Hunter Robertson, Clawhammer Banjo Player - Reviews and Press Photographs

Reviews

First, reviews of If You Want to Go to Sleep, Go to Bed, then for Sings Songs for the Masses.

From Germany's FolkWorld

“…Casey Joe Abair and Hunter Robertson take it a totally different way. Their music on banjo, violin and vocals is energetic and raw. The banjo sounds occasionally like a wild storm and impresses in combination with Robertson’s raw and heavy voice. I like the way this duo totally give themselves to the music. They keep the ancient soul of the compositions and force me to listen to their music with superb music and compositions in which the musicians search for the outer limits of their possibilities and have the guts to ignore standard conventions. I appreciate that and the result is an album with good old banjo/violin music that both sounds like it’s decades old and modern at the same time.” - Eelco Schilder for FolkWorld

From the Inland Northwest Bluegrass Association's Bluegrass Blabber

“Casey Joe Abair & Hunter Robertson, If You Want to Go to Sleep, Go to Bed (hunterrobertson.com). Hot old-timey fiddle and banjo. Seventeen knock-yer-socks-off numbers. These guys are not kidding around!” - Mitch Finley, Inland Northwest Bluegrass Association’s Bluegrass Blabber

From the French Trad Magazine (No. 129, Jan-Feb 2010) (translation below):

"« Si vous voulez dormir, allez au lit » était la réponse que faisait le banjoïste Charlie Lowe à ceux qui trouvaient qu’il jouait trop vite. J’avais adoré le premier CD de Hunter Robertson, “Song For The Masses”, j’aime encore plus celui-ci. C’est un exercice difficile et dangereux que de jouer dans cette combinaison, uniquement un violon et un banjo. Hunter et Casey réussissent magnifiquement. Les deux instruments s’emmêlent, s’interpellent. Un vrai plaisir. On ne peut s’empêcher de penser au duo Tommy Jarrell & Fred Cockerham. Le choix des morceaux est excellent : des classiques (June Apple, Old Joe Clark, Sail Away Ladies) et des surprises, des versions inconnues ou peu connues (telles Fort Smith Breakdown ou Hog Eyed Man). Hunter chante avec une voix râpeuse à souhait, secondée par la voix très pure de sa femme Féréale sur trois morceaux, dont le très beau I Truly Understand. Un superbe album, conseillé aux amateurs de musique old time français."

"Le second opus d’Hunter Robertson, cette fois-ci en compagnie d’un fiddler pour revisiter le répertoire à banjo et violon. Sûrement l’un des meilleurs CDs de musique old time du moment."

"'If you want to go to sleep, go to bed' was banjo player Charlie Lowe's reply to those who found that he played too fast. I loved Hunter Robertson's first CD, Songs for the Masses, I like this one even more. Playing in this combination of just fiddle and banjo is a difficult and dangerous exercise. Hunter and Casey succeed magnificently. The two instruments intertwine and respond to each other. A real pleasure. You can't help but think of the duo of Tommy Jarrell & Fred Cockerham. The choice of pieces is excellent: classics (June Apple, Old Joe Clark, Sail Away Ladies) and some surprises, unknown or little known versions (like Fort Smith Breakdown or Hog Eyed Man). Hunter sings with a voice as rough as you could wish for, supported by the very pure voice of his wife Féréale on three pieces, including the very beautiful "I Truly Understand". A superb album, recommended to French old-time music fans."

Claude also included the album in his Trad Magazine list of the 5 best albums of the year (Thanks a lot Claude!). "Hunter Robertson's second opus, this time in the company of a fiddler, revisiting the banjo/fiddle repertory. Certainly one of the best current CDs of old-time music." (my translation) - Claude Vue for Trad Magazine

Here's another French one from the magazine Le Cri du Coyote (No. 114) (translation below):

