German-born Kai Strauss is crushing proof that when one wants to play the blues, his/her place of birth makes no real difference. Even without coming from the Mississippi Delta or from Chicago, sensitivity and instrumental mastery can give birth to truly noteworthy albums.
This is the case with “Getting Personal”, eleven blues tracks excellently played by the guitarist from Lengerich (a town located in East Rhineland-Westphalia, Germany). And the splendid over-9-minutes-long instrumental track “Blues For Anne” (the last song on the CD, dedicated to the musician’s mother) is there to prove it.