Chris Wragg and Greg Copeland – The Last Sundown
As mentioned in review of the duo’s outstanding, old-school blues debut album Deep in the Blood back in 2019, the getting together of British blues guitarist/ songwriter Chris Wragg and American singer Greg Copeland is one that paid immediate dividends.
Nor, as many blues fans across Europe well know, was that union (coming from a fortuitous meeting at a Belgian Blues Festival in 2015) a one-off; Chris Wragg and Greg Copeland play across Europe as an acoustic act, in full Wragg and Copeland Blues Band form and, now, five years on from Deep in the Blood, as featured on second album, The Last Sundown.
A number of songs on the 14 track album explore themes and traits that connect us all, including reflection, freedom, hope and, as the album title sets the (final) scene for, mortality and loss.
Not that the album is a melancholic affair – opener 'Alabama Train' for example, is not travelling to that final destination but riding the rhythm and blues rails "back home to my woman," in the company of some wicked six-string licks from Chris Wragg and impassioned, raspy-blues vocal from Greg Copeland.
By contrast Copeland’s smoother, soul-shaped vocality is a feature of the slower 'Can’t Shake These Blues' (Greg Wragg also shines with some well-placed and delicately phrased guitar work), while songs such as 'Don’t Let The Devil Ride,' 'Losing Hand' and 'Just a Man' (which features some great six-string bursts from Wragg) bring funkier blues shades to proceedings.
Then there’s the full-bodied, organ backed, voodoo vibed blues of 'Miss Ruby' and the up-tempo 'After The Sun Goes Down,' its soul-funky nature belying its finger pointing "where you been?" lyric (the latter is also interspersed with a flurry of melodic runs from the equally lyrical fingers of Chris Wragg).
Sitting central to the album is slow blues number 'Where My Stars Should Be,' featuring a beautifully blues weary vocal from Greg Copeland, fittingly forlorn harmonica and wonderfully complementary blues piano from Dale Storr.
The other featured slow blues is spacious, relationship ending number 'House Burned Down,' featuring the subtle touch of drummer Parker Kindred and, again, some deft and beautifully delivered notes from Chris Wragg.
Elsewhere the album’s themes play out in highly effective fashion.
The dark, brooding and rhythmically haunting '1964' (reflecting on the "Mississippi Burning murders" of three Civil Richts activists) makes for a powerful statement, as does the tribal-meets gospel title track, a part spoken word/ part sung contemplation on the story of a plantation/slave owner and what the five generations removed narrator (Greg Copeland) would say to him if he could talk to him on his last day of life.
(On lyrical reflection of America then, and elements of America now, Copeland doesn’t miss and hit the wall).
The album closes out with another reflection of its title, 'Gonna Be With My Maker.'
Built on a repeating drum pattern and backed by atmospheric guitar lines that sit relatively low in the mix, Greg Copeland’s vocal becomes the focal point, with a lyric that seeks peace and acceptance ("it’s gonna be all right, these blues be all right, I’m gonna be with my maker").
Great album that this is, there is a criticism.
With recording sessions spread across various locales and continents (New York City, Portugal, Germany, and Tesla Studios in England, where finishing touches were applied) a cohesive sound is sonically lacking.
But such is the quality of the songs, and performances from Messrs Wragg and Copeland, it’s an album we can all enjoy, until The Last Sundown.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The Last Sundown is released in dedication to the memory of Martin "Freddie" Bedford, founder of the Honey Bee Blues Club and Honey Bee Blues Records.
Nor, as many blues fans across Europe well know, was that union (coming from a fortuitous meeting at a Belgian Blues Festival in 2015) a one-off; Chris Wragg and Greg Copeland play across Europe as an acoustic act, in full Wragg and Copeland Blues Band form and, now, five years on from Deep in the Blood, as featured on second album, The Last Sundown.
A number of songs on the 14 track album explore themes and traits that connect us all, including reflection, freedom, hope and, as the album title sets the (final) scene for, mortality and loss.
Not that the album is a melancholic affair – opener 'Alabama Train' for example, is not travelling to that final destination but riding the rhythm and blues rails "back home to my woman," in the company of some wicked six-string licks from Chris Wragg and impassioned, raspy-blues vocal from Greg Copeland.
By contrast Copeland’s smoother, soul-shaped vocality is a feature of the slower 'Can’t Shake These Blues' (Greg Wragg also shines with some well-placed and delicately phrased guitar work), while songs such as 'Don’t Let The Devil Ride,' 'Losing Hand' and 'Just a Man' (which features some great six-string bursts from Wragg) bring funkier blues shades to proceedings.
Then there’s the full-bodied, organ backed, voodoo vibed blues of 'Miss Ruby' and the up-tempo 'After The Sun Goes Down,' its soul-funky nature belying its finger pointing "where you been?" lyric (the latter is also interspersed with a flurry of melodic runs from the equally lyrical fingers of Chris Wragg).
Sitting central to the album is slow blues number 'Where My Stars Should Be,' featuring a beautifully blues weary vocal from Greg Copeland, fittingly forlorn harmonica and wonderfully complementary blues piano from Dale Storr.
The other featured slow blues is spacious, relationship ending number 'House Burned Down,' featuring the subtle touch of drummer Parker Kindred and, again, some deft and beautifully delivered notes from Chris Wragg.
Elsewhere the album’s themes play out in highly effective fashion.
The dark, brooding and rhythmically haunting '1964' (reflecting on the "Mississippi Burning murders" of three Civil Richts activists) makes for a powerful statement, as does the tribal-meets gospel title track, a part spoken word/ part sung contemplation on the story of a plantation/slave owner and what the five generations removed narrator (Greg Copeland) would say to him if he could talk to him on his last day of life.
(On lyrical reflection of America then, and elements of America now, Copeland doesn’t miss and hit the wall).
The album closes out with another reflection of its title, 'Gonna Be With My Maker.'
Built on a repeating drum pattern and backed by atmospheric guitar lines that sit relatively low in the mix, Greg Copeland’s vocal becomes the focal point, with a lyric that seeks peace and acceptance ("it’s gonna be all right, these blues be all right, I’m gonna be with my maker").
Great album that this is, there is a criticism.
With recording sessions spread across various locales and continents (New York City, Portugal, Germany, and Tesla Studios in England, where finishing touches were applied) a cohesive sound is sonically lacking.
But such is the quality of the songs, and performances from Messrs Wragg and Copeland, it’s an album we can all enjoy, until The Last Sundown.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
The Last Sundown is released in dedication to the memory of Martin "Freddie" Bedford, founder of the Honey Bee Blues Club and Honey Bee Blues Records.