Uphill From Anywhere

I’m not from Cincinnati, so maybe I can be forgiven for never having heard of Brad Hatfield until his debut CD turned up in my mailbox. Hatfield is a staple of the Cincinnati blues scene and, if this album is any measure, it won’t be long before he’ll be more widely known because he’s got a really great voice, a great harp sound and a soulful sense of the blues. He’s also got a pretty powerful personal story, overcoming years of paralysis to emerge from his affliction with an album that any singer/songwriter would envy even if they hadn’t made it after rising above such punishing adversity. And, since dealing with hard luck and trouble is what the blues is all about, Hatfield has paid dues that have paid off, redeeming pain with a hard won authentic sound that’s borrowed from lots of sources, but emerges here as all his own. There’s not a bad track here, but “John the Revelator” will make the hair stand up on your arms, and the opening track, “Witness to My Misery” is a blues-soaked testament to human will and courage. Note to the Sierra Nevada Big Room: Book this guy, ASAP.