Host Diana Linn welcomes The Rev. Jimmie Bratcher back to the program to celebrate the release of the Rev’s 13th album “Far Enough”… this time accompanied by a written exploration of the stories behind each song… an opportunity to gain insight into the mind and heart of the songwriters with the goal of helping the listener gain a deeper appreciation for the music.
Bratcher’s passion for raw-but-exacting electric guitar sounds began in the ’60s when he fell under the spell of Eric Clapton, his first six-string hero. As a kid, Bratcher developed eclectic taste, culled from his large musical family, who would have sprawling jam sessions at frequent get-togethers in his native Kansas City.
In 2001 Bratcher made his debut album Honey In the Rock, which pairs the musical language of the blues with spiritual messages. “To this day I write in parables,” Bratcher observes. “I tell stories, but behind the stories there are messages that I want people to connect with, and the sound of the blues is so true and comfortable for people that it helps make that connection.” The transcendent qualities of the style were made clear to Bratcher in 2003 when a friend invited him to perform a concert of his electric-blues-based sanctified music at a church. “I thought my friend was crazy and that people would be upset, but they loved it,” Bratcher recalls. Today prison, church, and bar performances are regularly part of The Electric Rev.’s performing schedule.
This week’s playlist includes new releases from Calvin Arsenia, Adeem the Artist, Kansas’ own Heyleon and much more!