MOJO Review - October 2008 Issue

Julian Fauth - Remblin' Son - Electro-Fi

The Toronto based singer and pianist practically redefines eclectic. His second album "Ramblin' Son" opens with a free interpretation of Tommy Johnson's "Maggie Campbell and passes through Fats Waller, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken", Guitar Slim and a rank of quirky originals like the "Man on the Box" and "Cubist Blues", delivering them in a voice redolent of smoky dives.

3 out of 4 stars

Tony Russell

Living Blues

Julian Fauth - Remblin' Son - Electro-Fi

Though Electro-Fi Records often focuses on established artists, every now and then the label promotes a budding young artist who has potential to keep the blues alive. Julian Fauth – a next generation barrelhouse piano player – is one such artist. He enjoys performing for several hours at a time so it’s not surprising that this disc offers 78 minutes of music. Like his debut Songs of Vice and Sorrow, this is mostly an acoustic release with numerous musicians accompanying Fauth. The lyrics here are not as dark as on the previous release.

Playing both piano and guitar while handling vocal duties, Fauth performs the title track as a one man act. Fauth is a stronger instrumentalist than singer, but his vocals are passable. Fauth flies up and down his keyboard on the opening song Maggie Campbell. Piano solos stand out on Cubist Blues and Human Love, while the upper register, in particular, receives a stomping workout on Lowlands. Twelve reputable musicians accompany Fauth throughout the proceedings, with the most impressive being David Rotundo (harp) and Jason Danley (guitar). Paul Reddick’s harp is sweet on Little Girl Dream, a song about death (but not the only one – death also features on East Toronto Nervous Breakdown). More dark and engrossing storytelling lyrics appear on Roll On In and The Man on the Box. The former reflects the stark reality and danger of night life and the latter – a jazzy and improvised sounding song – cynically reveals how important political decisions are made.

Only four cover songs are included among Fauth’s 14 original songs. It’s odd to hear Fauth perform well known songs with pop rhythms such as Guitar Slim’s Done Got Over That when he excels with his own obscure material. He lends his own arrangement to A.P. Carter’s Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Fats Waller’s Hopeless Love Affair has been the inspiration for countless blues songs. Here, Fauth’s terse piano and Andrew Jurecka’s moody violin capture the bleakness of the situation.

Among the slashing guitars that dominate today’s blues music Fuath’s novel music is refreshing. Playing a style of piano that was long dismissed as out of style, Julian Fauth proves to be a young master of the 88s on Ramblin’ Son.

TIM HOLEK

RAMBLIN’ SON - Soul Bag

Julian Fauth’s first album, published under Canadian label Electro-fi (cf. SB 181) was an occasion to discover a promising, original and talented artist. This is confirmed by “Ramblin’ Son”, Julian’s latest release which will captivate you from the first to the last note of this almost 2 LPs long opus, and you won’t be bored for one second. Surrounded by top notch musicians, the pianist offers us 15 original compositions which are both retro and timeless. The clever and inspired lyrics make each song feel like a mischievous story. The album is completed by 4 tasteful covers re-arranged in a sort of orgasmic Honky-tonk. As for the atmosphere, imagine yourself in a 1930s black and white movie, hopping onto a freight train to go drink contraband whiskey with gamblers and pimps in some dodgy piano-bar. Julian Fauth is sometimes compared to Tom Waits or Dylan. Even though he is a talented author and composer this is quite excessive. However, his musical culture does not pale in comparison and his musical universe is not so far removed from theirs. In any case this charismatic and original character is very welcomed to the current blues scene. You will not regret making his acquaintance. While waiting for a European tour, this is the best occasion.

Eric Doidy

BLUES IN BRITAIN

“JULIAN FAUTH has become a regular session player at many Electro-Fi sessions and in so doing winning the respect of artists like Mel Brown, Billy Boy Arnold, Curley Bridges, Kenny Wayne and Finis Tasby for his command of traditional blues. However – his own releases show an artist with an almost avant garde approach to the blues. An artist with an individualistic style that recognises and appreciates tradition but uses it as a blank canvas on which to paint his own interpretation of the genre – as the critical praise his debut CD “Songs Of Vice & Sorrow” proved, with quotes like “profound and penetrating” and comparisons to Tom Waits and Bob Dylan being common place.

Ramblin’ Son takes over where “Songs….” left off – superb piano playing, insightful lyrics splattered with almost visual imagery, and a voice that melds melancholy, anguish, joy and defiance as if they were identical quadruplets.

Fauth is joined by a plethora of musicians who add light and shade, and a multitude of textural nuances as the songs demand – most notably Jason Danley (guitar), Andrew Jurecka (violin), and four different harmonica players (Paul Reddick, David Rotundo, Wayne Charles and Ken Yoshioka) who each add a different shade of blue to Fauth’s masterpiece.

Only four of the eighteen tracks crammed onto this set are covers – but it is what an artist does with covers that indicates the depth of their talent. Guitar Slim’s “Done Got Over That” is transformed into a moody blues with a strong “Summertime” feel, Charles’ harp weaving solace in and around Donne Roberts’ Wes Montgomery styled guitar and Fauth’s melancholy vox and piano. Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s “Can’t No Grave Hold My Body Down” is a joyful performance fired by barrelhouse piano and wild unfettered harp – “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” is sung to a loose-limbed boogie rhythm with shades of Dave Brubeck whilst Danley’s guitar evokes a mellow jazzy swing – whilst the melancholy of Fats Waller’s “Hopeless Love Affair” is accentuated by cascading piano and plaintive Django styled violin.

Fauth’s own “Maggie Campbell” borrows liberally from both Nighthawk and Tommy Johnson, his urgent vocals – laced with menace – underpinned by a thundering left hand rumble and wild clear toned guitar (Danley). “Roll On In” with it’s resonant vocals, eerie falsetto, grumbling and rambling piano and eccentric Matt Murphy influenced guitar evokes the spirit of Memphis Slim in a Crescent City setting. “Human Love” with it’s mood and the clarity of it’s ringing vocals makes Fauth appear like a piano version of Josh White replete with bouncy piano and ebullient harp. “Burnin’ Down” recalls a mellow but harrowing Otis Spann enhanced by Jody Williams’ inspired guitar and moaning harp – whilst “Just Like Him” is a morose introspective blues replete with moody piano and violin.

