Kreg Viesselman
Kreg Viesselman
Person from United States
Genres: blues, scandinavian, All, nordic, spotify
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About Kreg Viesselman
Kreg Viesselman was born in Wells, Minnesota and currently lives in Oslo, Norway. Recordings: "The Pull" Red Kite Records, 2006 "Kreg Viesselman" Self-released, 2003 "Many Rivers" PME Records, 2000 (out of print) Other Appearances: "Hold Me Up To the Light" (Peter Wilde Tribute), various artists "This Great Land", PME Records, by David Gilligan "Remembering Achilles", by David Gilligan "The Good, The Bad, and the Red Glory Ramblers", by Danny Shafer ‘one of the few albums which warrants the listener hanging onto the artist’s every word…..an incisive writer who uses dazzling imagery’ - ***** maverick magazine ‘rarely does a talent so exceptional and unique come along, this man deserves to be heard…’ - blues matters, uk "elemental songwriting...it's clear that viesselman knows how to craft moving acoustic music" - westword, denver, colorado The first thing you notice about Kreg Viesselman is his voice. That such a powerful and visceral sound should come from this quiet, unassuming Minnesotan is initially surprising, but then you begin to listen to what he’s singing. Songs like you just didn’t think they made anymore, or maybe never did; songs written in a language so raw and bare that they touch you as if brushing against open nerves; songs that are at once ageless and pleasingly difficult to classify. "Viesselman’s songs have a sage, hardened pathos that’s hardly pretty boy stuff. Silvery, potent lines that are killer in substance. He has a charmed beauty all his own." - Dirty Linen "Viesselman’s blue eyed country fried soul resides in that special realm that seems to defy the sands of time. Outstanding." - Indie-music.com Viesselman learnt to play that guitar from a friend with whom he shared a cabin in Maine, working during the day as a carpenter and playing all night. He recalls: ‘we had two folding chairs and one light bulb, and I had no clue how to go about songwriting, but I was fairly obsessed.’ About that time, he had the good fortune of meeting Taj Mahal, who had come to perform at the camp where he was working: “He was kind enough to help me with a few things. I basically followed him around for a few days. The man just oozed music, and I soaked up as much as I could”. The influence of folk music is still present in Viesselman’s work, but in the manner of a true artist he has taken it in a direction of his own. His last album - The Pull - shows this clearly. Musically, the work is mature and comfortable, drawing effortlessly from Folk, Soul, and all points between. Yet never does stylisation distract from what is some of the most gutsy, insightful writing that the singer/songwriter scene has experienced in a long time. He deals with humanity in its most basic and instinctive forms…both the brutal and the tender. It is a style that belies a deep human intelligence and wry wit, a narrative voice that could very well find a place in the canon of great American literature. "****deep, intense and literary....a masterpiece...if you don't believe, just listen." - Buscadero (Italy) "*****One of the few albums which warrants the listener to hang onto the artist's every single word. Without exception I found every song totally engrossing. Viesselman is an incisive writer who uses dazzling imagery" – Maverick The Pull received unanimous praise from the Press upon its release. Journalists and specialist DJ’s from all over Europe helped elevate ‘The Pull’ to no. 1 on the Euro-American charts in 2007 after it had spent many months in the top 10 (ahead of the likes of Will Oldham, JJ Cale, Willie Nelson, Tom Waits and Solomon Burke). The immediate buzz after the album’s release precipitated Kreg’s first tour of mainland Europe, including an evening shared with Willie Nelson at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. That first tour helped kick-start a loyal fan base, ever widening with each of Kreg’s successive visits. Scotland’s The Herald once stated: “Viesselman is not one of those ‘between song raconteurs’”, and that is certainly true. His performances are direct and intense. He is a man of few words. But like all men of few words, the ones he does use are carefully chosen and cut to the point. Currently living in Norway, he is writing, recording and performing in preparation for the release of a fourth album. With his new material, Viesselman continues - above all -to paint in detail the world he sees and to place us in worlds where we might catch a glimpse of ourselves - for better or worse. The power of his delivery stems from the fact that this is an artist who speaks through singing. Kreg Viesselman has something to say, and it is something worth hearing. "Enchanting simplicity...I really believe him when he sings." - Acoustic Magazine "Outstanding - his voice touched me down deep and his songs are meaningful and melodically brilliant." - Susa Onda Radio, Italy
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