Erick Hovey is not your typical farmer, nor is he your typical blues guitar player, yet if you met him on the street you would think you are meeting Joe Average. However, the 5th generation gentleman farmer from Badger is one of Iowa's best guitar slingers in the state. As typical with Erick, he doesn't do things like the rest of us. Instead of releasing one CD, he puts out two. Recycled Souls, and Blues Farm, are two great discs of blues, jazz, and blues rock. Both these discs are similar. You really can't put Erick into a box. In one track he sounds like Eric Clapton, then the next song he is David Gilmore, or chunking along like a train in a jump blues style. Hovey's guitar just soars through out this disk. It isn't that over the top, wish I was Stevie Ray Vaughn style of guitar, but the playing of a guy who knows what he is doing and making great music. Furthermore, his writing style is incredibly eclectic.
Erick kind of takes words from out of the ether, and sometimes an almost zen like quality of word play. Then at other times it is just down and dirty blues. Throughout the disk Erick is supported by Dan Lodden on bass, Jeff Forman on drums, and the breathy ethereal vocals of Heather Kelly of H And K. A few friends drop by to help Erick out, Andy Schinder plays bass on Sweet Fire Rain, from Recycled Soul. While harp maestro Andy Blumenthal blows on harp on Blues Farm. Then there is also some piano player I have never heard of named Tom Gary, that sort of plays piano and organ on a few tunes:-)
This is a great CD to pick up. I can't recommend one over the other, just buy BOTH!! CD Baby has both discs For Recycled Soul Click HERE, for Blues Farm Click HERE.
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