Reviewed by Aaron Cloutier
Born in May of 2021, “No Man’s Land” from Harold “Grit” Vondenstein (AKA Grit’s Guitar) is a nine-plus minute romp into the sludgy, swampy, southern fried style of down and dirty blues.
No Man’s Land showcases Vondenstein’s six-string prowess as he happily splatters blues licks all over the tried and true 12 bar blues chord progression. The soundtrack to a scene in a movie where the main character is sitting in a smoky bar seemingly down on his luck.
Throughout the extended jam, Grit explores the depths of his approach to improvisation on his instrument as he decorates each chord change with hammer-on-based lead lines, bends, double stops, and soulful vibrato full of expression. Grit’s pentatonic-based pyrotechnics are chock full of feel and display a high range tone that is reminiscent of players the likes of Buddy Guy.
One half of the award-winning Gospel Blues Duo, Bible Belt Blues, he and his wife, Paula, and have produced two albums, “I’m Not Ashamed to Be a Christian” and “My God, My God.”
Recent accolades include the prestigious 2021 W.A.M. Impact Award, the 2020 W.A.M. Music Award for Best Lyrics for Gospel/Christian song, “We Worship the King of Kings,” and the coveted 2019 Josie Music Award for Gospel/Christian Duo. They also completed their 3rd album (E.P.) “Preacher and the Bluesman” which is scheduled for release on January 5, 2022.
Be sure to be on the lookout for more releases from “Grit’s Guitar” as well as “Bible Belt Blues” by heading to gritsguitar.com/
About Grit's Guitar
After witnessing her husband Harold Vega Vondenstein’s guitar playing skills blossom, his wife, Paula, knew that she needed to create a new platform where Harold could explore his full range of creativity as a guitarist. She gave him a new name, Harold “Grit” Vondenstein, and Grit’s Guitar was officially birthed in May of 2021. Grit’s Guitar had its official debut with their blues rock instrumental, “Anticipation” on Bongo Boy Records’ rock album Krypt II Knight Vol. II with Various Artists, released in June of 2021, followed by “No Man’s Land,” a juke joint grunge blues instrumental featured on Bongo Boy Records “Backroom Blues Volume Ten, “Edge of Eternity,” a hard rock instrumental, which will be featured on the upcoming Bongo Boy Records’ rock album, Krypt II Knight Vol. III, and “My Heart’s Desire,” a romantic guitar instrumental which will be featured on Bongo Boy Records’ upcoming “Open Genre Volume XX” with Various Artists.
Harold “Grit” Vondenstein, is part of the award-winning Gospel Blues Duo, Bible Belt Blues, with his wife, Paula, and have produced two albums, “I’m Not Ashamed to Be a Christian” and “My God, My God.” They just completed their 3rd album (EP) “Preacher and the Bluesman” which is scheduled for release on January 5, 2022. Bible Belt Blues won the prestigious 2021 W.A.M. Impact Award, the 2020 W.A.M. Music Award for Best Lyrics for Gospel/Christian song, “We Worship the King of Kings,” and the coveted 2019 Josie Music Award for Gospel/Christian Duo. The Vondensteins have a lot to be excited about with their recent 2021 Josie Music Award nomination for Album of the Year for their much-acclaimed 2nd album “My God, My God,” twenty-eight of their songs having already received radio airplay, and the signing of ten of their Bible Belt Blues songs on five Bongo Boy Records compilation albums with various artists and four of their Grit’s Guitar instrumentals on four Bongo Boy Records compilation albums with various artists.