Each track on this set is a diamond in it’s own right and obviously comes highly recommended.”

by Mick Rainsford

Toronto Sun - Fri, April 25, 2008
Blues at its best
Julian Fauth mixes traditional playing with contemporary urban storytelling

"No teenage guitar heroes, no fawning tribute CDs, and no aging rock stars rediscovering their imaginary blues roots. Instead, just plenty of straight, natural blues served up by some of the originators alongside the best of this generation's emerging artists."

Those lines in the booklet accompanying Maximum Mojo: Ten Years of the Best in Blues Music from Electro-Fi Records, perfectly sum up the philosophy of the Toronto-based blues label that's celebrating its 10th birthday this year.

The 2-CD set features tunes from legends such as Snooky Pryor, Pinetop Perkins and Willie (Big Eyes) Smith, as well as several Torontonians such as Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley, Julian Fauth and Morgan Davis.

I mean no disrespect to the originators or the emerging artists on Electro-Fi's roster, but if someone asked me which musician exemplifies what the label's all about, I'd point to Fauth.

On his just-released Ramblin' Son CD, I hear blues tradition in Fauth's piano playing and I hear contemporary urban storytelling. It's often dark but always compelling, and if this prodigiously talented mid-30s musician stays the course, we just might have to create a new musical category called Fauthian Blues.

"I have a pretty good knowledge and appreciation of the blues tradition -- especially pre-war blues -- and I try to interpret it in a way that captures something of its soul, and also adds something to the stockpile," Fauth says. "In addition to reinterpreting old songs, I write new ones on contemporary issues and eternal themes like love and death. I work from the tradition, but I don't feel constrained to stick to a formula."

Thank goodness for that. I certainly don't need to hear yet another guy knocking off riffs I've heard a million times before or covering Sweet Home Chicago for the hundredth time. What I need is original, cliche-free blues.

As Electro-Fi's founder and president Andrew Galloway told me, "What got me interested in Julian is his writing and his ability to create a character, mood or theme with a song then disappear into it almost like a method actor creating a role.

"He's done his homework and he's an authority on pre-war blues, but he doesn't take an academic approach to creating his music. Instead, he throws some interesting ingredients into the pot and brings it to a boil.

"I tell people if Glenn Gould and Memphis Slim had a cosmic love child, it would be Julian Fauth," Galloway laughs. "I meant it jokingly, but like most jokes there's a lot of truth in it."

Interestingly, Fauth's also been called the love child of Mississippi John Hurt and Billy Childish.

"When I was a kid I wanted to be Memphis Slim," Fauth says. "He was one of my favourite blues pianists and still is, though I also love artists like Roosevelt Sykes, Leroy Carr, Sunnyland Slim and many others.

"I can see the link to Mississippi John Hurt in the storytelling aspect of some of my songs," he adds. "I don't think I come even remotely close to the virtuosity of Glenn Gould, but maybe the fact that I sometimes experiment with unorthodox chord changes and harmonies and that my playing tends to be more on the lyrical-introspective side than on the side of grand, extroverted flashiness, has something to do with that comparison.

"I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know who Billy Childish is."

Childish is a British singer, painter and poet has produced thousands of paintings, hundreds of albums and countless poems over the space of 20 years. Beck and the late Kurt Cobain counted themselves as supporters.

When Andrew Galloway credits Fauth with creating a character and disappearing into it, he could well be referring to the song, East Toronto Nervous Breakdown.

Asked what inspired it, Fauth says, "I was heading into a session with Drew Jurecka and I wanted something that would showcase his brilliant violin playing. I also wanted to incorporate a few of the landmarks in my neighbourhood.

"It's a mini-travelogue," he explains. "The insane lyrics kind of underpin the abandonment of the violin. It's also a kind of wish fulfilment; probably everyone sometimes has moods of reckless, childlike destructiveness, though we don't usually act on it."

NOTE: You can catch Julian Fauth at Gate 403 (403 Roncesvalles) every Tuesday night and at Axis (3048 Dundas W.) every Saturday from noon to 3 p.m.

By ERROL NAZARETH

John's Blues Picks - Maple Blues Magazine

The success of Songs of Vice and Sorrow surprised everyone, including Mr. Fauth, with Maple Blues and JUNO nominations capping an exciting year. The follow up album is often problematic, but not this time. It does follow the same pattern, though, with the emphasis firmly on his songs and that beautifully recorded piano. The accompanists are as varied as before and here a major find is Jason Danley, the guitarist on eight of the songs, a masterful player. Donné Roberts is the guitarist on three and Drew Jurecka adds gypsy colour on violin on three as well. Four harpists help out: Wayne Charles, Paul Reddick, David Rotundo and Ken Yoshioka. Alec Fraser, Sam Petite and James Thompson are the bassists and Bob Vespaziani is on drums when needed. Fauth has been compared to Tom Waits and Bob Dylan and in the Toronto Star recently to Kurt Weill. And in his choice of subject matter and lyrics these comparisons are not too far off. Yet musically he’s firmly in the blues tradition and often in the so-called Bluebird Beat of the early 1940’s in Chicago where the piano players were Big Maceo and Memphis Slim, among others. His piano playing within this tradition continues to amaze, no doubt benefiting from almost continuous performing. I want to direct you to Eric Thom’s excellent story on Julian in the last issue and simply choose a couple of songs that I particularly like from the rich menu. “Maggie Campbell” is a rollicking set opener, with new lyrics and old ones from the blues tradition combining to create a most modern variation on missing a loved one. Just in case you think he’s playing so much he doesn’t follow the news, you should check out “The Man On The Box” for some spot on political reporting. The Dylan comparison is intentional I think on “East Toronto Nervous Breakdown”, with Fauth on guitar generating some very Dylan-like images and internal rhymes. The lyric crams in as many Toronto place names as possible to Jurecka’s brilliant violin accompaniment. “Yet Another Stagger Lee” is a new version of the old story but written and sung with such attention to detail that you’d think he was there when it happened. Other songs reveal a wealth of references to older songs, just waiting for you to notice them. This kind of building on past recordings, without slavishly copying them or otherwise being too reverential, is the way the blues will move forward. I think Mr. Fauth will be in that vanguard for some time to come

