JOEMCMURRIAN- the music of

Reviews:

"McMurrian plays mystic, conjuring up the dark side of the heart armed only with a guitar and voice. You have to wonder if he didn't strike the same deal as Delta shaman Robert Johnson."
Don Campbell, Oregonian, Portland oregon 2007

" His fingerpicking and slide skills amaze and challenge listeners while his moving vocals draw them into the world of a true story teller.."
Cascade Blues Association Portland, R 2006

Rain of Days Hit #5 on the Japanese Tower Records blues charts 2007 - in Japan on BSMF Records

"A new form of Blues...exhilerating and mind-enchanting...a very new and very exciting vision of the blues"
Cascade Blues Association, Portland Oregon 2008

" Joe McMurrian is a great, gritty singer and a fluid fingerstyle guitarist with more than a little Delta influence in his sound - and the artistic moxie to make it sound fresh yet timeless"
Oregonian, A&E music review.

"...rich, muddy Delta bottom of blues sources, and onward past the limitations of the form to a more progressive sound, one open to original material as relevant as that of any contemporary, folk-based singer-songwriter...…Some very expansive moments here "
Willamette Week - Jeff Rosenberg, Oregonian music review, Portland. 2007

" That blew me away , that slide thing you did was cool man..Is that a Stella?"
Louisiana Red, Blues Legend

" Makes me afraid for my future.."
Paul Geramia, Blues Legend

" I like your playing, you sure can rip on that Delta style...."
Charlie Musslewhite, Blues Legend

"Thank you for doing that one son, like Tommy Johnson used to do, but different, really nice, I liked that.."
Honey Boy Edwards - Delta Blues Master and one time traveling partner to Robert Johnson

”Joe’s guitar playing and singing have that rare quality of unearthly wisdom and understanding. Joe is joined by three of Portland’s most innovative musicians and the connection is as immediate and natural as thunder and Lightning…”
Radio host Brad Brenner of Portland’s KMHD 89.1 FM

Photography by Aroon Hewitt

Joe's electric band (formerly JMQ): WWW.WOODBRAINMUSIC.COM

Photography by Andrew Walsh

With a guitar/harmonica/bass/drums line-up, Woodbrain (formerly Joe McMurrian Quartet) might be mistaken for a typical blues collective — at least until this fiery Portland, Oregon foursome begins to play, when it quickly becomes apparent they are potentially an evolutionary force in the genre. Or several genres at once.

Woodbrain’s energy is incendiary; their music deeply rooted in tradition. And yet their songwriting and improvisation pull those roots in all kinds of directions informed by the generations of Son House, Jimi Hendrix, and John Coltrane. Without sacrificing an iota of heart or soul, their sound effortlessly skirts boundaries to reach blues, rock, Americana, and jam scene listeners alike.

http://yellowdogrecords.com/woodbrain

Reviews:

“This quartet, like some muddy river, rolls on with dark and hypnotic intent, roiled by the occasional musical eddy. Their free-form explorations of the blues evoke the sounds of the Rev. Gary Davis, R.L. Burnside and Son House, but they play well outside the confines of rural blues.”
—The Oregonian 2009

“Contender in the ‘best thing I’ve heard all year’ stakes... Woodbrain make music within the blues tradition, but are not afraid to diversify and take chances . . . that’s what maybe makes this release so appealing.”
—Blues in the Northwest UK (Ireland) 2009

“One of the best electric blues bands on the scene... Think of Woodbrain as the North Mississippi Allstars of the Pacific Northwest. Certainly this band has enough dynamite in its sound to blow up a small bridge.”
—Jazz.com 2009

“An irresistible blend... You see the term “Brave New Blues” bandied about quite a bit, but in this case, it certainly applies. These guys are absolutely fearless, taking the blues in directions where few have ventured.”
—Blues Bytes 2009

“There is no shortage of electric blues-rock in the 21st century, but most of it doesn't have the strongly psychedelic outlook that Portland, OR's Woodbrain bring to Swimming in Turpentine… Swimming in Turpentine has no problem transporting listeners back to that era, and it does so with absorbing results..”
- Alex Henderson, AvaxMusicCommunity.com

“Earthy and bluesy yet defiantly intense and diverse…a rollercoaster that slowly makes its way to the summit and boldly plunges forward into sundry territory, twisting and whipping around bends, out of control yet never losing track... a band that approaches the blues from both a new and old perspective in a powerfully original way… People often say that you can't do much more with the blues that hasn't already been done. Woodbrain proves otherwise.”
- Boston Blues Society

"A new form of Blues. A fusion of the Delta and their own haunted visions. In a way, when performing live they're like a classic jam band that can take a song and it's theme on for great lengths, never getting boring in the process.But what ever they are, they're extremely innovative with a sound completely their own....This quartet should be viewed as sculptors, or painters. They're creating a new demension of the blues within our dreams...exhilerating and mind-enchanting...a very new and very exciting vision of the blues"
- Cascade Blues Association, Portland Oregon 2008Joe McMurrian Quartet PROGRESSIVE BLUES 2007

"rich, muddy Delta bottom of blues sources, and onward past the limitations of the form to a more progressive sound, one open to original material as relevant as that of any contemporary, folk-based singer-songwriter...the bluesman’s two recent releases—last year’s studio effort, Rain of Days, and the brand-new Live at the White Eagle—are both truly rewarding listens. Rain’s a quiet, contemplative hour of songs treading through dense emotional territory. McMurrian’s shown impressive growth as a songwriter; his words have become as musical as his guitar playing is lyrical. And there’s an encouraging sense of reach, as though he’s struggling to express something just beyond his language, suggesting more growth to come... Some expansive moments here recall early Fairport Convention at its most atmospheric.."
- Willamette Week music review, jeff Rosenberg Portland Oregon 2007

"This quartet, like some muddy river, rolls on with dark and hypnotic intent, roiled by the occasional musical eddy. Their free-form explorations of the blues evoke the sounds of the Rev. Gary Davis, R.L. Burnside and Son House, but they play well outside the confines of rural blues... With deft and keen interplay, the players spin around McMurrian's core guitar and vocal. The sum is a dark, trancelike sound that easily steals listeners' attention and draws them unforgivingly in..."
Blues to brood by - by Don Campbell, Oregonian 2008

Woody is my guide!