SOUNDGUARDIAN...June 2010

The Blues Corner last year introduced for the first time the singer and harpist Paul Karapiperis after the release of his personal album “Fifteen Raindrops In An Ocean Of Blues Tales”. It was then that I mentioned for the first time the name of the band “Small Blues Trap”. Today is the 12th June 2010 and now for the first time I am presenting the new album “Red Snakes & Cave Bats” of that blues band who comes from Greece and records at the Shelter Home Studio.

Small Blues Trap was founded in 2004 and quickly gained popularity as a prominent blues band in Greece. At the end of 2004 they released their first album that included 12 songs and was titled “Our Trap.” In 2006, they recorded the “Crossroad Ritual” which was released and distributed by Anazitisi Records. In May 2007, the band participated with two tracks in an album released by “Diapason” magazine.

In September 2008, the band participated with three songs in the Magic Bus Sessions, a compilation of songs arranged and played by several Greek blues bands. In April 2010, the Small Blues Trap presented their new album titled “ Red Snakes & Cave Bats” that contained 12 brand new songs. This time, the band included the song “Buy a dog” that was first composed and played by Mr. Elias Zaikos, the front man of the most popular Greek band called the BLUES WIRE.

The new album is a really good one with a rich sound and arrangements drawing from the treasures of traditional blues that we all know.

Although thousands of miles away from the primordial roots of this distinctive musical style, the new CD of the Small Blues Trap, you will certainly be a pleasant surprise to anyone who wants to hear some blues expressively presented. Expressive, very sensitive and luxurious in terms of presentation, reveal form of presentation reveals their common determination to the traditional values of this otherwise very demanding blues direction.

Yes, I know many are just too inclined to listen to traditional blues, some like to say that it is important to stick to tradition without any variations. However, this doesn’t seem to be a problem for me. Indeed, I am personally very fond of this particular CD.

Although the album does contain traditional elements, one might hear sounds that remind him the good old Dire Straits, or perhaps Chris Rea and Joe Cocker as Paul's singing capabilities enable him to show such a resemblance.

The band Small Blues Trap play:
Paul Karapiperis-vocals, blues harp, guitar
Panagiotis Daras-guitar
Lefteris Besios-bas
Stathis Evageliou-drums

Undoubtedly, this very original presentation certainly stands out significantly from the average. Well, we have here with us in Croatia, a similar example, when the band goes beyond mediocrity, and goes beyond all limits as desired knocking on the door of international recognition. Surely, this may seem like an unattainable goal, but musicians should always strive towards a better, more significant and in any case feasible goal every time they attempt something new.

Each of the recorded songs on the album “Red Snakes & Cave Bats” Small Blues Trap is unique in terms of the special atmosphere it creates and sometimes it deviates a lot from what someone would call a blues atmosphere. It contains traditional, acoustic elements as well as some very strong and modern sounds which bring about respect for this Greek blues band.

Nevertheless, the band’s music roots, is the blues despite the fact that this particular band dares to improvise and get inspired by other musical genres as well. Some people ,on the other hand, believe that once they have discovered the richness and the depth of the blues, they can move on to different directions. What this band does is to narrate emotional stories that may not be very attractive to someone looking for something else as the blues requires a deep understanding of emotions.

In the end, I wish to point out the albums highlights in my humble opinion and which I believe, are worth the listener’s attention: Mr. Jack, The Sky Will Always Be Blue, This Train Is Full Of Madness, It's True, Seven plus .... The Last Part Of The Show, a brilliant boogie It Took Me A Long Time, Roy B. impressive, excellent electric blues The World Is Painted Blue Again, the acoustic Surely My Body Gets the Message, and finally, the version of the great song “Buy A Dog”.

RECOMMENDATION:
If music is the universal language, and it is, then the album Red Snakes & Cave Bats - Small Blues Trap is an ideal example of how this great 'gang', although very, very far from the Mississippi Delta mud plays its music.

If blues is a universal language and it is, then, there are all these dialects, dialects, which will also be recognized by the many, and after a little effort, these sounds won’t seem strange at all.

Personally, I will simply do not wish to negatively criticize them but to encourage them. I do that with all the obviously talented blues musicians, and Small Blues Trap guys certainly are that. And so, look for a comfortable chair, pour a glass of red wine, Close your eyes and let yourself, let the blues flood you. ... Believe me, the blues is the kind of music that never lies!

Mladen Lončar