Gyasi might not be the first artist you’d expect to make a blues record. Yet Songs from the Holler reveals a remarkably natural connection to the music that has stayed with him since his West Virginia beginnings.
Despite his reputation for a theatrical rock and roll aesthetic that channels the spirit of Ziggy Stardust and Marc Bolan — and his role as Alice Cooper’s lead guitarist on The Revenge of Alice Cooper — “Man From the Mountain” showcases a different side of the artist.
The self-penned track and the album that houses it revisit the rustic blues Gyasi discovered growing up in the hills, pairing standards and overlooked gems from artists including Blind Blake, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Robert Johnson, and Sleepy John Estes with four original compositions and new traditional arrangements.
Gyasi inhabits deep folk-blues on “Man From the Mountain,” his glam-era vocal phrasing beautifully set against an understated performance with the worn-in character and timeless soul of something far older than its recording. The song’s origins are personal, inspired by his Appalachian roots and the influence of his mentor, David Blanchard.
Gyasi tells American Blues Scene:
‘Man From the Mountain’ was the first real blues song I’ve written. I don’t write many tunes in that style because there are just so many great ones by other artists I enjoy playing. This one came very easily because it was largely biographical. I was at home in West Virginia up on a mountain and was imagining this character bragging about his little patch of woods, while being seen as a bit of a weirdo by the townsfolk.
It was also inspired by my mentor, David Blanchard, who is very much a hermit who lives alone up on a ridge in Virginia. He would often improvise blues tunes when we would jam for hours so this is sort of my take on a song from his perspective.