"Casey Joe ABAIR et Hunter ROBERTSON sont respectivement originaires du Vermont et de Californie (Robertson réside actuellement en France) mais ils jouent de la musique old time des Appalaches. Pour les 17 morceaux traditionnels qui composent If You Want to Go to Sleep, Go to Bed (Yodel-Ay-Hee 074), ils citent les artistes qui les leur ont fait connaître (Hobart Smith, Wade Ward, Tommy Jarrell, New Lost City Ramblers, Elizabeth Cotton et beaucoup d'autres). Tout est interprété en duo fiddle/banjo. Hunter Robertson (bjo) chante 7 morceaux d'une voix grave, gutturale et râpeuse. Une harmonie vocale et des choeurs adoucissent quelque peu le chant sur I Truly Understand et Sail Away Ladies qui figurent parmi les titres les plus réussis. Robertson alterne le clawhammer et un style mixte qui intègre du picking (I Truly Understand). Il a un jeu qui respecte et met en valeur la mélodie et sur certains instrumentaux c'est d'avantage le fiddle qui accompagne le banjo plutôt que l'inverse (Last Chance, Sugar Baby). Robertson joue plusieurs titres sur un banjo fretless et quelque fois à des tempos très rapides (Run Slave Run, Lonesome John). Il utilise une syncope originale, apparemment accompagnée de notes tirées sur The Devil's Dream et Sandy River Belles. Le style de CJ Abair au fiddle est plus classique, avec une mélodie un peu tronquée quand le banjo est en avant. Mon morceau favori est cependant June Apple mené par le fiddle, comme le sont Old Joe Clark et Lonesome John, également assez réussis. Il faut une ou deux écoutes pour se faire a la voix d'Hunter Robertson mais cet album n'est pas forcement réservé aux amateurs de old time hard-core!"

Casey Joe Abair and Hunter Robertson are from, respectively, Vermont and California (Robertson currently lives in France) but they play old-time music from the Appalachians. For the 17 traditional pieces that make up If You Want to Go to Sleep, Go to Bed (Yodel-Ay-Hee 074) they list the artists that they learned from (Hobart Smith, Wade Ward, Tommy Jarrell, The New Lost City Ramblers, Elizabeth Cotton and lots of others). All are played as a fiddle/banjo duet. Hunter Robertson (banjo) sings seven pieces in a deep, rough, guttural voice. Harmony and backing vocals soften the singing somewhat on 'I Truly Understand' and 'Sail Away Ladies', which are among some of the most successful pieces. Robertson switches between clawhammer and a mixed style which includes fingerpicking ('I Truly Understand'). His playing respects and highlights the melody and on some instrumentals it's more the fiddle that accompanies the banjo than the other way around ('Last Chance', 'Sugar Baby'). Robertson plays several tunes on a fretless banjo, sometimes at a very fast pace ('Run Slave Run', 'Lonesome John') and has an original sense of syncopation. CJ Abair's style on the fiddle is more classic, with the melody slightly abbreviated when the banjo is up front. My favorite piece though is 'June Apple' led by the fiddle, as are 'Old Joe Clark' and 'Lonesome John', also fairly well done. It takes a listen or two to get used to Robertson's voice but this album isn't necessarily limited to hardcore old-time fans! (my translation) - Cri du Coyote

From Germany's Country Home:

"Dem primitiven, unnachahmlichen Stil der Appalachen haben sich diese zwei Interpreten hier angenommen. Und genauso primitiv wirkt der Gesang auf ihrem Tonträger. Gerade deshalb verdienen die zwei aber uneingeschränkte Aufmerksamkeit. Denn Simplizität kann nie gleichgesetzt werden mit Anspruchlosigkeit. Was die beiden hier bieten, ist vom Feinsten, auch wenn viele Zuhörer damit wahrscheinlich nichts anfangen können. Nur wenige begreifen, wie unglaublich sensibel das Gefiddle von Casey Joe Abair neben dem Clawhammer-Banjo von Hunter Robertson ist. Und wie gut sich die beiden Musiker ergänzen. Mit von der Partie sind so bekannte Stücke wie „Bonaparte’s Retreat“ oder „Old Joe Clark“. Und jetzt weiss ich auch, wie mein einfacher, aber raffinierter Blues-Song „Sugar Baby“ im Appalachen-Stil klingt. Ebenso genial, nämlich." - Country Home

