Phuket Blues Festival

The evenings headliner - Rich Harper Blues Band that closed the show - deserves a page of their own in the new book of blues/rock history. What a show and what a sound by a three piece band! When a big banner was put in place as backdrop during the break, I knew we were in for something special, but we were not prepared for the wall of sound (to use an old Phil Spector term) that hit us.

Maybe it was the ambiance - maybe it was the by now significant volume of couponed as well as free beer - but, as contemporary bands go, in my opinion, only U2, which is essentially also a three piece band, can match the fat sound of these to me previously unknown guys. The secret to that great sound is the guitar player, and in my opinion Rich Harper is every bit as good as U2s The Edge, if not an edge better. I truly agree with the organizer who took the stage at the end to applaud Rich Harper as one of the greatest guitarists in the world!

The show was superbly managed. No hick-ups of any kind occurred; a tremendous accomplishment for a first time big event, especially when considering what the organizers must have gone through to move an entire outdoor festival inside to the Hilton ballroom at the last minute.

Well done, Phuket! This was an excellent example of what is needed here and can be accomplished once the right individuals take the initiative. Put the show on again next year, and I will be back with ALL my buds!

John Morris
Seattle, WA
USA
(the Phuket Gazette)

Bottled Up Blues

Bottled Up Blues
"Guitarist/singer Rich Harper fronts a guitar/bass/drums trio the likes of which you seldom see in these days of big band/West Coast blues dominance. Fans of 21st century blues with a touch of rock swagger will find 'Bottled Up Blues' a welcome addition."
Living Blues

"...let the music speak for itself... Rich plays some tasty bottleneck... The material is strong and the musicianship of a high quality."
Helen Farley
Blues Association of South-East Queensland

""... a full tilt of different styles from rockin' to soulful blues, this trio is tight and headed for success. From acoustic slide to electric, Rich Harper has you spellbinded.
Jackie Heard
Blues By The Bay
100.3 Bay FM, Australia

I love that guitar. 'Don't Think Just Play' is a must for bluesfreaks. There is something for everybody. On the CD 'Bottled Up Blues' they continue the good work. If you love blues, listen to Rich Harper's guitar.
Kjell Andreassen
Radio Holstebro, Denmark

"No spit & polish. I don't want spit & polish. I just want talent and blues. I want some classics & I want some slide. I want to have some fun & I want it to be real. RHBB with their down home, hard working, blue collar Blues delivers all that."
Steve Langhauser
Mississippi Valley Blues Society Blues News

"The excellence in craftsmanship of this trio from LA is formidable. Right from the opening song, one is pulled into trying to sing along with the music... the short 50 minutes of the record passes too quickly.
Blues News, Germany

"Johnny Winter, look out! Rich Harper and his Blues Band are hot on your trail! 'Bottled Up Blues' is a killer blast!
Dave Johnson
"Blues Deluxe" radio program

"...a great & diverse array of slide stuff, acoustic & full-on electric!"
Martin "Lester" Dunstan
"JuzBlooz", 3Way FM 100.9 (Australia)

"Rich is not just a blues musician, but a blues craftsman...with quirky, intelligent lyrics weaving through familiar stylised riffs that are exceptionally well played."
Jon Lane
The Blues Times, Sydney Blues Society (Australia)

"Bottled Up Blues is a damn fine album. I'm having a little difficulty getting it out of my stereo."
Big Mike Hotz
Coast FM, Australia

"If you're looking for real blues with a real feeling then you're looking for Rich Harper."
Paul "Blueshippy" Rowlett
The Blues Connection, KRSC-FM, Oklahoma

"I like it, I love it! Bottled Up Blues is most excellent!"
Ironman Dave Miles
KUHL, Trenton, MO

"...Harper establishes the fact that there is going to be serious (major and minor pentatonic) guitar runs blasting out of the speakers... He also plays a fine acoustic and acoustic slide guitar..."
Matt Alcott
Blues On Stage

"You want blues? You have it in this collection. Rich Harper & his band mates have given us a party down, let loose & have fun set of blues based songs. Add this one to your CD library & enjoy." Complete Review
Wolfgang Spider
Blues Notes, Detroit Blues Society

"Harper is at his best when he's playing slide, sometimes dipping into wicked deep blues & sometimes sounding sweet & clear." Complete Review
Blues Society of the Ozarks (Springfield, MO)

