Royal Southern Brotherhood
Ruf
This blues-rock supergroup formed in response to the question, “Why haven’t the Allmans and Nevilles ever collaborated?” Technically, no one from the Allman Brothers Band is here — but Gregg Allman’s guitar-playing son Devon is, along with the youngest Neville Brother, 64-year-old percussionist Cyrille.
Rounding out the lineup are up-and-coming guitarist Mike Zito; Derek Trucks Band drummer Yonrico Scott; and Louisiana-bred bassist Charlie Wooton (Zydefunk).
Recorded in five days at Dockside Studio, Maurice, La., with producer Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Thorogood, Walter Trout), RSB’s debut is impressive on several levels: songwriting (Zito, Allman and Neville co-write in various combinations), singing (lead vocals are alternated from song to song or shared within a particular track) and musicianship (the two guitars never overpower the rhythm section).
Highly recommended cuts include:
• “Moonlight Over the Mississippi,” with its wah-wah action — a guitar effect featured prominently throughout the album.
• The Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain,” given the Royal treatment via slide guitar and more of that beloved wah-wah pedal, this time à la “Theme From Shaft.”
• “Nowhere to Hide,” a double delight with the spotlight on not just electric slide, but acoustic slide as well.
• The genre-blending “Hurts My Heart,” in which country-rock harmonies mesh with southern-rock guitars.
• “Sweet Jelly Donut,” where the slide guitar does a bump-and-grind that’s guaranteed to thrill the most staid listener.
• The title track, “Brotherhood,” a short but stunning instrumental with a West African rhythm beneath call-and-response guitars that tip the hat to Dickey-and-Duane jams of yore.
Tracks
1. New Horizon
2. Fired Up!
3. Left My Heart In Memphis
4. Moonlight Over The Mississippi
5. Fire On The Mountain
6. Ways About You
7. Gotta Keep Rockin’
8. Nowhere To Hide
9. Hurts My Heart
10. Sweet Jelly Donut
11. All Around The World
12. Brotherhood
Total time: 51:54
External links
artist’s website
amazon.com
iTunes Store
