A. P. Meister

Waitsian vocals and melodious guitar. "Harvester” opens A. P. Meister's latest offering, “Above and Below”. It is a melodic, guitar picking number with drawling, deep vocals which set up the tone of the whole album. Meister is a singer/songwriter who has previously explored a myriad of musical styles but has settled on this bluesy/folk genre which was a love of his from his early years. Lyrically dark and mysterious, he explores his music through guitar, picking and strumming and creating a gentle, restrained sometimes sombre, atmosphere of the smoky bar room of yesteryear.

He is a talented exponent of the guitar, both acoustic and electric, but a cursory search for him on the net proves tantalisingly difficult. His history, other than on his own site, is sparse. I’m guessing he is Swedish, but this is not evident in his vocals. He gives the impression of a Southern guitar-picking bluesman. And a very good impression it is too. “How the Story Goes” is a beautifully crafted number with languorous, dreamy vocals. “High and Low” is a sensitively performed tune with undertones of a John Martyn vocal slur. There are some extended pieces on here - “Stray” is a nine minute offering, whilst “How the Story Goes” and “Levitation” clock up over seven minutes apiece. “Stray” meanders into a guitar solo that wanders and weaves. All of them are unobtrusive, melodic pieces. The whole collection is exactly that; though don’t take that as a negative. Subtlety has its place. Sometimes you just want to lie back, relax and listen to something tuneful. This is it.

Paula Cooke, www.americana-uk.com

Die Fraktion der dauernuschelnden Sänger im Folk- und Rockbusiness hat ihren Meister gefunden - egal, ob Bob Dylan nasal krächzt, Tom Waits bronchial röchelt oder Van Morrison beseelt vor sich hin knödelt: Im Gegensatz zu A.P. Meister, dem Folkie aus dem Norden, versteht man bei ihnen die Songtexte vergleichsweise noch wort- und silbengetreu. Selbst Joe Cockers Artikulation nimmt sich gegenüber der Vokalartistik des vorliegenden Albums glasklar und deutlich aus. Wer ähnliche Laute selbst kreieren möchte, kann ja einen whiskyseligen Abend in einer von Tabakrauch eingenebelten Kneipe verbringen und dann frühmorgens ins Studio wanken. Die angeschrammten Stimmbänder werden eine höchst authentische Phrasierung ermöglichen.

Wie immer, wenn man solchen Gesang hört, ist klar: Der Typ weiß, wovon er singt. Raue Stimmen zeugen von den rauen Seiten des Daseins, von Lebenserfahrung und einem unverstellten Blick auf die Realität. Meine Güte - was hat dieser Typ wohl schon so alles durchgemacht? Mal abgesehen von den endlosen Nächten in verqualmten Bars? Der sonore, verkrächzte Nuschelbass von Herrn Meister passt wie kaum ein anderer in ein solches Ambiente.

Dennoch kann man über den Lebenswandel des klampfenbewehrten Düsterbarden nur mutmaßen - denn biografische Daten über ihn sind sehr rar gesät. Laut seiner eigenen Homepage stammt der Musiker aus Schweden und sein vorliegendes Album "Above & Below" erhält zeitweilig verstärktes Airplay von niederländischen Radiostationen.

Im Laufe seiner Karriere experimentierte der Meister der rauchigen Reibeisenstimme mit unterschiedlichen Musikstilen, kehrte aber zum schlichten Folksong mit spartanischer Gitarrenbegleitung zurück, was ihn, nach eigenen Angaben, von Anfang an begeisterte. Melodisch und inhaltlich präsentiert sich A.P. Meister als unverwüstlicher Romantiker, besingt den letzten Hobo und weiß, wo's langgeht (siehe "How The Story Goes"), wagt sich z. B. mit "Levitation" auch in die Bereiche spiritueller Erfahrungen vor.

Sicher ist die stilistische Bandbreite eher eine enge Angelegenheit und Abwechslungsreichtum ist nicht die Stärke von "Above & Below". Dennoch klingen die Stücke nicht per se austauschbar, die melodischen Phrasen nicht beliebig. Vielmehr entfalten sie bei mehrmaligem Zuhören ihren ureigenen Charme.
Im Gegensatz zu seinen eher beschränkten stimmlichen Fähigkeiten, ist Meisters Gitarrenspiel glasklar und überzeugt sowohl im begleitenden Fingerpicking als auch in den solistischen Passagen. Hierfür packt der Folkmusiker schon auch mal eine elektrische Gitarre aus. Sicher hat A.P. Meister auch als Gitarrist nicht unbedingt das Pulver neu erfunden, doch spielt er inspiriert und sauber. Das Zusammenspiel von Stimme und dem glockenklaren Saitensound zeugt vor allem von Meisters allergrößter Qualität: Feeling. Und somit ist "Above & Below" schlichtweg die richtige Platte für jene Stunden, in denen man einfach seinen Gedanken nachhängen und seine Emotionen ordnen möchte.

