The Field

Tracks:

1. Brand New Walking Blues
2. Liam’s Blues B Coman/B Reid
3. Back of the hand T Harrod/Reid/Swanton/J Orszaczky
4. Burning Stew Coman
5. Daybreak
6. Big Moon Swanton Sony/ATV Music
7. Is it Time to Go
8. Nude Guitar Coman
9. Train H Stuart
10. Walking Home with Jesus Stuart
11. News From Home

Total time - 51.34

All compositions by Bruce Reid and Copyright Control except as indicated

Personnel:

Bruce Reid guitar, National steel guitar, dobro
Barney Coman acoustic guitar
Lloyd Swanton acoustic bass
Hamish Stuart drums, percussion

and guests

Tina Harrod vocals
Darren Percival vocals
Stuart Hunter hammond organ, piano
Jess Ciampa cuica, percussion
Toby Hall drums, percussion

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'News From Home' RF069

Reviews

"The Field crosses numerous music paths on this session but the band's feet are firmly planted in the soil of rural society.The band is into imagery. Reid's steel guitar opposite Coman's acoustic paints an image of the treeless, rolling prairies of central North America." Frank Rubolino

'Joining forces as The Field for an impressive Bill Frisell styled jazz-meets-country project is a core group of musicians drawn from Sydney based bands the Necks, Karma County and the catholics. With proclivities for noodling and indulgent experimentation well restrained, the boundaries are blurred to include a touch of gospel (Walking Home With Jesus) and moody acoustic blues based instrumentals mostly composed by National Steel guitarist Bruce Reid. Barely breathing for a meditative Nude Guitar, supplementary players Stuart Hunter (organ) and Barry Coman (acoustic guitar) flesh out a sophisticated unit that can fly at a gallop (Train), turn Celtic and then regroup for Back Of The Hand, a slow burning soul scorcher fully realized by guest vocalist Tina Harrod.' Rodger Lee

'The Field is a true ensemble, bringing together the instrumental, vocal, arranging and compositional skills of some of Sydney’s finest and most creative players. Slideman Bruce Reid (Dobro and National Steel) leads fellow members of that excellent band the catholics — Lloyd Swanton (bass) and Toby Hall (drums) — along with Barney Coman (acoustic guitar) to a fertile field where blues, soul, jazz, funk, gospel, country and folk meet. Along for the ride are Stuart Hunter (Hammond organ & piano), Jess Ciampa (percussion) and Hamish Stuart (drums), with guest singers Tina Harrod and Darren Percival, who get a song each, interrupting the instrumental domination.

The sound might be guitar driven, with distinct shades of Ry Cooder on a couple of tracks, but there’s some exquisite rhythm playing and lots of shade and colour on this The Field’s second album.' Tony Hillier, 4 FLIES

'On their second album, News from Home, The Field dips into country, gospel, blues, funk and jazz, to create a soul-drenched sound all of its own. The musicianship is second to none to none , with bassist Lloyd Swanton (of The Necks). Hammond organist Stu Hunter, drummer Hamish Stuart, National steel guitarist Bruce Reid and acoustic guitarist Barney Coman, drawing together, not only their diverse talents as instrumentals, but also their creative abilities as composers.

On occasion, the mood is tranquil – of that soothing, serene quality reminiscent of James Taylor – but at others. The group gets down to its earthy, gritty side. This is heard on Back of the Hand delivered by guest vocalist Tina Harrod, who, in an outstanding performance, brings her dark, overwhelming passion to the tune.

Then there are moments of nostalgia and longing, as in the sparsely arranged News from Home. At all times the focus is on feel. Darren Percival also makes a guest appearance, bringing his soulful, mellow tone to Stuart’s gospel piece Walking Home with Jesus.

This is one highly infectious and musical album, comprised of finely composed tunes. Lyrical melodies and bluesy, laidback rhythms. New from Home is one of the finest listening experiences of the year.' Jasmine Crittenden, Drum Media

'The music of the Field has always conjured up the heat haze of summer for me, and with this second album that feeling has become a distinctly "Australian" summer. The unique blend of country has a real dry-leaf crackle to it, and somewhere behind the calm there is a sense of ominous purple clouds just over the horizon, as on the track Burning Stew.

'There is a also a vast sense of space, beautifully evoked by Bill Leak's cover painting of a wheat field. despite the core quartet often being expanded, there is never any clutter or wanton instrumental bravado. That core consists of Bruce Reid (acoustic guitar, dobro, National steel guitar), Barney Coman (acoustic guitar), Lloyd Swanton (bass) and Hamish Stuart (drums).

'Reid and Stuart are also part of Swanton's band, the catholics, and it is not too long a bow to draw to suggest that some of that bouyancy spills into this project. Pretty tunes ride on laid-back grooves, much as you or I might lie on a gently swinging hammock in the afternoon breeze.

'Among the guests, Jess Ciampa adds shakers and kookaburra-like cuica to the easy ramble of Brand New Walking Blues. Stu Hunter's organ provides sudden gleams of primary colour in the sepia tones of Liam's Blues, before helping underpin the Field's first foray into vocals, when Tina Harrod's soulful wail slides across the slow funk of Back of the Hand, punctuated with typically tasty Stuart drum fills.

'Swanton's classic Big Moon, previously a vehicle for Bernie McGann's alto saxophone, rises lust as gracefully when evoked by the guitars of Coman and Reid. The latter's steel guitar tells a happy enough story on Is it Time to go?, the n cries in its lonely way on Nude Guitar, a piece so fragile you have to remind yourself to breathe.

'Stuart's talents as a composer are heard on the perfect country/blues marriage of the insistent Train, and on the gospel walking Home with Jesus, sung by Darren Percival. The title track offers one more chance to dream before the world rushes back in.' John Shand SMH