John Valenteyn

Exclaim Magazine

With his second CD for Electro-Fi Records, Toronto, ON’s Julian Fauth has created a blues masterwork. He’s a two-fisted barrelhouse piano player who swings as well as he boogies. Still a young man in his early 30s, his singing is distinct and authoritative. He’s a good guitar player too, although this time out he’s heard playing it on only one track, “East Toronto Nervous Breakdown,” a hallucinatory duet with Andrew Jurecka’s violin. This set features 14 Fauth compositions, plus four idiosyncratic covers, the highlight being Fats Waller’s “Hopeless Love Affair.” What really sets Fauth apart is his imagination. His songs are vivid stories about oddball characters living in society’s seedy underbelly leavened with the occasional laugh to keep things from getting too dark. Comparing him to a young Tom Waits is easy but Fauth’s that good. The broadened musical horizons of Ramblin’ Son, with its jazzy, almost Broadway musical vibe (check “Yet Another Stagger Lee”), is a further sign of his growing musical maturity. (Electro-Fi)

By David Barnard

Toronto Star - April 15, 2008

(Electro-Fi) (out of 4) Having scored Juno and Maple Blues Awards nominations with his previous album, Songs Of Vice and Sorrow, Toronto bluesman Julian Fauth makes a remarkably confident, funny, occasionally dark and typically low-key follow-up statement with the 18-song collection Ramblin' Son, featuring the artist's rustic and energetic honky-tonk piano work, coolly casual vocals and a bevy of great guest performers. The style of the recording is, as was its predecessor's, definitely lo-fi, even claustrophobic, but these mostly original songs benefit from close recording and one-take spontaneity. The method reinforces Fauth's reputation as a genuine original in the Canadian blues firmament, a sort of Brecht-Weill character lurking in the shadows outside the big show clutching his bag of sinister tricks. Top track: "East Toronto Nervous Breakdown" – that's just what it sounds like.

Greg Quill

Maple Blues Magazine - April 2008

There’s an other-worldly quality to Julian Fauth. His shy, diminutive presence seems diametrically opposed to the fact that he’s an incalculable force of nature – evidenced through a seemingly insatiable appetite for playing music on any given night, at any one of countless haunts. He’s clearly driven by an inner force clearly bigger than he is and years beyond his own. One look into the eyes of the young Julian, as pictured on the rear sleeve of his latest Electro-Fi release, gives one the sensation of a paranormal experience. One gets the distinct feeling that he shares his body with an old spirit from beyond. How else can one explain why he’s so driven to sing and play? How else can you explain his landmark writing ability – his historical grasp of the pre-war period integral to crafting originals that inject fresh blood into old school? When you consider his rather mystical, if not thoroughly enchanting, approach to performing, you can only conclude that Julian is utterly possessed by his muse – the results are beyond bewitching. The enthusiasm and vigor he brings to any stage is spellbinding and the fact that he can translate this – almost telekinetically – to the recording process, rejuvenating the pre-war piano blues category like few before him, is a source of joy for anyone who has climbed on board the Fauth bandwagon. While some musicians wear their influences somewhat casually on their sleeves – Julian’s seem positively hard-wired into his biological makeup.

All of which goes a long way towards explaining why Julian is catching fire of late. His first official recording from September ’05 – Songs of Vice and Sorrow, drew rave reviews from a diverse range of publications including Downbeat, Blues in Britain, The Record, Blues Revue, AMG and the Globe. All drew the same conclusion: that here was a fascinating individual destined for greatness, threatening to update an old-school genre with a vitality rarely witnessed. The fact that you can catch his act – locally – on any given night, gives the rest of us a serious leg up on what the rest of the world can only read about. And if Julian is but a diamond in the rough at his comparably young age, his new release – Ramblin’ Son – proves just how must lustre can accrue from a habitual state of polishing.

How did a bluesman like Julian come about, exactly? The German-born Julian moved to Kitchener-Waterloo with his family at an early age. When he was 6, he recalls his radio-journalist father bringing home records for the family to hear. One that stuck – forever – in his head was “The Golden Blues Hour”, which featured Big Bill Broonzy, Buddy Guy and Mississippi John Hurt as well as songs by John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Otis Span. These created a lifelong jukebox in his head. Listening to radio programs with his mother in the kitchen, permanently etched other voices into his head – key-pounders like Memphis Slim, Leroy Carr and Big Maceo – enhancing his mental library with repetitive delight. When an aunt willed the family a piano, the die was pretty much cast. His father encouraged a 7-year old Julian to jam with the friends he’d bring by the house as his mother supported him as only a mother can. As his circle of players widened, so did his confidence, ultimately earning the endorsement of Mel Brown after a local jam session took him beyond the confines of school fund raisers and family dinners that had brought him this far. A chance meeting with an equally impressed Henry Townsend in Chicago added the encouragement and support he needed as he gravitating towards Toronto’s enlarged musical fraternity, making the move in ’96.

Quickly falling under the spell of Kensington Market’s neighbourhood bar scenes, he would become fast friends and musical compadres with the likes of David Rotundo and others, leading to building sturdy relationships with various bar owners (Baldwin Street Restaurant, L’Arte, Kiwi Kick) who, appreciating Julian’s crowd-gathering potential, would soon sign him up for weekly shows – even purchasing the all-essential piano in some cases. Over the next few years, Julian built up an ever-burgeoning following, much to the appreciation of his hosts. As he honed his lively craft, the news would travel in all the right directions as Julian’s potential became realized. And as has been said, while some people like to work – for Julian, performing is his work. Tours to Russia with David and to Cuba, provided Julian with an enhanced perspective, underscoring what was already a lifelong ambition to make a real contribution. And, as Julian’s position as a permanent fixture on the Toronto music scene has progressed into a more aggressive role on the world stage, his fans couldn’t be happier.

