GYPSY BLUE REVIEW JP Soars & Anne Harris (Forty Below) *****+
This is one of the most charming records of the year. Soars, a talented guitarist, singer and songwriter from Florida and Harris, a gifted (and classically trained) violinist, vocalist and songwriter from Chicago, have come together to create a hypnotically gorgeous album. Gypsy Blue Review defines and disregards genres at the same time to make truly compelling music.
JP is described as “a fiery guitarist, soulful vocalist and inventive songwriter (that) blends blues, rock & roll, Latin rhythms, country and gypsy jazz, guided not by genre but by feel.” Anne Harris, whose own work bridges pop, folk, country and roots, has worked with Keb’ Mo’ as well as Taj Mahal, and spent a decade working with Otis Taylor. Put these two creative souls together and what happens is a collection of songs of uncommon depth and beauty. Their creative partnership began in 2019 after meeting on the festival circuit, culminating in a one-off performance at The Big Blues Bender in Vegas, then things proceeded naturally from there.
Gypsy Blue Review was recorded live with no click tracks or overdubs. “We approached it exactly like a show” Soars notes, “all in one room, playing together. We just wanted it to sound like us.” Joining him and Anne were JP’s bandmates, drummer Chris Peet and bassist Cleveland Frederick, true groove masters. You’ll hear the style elements already mentioned but it’s impossible to describe GBR as any one thing. “This is a music lover’s record” JP states. “There’s everything from Caribbean grooves to country songs to Django Reinhart influences. If music moves me, I don’t care about the genre- – and I think our audiences love that diversity.”
What I hear and feel here above the incredible musicianship is joy, a sense of the players challenging each other as they construct the songs on the fly… not egos pushing to come out on top, but a collection of players creating the best possible songs together that they can- and succeeding. Gypsy Blue Review is truly stunning; the monster Cigar Box Jam that ends the disc is worth the price of admission on its own.
HOT TRACKS: Goin’ South To Carolina, Viper, Cigar Box Jam
LIVE Zac Harmon & The Drive (independent) ****
Some live albums capture the feeling of being there, some don’t… this one does. Captured in front of audiences in America and Europe, Live feels like a complete show and we’re in the front row. Production is top shelf and the musicianship is fine. Blending elements of blues, soul and southern groove, Zac Harmon & The Drive are hard-wired to show you a splendid time.
As with any live record in general, this one features a pile of fan favorites. Zac and his guys don’t just stay in high gear, yet they remain energetic throughout and their variance in grooviosity makes a delicious slow blues like Little Blue Bird stand out hit harder emotionally. The players in this band are exceptional and they work wonderfully together. Harmon’s smoky, soulful voice is the main ingredient for me and he’s an excellent front man too, commanding yet not egocentric as he engages the audience often and he goes from man to man, making sure each get a generous portion of the spotlight. It’s never just Zac Harmon; he’s surrounded by very talented players and loves showing them off. That includes Corey Lacy on keys and vocals, Nate Robinson on bass, Gino Iglehart on drums and Kingston Livingston on guitars and vocals; a powerful combo. Their playing is both inventive and instinctive –it’s just so together.
This isn’t rough, sawdust on the floor roadhouse blues, it’s far more sophisticated no doubt because of the talents of each player, kind of like breezy jazz. The sonic fidelity on Live is comparable to a sophisticated studio recording, which goes to show how excellent this band truly is. I’m not intimately familiar with Zac’s material as I only have one of his other 9 albums at the moment, but something like this live record is a good introduction their stuff. Blues, funk, jazz, southern soul, you’ll find it all in these tight yet spacious grooves. I wonder if they ever play in western Canada because I’d love to catch them onstage. Live is a killer.
HOT TRACKS: Jump On Your Back, 40 Days, Little Bluebird
CALL ME MR. BLUES The Scott O’Neal Band (Lightning In A Bottle Records) *** ½
Here’s a band that’s been around for over 20 years. Call Me Mr. Blues is an easy going set of tunes that doesn’t seem swagger as that title might imply, but it’s a light and enjoyable way to pass the time.
Scott O’Neal got his musical start in Ann Arbor, Michigan as a teenager in a local band that gained some regional airplay. In 1998 he moved to Arizona and opened a blues nightclub, then in ’02 The Scott O’Neal Band was born. They won the Northern Arizona International Blues Challenge in 2020 and competed in the 2021 Memphis IBC competition. I guess that’s proof that with some dreams and a good Telecaster in your hands you can go places.
Call Me Mr. Blues was recorded at Raven Sound Studios in Prescott Arizona, the same town with Scott’s blues nightclub, produced by O’Neal and Col. Darryl Harrelson. The playing is pretty good but what caught me off guard is the laid-backness of the album. The album title suggests a disc full of rough n tumble numbers and while Scott lays down some tasty licks I was expecting something more dramatic. There’s a kind of swing attitude that makes CMMB a bunch of fun. Bassist Mark Winley, drummer Mike Hutchenson and keyboard player Carl Dalgren do some fine playing, chick backup vocals work well, and the lively horn charts really pop.
Scott O’Neal is a solid enough singer but, particularly on the up-tempo numbers I’d love to hear him throw down some attitude. I’m guessing he’s more on the money there when the band rocks on stage and really reaches people where they live. The songs are good, the musicianship is there, but Call Me Mr. Blues should be more aggressive. This good, but it could’ve been great.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070545622523
HOT TRACKS: Down And Dirty Blues, Cash Is King, Walk Away Blues
NO LUCK YET The Nearlies (Inverse Records) **** ½
Imagine if Dick Dale and Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies ever got together and made a record; that’s what I’m hearing with this French-Finnish surf rock combo. No Luck Yet is their third album and it’s as quirky and charming as you likely think it is.
The Nearlies draw influence from the rock and surf music of the 60’s and 70’s with their sound described as “ghost rock”. It’s an old school sound to be sure with reverb-y guitars and laconic, haunting vocals. The band was formed in 2008 in the town of Pays de Gex by Finnish musicians Jarmo (guitar) and Hanna (vocals, bass) Kortesmaa, in 2026 it includes new additions Philippe Lachaise on drums and saxophonist Emmanuel Saget. No Luck Yet is a collection of 7 tunes with Saget’s psych-jazzy sax work a prominent part of The Nearlies’ sound. I was expecting something more lo-fi but production-wise the album pays close attention to the retro vibe of the music itself but with a modern feel. Their version of Elvis’s Viva Las Vegas is delightfully psychotic, as if it belonged in a Quentin Tarantino movie.
6 of the songs were written by Jarmo Kortesmaa, driven by fluid and spacious guitar, and while Hanna’s vocals are key to The Nearlies’ sound I think Saget’s sax playing is the soul of the band. Any way you look at it No Luck Yet is an unusual record that I’m enjoying a great deal.
https://3klo3.r.sp1-brevo.net/mk/cl/f/sh/SMK1E8tHeG7ugI4ssKG67SnFgF86/SKl3avH7zFEB
HOT TRACKS: Siren, title track, Viva Las Vegas
