Cape Breton Post
January, 2004
Dan MacDonald
Matt Minglewood fans will tell you that while his recordings are great, they
never seem to properly capture the magic of the music, the essence of
Minglewood live on stage. Finally, that has all changed with the release of
Live at Last, recorded directly off the stage at MingleFest on the Government
Wharf in Sydney, one chilly night in September of 2002.
The CD has more than a dozen of Minglewood's best-known songs on it, including
How High is High Enough, Me & The Boys, Travelin' Man and Can't You See (his
signature tune and the closing number of the CD). The boys in the band were on
top of their game the whole night and the special guests that graced the stage
during Matt's set (and during the MingleFest weekend in general) reads like a
who's who of the Canadian Blues, Jeff Healey, Michael Pickett, Billy Joe Green,
Rita Chiarelli, Sam Moon and Denis Parker, all joined Matt on stage at various
times during the show.
Trevor Turnbull did the onsite recording for the CD. Dylan McCarron acted as
engineer and Mike Shepherd edited, mixed and mastered the final product at
Lakewind Sound Studios in Point Aconi. It's a well-packaged and well-produced
CD with memories and music to please the most intense of Minglewood fans. Matt
Minglewood: 'Live at Last' is tangible evidence of just how to properly 'rock
the blues'.
Reviewer Dan MacDonald