This new Electro-Fi release – Ramblin’ Son – plays out as it should, the next evolutionary stage of a promising talent. His organic approach to the pre-war school of barrelhouse and beyond gains momentum with a greater participation of talented players – notably Drew Jurecka on violin, adding tension to such instant classics as “Hopeless Love Affair” and “East Toronto Nervous Breakdown” while guitarists Donné Roberts and Jason Danley shine on exceptional tracks like the jazzy “Done Got Over That” and “Man on the Box”, respectively. Paul Reddick, Rotundo and Wayne Charles provide harp support while rotating bassists, Alec Fraser, James Thompson and Sam Petite do their best, with drummer Bob Vespaziani’s help, to keep the rhythm at floor level. Fourteen originals grace the new disc with complementary covers of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Fats Waller, Guitar Slim and the Carter Family’s “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”. Julian’s material includes the usual food groups: prostitution, gambling, doomed love, bad parenting, moonshine and all manner of human excess– yet, as always, he delivers the most excessive of bad human behaviour with a joyful energy and positive tone no matter how mournful the eventual scenario – serving to remind us that none of us are actually beyond hope. That’s the kind of guy you want watching your back and taking the hits for you. And, for anyone who’s met Julian and watched him perform his heart out through his pulverized digits and slightly possessed vocals, you know he’d do it for you. No matter who he eventually turns out to be.

- Eric Thom

Disc Review
JULIAN FAUTH
Ramblin’ Son (Electro-Fi) Rating: NNNN

If you think Julian Fauth’s new record is a cover album, you’re likely not alone. However, Ramblin’ Son is almost all originals – it’s just so good that you can’t believe his tracks weren’t written by a weathered 50s bluesman.

Opener Maggie Campbell is a speedy piece complete with old-timey wailin and a swift guitar solo. The Man On The Box is a much slower affair but no less infectious, due to the musicians’ subtle keys and powerful pipes. Fauth’s effortless swing makes it all sound easy.

Whether because of the way it was recorded or the accessibility of the sounds, Ramblin’ Son vividly creates that familiar smoky bar vibe.

Now Magazine - Bryan Borzykowski

The Globe & Mail - December 9 , 2005

If the name Julian Fauth sounds unbluesy, know that you needn't be Lemon Belly Brown to play the real deal. Fauth, a Toronto singer and unusually innovative barrelhouse pianist and composer, enjoys moments of what he calls "flights of insanity", which is what is experienced on the epic and dazzling Spadina Avenue Stomp Instrumental. Suicide Note is harrowing - pure theatre. Guests help in the doom-flirting; Mel Brown's guitar is wiry and professional on When My Mother Died, while harmonica blowers Paul Reddick and David Rotundo play excited, repeatedly. The name Julian Fauth is not a blues name. Yes it is.

Brad Wheeler

Julian Fauth Songs of Vice and Sorrow

Electro-Fi Records 3391

He knocked this reviewer's socks off. I heard another John Mayall, and those of us who get off on following the boogie / barrelhouse piano player's route to today's blues is jonesing for that. I actually did something I haven't done in years - I contacted the artist for a brief interview. Mr. Fauth simply suggested that he had, probably, shared influences with John Mayall. Of course, I have to take his word for it. We all know (well, you do now) that Newton and Liebnitz independently invented differential calculus at about the same time without being familiar with one another's work, and the same thing can be said of Darwin and Wallace on the Evolution thing. Julian Fauth says that, without any desire to emulate John Mayall, he merged strong, jangle piano and field holler vocals, built around lyrics depicting an urban mythos of midnight mist and loneliness, somehow spiced with humor and flirtations with much deeper blues and jazz than one would expect of a bandstand act, This reviewer is very happy that he did so.

Accompanied by some known and gifted folks like Paul Riddick, whose 2005 "Villanelle" release generated so much positive attention, Fauth makes every tune here his with distinctive intensity. This is a heavy left hand cat, constantly inventive so that, while meter is maintained, no two verses are played in quite the same way. "Winter of '99" is as cool a tune as one is likely to find. One cannot overpraise this release.

(©) 2005, Arthur Shuey BluesSource.com

The Toronto Star - November 17, 2005

German born, Kensington Market-forged bluesman Julian Fauth has been a fixture on the local bar scene for a number of years, unceremoniously and ingenuously serving up his trademark surreal barrelhouse blues on piano and harmonica - he's also an interesting percussive guitarist as well - for whoever will listen, and winning a solid following among better known members of the local blues clique, including Paul Reddick, Dave Rotundo, Mel Brown, Al Lerman and Wayne Charles, who all make solid contributions to this strange and fascinating 16 track recording. Strange because its muddied, monophonic design and ad-hoc arrangements make it sound more like a one-mic, one-take field recording than a studio efford, conveying the impression that it's a lost treasure by a forgotten genius. And fascinating because Fauth is a killer on the keys, an impressive harpist, and an outstanding songwriter whose familiarity with the entire blues canon allows him to appropriate bits and pieces at will - lyrics, hooks, rhythms - and blend them into a whimsical, lopsided, sinister, occasionally comic, and utterly original whole. Best of all, Fauth is an extraordinarily convincing singer with no stylistic debts to growling, howling blues legends past or present.

Greg Quill

Now Magazine - November 10 - 16, 2005

Julian Fauth found himself standing at the crossroads and knew he'd found a home. That it happened to be Kensington and St. Andrew makes the story that much better. Sex, violence, gang-banging, suicide, robbery and squeegee capitalists -- that's the shit Fauth's down with here. With his deadpan tone, Faugh sure does sound for real, yet for all his interesting discourse, it's his rollicking piano work that wins you over. Though he's a great keyboard player, Fauth never goes over the top, opting for subtlety and a steady cadence over vituosic flash. The stripped-down, organic production suits the mood perfectly, and despite what the album's title might suggest, there are plenty of good times and upbeat melodies.

Brent Raynor

Blues in Britain - October 2005

Julian Fauth is a multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter with a very individual sound and a wry way with lyrics.

Blessed with a husky voice permeated with a natural poignancy and mournfulness that enhances the, often, plaintive nature of his lyrics, Fauth has created a body of music that perfectly portrays his off-kilter musical view of life - "I play good clean barrelhouse blues (with occasional flights of insanity) the whole family can enjoy. There's something for everyone: murder, robbery, drugs, gang violence, prostitution."

