Soul Cultivation

Porch to the People Explores the Gospel Blues Roots

originally published April 7, 2004

Answer if you can,
Won't somebody tell me,
What is the soul of a man?
Blind Willie Johnson

Many moons have passed since the seed planted by early blues players blossomed into the towering, expansive tree of rock and roll. No matter how far and wide these branches of rock have grown and continue to grow over the years, their roots in the South remain as strong and vital to Southern culture today as ever.
While only a handful of blues groups playing in Athens continue to fertilize these roots,

porchtothepeople.jpg

the majority of these players rely on drums and amplified guitars to get their message across. There are some among blues enthusiasts, however, that prefer to reach far below the surface to the elements that are the soul of the blues: voices, acoustic guitar, blues harp, and a little foot-stompin'.
Dave 'Freelove' Mundy (meet him and you'll understand) and Clark Vreeland are two local players that prefer to leave the pedals and reverb behind to instead bring the sounds of the porch to the people.
"The louder you get, the more gizmos you get," said Vreeland, one half of the blues-gospel duo Porch to the People. "There's no bells and whistles."
With Vreeland on acoustic guitar and Freelove on harmonica, the pair revives the emotion of the nearly century-old sounds of gospel blues in both their original and cover songs. They met during a show at the now-closed Bottleworks bakery/ café T'Cakes and discovered their common interest in this often overlooked corner of the blues. Ever since, they have been making their audience stomp, clap, and holler in the more singer/ songwriter-friendly, relaxed venues in town.
Upon listening to their live recording, one would think that the voices surely belong to aged, spiritual black men rather than two soulful young white cats. Among the folding chairs and dim spotlights of the cozy Flicker Theatre, the porch pair captures the attention of their listeners from the outset of the show. After five minutes at the show, it becomes pleasantly clear that Freelove and Vreeland see themselves and their listeners as equal participants in an experience that they've taken to calling "porch music." As the slide guitar, harmonica and sultry harmonies seep through the speakers into the atmosphere, the entire audience amplifies Freelove's stomp with the tapping of their feet or clapping of their hands.
"We're trying to eliminate the line between the performer and the audience," said Freelove. "We're trying to express the intention of healing through music and offer an invitation to heal as a congregation."
While the porch pair's passion for blues is apparent in their range of songs, Vreeland and Freelove are quick to express their appreciation and respect for the old-time blues players who preceded them decades ago. They lay praise on the musical confessions of long-passed blues legends, such as Sonny Boy Williamson III, Blind Willie Johnson and Earl King. They credit these innovators with helping to craft the pure, honest music that continues to move people nearly a century later. "Men of worth are often overlooked," Vreeland said. The duo's belief in the power and simplicity of the gospel blues drives their ambitions in their own porch music.
"The soul of the music is in the grassroots," said Freelove. "Blues is not about celebrating feeling bad. Gospel blues takes that feeling and gives it positive direction."
When discussing the history and present path of the blues, Freelove and Vreeland both are firm in their belief that the blues is an art form that is accessible to everyone and anyone. They blame the music industry for exploiting blues performers and molding the blues as a homogeneous music. As any blues fan knows, the music contains several different genres that are a reflection of the region in which they originate and is molded by the personal style of the player. "It's all mashed into one category because of the people who control and market the music," Vreeland said.
While many of today's players and fans are drawn to the loud electrified sounds of Chicago blues and modern Delta blues, they rarely explore the subtle simplicity of the gospel blues. Athenians attending blues shows often find that the main outlets for blues are larger venues with electrified bands. When the smoky bar scene and overpowering roar of a generic blues band begin to wane on your patience and eardrums, don't fret; there is a respite.
"The solution is going to be back-to-the-porch parties," Freelove said, "to where the people can have the music and own it."
Porch to the People is a well-versed, good-natured duo that wants nothing more than to bring the soul and culture of the South back to life and back to the people. Do your soul - and Freelove and Vreeland - a favor by helping them fertilize the roots.

Andy Grabel

WHO: Porch to the People, M. Luchtan
WHERE: Flicker Theatre & Bar
WHEN: Thursday, April 8
HOW MUCH: Call

Care to comment on this article? Click here!

You will be the first person to comment on this article.