Blast from the future.
Extreme Talent
A few weeks later I finally heard him play – and I was overwhelmed by a totally new sensation. This release is special in many ways, most of all because it includes some potential code-cracking information, some actual facts in regard to the “whys, hows and wheres”, but not the “what’s nexts”! Throughout the years since he surfaced, I have overheard countless, endless discussions about his music and where it’s heading. The ones focusing on which part of space it comes from always amuse me the most. People even ask me about it sometimes, but I know nothing – I’m from Kongsvinger.
What I do know is that all the music on this recording relates to his history and his ongoing musical safari, aiming to leave no part of the universe unvisited.
In the USA
As most of you know, Vidar toured for years with Rock Bottom & the new Cutaways, and his relationship with Mardi Gras in New Orleans starts here in 1989, when the white lightning-kid is firing up both his leopard skin-covered hips and axe-chopping, trying to ignite the dive-bar winos to some swinging R&B. What a sight it must have been…
His years in the southern parts of North America always seem to refer to New Orleans, and through his holiday touring stints with Diz Watson, as a member of his band the Doormen, Big Chief introduces itself, and gets to be one of Vidar’s major influences. Finally on tape, the catchy taste of southern gumbo, seasoned with some Texan spices, is a delicate appetizer.
Homage to the Roots
It seems that throughout his career so far his main goal has always been to pay homage to his roots, performing a respectful tip-of-the-hat to his predecessors by trying to add something of his own. Artists like Vidar are few and far between, and this rendition of one of his personal favourites, When did you leave heaven, might suggest he matured at least at some levels, while rocker Red Lipstick suggests the opposite…I think these dynamic controversies might be pointing in the direction to where the answer lies. In case you forgot – the question remains the same; What the h… is going on?
Jookbox Charade is mixed, moody and manic, like the month of May. This soundtrack is based on a true story. [Eric Malling]
