BLUES ON THE RUN (BRR21LPC-BRR23CD) 1994     back to Home   CD order page   

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BLUES ON THE RUN ....features the one man blues band Patrick Hazell has been presenting to his fans for the past fifteen years. Juke joint, down-home roadhouse and at times even "corn-fed zydeco" boogie blues. This CD is an example of why this man is still drawing crowds after nearly four decades of touring.

---JAMES RONAN, TRAPEZE MAGAZINE, DECORAH, IA, OCT.1997

Review of BLUES ON THE RUN (BLUE RHYTHM RECORDINGS BRR21LPC, & BRR23CD) by CUB KODA, GOLDMINE, APRIL 26, 1996.

Patrick Hazell is a white, one-man band (piano, neck rack harmonica and drums) from the distinctly non-blues area of Washington, Iowa. But skin color and point of origin hardly matters as Hazell sounds like a complete throwback to the recordings of the late '40's and early '50's. His rhythmic drive is superlative while his sound and style is highly reminiscent of Memphis one-man bands like Doctor Ross or Joe Hill Louis. His raspy harp and vocals (sung into the same distorted microphone he blows through) are fortified with strong material, an unrelenting beat and sensational ambience as he ekes out a piece of blues turf that hasn't been occupied in a very long time.
Hazell's debut opus has all the portent of an album you'll find yourself still listening to 10 years from now, both for its content and its sheer uniqueness. The title track is five minutes of nasty modal shouting and honking while the opener, "Here I Go Again," answers the question, "What would it have sounded like if Joe Hill Lewis had cut a rock'n'record at Sun? That he manages to pull off his one-man-band turn without the use of overdubbing makes the performances on this album all the more amazing. In the current white boy blues community where seemingly every street corner has five people on it with shades, pleated pants and heat-up Stratocasters in hand, Patrick Hazell stands out as something very unique and cool. Winner of this month's "If It Sounds Like A Scratchy 78, It Must Be Good" Award.
----- CUB KODA, GOLDMINE, APRIL 26, 1996. ALL MUSIC GUIDE

BLUES ON THE RUN--Patrick Hazell, One-Man Blues Band

I do not know how in the heck he gets all that sound and only him! He plays piano, organ, bass drum, and some of the best sounding harmonica I've ever heard in a rack. It's well worth it to help this guy out!
-------- STEVE "BIG DADDY BLUZ HARP" HARVELL, BLUZHARP'S CHRISTMAS LIST; AMERICAN HARMONICA NEWSLETTER, DEC. 1995

BLUES ON THE RUN is a collection of blues and boogie-woogie tunes that are guaranteed to make you feel good. When you consider that Hazell plays the harp in a rack while playing the keyboard, using foot pedals for percussion, and interspersed all this with distinctive vocals, Hazell is a pretty incredible musician/juggler, artist/entertainer.

---TONI RADLER, EASY REEDING, HOHNER HARMONICA MAGAZINE, Spring'98

My wife and I had just gotten off the tram ride at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines this past August and heard some pretty cool (but different) blues coming from a nearby building. Naturally, I had to check it out. As I looked around the room, I was disappointed that it wasn't live (I was looking for a full band). So we looked around at the exhibits, worked our way to the back of the building and there he was, Patrick Hazell, a virtual one man show. He had a triple layer of keyboards in front of him, a harmonica around his neck and was playing the bass drum as well. What a talent--a mix of traditional blues, blended with some sprinklings of Cajun and an obvious passion for the music. My next thought was, "Where has this guy been? He's fantastic!"
During his break, I learned that he performs quite frequently at fairs and festivals and has several releases available in his repertoire. BLUES ON THE RUN is all original tunes (except Wang Dang Doodle"). I don't think you'll find Pat's stuff in any local music stores, but you can get a complete list of his recordings by writing to Blue Rhythm Recordings.......This may sound like an advertisement rather than a review, but trust me on this one, it will be worth the effort to contact Pat and get a list of what he has available. Your ears will thank you well!

----CHARLIE WOLF, MUSIC CITY BLUES BLUESLETTER, APRIL'97,
NASHVILLE, TN

BLUES ON THE RUN ....features the one man blues band Patrick Hazell has been presenting to his fans for the past fifteen years. Juke joint, down-home roadhouse and at times even "corn-fed zydeco" boogie blues. This CD is an example of why this man is still drawing crowds after nearly four decades of touring.

---JAMES RONAN, TRAPEZE MAGAZINE, DECORAH, IA, OCT.1997