Dressed in a vintage, tweed-style suit with matching vest, Moses Atwood could very well have been playing a 1930s juke joint rather than Portland’s Acoustic Coffee on Friday, June 2. The classically trained guitarist and noted singer/songwriter played a superb double set of his heavily country blues-influenced folk, opening up with a cover of the blues standard “Killing Floor” before working his way though several original tunes, many of which can be expected to appear on his upcoming July debut release. Bearing a striking, almost hounded vocal resemblance to 1930s blues legend Robert Johnson (with a little bit of Son House thrown in for good measure), Atwood’s introspective, skillfully written songs take a more classical, arpeggiated approach to the folk/blues genre. Playing almost exclusively finger style (Atwood does at times use metal fingerpicks), the result is a remarkably fresh take on old songwriting.

Friday night’s set list included “Delores,” a muttering, paranoid tune with a spine-tingling guitar riff, as well as the vocal showpiece “The Ballad of Mary.” While the former’s vocals can be somewhat hard to follow due to the song’s somewhat scatting structure, the latter featured nothing more than Atwood standing upright before the mic, simultaneously stomping out a sluggish, dragging beat while pounding his chest and howling his trademark blues vocals. Written, according to Atwood, to pass the time in his car after some trouble with his car stereo, “The Ballad of Mary” is hands down one of the most original song approaches I’ve heard in years. While “soul” is an overused word, aside from the prowess necessary to go a cappella, the most striking aspect of Atwood’s performance is the sheer amount of heart he pours into each song. While many talented vocalists get the job done and do it well, Atwood brings more of himself to the table, an investment which seems to bridge the gap between him and the audience.

Also notable in Friday’s performance was the appearance of “Octavio,” introduced by Atwood as inspired by the poetry of Octavio Paz. A rough version of the tune, along with others, is available at Atwood’s MySpace Web page. With the coming of his debut record in July, Atwood is sure to replicate elsewhere his already noted presence on the Portland scene.

to listen:
www.mosesatwood.com
www.myspace.com/mosesatwood