Allow me to introduce: Lentink & Son! You might know Dutch extraordinary songwriter and guitarist Bertolf from one of his six solo albums, his previous two sessions, live videos on this website or his chapter in my book Onder Invloed (2012). If you don’t, you have a lot of beauty still to discover. Think: Ron Sexsmith meets Paul McCartney meets Madison Cunningham. Lentink has never been secretive about his Bluegrass roots and has now finally recorded a full on record in the genre. In Nashville, with Jerry Douglas and more of his personal heroes. Bluefinger will be released in September and is accompanied by a free bonus album for pre-orders. On that album, Bertolf and his father Dick Lentink recorded their favourite Bluegrass songs, in the same livingroom they spent years playing together during his childhood. For The Influences, the father and son sat down in that same spot and recorded three songs.
“Recording this album was a dream come true.”
On September 8th, Bertolf new record Bluefinger. He calls it the coolest project he’s ever undertaken. And a dream come true. “I recorded it last year in Nashville with my bluegrass heroes Jerry Douglas (dobro), Stuart Duncan (violin), Mark Schatz Music (double bass), David Benedict (mandolin) and Wes Corbett (banjo). In addition to a number of new instrumentals and songs such as Before The Storm (the duet with Ilse DeLange), the album is a best of: my most well-known and my own favorite songs from the previous six albums.”
Lentink is one of the most talented musicians I’ve encountered and must also be one of the most modest. So, I’m going to quote his hero Jerry Douglas: “Thank you for your music and your patience. You’re a master at what you do, and humble. That’s the key to the universe.”
“Songs that are close to our hearts.”
Asked about the background of this session, Bertolf Lentink explains: “My love for bluegrass music is entirely my father’s fault. He played that music constantly and there were guitars, mandolins and banjos at home. We made a lot of music together, and when I was about 12 years old, we started recording cassette tapes. Recorded with two microphones in a tape deck. For this Bluegrass project I wanted to do that again, about 30 years later. In that same living room. Songs that are close to our hearts.”
Pre-order Bluefinger and get the Lentink & Son bonus album
If you pre-order Bertolf’s Bluefinger now, you will receive the album with his father Lentink & Son with Bluegrass songs that are close to their hearts, free of charge on cassette tape or CD.
Photos
Credits
Filmed & edited by Matthijs van der Ven.
Audio recorded & mixed by Matthijs van der Ven.
Location
The livingroom of Bertolf’s parents
Dronten, The Netherlands
Thanks
Familie Lentink
There is no better way to discover music than watching great musicians cover the songs they love. The Influences has been producing these videos ever since 2008.
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Thank you for watching and enjoying this session. You’ll probably like some other sessions from The Influences’ archive too, like this earlier one by Bertolf!
