Best known as holding the tenor sax chair for blues rocker Joe Bonamassa, Paulie Cerra shows on this album that he should talk to his boss for a couple features on his own next tour. Not only is Cerra top notch among smoking tenors, but he’s got a blue-eyed soul of a voice that sounds like he’s been drinking from the Al Green waters. He leads a Memphis soul of a team with Sam Meek/g, Alvino Bennett/dr, Bill Steinway/p-key as a core unit and brings in some high rolling guests as well.
His writing skills match his voice and sax chops, featured on the upbeat soul tapper as he’s declarative on “So You Think Your In Love” and the snappy shuffle of “You Got Me Thinkin’.” The rhythm team shuffles to Buffalo on the swinging “I Wanna Love You” and the whole band sounds like they just stepped out of the STAX studios on the swampy strutter of a title track. Guest Larry Carlton drops in for a tasty solo on the pretty ballad “So I May Fall” while Joe B himself jumps onto the field along with Kirk Fletcher” for a searing boogie fest on “Sweet Road Stomp.” Cerra himself taps into his inner Ray Charles on the rolling “Hard Times/Hard Times Revisited” and can also show the Sunday side of life on a rich gospel’d “Take Me Down Quick.” Catch this album before he headlines and Joe B is the supporting act!