Hudspeth & Taylor - Folie a deux - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Folie a deux, from Hudspeth & Taylor and its a contemporary take on contemporary acoustic blues. Opening with Big Fat Hairy Lie, an acoustic boogie featuring Brandon Hudspeth on acoustic guitar and slide and Jaisson Taylor on vocal and percussion. Solid opener. I Know It's Gonna Rain Again is a nice, quiet, almost supernatural sounding slower blues. Hudspeth's guitar work is patient and supportive under Taylor's vocals. A cool Piedmont Style Candy Man has a happy go lucky feel with articulate picking and casual whistling under the smooth vocals of Taylor. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Low Down Dirty Dealer Man with a cool percussion rhythm and contrasting high fret slide work by Hudspeth. Acoustic guitar run, and title track, Folie a Deux is a really nice display of finger picking style. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Daddy Baby, the most complex and funky of the tracks on this release. With slide following closely on the lead vocal and a tight drum rhythm. Almost a R&B track but holding to the blues format, Taylor's vocals coast right on top of Hudspeth's slide work. Very nice closer. 

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Eddie 9V - Left My Soul In Memphis - New Release Review

OK...You may only get one or two a year...this is it! I just had the opportunity to review the new release, Left My Soul In Memphis, from Eddie 9V (9 Volt) and it's terrific! You like blues singers...you got it! You like searing blues riffs...you got it! You like real blues like oxidation on a farm find 40's Ford...you got it! Eddie 9V may be the best kept blues secret on the planet!

Opening with Look Over Yonder Wall, Eddie 9V has it all (well mostly). He plays every instrument and sings (except keys by Rhett Huffman). Fat lead guitar tone upfront and clean rhythm guitar over the sound of brass, raspy bluesman voice, thumping bass, and drums. Yep. He delivers. I mean just listen. Phrasing like Freddie King, funky like Albert and a unique old school guitar tone … terrific!  On Bottle and the Blues, Eddie's opening riffs are as exciting as you favorite players and then he digs in on vocals with nice chords. Why doesn't everybody do this? The line level from one track to the other is a little off so be careful but New Orleans is powerful with howling vocals and excellent guitar lead and "horn" backing over a potent drum and bass line. Really falling into a FUNKY Albert King like groove on instrumental, Bending With The Kings, Eddie 9V kills it. His phrasing and fine finger work is just terrific. When is this guy coming to town?! Over to a tromping shuffle, 36th & Main, Eddie has a cool charging rhythm line that gets you thinking Ike Turner and with poised vocal style and flame thrower like guitar attack he just lets it fly. Excellent! Lo-Fi Love slides into R&B and Eddie shows his best soulful vocal style with near falsetto highs and crisp rhythm jazzy guitar lead. Excellent changeup. Want a real Freddie King like workout. Check out Don't Test Me. Freddie would do a quick rhythm thing over a blues rocker and Eddie has his own version of it...at least that's what this sounds like to me. It doesn't sound like Freddie King playing...it sounds like Eddie 9V inspired by a Freddie King attack, jamming in Freddie King spirit. Very cool! Wrapping the release is 1945 (Cocaine & Rum), a modified Muddy Waters like blues take. I have to say, this  may be as impressed with a 23 year old new act as I have even been.



Excellent release!

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Reaction Records artist: Randy McAllister - Spitball, Shatter and Patch - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Spitball, Shatter and Patch, from Randy McAllister and it's a healthy dose of country blues. Opening with Relax Watch the Crash, McAllister on lead vocal teams up with Heather Newman on backing vocal and supported by Brandon Hudspeth on slide guitar and Bill Mckemy on tuba take a soft acoustic approach to the blues with a lightly country style. A quiet but effective opener. Slamming the door open on The Loudest Chicken with the addition of Cliff Moore on bass, and McAllister's own drums Hudspeth winds up the slide and McAllister really winds it up. A hard driving blues rocker. Soulful, Kingsland is one of my favorites on the release with expressive vocals and harmonica by McAllister over well balanced acoustic picked and slide guitar. Pure blues is the story on The Song That Writes Itself, with a solid melody, vocals and BB King like phrasing by Hudspeth. Wrapping the release is blues rocker, The Girl's In Love (With Herself), a curious but strong rocker with a tight rhythm, electric slide guitar and a solid vocal delivery by McAllister. This is a super closer for a real cool release. 

