"Fiddle-led cajun/blues
rock doesn't get much better than this. Straight ahead, tight and hot. It's
a booter...They'd be a killer festival band, I'm sure."
Ian Anderson, Froots Magazine
"Tom Rigney plays the
violin and MAN can he play! High, low, moans, screams, etc., all from that
fiddle. He is in my mind one of the cleanest, smoothest fiddle players I've
ever heard. He somehow adjusts that instrument to the right genre. Rigney
has surrounded himself with some fine musicians that can really play and support
his arrangements. The band is made up of talented artists who are themselves
impressive. These guys are good, fiery, talented, and hot. The originals here
have the feel of classics."
The Critical Review
"A fiddler that's had kind of an amazing life steps up with his latest roots extravaganza that simply makes you wonder why this guy is putting out his records himself. Easily a crew that should be resting atop the back 40... High octane, energetic and note perfect throughout, any alt.adult fan that considers himself a real music fan owes it to himself to get a load of this action. A winner throughout." Chris Spector, Midwest Record Recap
"Fabulous swamp flavored
fiddling...Rigney delivers a wonderful set of music. No way you can go wrong
if you like fine fiddling and Southern Fried grooves; the musical gumbo is
just right."
Marc Bristol, Blue Suede News
"FIVE STARS!! Tom Rigney's
"A Blue Thing" will send an electric shiver down your spine. This release
is a powerful storm for your ears! A definite must for any blues fan."
Roots Music Report
"Flambeau is a labor of
love and a work of art for Rigney."
Roger Hoskins, Modesto Bee
"Dazzling...a surprising
musical experience, vibrant and various in its repertoire of original compositions.
It is hard to sit still through the sweet compelling airs and stompin' Cajun
melodies played with joyous virtuosity."
Janet Gallin, San Francisco Moda Magazine
"FIVE STARS! ALL HITS!
NO MISSES!! This hour-long masterpiece is filled with great cover songs and
imaginative original songs. Delicious swing blues in "Blow Away My Blues",
"Deep River Blues" and "That Nasty Swing", Cajun and bayou music with "Gator
Boy" and "Don and Dewey", and fat blues and blowers in pure Gatemouth style
"Gate's on the Heat" . . . High points galore: the ballad "Hold me Tight",
with beautful interaction between violin and harmonica--Clarence 'Gatemouth'
Brown meets Toots Thielemans; the traditional "Wayfaring Stranger", country
blues meets balkan with a leading role for Norton Buffalo, Bob Brozman and
Dix Bruce; "Gator Boy" with a clever guitar solo from Danny Caron (in an earlier
life guitarist with Charles Brown), and the blues classic "Baby Please Don't
Go" where Norton Buffalo and Roy Rogers can excel--the ultimate blues tandem,
as it were. After all these years Tom Rigney's music still sounds just as
fresh and scintillating. For anyone who regularly looks for blues CD's with
that touch of something more--for example, great country blues, a diversity
of styles, clever solo work, etc.--this is the right place. A disc to savour
with a glass of champagne over the holidays."
Roots Town Review, Belgium
"Second fiddle to no one."
Brian Kluepfel, Berkeley Voice
"Never less than spellbinding.
The eclectic and sizzling music runs the gamut from gritty zydeco and funky
blues to New Orleans jazz and lyrical waltzes. The style of playing is consistent,
yet varied and extremely melodic; it's also passionate and, above all, infectious.
It's hard to know whether to be more impressed by Rigney's playing, his compositions,
or the back-up support he gets."
Paul E. Comeau, Dirty Linen
"Tom Rigney combines technical
virtuosity with the drive and enthusiasm of a great dance fiddler. Drawing
on influences as diverse as Cajun, Celtic, Gypsy and blues, Rigney covers
a full emotional range from the melancholy of Consolation through the
wild dance-frenzy of Hounded. The interplay is spectacular..."
Philip Campbell, Fiddler Magazine
"If Ry Cooder's out of
the budget, you might come calling for a guy named Tom Rigney. The Bay Area
fiddle player is an all-American eclectic, and his new instrumental album,
Chasing the Devil, is moody, evocative, original and energetic. I don't
know if he's done any scoring yet, but if you're looking for rootsy instrumental
music, Rigney's got it in him."
Scott Becker, InsideReport
"Rigney led the band through
several original cookers including a couple of Cajun two-steps, a zydeco romp,
an Irish jig, an upbeat Gypsy tune, a sizzling Louisiana blues, and even a
tango. But the revelation of the evening was Rigney's brilliance in changing
the musical pace by delivering slow-tempo, emotionally charged pieces that
don't fit the good-times category. While I've spent many hours dancing up
a storm at Rigney's gigs over the years, this show was by far the most satisfying
performance I've attended. Here's hoping he continues to investigate new fiddling
territory."
Dan Ouellette, The Express
"Probably the most dynamic album of instrumental music I have ever heard. If this doesn't kick your spirits up, nothing will!"
"Tom Rigney has refreshened
the palette of contemporary choice. He's written exacting music that requires
a high level of skill to play and absolutely no effort to listen to. Try to
sit still while Rigney's guys play--I dare you! Try to pretend that they arenot
unabashedly beautiful, wistul, haunting , or mirthful as the track-may-be
and you'll wear yourself out with the effort. These guys are great!"
Peter Coyote
"From the very first
cut of "Happy To Be Here" you just know you are in for a party courtesy of
Tom Rigney & Flambeau. Violinist Tom & his cajun/zydeco band have been tearing
things up over there on west coast USA for a while & have established themselves
as a hot outfit... a very talented & experienced bunch of musicians."
Charlie Gray, Blues Free Press
"These guys are a
national treasure!"
Lloyd Kahn