Oh, mercy

Following a successful select city U.S. tour earlier this year, female British blues/roots guitar phenomena Bex Marshall has returned to the states to support the release of her third album, the self-produced "House Of Mercy."

Marshall, who was recently nominated for "Best Album of the Year" and "Best Female Vocalist" at the British Blues Awards, performs tonight at 8 at Eichardt's Pub, Grill and Coffee House, 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint.

Recorded over many late, wine-and-good-times-soaked nights around the kitchen table of her home in North London known as the House of Mercy, it was inevitable the album should be named the same."House Of Mercy" was released on Feb. 5 on the label of the same name distributed in the U.S. by Allegro. On the new record, Marshall distinguishes herself as an accomplished songwriter crafting low-down blues, back-porchy bluegrass and soul-stirring gospel with impressive authority and conviction. She performs largely on the acoustic steel-top resonator guitar blending fleet bluegrass picking and bluesy slidework into a style all her own.

"House Of Mercy" also shows off Bex's unique, earthy voice - equal parts Janis Joplin grit and homespun Joan Armatrading tunefulness. She's joined by the regular members of the Bex Marshall Band as well as special guests including British pedal steel/dobro legend BJ Cole. At home in the U.K., the new album has been described as "Bonnie Raitt and Led Zep jamming in an Everglades moonshine joint," and the response from the U.S. media has been equally as enthusiastic. "Guitar World" raved, "Guitarist Bex Marshall might hail from Britain, but she's managed to nail the swampy blues and grooving gospel rock of the American South on her latest album, 'House of Mercy.' Her expressive, gutsy vocals are matched by her confident six-string style, which is exemplified on guitar workouts like 'Love' and 'Bourbon Street.'"

Her last release, 2008's "Kitchen Table," received stunning reviews around the world and went Top 20 on the U.S. Americana chart. "The Nashville Scene's" Edd Hurt wrote, "Bex Marshall writes concise songs and embellishes them with intelligent, folkish guitar...She's a fine guitarist with a silken touch..." Since then, she has toured the U.S. repeatedly as well as Australia, Europe and the U.K., including Glastonbury and the Maryport Blues Festival three years running.

A Devonshire lass now residing in London, Bex is the product of two very different family backgrounds - one blue blooded landed gentry, the other Irish Romany. As a child, at family gatherings, her uncles would always encourage Bex to stand on the table and sing. At 11 years old she was given a 1963 Gibson Hummingbird by her Uncle David and started playing. Classical guitar was her first passion, then flamenco, but eventually country and the blues won her heart.

Bex worked as a croupier from the age of 18. She traveled around the world, dealing illegal poker games in Amsterdam, then hitch-hiking throughout Europe, always with her trusty guitar strapped to her back. More than once she had to raise the price of a meal and a night's lodging with a quick spot of busking. But once she began performing professionally her career took off quickly.

In 2004, she performed at The Fleadh Festival alongside the likes of Bob Dylan, The Counting Crows and John Prine. The following year Marshall performed four separate sets at the legendary Glastonbury Festival (including the Acoustic and Leftfield stages) and then undertook a 28-date Summer tour with the U.S. Bluegrass band Hayseed Dixie ending with a show at the prestigious London Forum. Bex earned the distinction of being the first and only woman to be invited to perform at the Cork's International Guitar Festival sharing the stage with Thin Lizzy founder Eric Bell. Her debut album Bootlace received impressive airplay throughout the U.K and Europe.

Bex is now sponsored by the legendary guitar maker Chris Eccleshall, who has built guitars for Clapton, Gallagher and Bowie to name a few, along with his partner Eddie Cameron, which is fitting for someone "Folk and Roots"' Allan Wilkinson proclaimed, "Seldom do we hear such blues inflected rawness in female guitar players and so it's refreshing to hear it done with such authenticity and assurance."