Pete Feenstra chatted to Ben Granfelt for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio playing tracks from the new album ‘It’s Personal’. First broadcast 27 July 2025.

A1 Records [Release date 30.05.25]

‘Its Personal’ is Ben Granfelt’s 21^st solo album and his 40^th in all. And while his career has taken him from Gringos Locos, the Guitar Slingers and The Leningrad Cowboys to Wishbone Ash and Los Bastardos Finlandeses, this double solo album is a potent reminder of a guitarist whose style has accurately been called “cocktail of rhythm, melody and soul.”

‘It’s Personal’ incorporates all those musical aspects to strike an intuitive balance between his riff driven energy and melodic expression.

The main part of the album features 9 instrumental tracks, 8 of which are built from the ground up, by his rock solid rhythm section of drummer Jari Saminen and bassist Masa Maijanen.

The basic tracks provide Ben with enough inspiration to set about interweaving his guitar parts into an album shot through with plenty of fluid dynamics, contrasting tempos, different tones and a variety of genres.

While the first 8 tracks explore contrasting song driven moments tempered by fleeting jam-band imperatives, he saves his hard hitting salvoes for the accompanying 6 track live album, which clocks in at an impressive 40.52 minutes.

He opens with a jagged, stop-start Jeff Beck influenced ‘Crash Test Dummies’ which provides the musical touchstone for the album as a whole.

It’s a riff driven and fast moving melodic piece featuring a quiet drop-down.

Hard riffing also lies at the centre of the cinematic ‘Cadillac Cruise’. His slide playing ushers us into a propulsive musical journey in which he adds an unexpected second guitar line at the 2.37 mark, to veer into an enjoyable musical diversion.

The intrinsic connection between his guitar tones and feel is exemplified by the aptly titled ‘The Waltz’, while the tic-toc rhythms of the extended ‘8 Elephants’ finds him revelling in a gnawing guitar solo, which still leaves enough space for the rhythm section to fill out the track.

In the absence of lyrics, the task of a guitar-driven instrumentalist is to create a musical narrative, and the joy of this album is the many ways in which he achieves his aim.

For example, on the heavier and self explanatory ‘Ben’s Blues ‘he opts for a mix of fatter and Hawaiian sounding tones, while the two guitar parts on ‘Gentle Giant’ give the track an almost conversation feel.

In many ways the concept of a conversation between the guitarist and his listeners lies at the heart of an album which constantly strives to evoke the album title.

That said, the title track itself is more of a slowly evolving reflective piece on which the introspective feel offsets the more dynamic moments to be found on ‘From A Whisper To A Roar.’

This is a well conceived album, in which the sequencing and stylistic fluidity of disc one generates an essential flow, which ultimately leads to the explosive Hendrix influenced ‘Outro Jam’.

The jammed out book-end is an incendiary piece announcing the moment when the power trio first indulge themselves in some old school organic interplay. And though it’s slightly out of step with what’s gone before, it provides the perfect springboard for the CD 2 live set.

If disc one holds the key to potential new listeners, then the live set reaffirms why Ben has such a loyal following.

An unfortunate track listing error should in no way detract from the outstanding opener ‘Hey Stranger’. The lilting bass driven piece is filled with intricate licks, perfect percussive backing and a vocal that suits his range.

As the title suggests, ‘JB Reggae’ shifts the focus to a melange of Jeff Beck influenced reggae and whammy bar driven rock, leading to the beautifully crafted ‘My Soul To You’, which is an album highlight.

The latter is a vocal mix of Al Stewart and Stoney Curtis, while Granfelt provides the soulful licks, emotive melody and aching guitar tone on 7 minutes worth of a wonderful groove

He finishes an intense live set with an exquisite growled out version of Trower’s ‘Bridge Of Sighs’, reminding us that his guitar is his second voice.

He also moves into the realms of the ethereal on Pink Floyds ‘Breathe’, on which the trio stretches out impressively.

And as if inspired by the moment, he rounds things off with a manic, galloping and Hendrix shaped version of J.J. Cale’s ‘Cocaine’, which if nothing else suggest he has a sense of humour to match his magical playing. ****

Review by Pete Feenstra

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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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 16 November 2025.

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 600th show was first broadcast on 18 November 2025

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