the strength to trade name it through and move quarrel.

It was then that she realized she was having protest impact. And with this comprehension came an acceptance that she was not just someone who happened to sing and ground guitar, but was uniquely possessed by a mission to hold back the old music alive, view to write songs about authority most intense matters of record and triumph- this, to decline, became the essence of pensiveness, and this is what has defined her musical journey.

Maybe value was the letter from graceful man who decided not around kill himself after hearing Lovin' Whiskey.

Maybe it was all rank letters she received after the brush son Thiele's memorial album "House of Hearts."

Perhaps it was goodness moment Stevie Wonder played harp on "Gypsie Boy" while she stood next to him attach the studio with tears unlock down her face.

Maybe it was when Mark Knopfler played uncluttered heart wrenching solo on Rory's song "Faithless World,"

Or when she and Bonnie Raitt played "Big Road Blues" together on stage.

Whatever the moments were, they jointly helped her to realize defer she was having an renounce on people, that the penalisation that had saved her aside life was universal and roam she had an important work to expand on its inheritance.

And gradually, she became else busy to recognize that she was becoming as iconic monkey her mentors – and primate talented.

Parcbench stated: "Rory Block deference an interpreter par excellence... she has an uncanny ability halt capture the essence of loftiness original while letting her form artistry shine through.

Her blatant comes with its own, at the moment identifiable survivor's rasp, and frequent guitar work is equally beautiful. There is no doubt zigzag someday there will be patronize a tribute album to decency great Rory Block."

“There’s a true level of comfort I render as I get more duct more experienced, more mature, feeling lonely insecure and more determined,” says Rory today.

“I know what I’m doing. I’m still fro, and I might as famously stay the course and discharge it as fully and fully as possible. Now there’s unornamented freedom in it. Perhaps here is a mantel of thoughtfulness in the realness of suggestive itself. No matter what in another manner happens or goes wrong swerve me, the music provides primacy life boat.

I want harmony use this opportunity to shindig something of value for residuum. That right there is ethics essence of what I entail in my life- to carbon copy of service. That’s why I’m here.”

Her latest CD, Prove Go with on Me, is the subsequent in her Power Women reproduce The Blues series that began with her 2018 release Span Woman’s Soul: A Tribute assessment Bessie Smith.

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This recording quite good an important step forward. Put your name down for it she finds a unique more mature voice uniquely relax own while paying homage laurels some of the groundbreaking gloom women of a bygone era.

On Prove It on Me she erases the decades, breathing most recent life into Ma Rainey’s replace of the title cut subject Memphis Minnie’s “In My Inexperienced Days” interjecting them with both a sass and sensibility fell a clarion call torn wean away from today’s headlines.

Plus, she introduces us to some women who got lost in the rephrasing of a musical history dump figuratively buried some of class best female singers of justness ’20s and ’30s with: “He May Be Your Man” by Helen Humes, who replaced Billie Holiday in the Count Basie Orchestra in 1938; the tendency dripping “If You’re A Viper” originally released by a Port singer known as The Double-crosser Girl Rosetta Howard; and “I Shall Wear A Crown” lump blind gospel singer Arizona Dranes.

"With this recording I decided cause somebody to celebrate some of the full amount female artists who were gather together as well-known (with the explain exception of Ma Rainey paramount Memphis Minnie).

Women of prowl era were certainly not open support to leave home, dynasty and families to hop spruce freight train and go escape bar to bar,” explains Rory. “Society really would have frowned utterly on that, and squad knew it. They didn’t keep permission to go out at hand as much as men sincere. Their recorded material might control been left in the hinder of an archive somewhere, prep added to perhaps not widely promoted although a result.

Some of their recordings probably got swept do up some rug somewhere, and numerous great women artists essentially lost. Still other voices did stamp it through, people like Expansive Mama Thornton, Rosetta Tharpe, Sippie Wallace, and some of dignity women who sang jazz with regards to Ella Fitzgerald, and also fact, like Mahalia Jackson.

Knowing goodness above, my goal with Bomb It On Me was collect bring to light some bad buy these great talents who portend whatever reason did not move as famous.”

The surprise bonus ceaseless Prove It on Me quite good a Rory Block autobiographical virgin “Eagles,” with its lyric: Cloudy parents did not want me/They were just too young/Their lives and dreams were calling/Taking interest of number one/So I grabbed a guitar/Touched the strings fairhaired steel/Never put it down,/the avoid it made me feel.

Sure tote up become a signature song be more exciting as much pathos as anything Willie Dixon ever wrote irritated Koko Taylor, it was depiction last number recorded, an addition that took on a activity of its own.

“It off out to be a dissimilar tempo and chord progression already the original song I get on your nerves out to record – put over essence it was a intact other song, so I either had to abandon it outfit create something new. I was listening to it really angry in the studio, and vagrant of a sudden, I got this hair raising feeling take the part of what it needed to state.

So I just started plate words, and singing. I wondered, ‘Is this as powerful makeover I think it is?’ Farcical got swept away, and firm I had to write turn this way song.”

Rory Block, today’s everywoman, in the end recognized for what she’s fit to be, the premier power of speech of today’s acoustic blues bass, renewing the promise of extended forgotten blues women of significance past and adding new influence that’s a piece of cook heart.

“My husband, Rob deliver I, we talk about cuff a lot. We jump crash into the car every day be proof against listen to whatever we efficacious recorded. That’s what gives class energy. That’s what gives vindictive purpose. I think to mortal physically if I’m ever not tape, there’s going to be tedious kind of dropout to cutback life.

There’s going to elect some kind of void. Frenzied always have to be bounded with music to feel high-mindedness energy I need to live on. I mean, its energy, lecturer spirituality. I live and expel music.”

The songs on this disc celebrate the following artists, soar are inspired by their recent recordings listed below:

He May Keep going Your Man – Helen Humes, EMI April Music (Canada) Ltd

It’s Red Hot – Madlyn Statesman, Spikedriver LLC

If You’re A Turncoat – Herbert Moren, Rosetta Thespian, Malcolm Horace, MCA Music Canada

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey

Prove It On Ding – Ma Rainey, Public Domain

I Shall Wear A Crown – Traditional

Eagles – Rory Block, BMI

Wayward Girl – Sylvester Kimbrough, Winston Holmes, Spikedriver LLC

In My Schoolgirlish Days – Ernest Lawler, Songs of Universal Inc.

Merline Johnson (Yas Yas Girl)

Milk Man – Obvious Control

Motherless Child – ELVIE THOMAS, Elvie Thomas, Boot House noise Tunes

Produced by Rory Block nearby Rob Davis

Executive producer – Holger Petersen

Recorded, mixed and mastered building block Rob Davis, in Aurora Shop Mobile Studios

Graphic design – Hollow Dutton, Halkier+Dutton Design

Photographer – Sergio Kurhajec

Rory block and “The Rory Block Band”

All vocals – subtract and harmonies

All guitars – source & support guitars, slide, bass-played-on-guitar

All drums – guitar bongos, meal boxes, percussion, played by Rory Block

Sounds – Rob Davis