Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Falling Rising , from Gretchen and the Pickpockets and it's a adventurous mix of pop, jazz and rock. Opening with Keep Talking, vocalist Gretchen Klempa has solid piped, backed by Mike Klempa on bass, Ryan O'Connell on trumpet, Tom O'Connell on drums, Richie Smith on guitar and Diego Tunjano on sax. Bluesy, Easy On My Heart has a real nice feel with sensitive vocals and a powerful horn attack. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Devil's Due has all of the radio appeal of the Eagles without all of the hours of overplaying a cleaner, sassier lead vocalist, and punchy horns for a fresher feel. With a funky, Memphis kind of sound, Let Me Do My Thing , has a nice blend of jazz, soul and pop. A little more traction is added by Ryan on trumpet solo and the band kicks it almost to New Orleans sound. Very nice. Another adventurous track is Take Flight with a real Latin (Rhumba?) rhythm. Extended horn solo...

Gretchen and the Pickpockets Are Falling Rising on New CD of Soul/Jazz/Rock Sounds, Due April 25 BOSTON, MA – Gretchen and the Pickpockets announce an April 25 release date for their new full-length album, Falling Rising , on their Pickpocket Records imprint. The new disc, which showcases 10 all-original songs, was recorded in Boston at Dimension Sounds Studio, with engineering by Dan Cardinal (Darlingside, Ballroom Thieves), mixing by Nick Nagurka (Vulfpeck) and mastering by Grammy-nominated Emily Lazar (Foo Fighters). Gretchen and the Pickpockets is a six-piece soul/jazz/rock band featuring heavy horn lines and improvisation that started with siblings Gretchen and Mike Klempa. Besides Gretchen on vocals and Mike on bass, the rest of the band consists of Ryan O’Connell on trumpet and guitar; Tom O’Connell on drums and percussion; Richie Smith on guitar; and Diego Tunjano on saxophone. Named after a hometown road with a history for larceny, the group has bec...