Reali Records artist: J.P. Reali - A Highway Cruise - New Release Review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, A Highway Cruise , from J. P. Reali and it's cool and laid back. Opening with My Baby Likes To Boogie , a nice paced shuffle, Reali leads the way on vocal and guitar, with cool guitar soloing by Duke Levine on electric guitar, hot riffs by Kevin Barry on lap steel, and nice piano work by Tom West, with Jim Haggerty on bass, Mark Teixeira on drums and Dennis Brennan on harmonica. On Chuck Berry flavored, The Ballad Of A Burglar, these guys nail the Berry guitar rhythm and Reali's vocal cadence is spot on. Levine's guitar riffs are crisp, Barry,s slide work creamy and Brennan's piano work adds great texture. Blues for Casey has a real nice Grateful Dead or Arlo Guthrie feel with it's acoustic carefree flow. Barry on dobro and Levine on mandolin balance nicely with West on piano and Brennan on Harmonica. My favorite track on the release. Wrapping the release is Whiskey For Blood , a country blues tr...