About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

It is sometimes theorized that, for every nationally known star with big promotional muscle behind him, there are hundreds of equally talented musicians playing the same sort of music in clubs across the country. Tomcat Courtney makes that theory seem reality. The blues guitarist and singer has spent decades playing in clubs, mostly in San Diego, without gaining any recognition beyond his immediate area. Blue Witch Records changes all that by releasing the 79-year-old's national debut album, Downsville Blues. Stylistically, Courtney is as familiar as a blues musician could be, playing electric blues guitar in a manner that could have been heard any time in the previous 60 years, and singing in a thick baritone about the vagaries of love. Writing his own songs, he also ventures into other subjects. The title song recounts his return to his Texas hometown, which has become unrecognizable in the intervening years, while "Disaster Blues" concerns the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. But for the most part, the songs hew to traditional, timeless blues concerns, and the solos, played over a tight backup band, are equally traditional. At a time when many of the old bluesmen have passed from the scene, maybe it's time for one who's been laboring in the shadows to get his recognition at last. William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

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