Mark Nomad Releases Acoustic and Electric Guitar Albums

by Tom Guerra.

It isn’t every day when an artist simultaneously releases two, albeit very different, CDs, and in this rare occurrence, it is usually because an artist has a lot to say. Such is the case with New England guitarist Mark Nomad, who has released two new recordings that couldn’t be more different: Acoustic Land, which is a collection of acoustic and resonator blues music, and Electric Church, an assembly of some of the hardest rocking he has ever released.

For those not familiar, Mark Nomad has been a mainstay on the New England club scene for well over three decades, from his days with Little Village in the 1970s to his current non-stop electric and acoustic solo tours. His music has been heard on radio stations all over the world and has been used in commercials and film. He is recognized as one of the pre-eminent slide guitarists in America.

Listen to four songs by Mark Nomad - two from Acoustic Land and two from Electric Church.

His decision to release two CDs this year is a statement that reminds listeners to check out the many forms of blues music out there, both acoustic and electric, both classic and new. Regarding the cover tunes on both Acoustic Land and Electric Church, Nomad’s respect for the blues is evident, and his ability to play many styles of blues seems natural and unforced. His choice of covers is excellent, from Magic Sam’s “All My Whole Life” and John Lee Hooker’s “Come Back Baby” on Electric Church to Acoustic Land’s “Trimmed and Burning” (Blind Willie Johnson) and “My Trouble Blues” (Mississippi Fred McDowell). These covers capture the feel and sound of the original versions without sounding like carbon copies. It is refreshing that in this age of SRV wannabes, someone is taking the time to ensure that other forms of blues guitar are kept alive and played with the respect they deserve.

Lyrically, Nomad proves that he is not afraid to ruffle feathers, the case in point being Electric Church’s “Stateside Morals” where he has some choice words for our current state of affairs. “You steal elections, and prey upon our fears,” he sings on the loping rocker, shortly before it explodes into an all-out lead guitar boogie fest.

Throughout both albums, both Nomad’s electric and acoustic slide guitar are simply impeccable. One gets the feeling that Nomad’s talent on slide goes beyond pure woodshedding, it comes from life experiences, not just in the choice of notes he uses, but the phrasing with which he puts the notes across.

The Electric Church instrumental “Suite Freedom” captures some of the nicest clean Strat tones ever recorded, reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s “May This Be Love” or “Castles Made of Sand.” Despite wearing the influence on his sleeve, Nomad pulls it off with plenty of class using just one guitar, no overdubs, and incorporating open string harmonics with Curtis Mayfield type chordal patterns.

The standout track on Church is “It’s All Gonna Change,” a Nomad original. This track features great dynamics, starting slow and soft with just his guitar and flanged vocals, followed by his band reacting to his full-tilt funk, and exploding into some very fluid wah and fuzz lead guitar, then repeating the cycle from mellow to heavy, all within the four-minute mark.

Acoustic Land works because Nomad clearly knows how to blend his new originals with blues tunes that are over 50 years old by Blind Willie Johnson, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Skip James. The album begins with Nomad’s own “The Journey,” an instrumental that should be a required course for anyone learning Delta slide blues. Despite the fact that Acoustic Land is just guitar and voice (occasionally abetted by footstomps and harmonica), it is a remarkably full recording reminiscent of the vibe found on Muddy Waters’ Folksinger album. Guitar aficionados will swear that Nomad is playing a 12-string on Skip James’ “Special Rider,” but Nomad is simply playing in octaves for that effect. Nomad’s breathy vocals are right at home with these acoustic selections as well. Guitars used on Acoustic Land include a 1930 National Triolian tuned to open D, a 1974 Martin D-35 tuned to open G, and a Gibson J-45 re-issue.

Both Acoustic Land and Electric Church are fine new CDs and should be checked out by fans of both classic and new guitar-based music.

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