Luka Bloom - Head & Heart (2014)

Luka Bloom is mining the space between the notes with increasing precision. In Head & Heart he continues the exploration, in intriguing company. The Phil Ware Trio accompany Bloom, but there’s a disconcerting looseness to the arrangements that misses the chance to fully capitalise on the ensemble’s possibilities.

Bloom’s song choices are interesting and at times inspired (his reading of Ewan MacColl’s The Joy of Living is just that: a joy). Others grate against their own timeworn fabric (Danny Boy). His guitar lines breathe fresh life into covers of John Martyn’s Head and Heart and the Keith Jarrett-inspired choice, My Wild Irish Rose. His spirit of adventure is palpable, even if his choices disappoint and his encounter with The Phil Ware Trio might have yielded more, given a longer gestation period.

Here are some word from the man himself on this release: “Yes I still buy records, and I still love to make them. This little body of work represents a painless process.

Completely out of my comfort zone, in a studio never used before; singing with musicians I had never met before; and performing without rehearsal. 6 of the 12 tracks here are with The Phil Ware trio. Singing with them for 2 days was an unforgettable experience.
I love everything about this record. Only 2 of the songs are my own. Liffeyside is a tribute to the town of Newbridge and it’s surrounds, where i grew up. Give you Wings is a lament to the tragic loss of life experienced by so many Belgian families when they lost their children in a bus crash in Switzerland in 2012. The rest of the songs are simply songs I loved before i ever sang them. We will have a great night in Glor in Ennis on March 6th to celebrate it’s release in Ireland. And then I will be off to sing these songs wherever the road brings me. If you tune in to RTE radio 1 on Sunday morning at 10am I’ll be singing a few for Miriam O’Callaghan with The Phil Ware trio.

It’s a happy day. Thank you Paul Smyth for introducing me to The Phil Ware Trio. Thank you Fiachra and Ivan beyond in Wicklow. Thank you Paul Wade for tuning and playing piano on My Wild Irish Rose! Thank you as always to Brian Masterson, king mix and master. Thank you to Christian Sambrailo for the beautiful painting. And today a special thank you to Sarah Fox, Alastair McDermott, and Anne Rynne for your efforts to design and present online this record I love called Head & Heart. It is early, and if I’ve neglected a thank you…..apologies and thank you!”