Adrian Farmer – Blue Eyes
This is a quality product from a musician of many talents!!!
Adrian Farmer is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist as well as being a renowned maker of excellent guitars, banjos and mandolins. Adrian lived in The Netherlands for many years working as a luthier and musician and is currently a member of that excellent Dutch band “Stroatklinkers”. He shuttles back and forth from his home village of Wadhurst in the UK.
This CD is a very personal project for Adrian with a collection of eleven original songs and instrumentals, plus two traditional Bluegrass songs and one traditional instrumental. It showcases his love of bluegrass but also music with a country “accent”.
Supporting Adrian are some of The Netherlands finest musicians
- Joost van Es – Fiddle
- Annemarie de Bie – Tin Whistle
- Henk Bloupot – Percussion
- Bert Veldkamp – Bass
- Coos Gevelink – Baritone vocals and Bass, Percussion, Piano,
Selecting some of the self-penned compositions the opening track “How Will I Know” begins with the melancholic sound of the Dobro to set the scene for a questioning love song that demonstrates Adrian’s vocal talents in harmonising with him which is certainly a trademark of the whole album. Following on, “The Cliff” is a great Hitchcock-like ghost-story ballad, very reminiscent of the singing style of Marty Robbins and displays excellent guitar work. The CD title track, “Blue Eyes”, is a heart-felt love song with a very simple but effective arrangement.
There is an eclectic mix of instrumentals; “Hurricane Ade” is a mandolin tune with distinct elements of Bill Monroe and some fine mandolin cross-picking while and “Mutleys’ Run” (Mutley from Wacky Races) is banjo-centric but not brash with an excellent twin mandolin ending. Both tunes have fine fiddling from Joost van Es. Totally different is the traditional Irish “Londonderry Air” more popularly known around the world as Danny Boy. Played with feeling and care on the guitar with just the addition of the Tin whistle to give the flavour of its Irish origin.
Adding the bluegrass tone are “Pig in a Pen” and “Sweet little Miss Blue Eyes”, both so well known and both very well done with freshness and originality.
Amongst the other songs are the very well written “Evil Shadow” and his very first composition “I’ll Always Love You”, which combine to show the hardships of relationships. Adrian’s composition “A Soldiers Return” is heartfelt insight into the mind of an ordinary man, a soldier whose brothers have been killed, the longing for his family and his eventual safe return home.
This album is the culmination of many years and of many events and well worth a good listen.
As Adrian says…”something for everyone including the wives of us bluegrass lovers”
Listen to Blue Eyes
And Hurricane Ade
Available through Adrian’s website www.customfarmers.net