From MazzMusikaS

Hunter Robertson / Sings Songs For The Masses / Eigen Beheer Casey Joe Abair & Hunter Robertson / If You Want To Go To Sleep, Go To Bed / Yodel-Ay-Hee 074 (www.hunterrobertson.com) Hunter Robertson (1972) is geboren in California, verhuisde met zijn van origine Schotse vader in 1986 naar de Haute Savoie in Frankrijk en begon weer een paar jaar later interesse te krijgen in gitaarspelen. Pa kocht een 6-snarige Epiphone voor hem en leerde hem de eerste beginselen van het spel, compleet met Carter Family tokkelwerk. Uiteindelijk kreeg hij een 12-snarige gitaar van zijn vader en die gitaar is nog altijd zijn belangrijkste gitaar. Het echte instrument van zijn vader was de banjo, die hij bespeelde in de ‘clawhammer’ stijl. Hunter raakte op den duur geïnteresseerd in dit instrument en de clawhammer speelstijl en dat instrument bespeelt hij op de meeste nummers van de bovenstaande twee cd’s. De eerste cd, Sings Songs For The Masses, bevat solo-opnamen uit de jaren 2001-2007. Hunter bespeelt naast de banjo een keur aan andere instrumenten, uiteraard ook zijn 12-snarige gitaar. Van de 14 nummers zijn er 7 traditionals (waaronder bekende nummers als Pretty Polly, Soldier’s Joy en Bonaparte’s Retreat), 6 van de hand van Hunter en het nummer Red Wing van Mills/Chattaway. De muziek is traditioneel, lees begin 20e eeuw, Hunter’s zang is heel apart en past wonderwel goed bij zijn muziek. Een geluid dat diep uit zijn keel komt en klinkt alsof hij te lang onder de grond heeft gezeten in een kolenmijn, behoorlijk gruizig dus. Maar o zo passend. Hunter, die sinds mei van dit jaar (na een verblijf op Kreta om een oud dorpshuis te restaureren en vervolgens in Vermont in de USA) weer een onderkomen in Frankrijk heeft (dicht bij de Zwitserse grens) heeft afgelopen september een duet cd uitgebracht met de fiddler Casey Joe Abair, die hij tijdens zijn verblijf in Vermont had leren kennen. Abair is behalve fiddler ook een goede bluesgitarist en een uitstekend vertolker van Ierse muziek op fiddle en melodeon. Op deze in de eigen huiskamers van de heren in Vermont opgenomen cd staan 17 traditionals die allen in duetvorm worden gespeeld, old-timey fiddle/banjo duets, zoals men dat in de Appalachians placht (en ook pleegt) te doen. Op een paar nummers is er hulp van buitenaf, Hunters Franse vrouw Féréale (is dat zo?) zingt op een drietal nummers mee en ene Josh Neilson doet ‘stomping’ in Ducks On The Millpond. Ook deze cd ademt de sfeer van ruim een eeuw terug en kent een aantal bekende nummers: wederom Bonaparte’s Retreat, maar ook The Coo Coo, Old Joe Clark, Sail Away Ladies, In The Pines en Lonesome John. Het is verrassend originele muziek die is te horen op beide cd’s. Ga eens luisteren naar deze sympathieke Schots/Amerikaanse Fransman of Schots/Franse Amerikaan Beide cd-verpakkingen zijn voorzien van technische informatie over de instrumenten en de gebruikte stemming (FS) - Fred Schmale for MazzMusikaS

From Bluegrass Bühne - Old-Time & Bluegrass Magazine (Dec./Jan. 2009/10, No. 174). (The same issue also had a separate article on me. Thanks guys!)

Hunter ist mit seinem Old Time Banjo solo in Voorthuizen und in La Roche-sur-Foron aufgetreten, er lebt jetzt in Frankreich; diese CD hat er in den USA mit einem befreundeten Old Time Fiddler aus Vermont aufgenommen. Die meisten Titel kennen wir aus dem üblichen Repertoire dieses Genres, sie einzeln aufzuführen ist nicht immer sinnvoll, denn zu manchen Titeln gibt es mehrere Melodien und die gleiche Melodie hat mehrere Titel, nennen wir hier “Sail away Ladies”, anderswo heißt das auch “Sally Ann”, “Don't you rock me daddy-o” usw. Der “Devil's dream,” hier hat nicht die von Bill Keith u. a. bekannte Melodie, “Run slave run” war vor der Erfindung der political correctness “Run nigger run”, “Coo coo” ist nicht das Lied mit “She's a pretty bird... ”. Andererseits haben sie oft ihre Individualität, man kann viele leicht wiedererkennen. Die Quelle ist immer angegeben, ebenso die jeweilige Stimmung von Banjo und Geige, teilweise spielt er ein bundloses Fivestring. Hunter singt auch mit einer ungewöhnlich tiefen, rauen Stimme, manchmal begleitet von seiner Frau Féréale. Was jedem ins Ohr fällt, sind Tempo und Temperament der Interpretation, die beiden schaffen zu zweit einen überraschend kompakten Klang und meistens eine halsbrecherische Geschwindigkeit, die so nicht sein muss, aber kann und darf. Wir finden Authentizität, Verständnis für und Respekt vor der Musik, die sie spielen. Kontakt: www.hunterrobertson.com - Bluegrass Bühne witten by Eberhard Finke