Fauth's music covers many bases. 'Red Richard' - the story of a man who leaves Baton Rouge for Chicago, falls for a prostitute and falls foul of her pimp, disappearing without trace - is a stomping Chi-Town blues with pounding piano (Fauth) and fine harp (David Rotundo). 'Highway 61', with it's rollicking piano and harp (Paul Reddick), and insistent vocals, reminds me of Satan and Adam; 'You Can't Choose The World You Live In' has a strong Memphis Slim feel replete with rippling piano and muscular, deep blues, vocals; whilst 'Spadina Avenue Stomp' is a dramatic, and wonderful, slab of pure barrelhouse boogie.

The plaintive, and heart-rending, 'Suicide Note', where Fauth's rumbling piano emphasizes the hopelessness that engulfs the note's writer; the mournful 'Cocaine' with it's downbeat piano and harp (Al Lerman); the plangent 'When My Mother Died' - and being thrown out by his father at the age of nine - where Fauth's pain and frustration are echoed by Mel Brown's superb guitar, are further highlights of this wonderful set.

Ratings 10/9 Mick Rainsford

Maple Blues Newsletter - September 2005

Julian Fauth will be launching his new CD at Healey's on September 23. If you've seen him perform, you already know that he's a young, highly original songwriter and a gifted blues pianist/singer. He's a largely self-taught barrelhouse piano player and he seems to delight in the `Bluebird Beat' era of Chicago players like early Memphis Slim and, like most good songwriters, he's even better at writing liner notes. Of course, he starts off the CD playing guitar, on the Woody Guthrie-like "Cobalt" and on the traditional "Big Brazos" as well. On most of the songs he's accompanied by harmonica, with Paul Reddick, Dave Rotundo, Al Lerman and Wayne Charles sharing the role. "Winter of 99" and "Highway 61" catch the ear immediately with their keyboard pyrotechnics but "Red Richard" is a slower, sombre tale of life in the South Side of Chicago. Very effective as well is "When My Mother Died" which has some most appropriate guitar from Mel Brown. "Spadina Avenue Stomp" would seem like a perfect title for a finger busting barrelhouse romp and I guess it is that but Fauth has cleverly worked in elements of folk tunes of the various ethnic groups represented on that famously multicultural thoroughfare. The time spent busking in Kensington Market was valuable in more ways than one. If you need more justification for the CD title, you should try "Suicide Note" but "Flying Crow" will improve your spirits markedly, its an infectious Bluebird tribute to Washboard Sam. J.B. Lenoir's "Mojo Boogie" helps here too. Bob Vespaziani on drums and Sam Petite or Alec Fraser on bass join in for some nice variety with the band tracks. As good as "Red Richard" is, I think "You Can't Choose The World You Live In" is the better song. The concluding line of the chorus: "You can choose the way you live". With sixteen songs totaling some 74 minutes, Mr. Fauth has a lot to say and that's not counting the song on TBS-20 Years, which is not here. It's a good thing he says things so well and so musically.

The World You Live In - A viva l'arte in

Julian Fauth claims there are a few things he'd do differently on this, his debut recording under his own name, if he'd had the time. Seems these cuts, taken from a variety of sessions in various locations, were cobbled together rather quickly prior to a tour of Cuba.

Me, I like things just the way they are, and quite honestly don't see how the disc could be improved to any significant degree. Yup, it's that good.

Julian, who plays piano as though he's been doing it far longer than chronology could possibly permit, wrote all the songs here except the closer, a cover of Lowell Fulson's Let Me Ride In Your Automobile, recorded live in Volvograd, Russia. (Julian clearly gets around!). His lyrical concerns range from the basics of relationships (Trouble In Paradise) to party-hearty romps (Pound 'Em Back) to somewhat dark glimpses intoÉ well, into the world we live in. There's murder (Winter Of '99), suicide (Suicide Note), and social injustice (You Can't Change The World You Live In and Sorry Don't Cut No Ice). Proof, if nothing else, that Julian understands how blues encompasses the entire spectrum of human experience, from celebration to sorrow, joy to despair.

Julian sings with a somewhat laconic, slightly nasal voice and a comfortably unforced and thoroughly convincing assurance. Again, his piano work is first-rate - he's a serious student of the masters. But the big story here, at least to me, is the absolutely stellar harmonica work of guests Paul Reddick and David Rotundo, the former of The Sidemen, the latter usually found fronting his own band, The Blue Canadians. Both are among Canada's finest, both working here primarily in an acoustic mode, and together they're nothing short of revelatory. With minimal guitar and only the odd touch of sax, the disc comes across largely as a series of duets between Mr. Fauth and his friends, with drums and bass courtesy of a revolving cast providing a solid foundation.

Production is just a bit murky; perhaps that's what Julian would choose to change, although the fact that the songs were cut at a number of sessions would suggest it's the sound he prefers. And me, I'd take it over excessive studio gloss anyway; there's a sense, here, of musicians playing together in a single room, that each tune was cut in a single take. Isn't that what blues is supposed to be, after all?

The World You Live In is a fine outing indeed; it's also indicative of truly great things to come from Mr. Fauth. I suspect there'll be a long and honourable career to come, and look forward to a follow-up!

Copyright 2003.

Review by John Taylor.

E-mail:jtaylor@canadianblues.ca

Fauth a throwback to blues' rollicking, rowdier days - Thursday December 12, 2002 - The Record

With the blues having such a huge legacy now, it's not surprising how far its influence has reached.

"I became a blues musician by accident," says Julian Fauth, the one-time K-W resident whose rollicking barrelhouse piano and gritty vocals are rapidly propelling him to the forefront of the Toronto blues scene.

"I actually studied philosophy (at UW), but I've always listened to the blues, ever since I was six. When I came to Toronto in 1996, I started hanging out in Kensington Market and jamming, and things went from there. I wasn't planning on becoming a musician, but it's nice to get by on doing something you love, and that purges your soul at the same time."