Over de bluesman A. P. Meister uit het Zweedse Stockholm berichtte ik destijds over zijn solodebuut ‘Mindflower, Thorn’ (2009). Zijn roots liggen in een concert van B. B. King, dat hij op 12-jarige leeftijd met zijn ‘blues loving’ ouders bijwoonde. Hij kreeg kort daarna een gitaar van zijn vader en trad binnen in de magische wereld van de blues. In de jaren 90 speelde hij elektrische gitaar in de band ‘Fat City Blues’, goed voor twee CD’s.

Sinds 2005 is hij terug bij – vooral – de akoestische gitaar en speelt hij voornamelijk solo. Deze tweede solo-CD bevestigt zijn blues-imago, A. P. is een echte sombermans die zijn donkere songs (weer 12, weer ca 66 minuten!), alle zelf geschreven en voornamelijk handelend over de zware kanten van het dagelijkse leven, over zijn eigen ketenen, zijn zoektocht naar schoonheid (in ‘High and low’ bijvoorbeeld verzucht hij: ‘The rise and the fall of the ocean’s song, the first and the last. There’s no key that opens every door, the serpent’s biting his tail. This is nowhere, the end of the Milky Way, I’ve been searching everywhere, far and wide, high and low’. A. P. heeft een zeer toepasselijke gruizige bromstem. Evident is wederom de sterk poëtische inslag (er is een aantal gedichten van zijn hand gepubliceerd), maar meer nog de prachtige begeleiding op alle door hem gebruikte types gitaren.

Net als bij zijn eerste solo-CD blijft na het beluisteren een apart gevoel achter. Ik houd wel van dat hele sombere en hoop dat de man nog vele van dit soort duistere CD’s maakt. Laten we het zo stellen: A. P. Meister is een sombere Hans Theessink, en dat zegt genoeg!

A.P. Meister’s deep and somewhat rough voice evokes comparisons to Bob Dylan and Tom Waits and his songs, too, occupy roughly the same musical territory as those of these two greats.

A. P. Meister doesn't need much more than his rough deep voice and an acoustic guitar to convince us. Few people come so close to the sombre greatness of Tom Waits when it comes to composition and atmosphere. But he is more than that. You'll get great pleasure from this album in front of the fireplace these chilly autumn days, in fact, the whole album is like a warm bluesy rootsy embrace. Like J. J. Cale, Meister knows how to embed you in a laid-back atmosphere and pull you into his world with his warm, deep, rugged voice. On top of that he is an excellent fingerpicker and slide guitarist, who knows how to give each song the right subtle touch.

The fine voice of backup-singer Ebba Dagdotter appears in just the right places in the choruses to keep things as uncluttered as possible, and when she steps more to the forefront it reminds us of the fragility of Chris & Carla, as in the dreamy "Sycamore Street"…

Several songs display great storytelling in the vein of Randy Newman, like the first song "Beggars and Kings", the wonderful fingerpicking blues of "The Company of Snakes" - with a healthy dose of slide-guitar - and "Great Illusion Rag", that points in the direction of "You've Got A Friend in Me".

Sometimes Meister picks up his electric guitar again, like in the wonderful "Stairway to Heaven"-like intro to "Nightsong", which surprisingly turns into something like a dark Gutter-Twins-meet-Calvin-Russell-song. In the closing number 'All That Remains' we are once more treated to a dose of despair à la Calvin Russell…

The cream of the crop, however, is the nine-minute, but never boring, "Slow Burn", that starts off cinematically with a solo electric guitar growling with vintage rootsy distortion, only to shift into a leisurely J. J. Cale-style tempo. It's a sad tale of the frustrating search for solid ground and something to hold on to, interspersed with wonderful contemplative moments in the guitar solos.

For more than an hour we have enjoyed the wonderful debut-album of A. P. Meister, whose name very well equals the quality he delivers on "Mindflower, Thorn". This promises much for the future.

Besides blues and ragtime, Meisters songs stand in the tradition of fine fingerstyle folk tunes in the vein of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt. The lyrics draw their inspiration from authors like T. S. Eliot and Jack Kerouac.

"...I think you can trust the honesty of the acoustic guitar to tell you if a song will work", says Meister. And you can trust that A. P. Meister's songs do.

For over 60 minutes this man brings us his own version of the blues.
…in my opinion Meister has made an unusual CD that certainly doesn’t follow any well-trodden paths. For those who love dark-edged acoustic music.

