Doug MacLeod's Blues Ring True

Years ago in the Washington D.C. area, legendary WPFW-FM blues radio personality Jerry ‘The Bama’ Washington would play at least a couple times a month an evocative song, Night Bird, by one Doug MacLeod (some may be familiar with Eva Cassidy’s recording of this song). Hearing this led me to the No Road Back Home album that MacLeod, Dennis Walker and Bruce Bromberg produced for Hightone.


MacLeod has since has compiled a fairly extensive discography and established himself for his evocative vocals, guitar and songs, rooted in the blues tradition but speaking from personal experiences. In recent years he has eschewed the electric guitar, preferring to perform and record acoustically with the focus on his intricate fingerstyle guitar as well as slide playing, and his intimate vocals.


His most recent disc is on the Dutch Black & Tan label, Dubb, which refers to the nickname the late legend George ‘Harmonica’ Smith gave him. He’s backed by bassist Denny Croy and drummer Dave Kida with Carl Sonny Leyland adding some piano for several tracks. Songs that spin some philosophical take on relationships, (If You Going to the Dog House) mix with songs about a women who really gets down and upsets the neighborhood (She’s Boogy’n), a touch of cynicism about our supposed to be public spirited politicians Dubb’s Talkin’ Politician Blues), observations of someone who can’t stop yapping (One Fool Show) and a lying lover ($50 Wig with its line “You got a $50 wig, setting on a $5 head), and a touch of the Dust My Broom melody (North Country Woman).


Some songs I am sure will grab you more than others, but certainly Macleod’s songs rings a bit bluer than some award-winners and his understated approach stands out with so much rocked music these days. Seems like some good material to cover in here as well. Definitely a release to check out.


I wrote about Doug’s 2010 DC Blues Festival appearance last year. I believe it is appropriate to revive this review of a fine recording that appeared in Europe and should still be readily available along with others by him. This review originally appeared in the November 2005 DC Blues Calendar and the February 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 280). I believe I may have purchased this.

Doug MacLeod at the DC Blues Festival

Doug MacLeod at the DC Blues Festival, originally uploaded by NoVARon.

I first heard about Doug MacLeod through his album, "No Road Back Home," an album that certainly holds up decades after it was originally issued. One of the tracks, "Its the Blues," which opens as he recalls being with George 'Harmonica' Smith and William Clarke in Oakland and staying in this fleabite hotel before launching into the song about that night's performance. While that recording featured Doug with a band, and today he plays solo, the core of his music is there: his storytelling, conversational introductions and interaction with the audience and his vocal delivery which exemplifies the notion of "relaxed intensity," that I believe Bruce Bromberg first employed about Lightnin' Hopkins.

"No Road Back Home," also included perhaps his most famous composition, "Nightbird," which was a favorite of the late Washington, DC radio programmer, Jerry "The Bama" Washington. perhaps that is where the late Eva Cassidy heard it, and her version is one that Doug feels is the best. So much so, that he no longer performs it, but a recognition of how strong her rendition was.

At the Carter Barron on September 4, Doug spun his stories and played some mighty fine acoustic guitar. As I was photography the festival, I was not carrying a notebook or recording song titles. But one song he did perform, "The Long Black Train," that was on his first album, and also on the more recent (2008) Black & Tan album, "The Ultrecht Sessions." On this recording he is joined by bass and percussion on some tracks, but not this one. But back to Doug's performance, one is struck by his soulfulness, his strong musicianship, and the humor. And while he is a masterful acoustic blues player, at no point does his playing overshadow his songs or his vocals.

I do not recall the last time Doug had been in the Washington DC area, and in any event he should be on the left coast of states more frequently. I actually purchased "the Ultrecht Sessions," after his performance and it is a superb reminder of this terrific performance.