Fauth, who was born in Cologne, Germany, first found the music through his father's record collection. He became fond of raucous recordings from the 1920s and '30s by pianists like Memphis Slim and Leroy Carr. A piano arrived at his house when Fauth was eight and he immediately began trying to emulate the sounds on the records.

By the late '80s, Fauth got the courage to join in on Mel Brown's weekly jams at Pop the Gator. Soon after he put music aside to concentrate on his studies, but he says the blues drew him back as a remedy to some tough times he experienced at that point. Fauth then began haunting clubs in Kensington Market and playing with musicians like Madagascar Slim and Dave Rotundo.

This year Fauth released The World You Live In, a beautifully rough-hewn album of original material that manages to capture an old-time atmosphere with current technology.

"I wouldn't say I'm a purist, but I do mostly just listen to blues recordings from the 1920s to the '50s. I'd never say I could play like those guys, and I don't really try to, but that feel is so powerful, and that's what I try to stay true to. My touchstone is always the very old stuff. Sometimes I don't write anything for months, and then a whole lot of songs come out. The songs that always work best are the ones that tell a story."

Fauth is beginning to amass a lot of experiences to draw from, not the least of which are gigs he did in Russia and Cuba this year, set up through the owner of L'Arte, an international artist-friendly club in Toronto that Fauth frequently plays.

"Blues isn't that well-known in Russia or Cuba, but the response in both countries was overwhelmingly positive. Blues is a very emotional music, and I think people responded to that. They understood the feeling, even if they didn't understand the words. We played the concert hall in Volgograd to 700 people and this ritzy place in Moscow called Le Club that charged outrageous cover prices."

Yet, for Fauth it seems that this is only the beginning of a career he hopes will reflect those of Honeyboy Edwards and Henry Townsend, who continue to get on stage together in their 80s and 90s.

"I got the privilege of seeing those guys in Chicago a few years ago and it was like hearing eight decades of blues distilled into one night. I hope some day I can play like that."

Interview by JASON SCHNEIDER (Kitchener-Waterloo Record):

JASON SCHNEIDER: Your sound encompasses a lot of styles. It's also unusual that you play both piano and guitar. Do you consider yourself a purist or are you more interested in fusing different styles?

JULIAN FAUTH: I wouldn't say I'm a purist, but I do mostly listen to the early blues recordings, from the '20s to the '50s: People like Leroy Carr, Little Brother Montgomery, Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Mercy Dee, Sunnyland Slim. I can't play like any of them, and I don't really try to, but that feel is so powerful, and that's what I try to stay true to. Even though I mess around with the chords and explore different grooves. I'm not really trying to fuse blues with anything else, but if a song wants to evolve in a more jazzy direction, or more hillbilly, or whatever, I let it. My touchstone is always the very old stuff, that's still mostly what I listen to. But I'm not opposed to people trying different things with it. Paul Reddick and The Sidemen do that very well. My guitar playing is rougher and more rhythm oriented. Mostly I make up my own chords and rhythm patterns. On the piano I can do more fancy runs and things like that. The guitar stuff tends to be more stripped-down, rough around the edges. But I like both.

JS: Given that blues is such an old form, what is your writing process like?

JF: I tend to write in spurts. Sometimes I don't write anything for months, and then a whole lot of songs come out. Sometimes I start with some lyrics and then try to figure out the music, sometimes it's the other way around. I often make up songs on the spot at gigs, too. But blues has a large reservoir of common phrases to draw on, and sometimes I draw on those. The songs that work best seem to be the ones that tell a story. 'Red Richard' for example -- I wrote the lyrics to that on the bus to Newmarket, on the way to the studio. At first I thought I'd do it as a kind of two-feel, but by the time I got to Puck's Farm, I thought it would work best as a kind of humpty-dumpty piano blues.

JS: What has the experience of meeting many legendary musicians done for you?

JF: Meeting other musicians is one of the greatest pleasures of playing. I met a lot of great musicians in Kensington Market -- David Rotundo, Madagascar Slim and Ken Yoshioka for example. Music, and blues especially, is a kind of attempt at communication, and although I play solo a lot, I really enjoy the trading back and forth that happens with David or Paul Reddick, for example. In 1999 I was in Chicago with Mike Robertson, a very good guitarist, and we saw a lot of great blues musicians there -- Otis Rush, no cover! But the highlight was seeing Honeyboy Edwards, Henry Townsend, Homesick James and Robert Lockwood all playing together at the Hot House. They were all in their '80s and '90s, but still strong, and it was like hearing eight decades of blues history distilled into one night. They all have different styles. Honeyboy Edwards plays in a Mississippi style that goes back to Robert Johnson and laid the groundwork for people like Muddy Waters. Lockwood has this jazzy thing going on. Homesick James, who was especially lively, plays electric slide guitar similar to Elmore James, but less rhythmic. Henry Townsend was probably my favourite. He plays piano and guitar (and did both at the Hothouse) in that loose, expressive way that became a trademark of the St. Louis players. He's been recording since 1928, and I'd been listening to a lot of those records. I think out of all of them he impressed me most. He was walking with a cane and the camera flashes hurt his eyes, but when he sat down at the piano, he became very quiet and secure, and just concentrated on the music. He had that confidence that comes from being part of a long tradition and knowing that you embody that tradition, that you've earned the right to speak with authority. You're not fooling around, or trying too hard to prove something; you just play with that quiet conviction that this is the blues -- you're it. I hope some day I can play like that.

JS: How did the Russian and Cuban audiences respond to you? Are they aware of blues music?

JF: Blues isn't that well known in Russia or Cuba. They do listen to Western music, but it tends to be rock, pop or sometimes jazz. And they have very strong musical traditions of their own. But the response in both countries was overwhelmingly positive. Blues is very emotional music, and I think people responded to that. They understood the feeling, even if they didn't understand the words. In Russia I played with David Rotundo and Alex Boldyrev, and we just did blues. We played in a lot of little places as well as some big ones -- the Concert Hall in Volgograd, with about 700 people, and a ritzy place called Le Club in Moscow, where they charge outrageous cover prices. But the response was great everywhere. In Cuba I went by myself and played with local musicians, some blues and some Cuban salsa and son, which was new to me and quite difficult, but it went well. People were very warm and very interested in blues. One of the musicians there e-mailed me and told me he's written a song for me. When I come back, he wants me to play it with him. He hadn't really played blues before, but now he's writing blues songs.

