Album: Slide To Freedom /  Artist: Doug Cox & Sali Bhatt /  8 tracks: 56:29 /  April 17, 2007 /  Northern Blues Music

In recent years North American musicians have been discovering and incorporating into their music elements of Indian and Persian music. In turn American listeners have been learning to appreciate instruments that although unfamiliar have added immensely to their listening enjoyment. The theme continues with Slide To Freedom, a CD in which Doug Cox teamed up with Salil Bhatt and Ramkumar Mishra. 

The meeting of cultures hits a climax with the fourth track Blind Willie Johnson’s “Soul Of A Man,” in which Cox’s blues vocals and guitar picking meet Bhatt’s Satvik Veena. The later instrument is a modified arch top guitar, played on the lap like a slide guitar comprised of twenty strings, three for melody, five for drone and twelve sympathetic strings.

Throughout the album Ramkumar Mishra demonstrates his mastering of the traditional Indian percussion instrument the tabla. During the past year the tabla has quickly become my favorite percussion instrument and do not be surprised to read somewhere down the road that your correspondent has taken up the instrument.

Father Kirwani perhaps of all the tracks on this record best demonstrates the wide range and versatility of the mohan veena as the same instrument creates both ethereal sounds and drones. The mohan veena was created by Salil Bhatt’s father, the Grammy Award winning V.M. Bhatt who performs with the instrument on this song as well as “Soul Of A Man”. The elder Bhatt is no stranger to genre breaking having enjoyed recording success with Ry Cooder (roots-- slide guitar), Jerry Douglas (country/bluegrass--dobro), Bela Fleck (jazz/bluegrass—dobro, bass guitar) and Taj Mahal (blues—plays more than twenty instruments).

Some tracks on Slide To Freedom seem wholly given over to the more ethnic vibes while songs such as Cox’s original composition “Beware Of The Man” leave no room for doubt that they are firmly entrenched in traditional blues music. The aforementioned Indian strings and percussion however accompany Cox and once again add a delicacy and texture not usually experienced in blues music. Cox’s vocals have enough sandpaper to make them well suited for his blues lyrics.

If you possess a sense of adventure, would like to broaden your musical horizons and are in the mood for some very good music then Slide To Freedom from Northern Blues Music (www.northernblues.com) would be a good addition to any music library. 

Reviewed By Joe Montague

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Reviewed May 2007