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Endless Blues Records artist: Sister Lucille - Alive - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Alive, from Sister Lucille and it's a solid rocker with strong R&B, funk and blues roots. Opening with Won't Give It, a super funky rocker with horns and a heavy bass line, Sister Lucille, fronted by Kimberly Dill shows great swagger. With Jamie Holdren on lead guitar, Kevin Lyons on drums and Eric Guinn on bass and with Peter Climie on sax, Jared Dover on trumpet and Andrew Earle on trombone, a tight opener. On See My Baby, Holdren steps up front showing his slide guitar chops and sharing lead vocal position with Dill. With a southern stomp kind of attitude and solid bottom, this track rocks. Latin flavored Devil's Eyes has a real nice rhythm and tasty lead by Holdren and Dill's vocals really work nicely with the lone trumpet of Dover. Eric Hughes steps in on harmonica on blues track, Respect Your Woman trading the spotlight with Dill on lead vocal. The addition of Reba Russell on backing vocal, Holdren's stiff fingered guitar attitude and the strong blues influence makes this one of the top tracks on the release. Wrapping the release is Lost, featuring Holdren on lead guitar with Dill pairing nicely on harmony. His trailing guitar lead, working with the lead vocal really sets the tone for this track with clean piano work by Chris Stephenson and tight drum work by Lyons. Nice closer. 

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Electro-Fi Records artist: Mark Hummel - Wayback Machine - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Wayback Machine, from Mark Hummel and it old school Chicago style blues. Opening with Flim Flam, a cool blues number with a great bass line courtesy of R.W Grigsby, with Mark Hummel on harmonica and lead vocal, backed by Rusty Zinn on guitar, Aaron Hammerman on piano and some great percussion by Dave Eagle. Super opener. A real nice Chicago flavored shuffle, Cut That out really provides a nice platform for Hummel on harmonica and Billy Flynn shows his chops on guitar, also joined by Kid Andersen. Hummel original, Road Dog is a super harmonica piece with eccentric percussion by Eagle giving it a real primitive feel.  One of my favorites on the release is Breathtaking Blues, a cool, harmonica lead instrumental with a nicely executed piano solo by Hammerman and Eagle's zany percussion. Very cool. Another favorite is Gillum's Crazy About You with a really cool pace, with barrelhouse, rat a tat percussion and Hummel's personal touch on vocal and harmonica. Very nice. Slow blues, Pepper Mama has really nice framework for interwoven harmonica, piano, vocal and guitar by Flynn, Hammerman and Hummel. Hammerman takes the mic on Rag Mama Rag with it's authentic blues flavor and it's loose instrumental jam. Joe Beard joins on Five Long Years adding excellent vocal and guitar to this Boyd classic. With Hummel's solid harp work, this is a strong 1st generation style blues track. Another early style track is Say You Will also featuring the guitar and vocal work of Beard is up next and hits it right down the pipe. If you love delta blues, you will love this track!  Wrapping the release is country style blues Mean Old Frisco, featuring Beard on vocal and guitar but with Andersen on bass and Hummel on harmonica giving it a more current and polished feel. This is a really enjoyable release with a lot of effort to inventiveness on originality. Very nice. 

