Rag Mama Rag/Live News & Reviews continued

BLUES IN BRITAIN - Volume 1/issue 12

Bluesnights: Dorchester Arts Centre 5/10/02

Another well-attended evening to see Ashley and Debbie Dow, AKA Rag Mama Rag. Playing professionally together for the last fourteen years, they proceeded to wow us with a wide variety of material and instruments. The latter included National Steel, Hawaiian Lap Steel and acoustic guitars, plus washboard, African drum and mouth harp. Not forgetting Ashley's aluminium attaché case with drum pedal!
The first number got things rolling, an up tempo rhythm with washboard and slide guitar. This was followed by Homesick James "Set A Date", very lively and beautifully executed. Then came numbers by Bo Carter and Sleepy John Estes. There was a truly excellent rendition of "Jitter Bug Rag" by Blind Boy Fuller, played on the Hawaiian guitar, lap style with a gentle slide. Then came the surprise element: Tom Waits ' Come On Up To The House', a very well executed ballad that featured a very good harp solo from Debbie - lovely. "The Rolling Mill Stomp" by Georgia Tom Dorsey was next, an excellent "good time" perky number, and to finish off this first set one of their own compositions "Apple Jack Rag" was delivered with ukulele and spoons, really superb. A good rocker just before the interval.
A nice jumping number started the second set, then the standard "Careless Love" was beautifully performed with great harp accompaniment. This was followed by a fast Cajun influenced piece call "Stealing Away" - a real cracker, Skip James "Hard Time Killing Floor" for me was the high point of the evening, Played on the Wiseman (Weissenborn?), it was a very haunting, slow and emotional blues. Next there was some very nice picking on "High Class Mama". We were all encouraged to join in on the a cappella work song "Lining Track"; Leadbelly being one who has recorded this song. Numbers by Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell, Ry Cooder, Bukka White and Tampa Red came thick and fast. Then another surprise! Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher", and we all joined in on the scat responses and some of that really twisted the tongue - good fun though! The concert neared its climax with Blind Boy Fuller's "Step It Up And Go"; up tempo washboard and very enthusiastic audience reaction. To top it all off a richly deserved encore of Blind Blake's "Diddy Wah Diddy", with Ashley providing superb picking on the guitar, and everyone joining in on the chorus. Just the sort of thing to send you home with a big grin on your face.
This was a superbly professional performance. The empathy and the ease with which this duo harmonised and gelled together was truly a credit to them. Wonderful stuff - and a guarantee of a return to Bluesnights!

Lewis A Harris
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THE 5TH BEER R&B FESTIVAL - Beer, East Devon - 13/10/02

Some brave souls slid down onto the beach to have their breath taken away and squelched back up the slipway, faces glowing to dry out in the Anchor in the warmth of the music of Rag Mama Rag, I noticed that, as with the acoustic acts on Saturday afternoon, this Sunday event was being sponsored by this very magazine. Well all my thanks. The magazine as being displayed everywhere there was a flat surface! If you've never seen them, Rag Mama Rag are simply charming. Ashley and Deborah Dow are an English couple who now live in Brittany and travel around mainland Europe playing festivals and clubs. Ashley's multi-guitared prowess, great vocals and Debbie's harp, vocals and amazing array of things to hit and scrape and tap produce wonderfully atmospheric renditions of old, old songs of various styles. Outstanding to me, "Take Me Up To The Church" (I believe) was so raw and intimate, I saw people visibly moved. There was lots of fun too and I noticed a very particular attention to sound settings for each song. Spoon solos went down a treat and a request for a local RAF type "Flyer Home On A Wing And A Prayer" was very fine. The other things that were flying were their CDs out the door at the end. No surprise! If you get a chance do see them (their next planned foray to the UK is March 2003).

Riley B James
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RAG MAMA RAG
Wednesday, May 23, 2001

