Living The Blues Terry Marshall And Friends

• 1 Hoochie Coochie Man 06:45
• 2 Phone Booth 04:20
• 3 Voodoo Woman 05:07
• 4 Worried Dreams 06:53
• 5 I Got All You Need 04:05
• 6 Help Me 05:59
• 7 Dr Feelgood 04:32
• 8 Long Grey Mare 05:01
• 9 Me and my Gin 09:09
• 10 I'm Ready 04:14
• 11 Smokestack Lightning 04:04
• Total Runtime 01:00:09

Info for Living The Blues

Despite having never released his own album, Terry Marshall remains one of the most ubiquitous and influential individuals in modern music; this of course comes from the guitar amplifiers which bear his name.

Debut album 'Living The Blues' by Terry Marshall and Friends, including Laurence Jones, Emma Wilson, Alice Armstrong, Krissy Matthews and Zoe Schwarz as well as an array of talented blues musicians, the album is the embodiment of a lifetime of dedication to music and a revitalising take on blues classics.

This album is not just a collection of songs; it’s a return to the pure, unembellished essence of the blues, distilled from a lifetime spent immersed in the genre. Terry’s approach to recording the album was as unique as his career. He aimed to capture the raw energy of live performances by working with musicians he has shared the stage with. Recorded live at The Marshall Studio in four days, arrangements were created on the fly to keep the atmosphere relaxed and spontaneous. This method resulted in a record rich in moments of spontaneity and raw energy, perfectly embodying the spirit of the blues.

Despite having never released an album prior to his upcoming debut, ‘Living The Blues’, Terry Marshall is one of the most ubiquitous and influential individuals in modern music. This, of course, comes from the amps which bear his name, which he and his father Jim invented in the early 60s for the emerging rock scene and are now used in every genre all around the world. But initially making his way as a session saxophonist, Terry’s career is equally as defined by his passion for playing live. “My whole business has been love of music,” Terry says, “my whole life has been totally music. I just love playing.” ‘Living The Blues’, released through Marshall Records, is a testament to Terry’s dedication: eleven blues classics, played with some of the best blues musicians in the UK, and returning to a refreshingly uncomplicated version of a genre that has been reiterated endlessly. ‘Living The Blues’ is the distillation of a life spent doing just that and carries Terry Marshall’s inescapable commitment in every note played.

Terry’s life in music began earlier than most. “I started earning money as a musician when I was 14 and turned pro when I was 16,” he says. Music was an essential element in the Marshall house, with Terry quoting Count Basie and Little Richard as his earliest influences to play saxophone. From his first recording session, produced by the legendary Joe Meek, Terry’s phonebook expanded to include some of the biggest names of the 1960s, from forming a band with Mitch Mitchell to friendships with guitarists like Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore and John Mayall. It was one such connection to Pete Townshend that led to the very first Marshall amp being made, which Terry chalks up to his own music experience. “Pete wanted something louder,” he says, “and being a sax player, I had no loyalty to Vox or Fender. I knew what these guys wanted, and it took a sax player’s ears to give it to them.” With the amps taking more and more of Terry’s time, he switched touring for London clubs but never let anything get in the way of playing live. “I still play whenever I can,” Terry says, “I still need my fix.”

Some may wonder why, after such a long career defined by playing live, Terry has chosen now to release his debut album, ‘Living The Blues’. But for Terry, the key is in catching that live energy. “Every musician on there, I’ve played with on stage,” he says, “so it was just like meeting with mates. I asked the singers what songs they’d like to sing on the day, and we’d make an arrangement on the spot and then get a take. We recorded all those tracks in four days – I didn’t want any rehearsals; I didn’t want to say what songs we were going to do. I wanted the singer to feel relaxed, and because all the people we had on there were jammers, I knew it would work.” This process, unconventional in today’s culture of studio perfection, has led to a record rich in moments of spontaneity and raw energy. The record opens with ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, with Krissy Matthews and Alice Armstrong sharing vocal duties over a stomping riff that sets the intention of the album straight away. The song carries another meaning, too: both Krissy and Alice represent the newest wave of UK blues talent and are among the youngest guests on the record. “I’m so keen to promote the blues,” says Terry, “and I want to give back to young people. It’s where every guitarist starts; it’s part of the natural progression.”

The range of talent across the record is remarkable, with Terry pulling in players from across the entire span of his career. “I invited a whole blend of different artists,” he says, “and whoever turned up on whatever days were the ones who played.” At the core of the record are a few key players. “Nick Simper from Deep Purple played bass, and from (Deep Purple side project) Warhorse we had Peter Parks,” says Terry. “They were my basic two steady up at the back on all the tracks.” But with a constantly evolving cast of musicians, each calling different songs, the flavour of the music is constantly changing, too. Laurence Jones, one of the most exciting new voices in blues music, leads a supercharged take of the Fleetwood Mac classic ‘Long Grey Mare’, trading guitar lines with former Jimmy Page sideman Robin Bibi. But in sharp contrast is the soulful, organ-led ballad of ‘Doctor Feelgood’, which showcases Terry’s saxophone at its most poignant alongside vocalist Emma Wilson. “I invited a blend of different artists,” Terry says, “but all people I knew could jam together. It was so easy to get that result because there was no pressure.” And with such an organic record showing so many sides to the blues, Terry may well have captured a snapshot of the next generation of the blues, akin to other nascent supergroups like the Yardbirds or John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. “A lot of the blues has been diluted,” he says, “and I think we need to get back to basics to get it going again.”

‘Living The Blues’, like all the best blues records, gains its richness from reflecting on a full and storied life; in this case, Terry Marshall’s history as one of the central figures of UK music heritage imbues the album with an essential character. Other artists may imitate and interpolate the blues, but the sincerity and passion heard on this album can only come from a lifetime dedicated to the craft. “I am so lucky,” says Terry, “I’ve lived the crest of a wave, and I’m still doing it.” ‘Living The Blues’ carries on the precious traditions of playing live and conveying raw emotion and will surely be remembered as one of the genre’s most vital and essential albums of modern times.

Terry Marshall, saxophone
Krissy Matthews, guitar, vocals
Alice Armstrong, vocals
Zoe Schwarz, vocals
Emma Wilson, vocals
Robert Hokum, guitar
Peter Parks, guitar
Paul Long, organ
Hugh Budden, harmonica, vocals
Robin Bibi, vocals, guitar
Laurence Jones, guitar
Oliver Brightman, guitar
Nick Simper, bass
Paul Gordon White, drums
Kev Hickman, drums

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This album contains no booklet.