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Make It Real Records artist: Matchedash Parish - Saturday Night - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the debut release, Saturday Night, from Matchedash Parish and it's really strong. Matchedash Parish, made up of 12 musicians and with each a real contributor, you expect greatness … and you get it. Opening with When The Rain Comes, a subtle blend of rock, blues, funk, gospel and R&B (plus more) this sounds like the second coming of one of the best rock bands of all time..."The Band". Lead by Matt Weidinger on vocal and keys , this is such a great sound. The full compliment is Lance Anderson on lead vocal and keys, Quisha Wint on  lead vocal and leading the choir, Michelle White backing vocals, Jill Zadeh backing vocals, Shamakah Ali on drums, Ben Rolo on drums, Art Avalos on percussion, mark McIntyre on bass, Mackenzie Jordan on guitar, Gene Hardy on sax and William Sperandei on trumpet, this is a full ensemble. With a proud, Al Green like strut and full gusto, Where There Is Love, follows right on the heels and the second powerful song out of two served up. Seriously they could stop here and have made a better music set than many full recordings out there. With a full load of New Orleans flavor, God Gave You Hands features Wint on lead vocal and a great spiritual based, R&B track. This band is giving you both barrels all the time...no filler. Slipping in a really nice sax solo by Hardy over glistening electric piano and organ this track is fat fat fat and punchy with trumpet by Sperandei.  Excellent!  Not Sold On Getting Old is a cool, funky track with Anderson on lead vocal. With a polished melody, solid bass lines, real nice keyboard and slide solos and great backing vocals, another shining track. Hopeless Romantic again features Anderson on lead vocal with great gospel like backing this track has a Van Morrison like feel. A great melody, healthy warmth and strong instrumentation woven loosely throughout, think Tupelo Honey on steroids. Congo Strut is really instrumentally oriented with terrific jazz runs by Sperandei, Anderson and Weidinger. Excellent New Orleans flavor. Wrapping the release is upbeat rocker, This Love Can't Last with Anderson back on lead vocal and strong trumpet support by Sperandei and great vocal backing by Wint, White and Zadeh. Jordan's slide work really spices up the mix and Hardy's sax work is tight. Excellent closer. 

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Ben Racine Band - Live A Montreal - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live A Montreal, from the Ben Racine Band and it's quite entertaining. Opening with Addiction, a swaggering blues rocker, Ben Racine, lead vocalist and guitar player has super presence, with deep throaty bari sax by Mathieu Moose Mousseau and backed by Kaven Jalbert on tenor sax, Charles Trudel on keys, Francois Dube on bass and Nicky Estor on drums. I really like Contageous, a soulful rocker with a stiff drum beat. Warm sax work and solid vocals set the pace and again Moose steps up with a nice sax solo, bookended with another by Racine and Jalbert. Very nice! JG Watson's Cuttin' In is one of my favorites with it's soulful melody smoky sax work by Jalbert and tight guitar riffs by Racine. Southbound Girl is a up beat shuffle with great vocals and guitar lead by Racine, tight riffs by Estor and a warm under blanket by Trudel and Jalbert. Excellent! Boogaloo rhythm gives No Smoke Without Fire a great feel and Moose and Jalbert really work it. Move On has a great working funky beat, reinforced by Jalbert and Moose. This would have been a great concert to see and the crowd was treated here with more than 15 tracks. Check it out! 

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Ruby Shoes Music artist: Jennifer Truesdale - Through The Circle - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Through The Circle, from Jennifer Truesdale and it's pure adult contemporary with a bluesy twist. Opening with light shuffle track, I Need You Tonight, singer/songwriter, Jennifer Truesdale presents a polished package with just the right grit, backed by Joe Musella on guitar, Bill D'Agnostino on drums, Marty Ballou on bass, John Mulroy on piano, Tom West on B-3, Rarika Tokushige on sax, Hiro Tokushige on trumpet, Angel Subero on trombone, and a full house of Lydia Harrell, Kit Holliday and John Grant Tolbert III on backing vocals. Strong, jazzy, radio track, Daydreaming, hits all of the marks for a crowd pleaser with a solid melody, doubled vocals, nice harmonies and a jazzy beat. An interesting cover of John Fogerty's Have You Ever Seen The Rain is actually quite nice with vocal tension and a cool bluesy guitar solo by Musella. Another track with smooth balance is Sunrise with mellow vocals over strong bass lines by Ballou and bright piano work of Mulroy. Wrapping the release is My Life, an easy, soulful ballad with piano underpinnings. Although this release will not likely appeal to most of the blues readers, it should fare well in the adult contemporary market. 