JS: It seems that you're more consciously an artist than other blues musicians I've encountered. Do you feel that blues needs to become more artistically stylish to progress just as, say, jazz has always managed to do?

JF: The artistic thing isn't really deliberate. I just have ideas sometimes and try them out, especially in an improvisational setting. I play a lot of solo gigs, so that frees me up to fool around with chord changes and so on if the mood strikes me. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. It makes the music more interesting to play, and hopefully to listen to. But it's not an overall programme; I don't think of myself as consciously trying to develop blues in an artistic way. It's just that blues is the musical framework I understand best, and when I want to try something out, I do it from within that framework. But usually it's not premeditated; I get craziest when I least expect it. And then I usually can't remember what I played the next day. I have pretty much a live-and-let-live attitude. I hope the traditional blues never goes away, and I draw my inspiration from that. From something like those prison recordings the Lomaxes made in the '30s, for example. Blues actually has quite a range of possibilities, and there always have been those who took it into a more artistic, stylish direction. Lonnie Johnson did so, for example, and Leroy Carr's lyrics were always carefully constructed. I just try to contribute whatever little ideas pop into my head to that great river. Where it goes, or should go, I don't know.

JS: You're playing a small club here in Kitchener, and you still do weekly gigs in Toronto. Is that something you'll ever get tired of, or is that the atmosphere that suits your music best?

JF: Playing a lot of little gigs can be exhausting, but I do think that the smaller, intimate settings are best for blues, especially for acoustic blues. Blues doesn't rely on musical complexity or virtuosity, like classical music and jazz sometimes do, or on sheer volume and raw power, like rock. It can use those elements, but they're extra toppings, so to speak. Blues is mainly about getting a feeling across, and you can do that best in a small, intimate settings.

Reviews: PRISMA (Russia) Mikhail Kochkin, April 2002.

"Julian Fauth plays piano like Shakespeare. Such dramatic power in every note."

BRIAN BLAIN'S INTERNET NEWS LETTER (http://www.icomm.ca/jazz/b/BD011021.html) November 22, 2001 -

The Tranzac: When I sent out the last-minute announcement about my guest for tonite's show, Eric Thom wrote back: "Julian Fauth plays like A.J. Casson paints (okay ... painted). He is a treat to behold and a more than worthy soul-mate to Brian's warm blues stylings." ... Julian did a feature set of original material and made a great impression on a certain record executive in the audience.

LITTLE BOBBY HAS JUST THE TICKET! To-nite cover story, #234, November 28-December 4, 2001 By John Taylor

Multi-instrumentalist and Handy Award winner Mel Brown shares piano duties with rising star Julian Fauth and guitar work with engineer Alec Fraser. All are either established fixtures or among Toronto's emerging elite, so it's a given that the instrumental performances are both flawlessly executed and inspired, informed by a genuine love of what can best be described as 'the real thing.'

LOOSE BLUES NEWS Maple Blues, Vol. 17 #11, November 2001

Brian Blain has been doing some sessions at The Studio at Puck's Farm and Ken Whiteley's Casa Wroxton, with NorthernBlues label mates Paul Reddick and Harry Manx ... as well as the young pianist/vocalist/songwriter Julian Fauth who is taking the Toronto blues scene by storm and preparing a much-anticipated recording of his own.

INNOVATIVE JULIAN FAUTH AND GROOVY KIWI KICK A GOOD MATCH To-nite #231, October 31-November 6, 2001 By Gary 17

Both as a soloist and as part of various Blues/Jazz combos such as Dave Rotundo's duo and Dark Holler, Julian Fauth is one of the more innovative young players and composers on the GTA scene. An affable fellow with a bit of an ironic sense of humour and a laconic demeanour, Fauth is an engaging player both on piano and guitar. He's now appearing solo four nights a week ... I caught up with Julian at Kiwi last week and immensely enjoyed an hour or so of both his original tunes and soaking up the vibe from this off-beat eatery ... Julian utilizes the house piano just inside the front door for this gig, and utilize it he did, proferring everything from soulful Blues tunes you'd swear were written by an old black man in the 30s to barrelhouse boogies that wouldn't be out of place during the Klondike Gold Rush - and everything in between. What amazed me was that while all the time I thought Julian must be possessed of an encyclopaedic knowledge of old time music, nearly every one of the dozen or so tunes from the set were his own compositions! This boy's gotta get into a recording studio soon and just cut an album of this stuff - ... and another piano-playing classic will emerge!

DAVE ROTUNDO - 'BLOWIN' FOR BROKE' GRABS THE BRASS RING. To-nite cover story, #219, August 8-14, 2001. By Gary Tate

Formidable solos piggyback on each other, adding heft and substance to each cut. Peter [Schmidt] and Julian Fauth are two hepcats who have completed their Blues assignments most honourably and are now well into advanced, post-graduate studies. The torrent of talent, style, and taste never eases up for an instant.

JULIAN FAUTH IMPRESSED AT EARTH DAY CONCERT To-nite, Issue: #204 April 25 to May 1, 2001 By Diane Wells

On a jaunt to Tranzac Club..., I discovered that Julian Fauth is not just a wonderful keyboardist, he also plays a pretty mean acoustic guitar! I was fascinated watching him play, as he has this technique of plucking at the strings as if the instrument were a harp instead of a guitar. And for such a soft-spoken man in regular conversation, he has a very strong and dynamic singing voice! This particular configuration Julian appeared in is called Dark Holler, with a very engaging set of tunes on which Julian is accompanied by National Steel slide guitarist Mike Robertson and harmonica player Ken ("Kenny") Yoshioka. ... I would describe [the general ambiance being created] as being somewhere between John Hiatt's "Crossing Muddy Waters", although not vocally, and Creedence Clearwater's "Run Thru the Bayou", but without the bass guitar. It should be well worth checking out! While Julian bills himself as "blues and jazz", Dark Holler is definitely a foray into something completely different.

