Mark Lemhouse's debut "Big Lonesome Radio" is the kind of record that can reassure your faith that the blues is a still vital and thriving music. Lemhouse and his like minded cohorts blaze through a stunning set of traditional blues played with utter authenticity, grit and passion.

 Lemhouse hails from Portland, Oregon but relocated to Memphis to get a closer to the heart of the music he loved. Lemhouse wound up playing with country bluesman Robert Belfour who became his mentor and schooled in in the ways of the Mississippi Hill blues popularized by folks like R.L. Burnside. It's also obvious that he listened intently to those old blues records by folks like Charlie Patton and Fred McDowell among others. Around Memphis he honed his craft playing in rootsy bands like the Handy Three and the Bluff City Backsliders. Lemhouse has learned his lessons well and crafted a unique traditional sound that incorporates everything from Delta, Memphis and Chicago blues to Rockabilly and jug band music.

 As a guitarist Lemhouse uses an arsenal that includes acoustic and electric guitars, lap-steel and most impressively the ringing, big toned sound of the National Resonator guitar. Lemhouse also turns out to be an exceptional blues singer and the combination gives these dozen tunes a real sense of authenticity. Backing is provided by a tight little group consisting at times of drums, upright bass, banjo, mandolin and violin. The unmistakable sound of National resonator kicks off Tampa Red's "You Can't Get That Stuff No More" laying down some watery slide work, launches into tough delta blues territory on a droning version of Fred McDowell's "What's The Matter With Papa's Little Angel Child" and some marvelous solo acoustic on Johnny Shines' "Baby Sister Blues" which owes just as much in feel to Shines' one time running partner Robert Johnson. Yank Rachell's "Tappin' That Thing" is a real knockout, a jumping jug band flavored number featuring wild guitar as Lemhouse scats out the lyrics. Other highlights include fine originals like "Electra" and "Mercy Mia", a straight rockabilly cover of Charlie Feather's "One Hand Loose" and the fuzzed out amplified guitar on a solo version of "Driftin'" that totally deconstructs the familiar Charles Brown classic.

 Mark Lemhouse is the real deal and "Big Lonesome Radio" is one hell of a debut. Noted author Robert Gordon says it best in his liner notes: "Mark Lemhouse came to Memphis and Lord knows what he had in mind, but before he left, music got a-holt of him." I'll second that!