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Black Hen Music artist: Matt Patershuk - If Wishes Were Horses - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, If Wishes Were Horses, by Matt Patershuk and it's a cool blend of folk, blues and country. Opening with The Blues Don't Bother Me, a springy, modern style country track, has many traces of original country and western music like Patershuk on lead guitar and earthy vocals, super baritone guitar work by Steve Dawson and backing vocals by Kristin Webber and Larissa Maestro and full backing by Gary Craig on drums, Jeremy Holmes on bass, Chris Gestrin on piano and Charlie McCoy on harmonica. I really like the tango styling of instrumental, Horse 1 (For Bravery & Good Fortune) with excellent guitar soloing by Patershuk and Dawson, McCoy on harmonica and Gestrin on keys. Very nice! Alberta Waltz, a country styled ballad, has great feel and authenticity. With Patershuk on lead vocal, clean piano work by Gestrin and Dawson's complimentary steel guitar work, this is definitely on of my favorites on the release. Another track with a distinctive flavor is Velvet Bulldozer with it's country blues styling, the rich vocals of Patershuk, roaring slide work of Dawson, excellent punctuation by Craig and Charlie McCoy's distinctive harmonica sound. Excellent! Real authentic country and western track, Let's Give This Bottle A Black Eye has it all. Patershuk was made to sing this track and Gestrin has studied authentic country piano styling. Dawson seals the deal with his pedal steel guitar... let me say now before the review is over...get this release! There are a few short interludes throughout the release called Horse (1-2-3 &4). Alone, they are hard to review, but they are meaningful little blips featuring Maestro, Gestrin, and Dawson separately which add nicely to the overall composition. Very cool. Wrapping the release is Louisiana flavored country rocker, Red Hot Poker, with a cool balance of raspy vocal by Patershuk, controlled pedal steel by Dawson, electric keys by Gestrin and Holmes on bass. Excellent closer.

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Delta Roots Records artists: Battle of the Blues Chicago vs Oakland - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Battle of the Blues, Chicago vs Oakland id it's drips soul. Opening with Broke Ass Man, a sweaty, R&B track by Mz. Sumac, you got honest to goodness soul and hot vocals over warm organ and piano by Chris Burns, and deep bass by Aldwin London. Willie Nelson's, Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away has a great soulful take by Aldwin London, a super singer and bass player with soulful sax by John Brumbach singing to the music. Very nice. Take It Easy features the lap steel soloing of Freddie Roulette over a cool Twist Turner melody.  Rusty Zinn's slashing guitar style steps forward on Good Morning Mr. Blues and the vocal prowess of Nat Bolden. Pure blues all the way with Leo Q. Allen on trumpet, a great track. "Mr Excitement", Del Brown belts out a soulful, Now That I've Gone. Showing incredible soul prowess, Brown has a powerful voice that carries the understated instrumentation. Brumbach is back with another powerful sax solo pumping the track even higher. Very nice. Another hot guitar instrumental is Red Tide and Roulette again shows incredible feel. Gerald McClendon's solid entry, Cold In The Streets, is one of my favorites on the release with super vocals and Mark Wydra's guitar work over the bass lines of Art Love are magic. Wrapping the release is Emery Williams Jr. on soul track, Mama Don't You Weep, with Bernard Anderson on sax and a great bass line by Art Love. This is a really nice release of R&B, Soul and Blues and a great way to wrap up the year. 

