SELWYN BIRCHWOOD

Don’t Call No Ambulance

Alligator Records

by Brian K. Read

Summer beckons, along with much needed vacations, escapes to exotic destinations; time to travel and time to relax, enjoy the sunshine, unwind and reset the soul.  But as they say, it is often more about the journey than the destination.  And so it is as we explore the Alligator release Don’t Call No Ambulance by the up and coming young bluesman Selwyn Birchwood, a surprising, fresh new voice and six-stringer who hails from sunny Florida, a superb vacation destination.  Come ride along!

Born in Orlando in 1985, son of a father from Tobago and a UK mother, Birchwood grabbed his first ax at age 13, playing the popular music of the ‘80s.  Then, like so many others, he fell sway to the genius of Jimi Hendrix, and after hearing the master, he saw a whole new world opening up down the road.  His own journey went from that mind-blowing Hendrix moment to discovering the blues of Albert King, Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and a special affinity for the music of Buddy Guy, after seeing him perform.  But the road still stretched out ahead…

Each journey begins with a single step, as is said, and for Selwyn, the journey began just a few steps down the block, to the home of a neighborhood blues player named Sonny Rhodes, a Texas-born guitar and lap-steel player who often held jam sessions with the Florida locals.  He took a liking to Selwyn, saw his potential, and began working with him to develop a style all his own.

But first there was a side-trip to be made.  Rhodes insisted that Birchwood get a college degree before embarking on a musical career, and even held a spot for him in his band until he did.  Selwyn spent time, and scholarships, to earn his MBA from the University of Tampa, an achievement of which he is rightly proud.  He was soon out on the road as part of Sonny’s next tour, and that proved to be the launching point for Birchwood’s journey towards the blues.

Selwyn Birchwood is a tall rangy 29-year-old, with a big bushy Afro, who has the kind of smile and onstage presence that captures audiences from the very first song.  He had a well-deserved spot at the 2014 Chicago Blues Festival and his show certainly grabbed the attention of blues fans convened in Chicago from around the world. Hundreds gathered under the shady grove of the newest Crossroads stage, wild for his energetic rootsy sound!   He is known to prowl the stage barefoot, switching from six-string electric to lap-steel, with an energy and mastery of the blues that transcends his youth.  His show did not disappoint, and put another notch on his ax for sure!

Don’t Call No Ambulance opens with a raw upbeat shuffle, “Addicted,” reminiscent of Albert Collins, a down and dirty driving tune well chosen to open this powerful CD.  Love is his addiction, but this track goes well beyond anything Robert Palmer was thinking of in his version.

Next up is his title track, with a parallel vocal and guitar that also recalls early blues greats like John Lee Hooker or Otis Rush.  Don’t call no ambulance…just because he’s lying down, no need to panic, that’s just how good he feels!  There is a lot of wit in this young man’s lyrics, and much wisdom that goes beyond his years.  He counts among his influences Albert King, and Buddy Guy, and it’s clear he’s made a thorough study of their styles, their lyrics, and how to put on a great show.

You gotta keep both hands on the wheel when you’re driving, or you might slip into a slide.  And Selwyn does slip into quite a slide, on the cuts “Overworked and Underpaid, “ and “Hoodoo Stew,” where he shows off his talents at playing a lap steel that wails the blues, this time in a major key.  It’s a classic slide sound, somewhere between Leadbelly and Lowell George, Blind Willie McTell and Jeff Healy.  Selwyn Birchwood’s slide fits right into that sweet tradition.  One listen to his straight-ahead, scorching guitar on “Tell Me Why” will satisfy even the bottleneck-purists; he’s the real deal! 

“Brown Paper Bag” slows down the beat, allowing Birchwood a chance to show off his clean side, with a deft touch that gets the most out of each note, and as B.B. King once said, “lets every note tell a story.”  He gets funky too, on “Queen Of Hearts,” rounding out a CD that touches all the blues bases.  But we’ve taken a shortcut; lets get back on the main road…

Not a bad score, landing a CD release on Alligator Records, which is what Selwyn did after winning the International Blues Challenge in Memphis back in 2013, and later that same year, the Albert King Guitarist Of The Year award.  Alligator’s founder Bruce Iglauer was among the IBC judges, and was so impressed that it led to his being signed to the label.  Since then, the Selwyn Birchwood band has played an awful lot of impressive stages, from the Tampa Bay Blues Festival, The King Biscuit Blues Fest, to the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise (and everywhere they land); from small clubs to concert halls, he’s blown audiences away.

It also helps to pick up some hitchhikers along the way, especially if they’re seasoned backing musicians.  With a sweet saxophone, Regi Oliver adds that horn sound on tenor, alto and baritone, along with bass clarinet and flute.  The back line is anchored by Donald “Huff” Wright on bass, and Curtis Nutall on drums.  Once you’ve got guys like this along for the ride, the road stretches out ahead nice and smooth.  They’re tight as a well-tuned Cadillac, ready for the long haul!

There have been a lot of young blues “phenoms” that have come along in the last couple of decades, among them Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, or slightly older cats like Toronzo Cannon, Frank Bang, not to leave out the sons of the blues, like Bernard Allison, Lucky Peterson, Ronnie Baker and Wayne Baker Brooks.   The blues stays alive because these guys, like Selwyn Birchwood, pick up an ax and fall in love with the sound, then move it a little further on up the road.

So pick up Don’t Call No Ambulance by the newest rising star of the blues, Selwyn Birchwood, and slide that CD into your ride.  Just keep an eye on the speedometer; you’re likely to get a lead foot listening to his rip-roaring sounds!  

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