Singer/songwriter: You can take the easy way, you can take the hard way, or you can just walk straight out into the woods without looking back. That's what's so appealing about this former Fat City Blues guitarist's solo debut: he doesn't follow any well-trodden paths.

Though the music might be said to straddle the lines between folk-, singer/songwriter and even country influences, the blues is always there like a vibration just beneath the surface. Like a basic tone, not some formal law. And he's just as likely to head into dreamlike, almost psychedelic landscapes.

It's evocative and damn beautiful. Even though dark clouds are on the horizon and even though the rough voice - which doesn't seem to have seen daylight in a while - delivers lyrics saturated with poetry and pessimism. Thankfully things are lightened up by slippery airy slide-parts and a delicate acoustic sound. It's like getting lost in that dense forest and suddenly seeing the light of a clearing.

There is a lot of guitar, but never just for the sake of it. Never in any equilibristic attempt to ram anything down anybody's throat. He certainly knows how to pick a box with strings on it - Meister has probably studied the masters - but he uses technique as a tool, as a means to achieve something bigger. I'm glad I got a glimpse of it.

A Singer/Songwriter album in the best tradition: All songs are original compositions, played fingerstyle on acoustic guitar, sometimes featuring slide…

Musically, A. P. Meister presents himself as a folk musician in "Beggars and Kings" or "Sycamore Street", delivers acoustic blues in "The Company of Snakes" and conjures up a sometimes desolate, sometimes morbidly dreamlike atmosphere in songs like "Nightsong" or "Wonderland. "Slow Burn", with its distorted electric guitar and acoustic slide, and also the melancholy "Lost At Sea" are grandiose, simple and expressive at the same time…

The right music for night-time drives through rain and fog, "idle" Sunday afternoons or staying up all night out on the porch.

Ein Singer/Songwriter-Album in bester Tradition: Alle Stücke sind selbstkomponiert, gespielt auf akustischer Gitarre, mal gepickt, mal mit Slide. Der schwedische Gitarrist und Sänger Andreas P. Meister war in den Neunzigerjahren mit der Roots/Blues-Band Fat City Blues unentwegt auf Tour, und in jedem gespielten Ton auf Mindflower, Thorn klingt die Phrasierung des solchermaßen erfahrenen Bluesgitarristen nach, während seine Stimme von den Begleitumständen ungezählter Konzertnächte angeraut ist. Musikalisch zeigt sich A. P. Meister mit "Beggars And Kings" oder "Sycamore Street" als Folkmusiker, bringt mit "The Company Of Snakes" akustischen Blues und zaubert in Stücken wie "Nightsong" oder "Wonderland" mal eine verlorene, mal eine morbid-verträumte Atmosphäre. Grandios, einfach und ausdrucksstark zugleich ist "Slow Burn" mit angezerrter elektrischer und akustischer Slidegitarre oder auch das melancholische "Lost At Sea". Den Texten merkt man dabei Meisters Interesse für die Literatur von Franz Kafka und Jack Kerouac an. Die richtige Musik für nächtliche Autofahrten durch Regen und Nebel, "vertane" Sonntagnachmittage oder durchzechte Nächte auf der Veranda.

This may be the closest you are going to get to hearing Tom Waits singing along to John Fahey. Meister manages to capture the down-and-out abstract lyricism of Waits and Fahey's exploration of the American folk tradition...

Meister is clearly most comfortable with the slow-burning fingerstyle tunes that dominate the album, yet "Mindflower, Thorn" is actually at its best when he moves into unfamiliar territory. The distinctive electric guitar on 'Nightsong' is welcome but gone too quickly. Elsewhere, the quicker tempo delta blues of "The Company of Snakes" sees Meister demonstrating his prodigious talent and range as a guitarist...

In stepping forward as a solo artist, Meister has given himself a solid grounding in "Mindflower, Thorn" and you feel there is plenty more to come. In the meantime, this is the sort of laid back acoustic music that will keep plenty of people warm as Winter approaches.

A. P. Meister is clearly a gifted songwriter, who places great importance on the lyrics of his songs. (…) The comparison to J. J. Cale and David Munyon presents itself immediately. With fingerpicking and a bluesy style of playing, Meister brings us wonderfully laid-back songs where his poetic lyrics play an important part and the rugged voice is an unmistakable trademark. Ebba Dagdotter contributes tastefully restrained backing vocals, and it has to be said that A. P. (who is responsible for production as well as playing all the instruments) presents us with a perfect example of pure art. (...) The intensity which A. P. Meister and his rugged whiskey-tinged voice brings to Mindflower, Thorn gives it a supernatural beauty.

All in all, "Mindflower, Thorn" is a completely relaxed production. Meister is thoroughly convincing as an instrumentalist on acoustic as well as on electric guitar, though his sombre vocals take some time getting used to.