"This new release from Rich Harper, is what all serious blues fans are looking for. This album basically has it all." Complete Review
Wayne Russell
International Blues Appreciation & Preservation Society (Australia)

"Harper plays a mean slide & leads a tight trio augmented by keys..." Complete Review
Mike Garner
New Zealand Blues Society Bluesletter

"I like the uncomplicated sound of this three piece, nothing seems to be missing or added unnecessarily." Complete Review
TR Marshall
Blues On Stage

"This is a rock solid album with no weaknesses" Complete Review
Keith Hannaleck
MuzikMan Productions

"Though a top-notch guitarist, he plays in an easy-to-listen-to-style. He cranks up the volume and speed when appropriate, but knows when to pull back..."
Scott Tady
The Times, Pennsylvania

Don't Think Just Play

"This is one of these bands who are easy to listen to. Even people who are not really blues fans will enjoy them. A delicious cd. Great."
Vicente P. Zumel
Radio Pica/La Hora del Blues (Barcelona, Spain)

"Whether he's tearing it up on his guitar or punching out his heartfelt vocals, Rich Harper is definitely a bluesman to be reckoned with." Complete Review
Eric Black
Blue Country News, Australia

"This debut from the Rich Harper Blues Band starts off with a punch, kicking in to a high energy groove that barely lets up until the last track."
Genevieve Williams
Amazon.com

"The guitar is so vibrant it could burst into speech, only to let you know that, damn, has this man got the blues."
Sarah Bardeen
Listen.com

"Rich's clear cut style beckons to the earlier days of B.B. King & Muddy Waters. His playing has a strength that comes from hitting the notes solidly without overplaying to death. If you are a devout blues lover, your blues collection is partially naked without this album. Get it & feel the blues, the way it's meant to be felt."
Independent Songwriter Web - Magazine

"Sometimes gruff and other times sweet, Harper's singing and slide playing pack a punch...his songs stay true to blues structures and themes...a highly successful album."
Living Blues Magazine

"Harper's a gutsy singer & plays some tasty guitar, straight, slide & acoustic. "Just Play" is a stone winner."
Blues Revue

"One of the Top 10 most often listened-to recordings in Blues Revue's offices."
"Thought You Might Be Curious" column
Blues Revue/March 1998

"His diverse slide playing is in a class of its own...something here for every blues lover"
The Blues News
Germany

"I'm very pleased with the sound of that slide! Wow man, great!"
Andre Smeets
Block Magazine (Netherlands), D.J., Blues on the Rocks (Belgium)

"Great! Some real blues. The more I listen to it the better the music gets."
Nik
DJ, Radio Bern (Switzerland)

"I am impressed...it's entered onto our preferred playlist. Congratulations!"
Andrew Nicholson
Station Manager, 2NCR-FM 92.9 (Lismore, Australia)

"It's brilliant...I am going to add it to our playlist as soon as I've finished listening to it..."
Jos Stirling
Programme Director, HILLS AM (New Zealand)

"Don't Think Just Play is an impressive album with a load of superb slide work."
Music City Blues Bluesletter (Nashville)

"This is the disc that everyone that has a car with a CD player in it should have."
Duncan Hoyt
WMHB (Maine)

"The powerful electric guitar blues & smooth acoustic sounds make this cd a pleasure to listen to."
Howlin' Bill
Back to the Roots Magazine (Belgium)

"From electric blues to acoustic slide this is one CD true blues lovers will thoroughly enjoy."
Shenandoah Valley Blues Society

"Really fine stuff!"
Michael Rauhaut
Jazz Radio 101.9, (Berlin, Germany)

"Make no mistake, this is a blues recording..."Don't Think" proves he plays from the heart."
Blues Connection (New York)

"A talented guitarist, displaying a variety of styles."
Juke Blues Magazine (England)

"Fantastic CD...mate, what a cooker!"
Big Al Watts
DJ, 106.7, Melbourne, Australia

"Pays tribute to B.B. King, Rory Gallagher...with the spirit of Eric Clapton and Freddie King present nearly everywhere."
Blues Access

"I Love it - it's all blues!"
Russell
DJ, KUCI-FM, Los Angeles

"I highly recommend this CD!...Rich is truly a bluesman."
Tina Mayfield
International Blues Society

"**** I dig it!"
Bill Cherry
Editor, Las Vegas Blues News

"a fine performance...deeply rooted in guitar driven blues."
Detlev Hoegen
Crosscut Records

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