~~ Steve Morse The Boston Globe, August 23, 2010 Instrumental passion from Ronnie Earl ...arguably his best-ever album. Recorded at Wellspring Sound in Acton, it’s another all-instrumental effort in which he wrote or co-wrote nine of the 14 tracks. Earl’s passion is immediate on Albert Collins’s “Backstroke,’’ with Earl weaving piercing note bends over the steady rhythms of Hammond B3 organist Dave Limina. The sensuous “Miracle’’ has ecstatic, Santana-like guitar peaks, as does the transfixing “Patience.’’ Some of these tracks are blues hymns, while others reflect the funky, roadhouse crispness that Earl has displayed from the start. Together, they make for an album of rare joy and soul from a master who has reached another pinnacle in his playing. Read more
~~ Don and Sheryl Crow, Nashville Blues Society Ronnie Earl's talents are indeed immense, and his uncanny knack of capturing even the most subtle nuances of his mentors thru his music makes him unique. Take the leadoff cut, "Backstroke." It's one of the few covers presented herein, and is an Albert Collins staple. Ronnie captures that "icy" sound perfectly that Collins was noted for, but many listeners may not know that Collins often ended his instrumentals with that three-note coda that defines the National Broadcasting Company. Yep, at the very end is that familiar "N-B-C," and Ronnie's right on top of it. The same goes for Dave Limina's original "Spann's Groove." When he and Ronnie start trading licks on this one, you'd swear it was a long-lost Chess side from Muddy and Otis Spann. Read more
~~Josh Hathaway, Blog Critics There are plenty of peaks on the 14-track Spread The Love and no real valleys. Fans that tune in to hear Ronnie Earl play jaw-dropping blues won't be disappointed nor will fans of his more jazz-fused work. The latter will love his interpretation of Kenny Burrell's "Chitlins Con Carne" while the former will be unable to resist playing a little air guitar to the bluesy workouts of "Tommy's Midnight Blues," "Backstroke," and "Ethan's Song." Even when he takes to blues and jazz, there is still something deep and spiritual being communicated through his playing. His guitar is a lantern in the darkness and his heart is the kerosene.Read more.
~~John Taylor, Blog Critics And while cynics might see his message of love and forgiveness as somewhat simplistic, there’s no denying the power and beauty of Earl’s guitar work. Whether he’s delivering crunching chords or ripping out dazzling flurries with dizzying ease, he exhibits absolute mastery of his instrument. The current version of The Broadcasters, together for a number of years now, are equally adept, following Earl’s lead with exceptionally supple support. Bassist Jim Mouradian and drummer Lorne Entress are telepathically tight, and Dave Limina’s work on the B3 is exemplary, with a rich, churchy sound perfectly in keeping with Earl’s instrumental extrapolations – moody and evocative yet invariably uplifting, even on the quieter, meditative numbers.
Earl remains, hands down, one of the finest guitarists around, endlessly inventive and possessed of breathtaking technical ability that never gets in the way of sheer feel – he can dazzle indeed, but it’s always about the emotional core of the song, not the notes themselves. Spread The Love may well be Earl’s best yet. Highly recommended! Read more
~~Brian Holland, Guitar International It’s a stunningly epic and flawlessly executed instrumental, abundant with dazzling melody and adept technique. Reminiscent of Roy Buchanan riff magic in places, Ronnie’s volume and tone manipulation accents his raw Fender guitar straight into Fender tube amp and Fender tube reverb sound: the trifecta of great tone. And as usual, it’s not all about Ronnie Earl. It’s also about the piano and Hammond B3 flair of Dave Limina, the solid yet subtle bass lines of Jim Mouradian, and the percussive diversity of Lorne Entress—the Broadcasters for the past eleven years. Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters exert a magnitude of imagination and creativity into the blues in Spread the Love. Read More
~~Silver Michaels, American Blues News Tracks 5, 6 and 7 almost feel like a trilogy, both sonically and spiritually. Respectively entitled "Happy," "Patience" and "Miracle," these three pieces taken together are a nice microcosm of Earl's heart, soul and philosophy. "Happy" showcases Limina in a more Booker T vein; it is indeed a happy track, but happy in the more serene sense, not in a Disney-esque "uber sunshine" mode. At times, Earl's work here is reminiscent of some of the more slow and soulful early work that Carlos Santana used to present. "Patience" is a moving slow blues, and Limina's keys lay down a seriously good foundation for some of Ronnie's best and most expressive work on the album. "Miracle," then, becomes a real triumphant conclusion to this trilogy; Limina takes the Hammond right into church, which is the only proper foundation for Earl's playing here.
I'm reminded of Roy Buchanan's take on "The Messiah Will Come Again;" the core emotion is one of deep spirituality, the kind that can only come from deep belief, from the heart... from real, honest, true belief. Earl both pleads and soars on this track, and the effect is intense. Read more
~~Review By John Vermilyea, Blues Underground Network "Spread the Love", really is as its name implies and it was certainly felt by me as it resonated from my CD Player. It is yet another amazing Album that continues to tell the story that is Ronnie Earl and the magic he is able to create. This is a Stunning and Highly Recommended Album... 5***** Read more