From Tony Spadaro, aka Old Woodchuck, over at Rocket Science Banjo:

“If You Want To Go To Sleep, Go To Bed”. Is the title of the new cd by banjoist Hunter Robertson and fiddler Casey Joe Abair. And it is obviously a work that involved a lot of late nights for a long time before any recording equipment was ever set up. When the players know each other well, and have put in many hours together, fiddle and banjo duets can catch fire, producing an event that is more than the sum of the two instruments. Abiar and Robertson obviously know each other well and know how to throw ideas back and forth in a way that brings the listener a new insight into the music. If that all sounds a bit “classical”, well perhaps it is. The banjo fiddle combination is does not have the full sound of a string band, it is more like a chamber group, where the communication between instruments and players is more important than a full group sound. Listeners can really hear the two instruments because they differ in range, timbre, attack, sustain, and so many other ways. It is almost as if the fiddle and banjo go so well together because they have so little in common.

Banjo and fiddle is also one of the most exacting and dangerous combinations to record. Unlike a full band, fiddle and banjo will not cover mistakes for each other. Each player is fully responsible for every note he produces. This is not music for players who need the safety net of guitar and bass.

The selection of tunes is heavily weighted toward the old tunes played with the fire and enthusiasm they really deserve but seldom get these days, but there are some less common tunes that work beautifully in the duet setting. their “The Devil’s Dream” is from Hobart Smith and very different than the one I play. It is actually considerably more “band” friendly and the tune is closer to John Brown’s Dream.

“Fort Smith Breakdown” doesn’t show up on many jam lists but is a super tune from a 1920s recording by Luke Highnight’s Ozark Strutters. Here Robertson is playing a fretless Harmony ResoTone in Old G (gDGDE) tuning. “Run Slave Run” uses the same tuning and probably the same banjo.

“Hog Eye Man” aka “Sally In The Garden” is frequently played crooked, but Abair and Thompson seem to have found a whole new crooked way to do it. I’m going to try it out, but I won’t attempt to show it to my jam groups.

Some of the selections are great “trance” tunes where the two instruments seem to float around the melody passing it back and forth until you feel it has been the background music to your entire life. I was very surprised to read that “Tater Patch” and “Sandy River Belle” were each only about four minutes, as was their rendition of “Sail Away Ladies”

The album is Yodel-Ay-Hee number 74, and you can order it direct from Hunter Robertson’s website: http://www.hunterrobertson.com, where you can also watch videos of Abair and Robertson, and even buy a copy of Robertson’s solo album “Hunter Robertson Sings Songs For The Masses.” - Old Woodchuck, Rocket Science Banjo

From Times Ain’t Like They Used to Be:

“Here’s a quick review for an excellent new cd i received a few days ago. Under the evocative title “If you want to sleep, go to bed” (A saying by banjo-player Charlie Lowe, who was a major figure of the Round Peak old-time musical tradition and who liked his music fast…) it contains almost exclusively fiddle and banjo duets by two young musicans, Casey Joe Albair and Hunter Robertson. The fine art of fiddle and banjo duets is the core of american old-time music and the two musicians gives us an excellent and energetic selections of instrumental tunes, some well-known, some more obscure, along with a few old-timey songs sung in the expressive and rough vocal style of banjo player Hunter Robertson. The contrast with the delicate voice of his wife Fereale who join him on three numbers makes a delightful combination (it reminds me of some Blind Willie Johnson numbers where the rough street singer sings with a woman).

An elegant and tasty packaging along with some fine liner notes (the source and tunings are provided for each track) to boot makes this cd a must-have for every fan of authentic and deep appalachian old-time music.

Go to Hunter Robertson’s website to hear some samples of it. You can order the cd directly from the website or from various places like ITUNES, AMAZON, ELDERLY…” - Gadaya, Times Ain’t Like They Used to Be

From Rambles.NET, by the ever astute Jerome Clark:

“The title quotes the wisdom of old-time banjo player Charlie Lowe of North Carolina. The message: if you don’t like lively music, get lost. Though Lowe is long gone, Casey Joe Abair (fiddle) and Hunter Robertson (banjo, lead vocals) carry on the fiery tradition of Southern mountain music. Neither man, however, is a Southern musician. Abair hails from Vermont, where the California-born Robertson was living when this was recorded. Since this past May he has resided in France.