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Landslide Records A Tribute to Sean Costello - Various Artists - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent Landslide Records Tribute to Sean Costello and it's really cool. Opening with Same Old Game, Albert Castiglia puts up a rumbling 2 step and lays down some real nice guitar work for an excellent opener. Steve Marriner brings How In The Devil with it's perfect shuffle beat great vocals and harp work. Title track, Don't Pass Me By has an almost spiritual feel with Victor Wainwright leading the way. This is an excellent blues ballad with great tension and stinging guitar work. Bob Margolin's guitar work on Low Life Blues is really outstanding with super Muddy Waters like slide and riffs. I always love the Mississippi All Stars and their rural approach and their treatment of Father is no different. With fat slide work and excellent vocals over a basic essential drum beat and keys make the track my favorite on the release. Debbie Davies brings shuffle track, Don't Be Reckless With My Heart and does a great job with strong vocals and slick Davies riffs. Wrapping the release is Oliver Wood and Amy Helm on Feel Like I Ain't Got A Home, a great soulful number with raw, freewheeling guitar work. This is a solid tribute release and great music. 

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Black Hen Music artist: Big Dave McLean - Pocket Full of Nothin' - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Pocket Full of Nothin', from Big Dave McLean and it has a great feel. Opening with Songs of the Blues, a strutting blues rocker with Big Dave on guitar and vocal, Steve Dawson on excellent slide guitar, Gary Craig on drums, Jeremy Holmes on bass, Chris Gestrin on piano, Malcolm on trumpet, Jerry Cook on bari sax and Dominic Conway on tenor sax. Solid opener. I really like McLean's expressive vocals on Backwards Fool with the National steel guitar behind for contrast and Aiken's muted trumpet as an accent. Very nice. Boogie track, Voodoo Music has a great groove and Dawson's tremolo over his slide work creates a cool shimmer. A strong, slower blues entry is Just To Be With You. McLean creates a real dark atmosphere with his powerful vocals and Dawson's slide work is tight and energized. Very nice. Wrapping the release is ballad, There Will Always Be A Change. With it's springy, country blues styling, McLean and Dawson set a perky pace on vocal and guitar and Aiken, Cook and Conway balance the track nicely with horns. 

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Jesi-Lu Records artist: Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps - Live - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Live, from Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps and it's jam packed full of blues, R&B and soul. Opening with In The Pink, a funky, R&B number with hot vocal work and keys by Terresa James, Terry Wilson on bass, Billy Watts on guitar, Herman Matthews on drums, Lee Thornburg on trumpet, and Ron Dziubla on sax. Solid opener. Put The Squeeze On Me has great blues feel and James really works it hard, old school style and Watts lays down a real nice guitar lead giving the track James Brown like fever. Soulful, Don't Make A Habit Of It, is a smooth, radio ready, track with a great melody and nicely showing off James' vocal work. With the addition of Paulie Cerra on sax this track has the strength of a Van Morrison track with the super soul of James. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is ballad, The Day The Blues Came To Call with a strong melody, expressive vocal phrasing and a nice guitar solo by Watts. Very nice. With a calypso feel, I Want It All, has real pizzazz. James vocals are primo and her piano playing is hot. Joe Sublett on sax and Darrell Leonard on trumpet really spice things but it's the drumming of Tony Braunagel that pushes it over the edge. Wrapping the release is Long Way From Texas with it's Chuck Berry style drive. James' piano work is great and Cerra's sax solo pushes it. Add in a dirty guitar solo by Watts and you've got a great closer. 