TORONTO'S 2ND ANNUAL BACK TO THE DIRT CONCERT FOR EARTHDAY CANADA Brian Gladstone's web site (http://www.backtothedirt.com/earthday2001review.htm) By Diane Wells

By this time, the room was filling up nicely, just in time for Julian Fauth, Mike Robertson and Ken "Kenny" Yoshioka, who comprise the band that's creating a "buzz" around town called Dark Holler. Apart from being a talented keyboardist, Julian shows he's equally adept with a fretboard, but has a curious technique of plucking the strings on the guitar as if they were on a harp instead, producing quite a unique sound! Mike was playing a National steel slide guitar, which instrument I just can't hear enough of. I mean, this is an instrument that demands attention! Kenny completed the ensemble with some haunted, soul-searching harmonica. Billed as "raw old time blues", it also conjured up images of escaped criminals being tracked by the hounds through the bayus and backwoods. For such a soft-spoken man, Julian has no problem projecting his voice into a crowd when necessary. ...

GARY 17'S SPRING RISE PARTY AT CHICAGO'S to-nite #202, APRIL 11-17 2001 By Joe Curtis

As far as the Rock/Blues area of entertainment went, Dave Rotundo and Julian Fauth started the evening off right for me on the lower level with several classic Blues songs such as "Roberta", Monkey Man", and some Boogie Woogie. They continued the flow later in the evening, upstairs with "Whiskey Women" and "Cornbread and Molasses". Jerome Godboo joined them part way through their set, and between him and Dave, totally blew the crowd away. ... This was really the main highlight for me Sunday evening - seeing two of my favorite performers with Julian, carrying each other to dizzying heights of musical creation.

ROTUNDO & FAUTH To-nite cover story, #195, February 21-27, 2001 By Joe Curtis

I've just spent three enjoyable evenings watching three different gigs in three different places featuring Julian Fauth and David Rotundo. Julian is an impeccable Blues musician/ singer, playing both guitar and piano with ease and Blues mastery. Dave is a master of blues harp interpretation, turning each song he plays into a winner. Dave's vocal talents capture every song on an upswing. His smiling face, while singing, contrasts with Julian's sad expressions, lending some unusual personality to the proceedings. Julian's vocals sound very much like Robert Johnson. The first venue was Tuesday ... at Kim Café ... in the heart of Kensington Market. This is Julian's regular Tuesday night gig. Julian was on guitar and piano, but no Dave. ... Several classic old Blues songs were heard ... The next place was on Thursday ... at L'Arte ... This gig featured Julian on piano and Dave on harp. It was a friendly jam ... All the musicians had fun jamming and getting off on each other's musical prowess. The third and last Julian/Dave stop was the next evening, Friday ... at Gate 403 ... This was not a jam. Julian and Dave were doing a duet all evening to an appreciative and attentive audience. ... The volume was a little louder there, which added fullness to the sound, creating the illusion of a band with more musicians. Again, some old Blues classics came our way ... ending off a great evening with a rousing Boogie ... All three evenings were a real pleasure to attend, due to Julian and Dave. Their singing and playing were superb, the Blues they did was rare and tasteful, with many songs different each time I saw them. ... Julian ... is also a member of the Dark Holler band with guitarist Mike Robertson and harmonica player Ken Yoshioka ... He can also be heard playing keys with the likes of Johnnie Lovesin and others. If you hear of Julian Fauth or David Rotundo playing anywhere, together or apart in other combos, be sure to attend - a really great time is guaranteed.

CLUB SCENE REVIEW February 2001. By Joe Curtis.

Julian Fauth, if you're not familiar with him, is one of the unknown of the truly great Blues musicians this country has to offer. His friendly, small-town demeanour... and smile is in sharp contrast to the agonizing expression he has on his face when he sings and plays the Blues. His Blues are the real Blues. If Muddy Waters were here, I bet he'd say the same thing. Julian plays guitar and piano, both with the intense sincerity of any black (no offense intended) person's deep suffering laments, even though he's white. É His depiction of the Blues musically and physically proves that the root of true Blues crosses all barriers, emotionally and physically. When I saw Julian at Café Kim at 40 Kensington Ave. in the heart of Kensington Market, his vocal style, combined with the 50s South Side Chicago atmosphere, had me sometimes having to tell myself that I wasn't listening to Robert Johnson in a small Chicago juke joint decades earlier. ... There's nothing cheap about the music there, except how little you have to spend for a really good night of classic Roots Blues every Tuesday, from a musician whose good taste in music is only eclipsed by his talent in expressing it - either on his hollow-body, arch-top semi-acoustic guitar, or on the keys of any piano at hand, from a 1917 upright piano permanently warped out of tune, to an impressive and elegant Belle-Epoque Grand PianoÉ

DARK HOLLER HAS NO NEED TO YELL to-nite #160, December 8-21, 1999. By H. Dean Gray

Dark Holler, a local blues band, shines a light on traditional Blues. Their approach to Blues is pure. The musicians, both in part and as a whole, pull off the feat of making true Blues appetizing for the enthusiast and novice listener. "Every musician is a virtuoso" was one comment made to me from a patron at Trojan's in Mississauga on a recent Saturday night. Also, not so politically correct, was: "if you close your eyes you can hear a black man singing. "I believe what the gentleman was trying to say about the vocals of keyboardist Julian Fauth, is that the tone, phrasing and execution pays certain homage to the forefathers of da Blues. I first met Julian playing a duo with Dark Holler guitarist Mike Robertson about a year ago at Mimico Station. They were great then, too. Mike doesn't use effects or a pick, 'n Julian doesn't do wild sweeping rock licks on the piano either. What they do is show you a true respect for the Blues stylings they love and have spent hours woodshedding. In fact, if it wasn't cheesy, I might suggest adding the scratch of an ol' '78. (That's a record for you ADAT people!) Ken Yoshioka plays harp and fits in perfectly. Nick Cautillo on drums and Leo Jordan holding down the bottom both bring years of experience and knowhow to the group. Many a great band excelled with the amalgamation of veterans with up-and-coming types. Dark Holler is not Led Zeppelin, but is a name you'll hear more about.