Robertson’s music came into my life with his striking Songs for the Masses (a tongue-in-cheek title if ever there was one). I reviewed it in this space on 5 July 2008. Masses was not just another accomplished oldtime-revival album but something that sounded as if delivered intact (but for the rare electric guitar) from some remote provincial outpost in the 19th century. I marveled at what I called its “almost skinless sound.” The vocals conjured up “a 200-year-old ghost … accidentally captured on the tape as, otherwise inaudible, it sang to Robertson’s playing of an old tune.” This was the sound of American folk music, one surmises (we can’t know for sure, of course), as it was before the advent of recording equipment.

If You Want to Go to Sleep, Go to Bed is not that sort of album, except perhaps on those occasions when Robertson sings in the sort of choked rasp that made Masses feel so eerily out of its era. Abair & Robertson’s atmospheric reading of “In the Pines” (accompanied by Fereale Robertson’s disembodied harmony singing) captures something of the not-of-this-earth sensibility of Robertson’s previous disc, and it owes nothing to the Louvin Brothers, Bill Monroe or Lead Belly. Mostly, though, the two have moved the music into the 20th century: not the fiddle/banjo duet itself, which goes back to what the antique song calls “the good old colony times,” but to the precision and tonality of more — relatively — modern approaches. Some of this survives in its native form in Appalachia, and you can still hear it on stages of Southern fiddle and folk festivals.

Abair & Robertson do what they do very well. The 17 cuts consist of genre standards (“Old Joe Clark,” “Ducks on the Millpond,” “Bonaparte’s Retreat” and the like), but the arrangements are distinctive and the melodies are not always the familiar ones. From the evidence of Masses it was clear that Robertson’s knowledge of traditional music is encyclopedic, and I presume Abair’s boasts comparable pagination. Their music is bright, vivid and lovely. If you find yourself nodding off through Sleep, see your doctor.” - Jerome Clark, Rambles.NET

Here are reviews for Sings Songs for the Masses:

Sing Out! review

unter Robertson is a modern day banjo songster. Sings Songs for the Masses is his first CD, and it’s a solo effort through and through with Hunter playing all the instruments and establishing a wide range of sounds all the while remaining solidly rooted in traditional old-time and blues.

Although his biographical information is sketchy, the cover photo shows a young man and the promotional material states that he has been playing the banjo and 12-string guitar for nearly 20 years. If I had to guess from listening to the CD, I’d say he’s a much older man. His voice is deep and resonant, and his playing is very reminiscent of Doc Boggs and various Piedmont blues players.

The CD opens with “Threw Down,” one of the half dozen original selections on the recording. It is a short drop-thumb clawhammer banjo piece demonstrating that he is a fine player. “She Had Eyes” follows, a tune that could easily have been heard on a plantation well before the Civil War when African American workers could only play music on whatever happened to be around them. Hunter performs on a self-made instrument called an Opus. It is a piece of music remarkably unaffected by modern styles.

We are introduced to Hunter’s singing through his rendition of “Pretty Polly.” His voice would indicate a life surrounded by the horrors described in the old-time classic. “You Gonna Need Someone On Your Bond” features Hunter as a one man band as he supplies slide banjo, bass drum, high hat, kazoo and vocals. He realistically captures the sound that was quite prevalent in many southern towns on court day. Later, Hunter includes “Milo mou Kokkino,” a Northern Greek tune, as part of a banjo medley containing “Bonaparte’s Retreat,” “Ducks on the Millpond” and “Salmon Tails up the River.”

Hunter Robertson is a highly talented traditional musician. Sings Songs for the Masses is as strong a solo CD as I’ve heard in quite some time.

- TD for Sing Out! (v. 52/2)

Rambles.Net review

"Listening to Songs for the Masses (that title comprising the album's one and only flash of humor), I reflected on how rarely these days one hears traditional songs -- field recordings aside -- performed traditionally. Even less commonly encountered are records by raised-outside-the-tradition artists who choose to recreate a sound that seems to capture the feeling of homespun front-porch, dance-hall, street-corner music from the age before the advent of the recording industry. (Since we have no recordings from back then to guide us, imagination and inference are as omnipresent in the attempt as "authenticity," of course.)

