Blues in three colors…
Mark May plays a plethora of guitars along with a rough and ready voice as he teams up with Dave Absalom/g, Tim Keefe/b, Gary Jorgenson/dr and a thick and sweaty horn section. The band sounds like those stompy ATCO albums as the team delivers a “ Them Changes” beat on “Boom Boom” and a swampy “Money.” Some smoky B3 by John Popovich creates a funky fog with a riffing “Gulf Cost woman” the rhythm team shuffles with delight on “Leaving Houston.” Growling guitars and harmonicas team with rich vocals on a raucous “I’m Her Fool” and the team riffs with the 70s on “Almost Like A Suicide.” Fist pumping fun.
While the band comes from Louisiana, it sure feels like these guys ate a lot of Memphis stew on the Southern Comfort stomper. Vocalist Doug Duffy has a rich and gritty voice, while his keyboards team up with Dan Sumner/g-voc, Gen Ford/b, Adam Ryland/dr and a horn section that sounds like it was weaned on Tower of Power for some foot stomping delights. Earthy wah wahing guitars and rich saxes get funky on “It Ain’t What Ya Do” and the horns and guitars go back and forth on “ B What R Ya.’ The horn section is as tight as Beyonce’s leggings on “The Joke Is On You” but the team can also get laid back as Cody Holder’s baritone croons on “The Joke Is On You” and the back sways on “1-900-For-Love.” Country soul comforts with dashes of vintage Delany and Bonnie.
Rock steady blues are presented by Mighty Orq/g, Jimmy Rose/dr Barry Seelen/key and Terry Dry/b through a mix of blues standards and originals. Freddie King’s “Pack It Up” is a funky blues delight while the guitars hit hard on”Sweet In Between” and the rollicking “Let Me Have My Fun.” The rhythm team hits hard on “Falling Down,” but the band also knows how to hold back, with the gentle “Say It With Silence” and the intimate acoustic instrumental that closes the album, “Cannon Ball” make you wish that a whole album could be presented as such.
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