Evening
Severn
A small percentage of blues harp players excel as singer-songwriters. Sugar Ray Norcia is in that minority, along with others including Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Jerry McCain, Junior Wells, Lester Butler, Gary Primich, William Clarke, James Harman, Mark Hummel and Kim Wilson.
The Bluetones have been around since the late ’70s, but their first full-length album didn’t drop until 1989; “Evening” is their seventh. Bassist Michael “Mudcat” Ward and drummer Neil Gouvin are longtime members who, along with keyboardist Anthony Geraci, were former bandmates of Norcia’s in Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. Guitarist “Monster” Mike Welch returns for his third outing with the group.
For “Evening,” the horn-fueled jump blues of 2007’s “My Life, My Friends, My Music” is left behind in favor of a stripped-down Chicago blues affair. Nine original compositions are complemented by covers of Johnny Young (“I’m Having a Ball”), Otis Rush (“You Know My Love” aka “My Love Will Never Die,” written and originally recorded by Willie Dixon when he was in the Big Three Trio) and T-Bone Walker (the title song, a 1930s tune penned by Harry White and Mitchell Parish).
Among the originals, highlights include Welch’s self-confessional “Hard to Get Along With”; Norcia’s “Dancing Bear (Little Indian Boy),” which begins with just Norcia playing a Native American flute; and Ward’s “(That’s Not Yet) One of My Blues.” The mellow Norcia instrumental “XO” makes for the perfect sendoff.
Tracks
1. I’m Having A Ball
2. Hard To Get Along With
3. You Know My Love
4. Dear John
5. I Like What You Got
6. Too Many Rules And Regulations
7. Dancing Bear (Little Indian Boy)
8. Evening
9. I Came Down With The Blues
10. (That’s Not Yet) One Of My Blues
11. I’m Certain That I’m Hurting
12. XO
Total time: 57:55
External links
artist’s website
amazon.com
iTunes Store
