A few years ago I came across Grant Haua and I was blown away by the Maori bluesman who for me is the living epitome of the classic style. His last album, the mighty ‘Tahanga’ found Grant with his trusty acoustic as he recorded a livestream for Rolling Stone France. Yes, although Grant is truly as Kiwi as it comes, he has found a major audience on the other side of the world. I was lucky enough to finally see him play last year and he did not disappoint, holding the audience in the palm of his hand as he ripped through one song after another with his emotional vocals and strident guitar in true blues harmony. If I had been asked to point to the essential album prior to this one then it would have to be ‘Awa Blues’, but here in ‘Mana Blues’ we find Grant moving in a different direction again.

Here is an album steeped in the electric Blues style which was popular in the mid-late Seventies when the likes of Clapton took the Blues in a different direction, with a much heavier emphasis on melodic rock as opposed to the crunching blasts of the likes of Taste and Led Zep from earlier in the decade. To ensure we are reminded where Grant’s roots lie the album starts with a karakia, which anyone from Aoteaora will smile at, given how commonplace it is to start gatherings with, but then we are into blues which not only rocks but grooves, really grooves. This is “Pukehinahina”, a song about the battle at Gate Pā which was a major disaster for the British military where they were defeated by Ngāi Te Rangi. On all tracks apart from that one he is joined by Jeff Nilsson (drums), Brian Franks (bass) and Tim Julian (keyboards) while Brian also takes over lead vocals on “Good Stuff”.

Most of the material is original, but we are treated to a wonderful version of the nearly 100-old classic, Blind Willie Johnson’s “In My Time Of Dying” (made famous by Led Zep’s on ‘Physical Graffiti’). This take manages to pay homage to both versions, is incredibly heavy and hugely filthy, with Grant’s vocals taking their rightful place just behind the guitar at the front. One of the most poignant is “Embers”, where the first line tells you exactly what the song is about “An insane institution, victims of a mad revolution, the final solution” where Grant talks about the madman taking their mortal skin and they are now embers in the night.

Grant has been touring since this was released at the end of last year and I highly recommend seeing him live if you can, and if not, then this is simply essential.

Rating: 9/10

Links:
https://granthauamusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dixiefrogrecords