Album review: BROOKS WILLIAMS & AARON CATLOW – Ready For The Times

May 29th, 2022 by jason

Red Guitar Blue Music [Release date 24.06.22]

A chance meeting a few years ago while on tour in The Netherlands led to collaboration of acoustic guitarist Brooks Williams (Boo Hewerdine, Rab Noakes) and violinist Aaron Catlow (Hawes and Catlow, Mad Dog Mcrea, Afro Celt Sound System). When touring plans were temporarily scuppered by the pandemic, the two accepted an offer to create a ‘soundtrack’ devoted to films of the barn owl. The result was ‘Ghost Owl’, which was shortlisted 2021’s Instrumental Album Of The Year by Fatea Awards. On this follow-up they did their own interpretation of other songwriter’s tune, plus a couple of songs penned by Brooks Williams.

Recorded live-in-the-studio with no overdubs, it allows for not only the vocals to be heard loud and clear, but also the fiddle and guitar, which complement each other perfectly throughout the album. An album of varying moods and tempos, as one minute you are enjoying the bluegrass at-a-pace on ‘Love Too Soon’ (penned by Williams), then the fiddle led ‘Snake Oil’, or the swinging blues of ‘CC&O Blues’.

A few good things have emerged out of the pandemic, one of them being the amount of good music being released now. Many, like this one, recorded during the various lockdowns which allowed musicians to focus more on their creative side, with no live music around at the time. Williams & Catlow may sound like an upmarket accountants, yet they are a talented musical duo who amaze the listener with their musical dexterity and enjoyable selection of songs. ***1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

Next session: Sunday 19 January

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)