Brooklyn-Based Mulebone Brews Up Relationship Blues on the Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour
Hugh Pool and John Ragusa have been playing together for over two decades. Their playing style, John on Flute, Hugh on National Steel resonator Guitar, seems to flow out of them naturally, like water in a gurgling creek. Its Delta blues played slow and easy and their blend sways and bends, asHugh’s bottleneck slide guitar matches its sizzling-picked melodies-- note for note-- with Ragusa’s sensuous-toned silver whistle. In the song, “How Can you Love Me Baby (when I don’t even love myself),” Hugh gives a nod to his partner on stage, “I thought of that title and didn’t think it was good enough, but John egged me on—said it was a great line, so I went with it.” Deeply influenced by his mentors in the blues world, the song wrestles with a man’s relationship to himself and his lover. I’ve got a secret and it’s driving you away; it’s hard to live here in everybody’s dreams . . .Put your arms around me like you ain’t never done; help drive away this feeling like the setting of the sun. If this is formularized blues vernacular—bring it on. Huge and John are as real as it gets. In the love song, “New Morning in My Heart,” John sings--Creakin’ down the highway, driving seeds of bliss, blooming to life’s lessons, with the water from your kiss. It’s a song that goes up and down the hills of love and brokenness and comes out on top. The soulful lived traveling of this seasoned blues duo shines brightly in this 47th Episode of The Wild Rose Moon Radio hour playing this Monday, September 6th, on WVPE 88.1 FM at 9 p.m. During the show's break, you can catch David Jameson from South Bend playing his song about deciding to return to the area during his struggling courtship. “Gone like the Wind,” is a lovely ballad that sounds as if it comes straight out of the 50’s folk era. Straightforward and sincere, with a voice like the Canadian, Ian Tyson (Four Strong Winds), David sings out—Your heart is hard like the northern winter; lately, I’ve been chilled to the bone. Miss the warm sunshine of river city; honey, that’s where I’m a gonna go. We’re all lucky to have this fine talent is back in the lights of River City . Catch Mulebone on the Monday Night Special on WVPE!