Description
Stevie’s Blend is a musical project created by Stefano De Angelis to bring together musicians who share his passion for the Blues. “BLEND” is the spirit of the band: basically a trio composed of Stefano De Angelis – guitar, Michael Brill – bass and Piero E. Pierantozzi – drums, often joined by a series of guest musicians, some of whom participated in realizing the band’s first album: Claudio Maffei, Stefano Malatesta, Luca Morisco, Andrea Di Persio and Luigi Onorati on lead vocals, Claudio Martinez on harmonica, Luciano Gargiulo on piano / Hammond and some others.
The title of the album is THE BLUES HILL and contains 10 original blues songs composed by Stefano De Angelis. Most of the tracks have an acoustic sound but with a great variety of rhythms and atmospheres. In fact the major part of the songs were composed to describe definite images, and with the intent to create a simple but at the same time refined sound. I often write a song with the intention of evoking images, with the music as their background, a kind of soundtrack. The lyrics are often autobiographical, talking about things I know or have discovered, through music, deep inside my soul. Things I have experienced personally, which I am able to express more clearly by putting them to music. I have always tried to find emotions when listening to music, and that is exactly what I try to arouse in whoever listens to my music.For most of the work acoustic instruments were used: acoustic guitars and resophonic guitar, acoustic bass, drums and percussion, in order to keep the sound as natural as possible. On some songs an electric guitar has been added, but always with ‘clean’ sounds, also piano and Hammond organ.
1. This Is My River feat. On voice: Luca Morisco – the rhythm of the first song takes us back to the places where the blues was born in the delta of Mississippi and tells us the story of a child born on its bank, now “many years have passed i’m far from here but call my name my great river i’ll come back to you”. A return to the roots with the slide guitar in the foreground and a drum rhythm that reminds us of the so-called Fife and Drum Bands, that mainly played at parties on farms. We have also made a videoclip of this song. The river thus becomes a kind of higher power which calls the protagonist back to the places of his childhood, but with the knowledge that the time that has passed will never be given back to us, and that and everything remains simply un unrealized and unrealizable wish.
2. No Fear feat. on voice. Claudio Maffei – is a song with a very simple structure (verse / refrain). The instrumentation is equally simple: acoustic guitar and acoustic bass with a minimal set of percussion to tell us the story of a love that disappears but leaves an indelible mark on our soul. When writing this song, I imagined two people involved in a passionate dance, but all of a sudden, one of the dancers begins to fade and eventually disappears completely, leaving the other to continue the imaginary dance on their own.
“I remember the light in your eyes, i remember the gold in your heart, i remember the flavour of your mouth”.
3. I Found You Along My Road feat. on voice: Luigi Onorati – is a country/blues song with the resophonic guitar that plays the main riff and the washboard that characterizes the sound of the song. A decidedly clumsy person, who unwittingly destroys everything around him, including people “I’m desperate i break all i touch i’m not a bad man but i break all i touch sorry but i found you along my road”.
4. Prisoner In My Land feat. On voice: Luca Morisco – rarefied atmospheres for the sad story of the native Americans driven from their lands and forced to live like prisoners in the reserves. Ever since I was a child watching westerns, I always sided with the Indians, and in general with the minorities that suffer the injustice and tyranny of those who are stronger. Hence I imagined a story of a Red Indian hunting at night and tending his bow with his powerful arms. He only kills what he needs and never more than what is necessary to stay alive, a free man in his homeland. But then everything changes and we all know how the story was violently re-written, with the white man’s use of guns against the arrows of the native Americans.
“Badlands on the east and the plain on the west i need so much fortune here in the Black Hills”.
5. Big Blue Ball feat. on voice. Claudio Maffei – relates of how the Earth appears from outer space, to the crew of an alien starship. The captain decides to take a closer look at the wonderful big blue ball only to realize that it is not as beautiful as it appears…
“Blood on the ruins blood on the wall blood on the road and blood on the
sand what an illusion a disillusion what an illusion the earth like an heaven head for the stars and get away from here”.
6. Oh Daddy feat. on voice: Luigi Onorati – tells about a son’s love for his dead father. In his dreams he still imagines his father by his side to guide him through the hard reality of life.
“In my dreams i see you into my arms i feel the warm of your hands in my hands i hear the sound of your voice in my ears and i hope you’ll tell me over and over and over and over don’t worry my baby don’t cry my baby”.
7. When I Die feat. On voice: Andrea Di Persio – is an acoustic ballad in which a cajon creates the rhythm. At the end of the song there is an unexpected change of timing. This song is dedicated to the person I love and expresses my desire to be alongside her in the important moments of my life, but at the same time have her close to me when I die….
“Oh i really understeand this is the night that i’m looking for, oh i really understeand this is the night that change the life, you put a spell over me from the head to the feet yes i fell in your trap but i don’t want to run away”.
8. Guitar Boogie – a driving rhythm, sustained by the acoustic guitar with the harmonica contributing to the rhythm together with the bass and drums. The lyrics contain many double meanings typical of the Blues. In fact it would seem that the song is about a girl, when it actually refears to a guitar.
“It was a rain day when i first looked at you now i walk around the world with my guitar in it’s case i love you every night and i hold you oh so tight we’re a perfect couple it’s a love at high voltage”
9. The Chicken Race – is a very fast instrumental boogie, two and a half minutes of pure blues energy.
10. All My Faults feat. On voice: Andrea Di Persio – guitar, vocals and harmonica, homage to the Mississippi Delta Blues. We are what we are, nothing more, with our qualities, but mostly our faults and we ask for nothing more than to be loved the way we are.
11. Prisoner In My Land (Intrumental Version)
12. Big Blue Ball (Intrumental Version)
All songs written, produced, arranged and engineered by Stefano De Angelis.
Recorded at 111 Studio and JAKE&Elwood Studio – Rome, Italy.
Mixed and mastered by Nicola Di Già (Noise Studio) – Rome, Italy.
Executive Producer: Stefano De Angelis for Redwood Recordings (a Surabaya Music publishing sublabel).
All tracks published by Surabaya Music publ. (S.I.A.E.)
