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You only need three
things to play the blues: a good guitar, an innate understanding of the music
and thirty years in which to do it. Maple Blues Award winner Steve Kozak
qualifies on all three counts. The latest offering from this seasoned
Canadian bluesman offers a tasty mix of blues as seen through a decidedly
West Coast lens.
The aptly named new
release It's Time prophetically and succinctly states that putting in
time is indeed a prerequisite of being a great musician, with some veteran
bluesmen even attaining the status of venerable, beating time itself at its
own game. Time is also about understanding the past. One cannot play American
roots music with conviction and credibility without a solid understanding of
the evolution of the genre.
This new album is
a mix of fairly obscure covers and self-penned tunes. After several listening
sessions, it soon becomes apparent that Steve Kozak is coming into his own as
a talented songwriter.
Augmented by very
tasty licks and understated riffs, it is a cohesive musical statement weaving
different facets of the blues into a seamless ensemble.
A cover of the very
cool Brook Benton song “Kiddio” particularly appeals, with its catchy
turnaround and infectious melody, Kozak has put a real polish on this tune.
The Magic Sam number “Every Night and Every Day” conveys a sense of immediacy
and delves deep into the blues.
Kozak's own “Trouble”
evokes a real Louisiana Bayou feel and could have been recorded in Eddie
Shuler's garage at Goldband Records, but with less whiskey and more
microphones. Then there is another Kozak composition called “That's Cool with
Me”, a rollicking R&B number reminiscent of the heyday of Specialty
Records with a hint of Louis Jordan; a real barn burner.
Two other stand-out
tracks are “A Stranger in My Hometown” and “Goin' Fishin'”, both written by
Steve Kozak, are autobiographical and deeply personal.
The former can be interpreted in several ways. One can think of
rock 'n' rollers feeling out of place in rapidly gentrifying urban centres.
In a broader sense, it can also be indicative of the alienation the average
working musician may feel in this digital age. The latter track is more
straightforward and literal. It speaks of the simple joys of going fishing.
If there is one thing that Kozak loves as much as guitar slinging, it's
getting out on the water for a day of fishing.
All in all, It's
Time offers a colourful palette of musical expression with a cohesive
theme that gives a loving acknowledgement to that multifaceted thing we call
the blues.
It’s Time Track Listing
1. Cane
Sugar Sweet (3:10)
2. You May
(3:53)
3. Messed
Up (2:59)
4. Every
Night and Every Day (5:06)
5. Kiddio
(3:58)
6. Trouble
(3:41)
7. One
Woman I Need (4:33)
8. That’s
Cool with Me (2:47)
9.
Stranger in My Hometown (3:57)
10. Tell Me Why (5:54)
11. Love Life
& Money (5:46)
12. Goin’ Fishin’
(4:33)
Steve Kozak – guitars
and vocals
Dave Webb - piano and
Hammond organ
Roger Brant – bass
Chris Nordquist –
drums
With special guests
The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer, Jerry Cook & Dave Vidal
 facebook.com/SteveKozakmusic  @SteveKozakmusic
Upcoming Performances:
Every Wednesday
Pat's Pub &
BrewHouse, 403 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver BC
February 24
Dubh Linn Gate Pub, 1601 Main Street, Vancouver
BC Canada
March 11
The V Lounge at The Red Lion Hotel, 3366 Douglas Street, Victoria BC
March 19 ** CD release
party
Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver
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