伝説のスケーター兼ミュージシャン Tommy Guerrero による記念碑的なデビュー・アルバム。彼自身が「最初にただ楽しみで録音した曲たち」で、「発表するつもりはなかった」と語るように、その制作背景には自然体の自由がある。その無垢さが今でも心を打つ作品だ。

リラックスしたグルーヴ感、ルーピーなドラム、彼独特の反映的なギター・スタイルが融合し、ジャズ、トリップホップ、ロック、ダウンテンポ、さらにラテンやブルースの香りまでを含んだ全13トラック。生演奏的な温かさと、Lo-fi としての親密さが共存し、まるで心の内側をそっと撫でてくれるようなサウンドスケープを描く。

その演奏は、エレクトリックとアコースティックのギターがそっと語りかけるようなメロディを奏で、ゆったりとしたリズムに乗って、飾らないパーカッションが流れる。聴く者を癒す“クリアで純粋な周波数”が自然と身体に染み込む。

このヴァイナル盤は Simon Francis と Cicely Balston によって丁寧にリマスター＆カッティングされ、オランダの Record Industry で高品質にプレス。ジャケットはオリジナル版のデザイナー Natas Kaupas のアートワークを復元しており、ヴィンテージ感と現代的な再現の両方を兼ね備えている。

じっくり最初から最後まで聴くのにふさわしい一枚。彼の音楽性を象徴するアルバムで、Tommy Guerrero の世界観が詰まった、静かに深く響く名盤だ。

A1. B.W.s Blues
A2. So Blue It's Black
A3. Keep On Keepin On
A4. Azule
A5. Black Sheep Blues
A6. 30

B1. Pollo Caliente
B2. Never
B3. Solow
B4. Introspection Section
B5. Gone
B6. In My Head
B7. Soul Miner

Loose Grooves & Bastard Blues is Tommy Guerrero's sublime debut. Of this beloved masterpiece, the legendary skater himself says: "my 1st album. It was never meant to be released. I was just recording for the fun of it.. still my fave. Oh so naive..." And you know what? It's definitely Be With's fave too. An astonishingly great record. A chill, blissful, deeply moving album, it was rightly garlanded as an instant classic.

A laidback, fusionistic ride replete with loopy drum tracks underpinning Tommy's trademark reflective guitar stylings, Loose Grooves & Bastard Blues remains powerfully evergreen. Originally released in 1997, there's elements of jazz, trip hop, rock and downtempo groove. All shot through with a heavy dose of soul. Thirteen tracks of lo-fi (mostly) instrumental freshness fused with Cuban, Latin and blues, it's a must for fans of Money Mark, J Dilla, RJD2, DJ Shadow and Pete Rock. As ever with Tommy's records, the title sums up the music contained within most aptly. And writing about his songs, his vibes, is one of the trickier things to do, it has to be said. It's just all gorgeous!

A total vibe throughout, to blast Loose Grooves & Bastard Blues is a majestic experience, one that suits a start-to-finish listen and renders the picking out of highlights totally redundant. Featuring nagging, deeply melodic guitar lines - both electric and acoustic - over simple rhythms with such sumptuous elegance, the hypnotic playing against unrushed percussion releases a crystal clear stream of healing frequencies. It's ust divine. This album laid the blueprint from which Tommy Guerrero would subsequently explore further on A Little Bit of Somethin' and Soul Food Taquiera.

Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland. The original and iconic sleeve, designed by Natas Kaupas, has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.