Peter Poirier - Empty Arms - New Release Review
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Empty Arms , from Peter Poirier , and it's a solid does of R&B/blues. Opening with BB King's cool shuffle, Bad Luck , vocalist/lead guitar player takes the lead backed by a strong troupe of players including Brad Hallen (bass), Mark Teixeira (drums), Matt McCabe (piano) and Mark Earley (saxes). Sleepy John Estes' Someday Baby maintains much of it's original character with maybe a little Muddy influence. Playing it fairly straight, Poirier's vocals are clean and his guitar lead tight. BB King's, I Wonder Why , is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a great swing. Earley lays in a real nice sax solo and Poirier's vocals and guitar work are really solid. With a Latin beat, BB Kings' And Like That is compact like BB wrote it with tight, essential guitar soloing and nice sax by Earley. Willie Dixon's I Cry For You has a super Chicago strut and Poirier's vocals are terri...