Preview

Another example of Cambria Arts coming into contact with a talented musician, exchanging a couple of emails, and getting him across the Atlantic to Tregaron!

"This guy is GOOOOD...he is writing some great stuff!"--Taj Mahal...No wonder, as Kreg Viesselman's wanderlust has taken him from the small southern Minnesota town in which he was born and placed him beside some of the most bizarre and intriguing characters in every corner of America. From trapper to sailor to mountain guide to farm hand, Kreg has developed insights into the lives of everyday people. This acumen is so evident in his poetry that his songs become as clear to the listener as if they were in fact THEIR memories, as well.

Heartwrenching, warm, poignant...yet laced with acrid wit... the road-worn voice of Kreg Viesselman, accompanied by his country blues-steeped guitar, echo the long-gone tradition of the rambling singer/songwriter. As he cris-crosses the country, Viesselman's "dirt under the finger nails" style of folk music is winning the hearts of fans in every town in which he stops. At the same time, Kreg is earning the attention and respect of some of the most respected performers today. In the words of Ellis Paul, "I love Kreg's roots...I always say that honesty is the best way to approach songwriting, and Kreg does it. And if you can't hear it, you're not listening!"

Review

The gods were unquestionably onside for this much anticipated singer-songwriter feast. Not only were Martin and Toby Levan of Red Kite Records on hand to record proceedings for the forthcoming live CD, but HTV were also in attendance - mercifully unobtrusive they were too - filming the first of two gigs that will feature in a documentary on Cambria Arts' activities, to be screened early in 2004. To cap it all, the clouds rolled back and a propitious full moon gleamed on the ancient rooftops of the Talbot, as if to convey her own astral approval of the stellar line-up within (You've been on one of your weekend creative writing courses again, haven't you? Get a grip. - Ed.)

Kreg Viesselman contacted Cambria Arts HQ many months ago from wildest Colorado, and we were so beguiled by his initiative and the quality of his demo CD tracks that we had no hesitation in booking him to open for (his great hero) Eric Taylor, making it a dream start to his low-key debut UK tour. After an incident-packed three-week ramble around Ireland with his home on his back, this archetypal folk/blues troubadour, who's packed a lifetime of backwoods experience into his 30-odd years, had the audience in the palm of his hand from the get-go: disarmingly dishevelled and completely lacking in self-consciousness, his all-too-brief 6-song set was a warm, funny, and touching display of his many talents. Kreg's blues-steeped guitar and harmonica work is matched with a voice that could be that of a man twice his age, a road-roughened yet deeply expressive instrument that's redolent of Guy Clark's immortal couplet, 'too many days facing the weather, too many nights of not being together'. From his lovely current eponymous CD we got the haunting 'Jordan's Shore', the fine country-blues 'Racoon Song', and yes, that was indeed The Cap(p)ed Cruiser guesting on harmonica and backing vocal on 'Gone to Lewiston'. 'New Hampshire Snow', with a great harmonica break, had every foot a-tappin', and 'The Return'. a heartwrenching paean to lost love, concluded a set which convinced us that Kreg was a fine choice of booking, and, to judge by the rush to buy his CDs, many in the audience are keen to make his distinctive music a part of their lives. Kreg will surely return - and in years to come, you'll be able to boast that you saw him here, first. Are we good to you, or what?