ANDRES ROOTS – Royal Spa Blues – Live from Temperance / Roots Art Records, 2025 / CD / blues / Estonia
Andres Roots is Estonian slide guitarist and songwriter, blues musician from Tartu, Estonia. He is listed in the book “100 Years of Estonian Music” ”as the country’s “internationally best-known player of pure blues“. Andres Roots is a slide guitarist who has performed everywhere – from Clarksdale, Mississippi to Hell, Norway. In 2016, his “Roots Music” LP topped the official Estonian album chart – the first and only time a blues album has claimed the #1 spot in the Baltics. With his music, Andres crossed borders of Estonia providing musical shows all over the Europe.
These days, Andres has been promoting his current album all over England – “Royal Spa Blues – Live from Temperance“. “Temperance“, Leamington Spa, UK, is cafe and art gallery. By night, it is one of the top venues for live music in the UK. The album that I present to you on this occasion was recorded at the performance of Andres Roots in that very cafe.
Discography – Andres Roots & Red Mouth – Right Across the Hill ; Andres Roots – Tartu Lockdown (The House Arrest EPs) ; Andres Roots – Mississippi to Loch Lomond ; Andres Roots – Breakfast in September ; Sawmill Roots Orchestra – Mono ; Andres Roots – Winter ; Andres Roots – Trad.alt.blues ; Andres Roots – Three! ; Andres Roots – Leigh’s Spider Jam ; Andres Roots – Roundabout ; Andres Roots – Waiting Around ; Andres Roots – Tartu Lockdown (The House Arrest EPs) – (House Arrest EP ; House Arrest 2 EP ; House Arrest 3) (Roots Music, 2020) ; Andres Roots – Vol. 12 (Roots Art Records, 2023) ; Andres Roots – Royal Spa Blues – Live from Temperance (Roots Art Records, 2025)
“Masterpiece Live Recording. I place Andres Roots up there with Leo Kottke and John Fahey, as one of my favorite blues, jazz, folk, rock guitarists,” wrote the U.S. National Lifetime Beat Poet Laureate Ron Whitehead on the back cover of this CD. This album was voted as “album pick of the month” for February 2025 by the UK’s Independent Blues Broadcasters Association, “Royal Spa Blues” was recorded in the English town of Royal Leamington Spa in 2024, right after Andres Roots’ appearances at the Birmingham Jazz & Blues and Upton Blues festivals. The 50-minute acoustic album mixes originals by the Tartu blues guitarist with Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles covers and several individually titled spoken-word tracks. Recorded by Adrian Gains, mixed & mastered by Asko-Romé Altsoo, cover photo and design by Siret Roots, sleevenotes by UK Blues Today host, Paul Stiles.
Regular visitors to the web portal – Barikada – World of Music – must know the name of musician Andres Roots. Thanks to his professional approach to his work, music, I, as a reviewer, was able to get a glimpse of them thanks to Andres. Such is the case this time as well.
Andres Roots, his acoustic guitar and microphone – that’s all the visitors to the Temperance cafe bar had to see that evening. However, they had much, much more to hear than that view of the stage gave them to suspect. With his superb guitar playing, his voice, his choice of themes to perform – everyone came into their own. Both – Andres and all the visitors.
Although Andres comes from a country that is not in the focus of those who follow music events, Andres has made a name for himself with his music, and thanks to the quality of what he has to offer, he has long since crossed the borders of Estonia. This is the tenth album I have had the opportunity to present – review. I put my respect to the test by stating that Andres has once again offered us a superb musical pleasure. Nothing else could be expected from a true artist, which Andres undoubtedly is. I think I shouldn’t have written all this to those who regularly follow Andres‘ work. I wrote all this for, possibly, if there are any, for all those who did not have the opportunity to listen to him. This is their opportunity to correct the mistake they made.
Without hesitation – go ahead to YouTube, BandCamp, Andres’ links or buy this CD release. Good luck.
Andres Roots – “Royal Spa Blues – Live from Temperance” – 1. Jook Jones ; 2. The Play ; 3. Starbuck Theme ; 4. The Wind Cries Mary ; 5. Confused As It Is ; 6. Django ; 7. Most Alternative ; 8. Tango Walk ; 9. Springtime Blues ; 10. In Lockdown ; 11. 4 AM Hot Dog ; 12. Spanish Run ; 13. Station Blues Medley ; 14. The Sheik of Hawaii ; 15. Still Here ; 16. Legacy Blues ; 17. Like a Banjo ; 18. Western of the Month ; 19. Something in the Evening ; 20. Monday Night ; 21. The Wagon Swing ; 22. Go Home Nicely 23. Come Together
Earlir Barikada reviews Andres Roots‘ albums are available clicking here – HERE.
Photo – Screenshot
https://www.facebook.com/andres.roots.roundabout / https://www.andresroots.com /
YT – Andres Roots – Tango Walk/Springtime Blues (Live from Temperance)
YT – Andres Roots – Come Together (Live from Temperance)
