LA stalwart guitarist and vocalist Carl Verheyen may be best known world wide for his association with the rock group Supertramp, but as this album displays, he can take his ax and blues it or fuse it as well.
He mixes and matches the songs with an all star cast of Jim Cox/key, John Ferraro-Nick D’Virgilio-John Mader-Chad Wackerman/dr, Tom Child-Dave Marotta and a handful of background vocalists to fit the various moods and hues. Most of the songs are from his own pen, but he does do a couple intriguing covers, notably a double-time take of The Rascals’ blue eyed soul classic “People Got To Be Free” and a gorgeously troubadour’d read of Elton John’s “Michelle’s Belles” with Cox caressing the ivories.
Verheyen himself takes you to the South Side of Chicago with some searing string work on the stomping “Never Again” and long boards his guitar over Wackerman’s drums on the jazz rocker “Kaningie”. Some low ceilinged smokey blues hover on ‘Clawhammer Man” and vintage upbeat 70s modes have Verheyen in great voice on “Sundial”. Verheyen saves the best for last with a cozy and intimate mix of his electric and acoustic guitars on the solo outing of “Sundial Slight Returns” that make you wish for an entire album like this. Can’t wait to see some of this material played next time he hits the Baked Potato.