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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!


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Monday, November 16, 2015

Vizztone Label Group artist: Kevin Selfe - Buy My Soul Back - New release review

I just received the newest release, Buy My Soul Back, from Kevin Selfe and it really gets down. Opening with rockin' blues track, Picking Empty Pockets, Selfe leads the way on vocal and guitar. His clever turnaround riffs and wild solo is highlighted by a super sax solo by Peter Moss and supported by Allen Markel on bass, James Pace on organ, Steve Kerin on piano and Jimi Bott on drums. Great opener. Chicago style blues shuffle, Fixed It Til It's Broke, features Mitch Kashmar with some great harp work and a great bass lead by Willie J. Campbell. Title track, Buy My Soul Back, has a R&B feel with solid horn backing from Joe McCarthy on trumpet, Chris Mercer on tenor sax and Brad Ulrich on bari sax. Pace provides a nice bed of organ and Selfe handles the lead vocals nicely, backed by Lisa Mann and also lays in some really nicely styled guitar riffs giving the track a bit of a sting. Digging My Own Grave has a old blues feel with a grungy blues guitar riff under the driving vocal and drums. Selfe cuts loose with some tasty slide guitar riffs but still remains in the primitive blues style. Very nice. Bluesy ballad, All Partied Out, has definite radio clues with a catchy melody and solid horn backing. Selfe does cut loose with a real nice guitar stinger of a solo giving the track a definite tension. Very nice! Rocker, Keep Pushing Or Die Trying, is driven by Allen Markel on bass and features some real nice key work from Kerin on piano as well as a country influenced guitar solo by Selfe. Blues funk, Albert King style is up next on Bluesman Without The Blues. With funky guitar riffs and horns this track really moves. Selfe takes a real nice guitar lead in support to Sugaray Rayford on lead vocal. This is an excellent track and Bott really shines on this track. Every once in a while there is a track that I just don't like and this next one is it. I may be one of the only humans on the planet that doesn't love Bruce Springsteen but there it is. His I'm On Fire is next and Selfe does an interesting alteration to it making it sound a bit less processed and with harp compliments of Kashmar and the more country acoustic guitar treatment by Selfe, it has a less pop and more wholesome feel. Boogie track, Don't Tear Me Down, has a real nice upbeat accent giving it a bit of a lope. Gene Taylor's piano work nicely accents a really soulful sax solo. Keeping the track well grounded, Selfe lays in some stylized, double stop accented, guitar lines complimented by Mercer and Ulrich on sax. Very nice! Double Dipping has a easy country feel with country blues guitar riffs and simple backing by Campbell on bass, Taylor on piano,Bott on drums and Moss on Bari. Virginia Farm has a really basic rural blues feel with only Selfe accompanying his on vocal on acoustic slide guitar. Very cool! Texas style shuffle, Pig Pickin' is a particularly cool instrumental with Campbell on bass, Bott on drums, Pace on organ and Selfe on guitar. Almost breaking into a jazz feel Pace and Selfe each take nice solo's making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Wrapping the release is Starting Up At The Bottom, a revival style track featuring Selfe on lead vocal and guitar, Kerin on piano, Markel on bass and Bott on drums. Pace takes a cool organ solo and Lisa Mann's backing vocals add substantially to the overall spiritual feel of the track. Great closer.

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