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Bluelan Records artist: Janiva Magness - Change In The Weather - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Change In The Weather - Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty, from Janiva Magness and it's vibrant. Opening with title track, Change In The Weather, Magness really pushes the tempo with strong, revival like pace and featuring Dave Darling on guitar with tight riff insertions and backed by Gary Davenport on bass, Steve Wilson on drums, Zachary Ross on guitar and dobro, and Arlan Oscar on keys. Smart opener. Someday Never Comes gets a traditional British approach with Magness taking the ballad approach on the melody and with a double time beat under the chorus. I've always been partial to Wrote A Song For Everyone with it's "Band" like rhythm. Magness shines clearly on this one with excellent backing vocals by Bernie Barlow, Dave Darling and Zachary Ross. Taj Mahal sits in of Don't You Wish It Was True with his trademark vocal and overall country blues feel. Very cool. Although Bad Moon Rising isn't my favorite track on the release, I do really like Ross' reckless side guitar work giving the track a spontaneous. Wrapping the release is possibly CCR's biggest hit, Lookin' Out My Back Door and Magness plays up the underlying country feel of the original track with her best vocals on the release. Rusty Young's dobro playing is solid and Aubrey Richmond's fiddle addition is cool with focused guitar picking by Jesse Dayton and Dave Darling. Solid closer for a cool release. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Brody Buster's One Man Band - Damn! I Spilled the Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Damn! I Spilled the Blues, by Brody Buster and it's quite good. Opening with Old Dogs, Brody Buster handles, lead vocal, guitar, harmonica and drums. You would think that one component or the other would suffer but it's clear right up front that he has mastered all of the trades. His vocal and harmonica work is clean and crisp and his guitar tone rich and warm. Stripped down rocker, Bad News, teams drums, vocal and guitar covering all the sounds of Black Keys and adding harmonica. Excellent! My favorite track on the release is guitar boogie, Alligator Blues with it's tight boogie guitar rhythm, harmonica trim and super lyrics. A real cool tune. Like 'em Like That follows in the same vein with an almost Houndog Taylor feel. Buster's guitar work is really cool and his harmonica work is strong. Super. Week Long has the texture of a dirty trucker with beads of sweat and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. A gritty guitar lead and fluid harmonica lines give this track plenty of punch and Buster's vocals are poised and aggressive. Wrapping the release is Got The Blues, a real nice closer with powerful vocals, understated and crisp snare work. And, of course, Buster really knows how to work the harmonica making this an excellent closer. 

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Bob Margolin - This Guitar and Tonight - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, This Guitar and Tonight, from Bob Margolin and it's an acoustic blend of folk and acoustic blues. Opening with delta style title track, This Guitar and Tonight, Margolin, who handles lead vocal and guitar in tandem with Jimmy Vivino on acoustic guitar lays it out like he was Skip James or Robert Johnson, pure and simple. The guitar playing is tight and vocals wailing. Solid opener. Margolin gets his Muddy on with Waters like slide work on Over Time. Margolin spent years in Muddy's band and plays his own soulful take on the classic slide style. Dancer's Boogie is a lively track with hot jazz style guitar riffs and Margolin's best vocals on the release. Harp master, Bob Corritore joins Margolin on Blues Lover, a romping shuffle. One of my favorites on the release is country style story blues, I Can't Take Those Blues Away. Margolin delivers the story over a solid guitar vamp. With a more contemporary sound, Predator, is more of political commentary on the presidency over a guitar vamp. This is a different type of release for Margolin with a definite acoustic flair. 

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Know Howe Music artist: Alice Howe - Visions - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Visions, by Alice Howe. Visions opens with Twilight, a mostly acoustic folk/pop track with Alice Howe on lead vocal, harmony and acoustic guitar backed by Freebo on bass and harmony, JT Thomas on electric piano, Fuzzbee Morse on electric guitar, John Molo on drums and Augie on harmony vocal. Still On My Mind is a pure radio track with a great melody surrounding Howe's pure vocal. With the addition of Jeff Fiedler on electric slide guitar, a warm presentation. With a smooth changeup on What We Got Is Gold, JT is on accordion adding yet another dimension to this warm palette and Freebo's skill full bass hand adds really nice interest. Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me is sweet and pure. Not too much drama and just the right amount of presentation provides a nice showcase for Howe's vocal with Lee Thornburg on trumpet and Paul Perez on sax. Muddy Waters' classic, Honey Bee gets a total rework with a quiet soulful style and textural guitar riffs by Morse over the support of JT on piano. Wrapping the release is Bob Dylan's, Don't Think Twice, It's Alright with acoustic guitar, lush vocal harmonies by Howe and Freebo who also accompanies on bass. This is a real nice closer for this pop/folk entry to the market.

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