2017 – Jim Shaneberger
By Phillip Smith;
Feb. 10, 2018
Above
and Below, the second release from the Jim Shaneberger
Band is an immensely invigorating blues-rock album. This West Michigan trio comprised of Shaneberger
on lead guitar and vocals, bassist Jeffrey Baldus, and drummer Steve
Harris are a powerhouse band with deep Zeppelin and Hendrix
roots.
In a flash, they instantly tear out the gate with the
magnificent “My Way”. Shaneberger
pulls me tightly in with his massive funky riffs and psychedelic guitar licks. On the thought-provoking rocker “Indifference”
a song inspired by the 2016 shootings of Philandro Castile and Alton
Sterling, Shaneberger sings “How many lives must be lost before we
set things right?”. Shaneberger’s
guitar mastery is duly noted as Harris tears off a tremendous
performance on drums sending this edgy rocker of a track past ten, and right to
eleven. The momentum only grows as adrenalin continues to freely flow through
the veins of Texas-style blues rocker “Above and Below”.
I love the slow-paced Black Crowes/Aerosmith
vibe running through the beautifully played “Bright Side”. Shaneberger’s vocals are smooth and
cool. With a SRV influence at its
epicenter and a downright funky groove, “I Can’t Sleep” brings a big smile to
my face. I’m also a huge fan of the funky
instrumental jam “Just Sayin’ Bro”. Baldus’
bass is simply amazing on this.
It’s impossible to avoid the trance-inducing hill country
blues rhythm threaded through “Way Down South”. It holds the door open quite nicely for Shaneberger’s
shredding guitar solo. It’s plumb terrific.
From start to finish, Jim Shaneberger Band is
tight as a drum and solid as titanium. It
doesn’t get much better than Above and
Below for fans of blues-rock.
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