Robert Belfour is a haunted man. You can hear it in every note he makes. He also represents sort of a second-generation link to the original source of Mississippi Hill Country blues. His voice is something to behold: his weathered baritone can bend a melody like nobody else. But his guitar playing is equally stunning. He combines insistent drones with nimble, bendy leads, playing like he’s trying to fill up every spare second with atmosphere. This is one of my favourite songs of his, and it is a truly Awesome Tune for the following reasons:
- It’s a droning, minor-key blues instrumental, proving that Belfour can amaze without even using his incredible voice.
- It conjures up a heady atmosphere with very few elements: just Belfour’s guitar and drums by Ted Gainey.
- The aforementioned excellence of his guitar playing. It’s stunningly bluesy and filled with attitude. He plays like his hands are dancing in place on the fretboard.
This song is called “Hill Stomp”, and it’s the first track on his 2003 album “Pushin’ My Luck”.
Audio Reckoning 