2009 Monterey Blues Festival Review
"Accompanied only by Grant Dermody on harmonica, Eric played his guitar with such passion and intensity, and his sound was so full, that I never thought about the lack of bass, drums, keyboards or horns. I was more impressed with Eric and Grant than all the other great musicians who played the festival. Maybe it was because they chose to present their music in the same manner as the earliest blues players, so that even in a large crowd I felt the intimacy I might have at a juke joint. Eric and Grant received a standing ovation at 1:30 in the afternoon! If you’ve ever been to an outdoor, daytime festival, you know that it takes a special act to get people on their feet under a blazing sun."
Listen to an excerpt of: "Lay Down My Burden"
What folks are saying about Grant:
"My good friend Grant Dermody is a tall man with a big tone and a huge heart. His playing is the rare combination of technical mastery and deep soulfulness.He has mastered styles ranging from old time fiddle tunes to deep blues and gospel. Grant is well aware of the healing power of music and he gives it out in double doses."– Phil Wiggins
“Grant Dermody is one of the greatest blues and roots harmonica players around. His playing reaches deep into the well of tradition and at the same time takes the music to exciting new places with a very personal sound. Working with him in the studio and on the stage is always a pleasure.” – Eric Bibb
"Grant is on the five-finger list of best harmonica players in the country today in acoustic blues and old-time music. His technique and tone are literally breathtaking. He’s a player’s player who elevates the sound and mood of everyone around him. He’s also an audience favorite who wins over crowds the hard way—not by showboating, but by playing tough tunes with taste and subtlety and making them consistently interesting. He’s simply one of the greatest harp players ever to come out of the Pacific Northwest." – Mark Hoffman (Co-author of Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf)
"Grant has it all. Time, phrasing, great ideas, and above all a stunning tone. Totally in the tradition but with a real voice of his own. " – Wayne Horvitz
"This is a first-rate solo album from a mature musician who really loves what he is doing, and in a world where there is a great deal of competition, this guy can certainly hold his own . " – Bob Tilling, Blues In Britain Magazine
"Grant's harmonica playing, though virtuosic, is not the bombastic pseudo-virtuosity of the psychedelic fantasy freak-out or cold mathematical noodlerama, but an articulate poetic statement with a big evocative vocal tone the tells the song's story with a moving lyricism. " – Mark Graham
"Lots of soul and plenty of taste."– Jelly Roll Johnson-Nashville session harmonicist
site: Deepwood Studio
