With Curious Collections turning 10 years old in October, we have been looking back on precious memories that have been made here in our stacks. We reached out to our amazing customers and here is a story that stuck out: Eric "Blowtorch" Beaumont's.
Let us first tell you a bit about Eric himself...
Eric Blowtorch is an ambitious artist; some say lunatic. In the Duff Guide to Ska, Steve Shafer wrote, of Quality Items, “There's some really fantastic ska and reggae here, but also a few mix tapes worth of top-shelf jazz (big band/free form/no wave), soul, bossa nova, pop and rock, even disco (the musically omnivorous Joe Strummer would've been proud)…. Like Sandinista!, the longer you live with it, the more you discover, and deeper you find your love for it.”
The latest Eric Blowtorch album is the triple vinyl LP Quality Items, recorded with the
Inflammables. “Everybody has a gimmick,” Blowtorch claims. “Mine's content” – emotional, communal, and political content delivered with intense guitar playing and singing.
Whether recording with Studio One’s Sir Coxsone Dodd or performing live at London’s 100 Club, Eric Blowtorch remains a prolific force in the global independent music scene.
Eric Blowtorch isn’t just a musician; he’s a collector of sounds and a storyteller of political and communal truths. Whether you catch him on his latest 2022 single "Too Many Dues" or dive into his massive back catalog, one thing is certain: you’re in for an uplifting, intense, and entirely unique musical experience.
Eric "Blowtorch" Beaumont's love for music is no secret and that much is obvious when you hear his heartwarming story:
"Music drew my parents close to me from the day I was brought home from the hospital in April 1964. I started fussing, and my dad, Dr. Roger Beaumont – author, painter, playwright, and future future Texas A&M history professor – put on a record: Beethoven’s Third Symphony, the “Eroica.” (I don't know if my given name had anything to do with the selection.) What happens next you’ve probably heard before: the fussing stops, the head turns toward the speaker, the parents wonder what magical power the sound has over the kid.
Check out Eric Blowtorch albums here!
We are so grateful to have been a part of Eric's story and are so grateful that he is a part of ours. If you have a story you would like to share, whether big or small, about Curious Collections we would love to hear it! (And we may just feature you in a blog or on our social media!) Click here to submit your stories!