    Hunter Robertson, who now resides in Vermont but who has lived in the United Kingdom, Greece and France, has produced that kind of record. The sole performer, he employs the banjo (along with the occasional fretless, gut-string or gourd variation) as his principal instrument, though 12-string guitar, electric guitar, kazoo and percussion also show up, if less often. There are 14 songs and instrumentals, approximately half of them traditional, the rest originals indistinguishable from traditionals.

    Robertson sings in a rolling rumble that will likely put you in a couple of minds: Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart in one, in the other the sort of field recording in which an ethnomusicologist is seeking to document an instrumental style and the singing, rough as a cob, is simply -- at least from the immediate academic perspective -- extraneous. Contributing to the latter psychic impression is Robertson's sometime habit of burying his vocal into the mix, if "mix" is not too fancy a word to denote the almost skinless sound; sometimes, if one were a superstitious soul, one might imagine a 200-year-old ghost was accidentally captured on the tape as, otherwise inaudible, it sang to Robertson's playing of an old tune. All of this, by the way, is perfectly fine by me.

    The banjo playing -- as exquisite as it is eccentric -- has the creaky ambience of a haunted house. "Banjo Medley" is 5:37's worth of four venerable tunes played clawhammer style, the last of them a Greek folk piece that feels in no way out of place. The African-American spiritual "Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dyin' Bed" has Robertson's growled lyrics set on top of a fierce, doom-laden 12-string groove. It is damned scary.

    'Til now, I have not heard a version of "Red Wing" -- though long since absorbed by tradition, it began its life as a pop song in the early 20th century -- so stark and gloomy as to make one forget just how dopey the lyrics are. Even so, what a melody, all the more attractive for the way Robertson manages to turn it inside out without killing it. In another sit-up-and-take-notice moment, he gives "You Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond" -- always emotionally and rhythmically dead-on -- the one-man-band treatment.

    Songs for the Masses is for neither the masses nor the timid. But if you're up for a walk through the lonesome valley that stretches across the moonless landscape of the old, weird America, Robertson will show you the way."

- Jerome Clark writing for Rambles.Net

Trad Magazine review

"If I hadn't seen the picture of Hunter Robertson on the CD cover I would have thought I was dealing with an older person. But no, in fact he's a fairly young man. And that's what is amazing! At times you would think you were listening to an old 78, but recorded with modern technology. Impressive! Hunter's main instrument is the 5-string banjo, which he plays to perfection in all the old-time styles: clawhammer, two and three finger picking. Also the 12-string guitar, which is less common nowadays. I consider this to be one of the best CDs I've heard recently. To listen to, first of all, his compositions on the banjo: "Threw Down" and "Souris Mécanique", and then his very beautiful version of "Red Wing" on the fretless gut-strung banjo as well as "Crawdad Hole" on the 12-string, a little treasure."

"Si je n’avais pas vu la photo de Hunter Robertson sur la jaquette du CD, j’aurais cru avoir affaire à une personne d’un certain âge. Mais non, en fait, il s’agit d’un tout jeune homme. Et c’est cela qui est étonnant ! On croirait écouter un vieux 78 tours par moment, mais enregistré avec la technologie moderne. Bluffant ! L’instrument de prédilection de Hunter est le banjo 5 cordes qu’il joue à la perfection dans tous les styles de l’old time : clawhammer, two et three finger picking. Et puis aussi la guitare douze cordes, ce qui est moins courant à l’heure actuelle. Je considère que ce CD est l’un des meilleurs que j’ai entendus récemment. A écouter en priorité ses compositions au banjo : “Threw down” et “Souris mécanique”, et puis sa très belle version de “Red wing” au banjo fretless à cordes en boyau ainsi que “Crawdad hole” à la douze cordes, une petite merveille."

- Claude Vue writing for Trad Magazine (France)

The Old-Time Herald review

"When you live far away from most other musicians, say on Crete, you will probably develop your own styles and write your own songs after wearing out all the recordings you brought with you. On this album, the artist composed about half the songs and tunes; the rest are traditional. His voice is distinctive, sounding like an old blues singer, filtered through a rock musician such as Eddie Vedder. The banjo playing is solid clawhammer with a light, sure touch. Not traditional old-time music as I know it, but eclectic and distinctive."

