Van Merwyk, Michael
Move On Down The Line
A room full of guitars, two microphones and a musician who needs nothing more than his voice, slide guitar, and feeling. For his new album "Move On Down The Line," Michael van Merwyk radically reduced the recording process, creating an intimate soundscape that could hardly be more direct. The album was recorded at Mainwwood Guitars in the Netherlands, a guitar shop specializing in resonator guitars. Only National Reso-Phonic guitars were used from venerable vintage models from the 1930s to modern instruments. Van Merwyk also plays some tracks on his trusty companion "Heart," a Continental CS-N from the 1990s. Every song is a single take, without overdubs or studio tricks so pure, it sounds as if he were playing live in his audience's living room. For the recording, he used only two microphones from the renowned company Ear Trumpet Labs, prized for their pristine, warm sound in the field of acoustic music. The result: an album full of depth, intimacy, and authenticity. The repertoire is evenly split: half Michael van Merwyk presents his own songs, the other half he interprets classics by Barbecue Bob, Hank Williams, Charley Patton, Sleepy John Estes, Norman Beaker, and Al Ferrier. The title song was written by Jesse Fuller. With each piece, he pays tribute to the tradition of the "songsters"musicians like Mississippi John Hurt, Big Bill Broonzy, and Lead Belly, who transcended genre boundaries, playing what the audience wanted to hear. This is what "Move On Down The Line" sounds like: honest, raw, soulful a soundtrack for the here and now, deeply rooted in the history of American music and yet characterized by Michael van Merwyk's unmistakable "Euro Style".