One of my favourite venues for live music is the Palladium club in Bideford. I was there last summer when I saw a superb blues singer from Bowling Green, Kentucky called Jane Pearl (See her if you get a chance, she is excellent). I recently decided to pay another visit, and presumed that the music would be to the same very high standard. The club itself is excellent, with the main priority being the music. It is more like an intimate bar than a club in the traditional sense; without lights, smoke machines, various uv effects, and other such gimmicks, which usually give the owners a good excuse to charge a fortune. As soon as I entered the place I felt at home. The owner, Bowen, recognised me from last Summer but he served me all the same! I got my usual pint of Guinness (Mr. Joshua would love these cheap prices, and I will take him there when he comes over later in the year) seated my self near the front with my digital camera, and judging by the photo still cannot drive it!
The entertainment for the night was provided by RAG MAMA RAG, a married couple (No wonder they sing the blues!). They are originally from East Anglia, but have resided in France for the past ten years. Although I must admit I have never heard of them, they none the less arrived with a good pedigree. They recently appeared on BBC2's Paul Jones (Manfred Man, Blues Band) blues show, where they played a live session to much acclaim.
So what were RAG MAMA RAG like? One word that was on everyone's lips after their set was "Brilliant!" RAG MAMA RAG consist of Ashley Dow, who writes and sings the songs, he also plays, acoustic guitar, Dobro resophonic bottleneck guitar, Weissenborn lap steel guitar and a suitcase bass drum. His lovely wife Deborah supplies backing vocals, harmonica, washboard, African drum and tambourine.
It is often difficult for an acoustic act to grab the attention of an audience and keep it, but Ashley and Deborah had the Palladium faithful (who are used to quality music) spellbound from the start of their set right through to the very last note and leaving the punters desperate for more.
I won't go into details of the whole set because I have lost my set list (I said the drink was cheap!) but apart from their own compositions RAG MAMA RAG treated us to ditties from blues luminaries such as ROBERT JOHNSON, SLEEPY JOHN ESTES, SKIP JAMES and BUKKA WHITE; we were also treated to some excellent traditional American blues.
The thing that stuck in my mind most is the superb guitar playing of Ashley, his dexterity knows no bounds. Swapping from one instrument to another, every track was a guitar aficionados dream. My favourite song of the night was Ashley's own "Lazy good for nothing Blues" in which Deborah showed us what she can do, supplying some excellent harmonica. Superb!
To sum up: It is a long time since I saw such an entertaining act as RAG MAMA RAG, they really are worth catching. I would urge you to go and see them, you will not be disappointed. Owner of the club, Bowden commented "These really are a cut above the rest, they are welcome back any time"
As for the Palladium club; it is a place that I like a great deal. It has a nice relaxed atmosphere, everyone is friendly and you are made to feel at home. If you are in Bideford, pop in, you will be warmly welcomed and will hear some great music to boot.
RAG MAMA RAG have various CD's on offer, the latest being a superb live recording of the band's appearance at the Salaise blues festival in France. The album is titled "Rag mama rag live" (RAGMAO4CD) and contains four video tracks. If you like Ry Cooder in his "In to the purple valley" mode, then this CD is for you.

Contacts:
RAG MAMA RAG: www.ragmamarag.co.uk
PALLADIUM CLUB: 01237478860
Trevor Knightsmith.

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Blueprint magazine live concert review - Volume 2/Issue 54
The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen 12/10/01

Entering through the unpromising exterior to a spacious club-size interior, the Lemon Tree's layout is well suited to acoustic acts in a room flanked by windows of, on this occasion, bright Aberdonian sunshine.
This lunchtime session was part of the Friday Live series sponsored by Shell Expro. We were offered a set of material ranging from classics by the likes of Josh White, Kokomo Arnold, Homesick James and Bo Carter to original titles that were in keeping with the traditional feel. Ashley Dow plays suitcase bass drum, acoustic, Weissenborn Hawaiian lap steel and Dobro guitars. Judicious use of his strong voice makes some of the song choices accessible rather than overbearing. Deborah Dow plays harmonica, washboard, and African drum/tambourine combo, adding occasional backing vocals.
Amongst the highlights the following were of particular note. The opener "Wing and a Prayer" (Adamson/Mchugh) was perhaps tongue in cheek. Far from suggesting that they were flying by the seat of their pants, this duo is a well-practised touring act. This was further borne out throughout a set of cleanly executed titles. Debbie's mournful slow harmonica was particularly appropriate on "In The Pines", a country-folk blues covered by countless artists including Dolly Parton and Nirvana. Ashley's original song "Lazy Good For Nothing Dude" with its New Orleans half time feel featured Debbie with her own clean style of short harmonica breaks. "Rally Round The Flag" (Root) an inspiring pre-blues Unionist title from the American Civil War was followed by the original gathering-speed Cajun tune "Stealing Away", both being instrumentals featuring Ashley's Weissenborn. Josh White's excellent "One Meatball" had Debbie joining Ashley with backing vocals. On the moonshine inspired instrumental "Applejack Rag" Ashley played ukulele (he warns us that a revival is in the offing) and Debbie took up the spoons for this lively title. This midday session closed with another gathering-speed instrumental "Boogie Woogie Dance" ending sixty-two minutes of fine material choices, an acoustic treat.

Frank McFranklin & Gerrit McRenker

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15th Banbury Blues Festival - 5/03/05

The Mill Arts Centre --Blues in Britain - issue 41

With a slight reorganisation of the running order, we got off to a flying start with Rag Mama Rag. Out came the solid steel guitar and straight into "Wing and a Prayer". The set contained a mixture of their own compositions and songs by the likes of Hank Williams, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Tampa Red. In fact Tampa Red's "Boogie Woogie Dance" had the audience in riotous applause. Ashley also played an acoustic guitar and a lap guitar, where we were treated to some great slide work. Debbie was a blur of flying fingers and thumbs on washboard, drums and assorted percussion, not to mention harmonica playing. It all went to "rags" at the end with Blind Boy Fuller's "Rag Time" and, for an encore, "Jitterbug Rag" to tumultuous applause. Millers Bar was packed .

Tim Porter
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BBC RADIO 2 Thursday 14th October 2003

8:00 PAUL JONES

The classic blues show,
Feathering Ashley and Deborah Dow -
better known as RAG MAMA RAG -
in the studio for a chat and a couple of songs from their new album .