- Pete Peterson writing for The Old-Time Herald (vol. 11, no. 5)

County Sales

If you like Old-time banjo picking and you’re in the market for something different, you might try this unusual CD. But be forewarned: it ranges from the sublime to the bizarre: “songs for the Masses” it definitely ain’t. Mr Robertson is an excellent banjo picker; he also plays 12 string guitar on 4 pieces and his instrumental work is right on (check out the super picking on SOLDIER’S JOY). On a couple of tunes he plays a gut strung fretless banjo, and his 5 original pieces are interesting and well done. He also plays a fine medley of banjo tunes that incorporates BONAPARTE’S RETREAT and DUCKS ON THE MILLPOND with a couple of others in an impressive 5 and a half minute workout. The cuts that feature the 12-string guitar (plus one electric guitar cut) are bluesy, moody, and downright spooky at times. Even a one-man band piece (YOU GONNA NEED SOMEBODY ON YOUR BOND, with slide banjo, kazoo, high-hat and bass drum) adds to the overall interest. So what is so bizarre about all this? Robertson’s voice. It’s got to be the roughest voice we’ve ever heard—in Old-time, Bluegrass, Blues or whatever, and the main question we have is whether it is all a put on. Perhaps Robertson feels that this will take him back 80 or 100 years in time to where he would be considered a great find among field recording folklorists. Or perhaps this is his real voice (a scary thought). We will gladly leave that up to the listener to decide, adding again that there is some technically superb, soulful music to be heard here.

- County Sales

Musical Traditions review

"So - this is the second CD I've received this month for which the words 'strange and worthwhile' seem appropriate..." "All of the playing is pretty quirky - and extremely interesting..."

- Rod Stradling - Musical Traditions (go there for the full review)

Sepiachord

There's the old adage "Don't judge a book by its cover." The problem with that cliche is this: *That's what covers are there for!* Covers are there to give you some idea about what can be found inside, there to pique your curiosity...

I raised an eyebrow when I slipped Hunter Robertson's "Sings Songs for the Masses" from its envelope. Young guy, long haired, holding a baby, fuzzy focus... I estimated that I was in for a listening of homemade but uninventive folk. Something young and soft.

How (wonderfully) wrong I was. Hunter's not as young as he looks... at least not in his soul and the music is anything but soft. "Sings Songs for the Masses" is a collection of gritty americana with Robertson's skilled banjo playing as the focus. It's fairly traditional (more than half the numbers are vintage tunes) but this collection never sounds stale. Perhaps that has as much to do with Hunter's gruffy Tom Waits-like voice as it does the energy and vitality of his playing.

And it does sound vital. This isn't some stodgy, dusty recreation of old-time field recordings (if it was Robertson probably wouldn't include kazoo in the instrumentation or a greek folk song in the repertoire). Hunter brings youth and energy to these songs, which bodes well for his future outings.

- Sepiachord

Bluegrass Unlimited review

Hunter Robertson is an old-time music musician from New England who has compiled an unusual 14-song collection blending both traditional and original material. Hunter performs all vocal and instrumental parts that include banjo, fretless banjo, 12-string guitar, kazoo, and electric guitar. Robertson's raspy vocals may not be universally acceptable, but they do fit into the fabric of the arrangements. Featured performances include "Pretty Polly," Robertson's own "She Had Eyes," "Ol' Virginee," and a bizarre rendering of "Crawdad Hole." In spite of its title, Hunter Robertson "Sings Songs For The Masses" may be of limited interest except to those daring souls prepared to venture into unexplored territory.

- Bluegrass Unlimited (Sept. 2008)

~ "Hunter's delivery is raw and archaic. I don't know what the masses say, I guess they take it rather indifferently, but so mustn't we." - FolkWorld (Germany)

~ “I like your tunes very much... I won't say they're "the real stuff", 'cause this is a quite ungrounded cliché. It's that mixture of rawness and tenderness and the feeling that you love on different levels whatever you are engaged in when playing.” - Low Down Nick

~ "Hunter Robertson's banjo-driven score is apt accompaniment for doc's emotional highs and lows."

- Variety (in reference to the score for The Ostrich Testimonies, directed by Jonathan VanBallenberghe)

Reviews/Press

Press Photographs:

Stage Plan

Bio and Quote Sheet

Blank A4 Poster

Reviews

Sing Out! review

Rambles.Net review

The Old-Time Herald review

Bluegrass Unlimited review