#698 : J.P. Soars - Brick By Brick (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2024 – Little Village
Release Date : Jun 30, 2024
 
By Phillip Smith;
 
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

J.P.  Soars has been sweeping me off my feet for over ten years. His magnificent slide work keeps pushing the envelope with every new album he releases. It was the 2013 release of a record called Easy Livin’ by blues super-group Southern Hospitality which first drew my attention to this fellow Arkansan. Formed with Damon Fowler and Victor Wainwright, that band is still active and is currently touring.

Soars’ latest album, Brick by Brick is an astonishing record, jam-packed with phenomenal music. With Soars on vocals, guitars, dobro, banjo, bass, lap steel, two string cigar box guitar, merlin stick dulcimer, and jaw harp, he is joined by Chris Peet on drums and bass, Raul D Hernandez on percussion, Jeremy Staska on percussion, Bob Taylor on Hammond B3, Paul DesLauriers and Annika Chambers on backing vocals, Anne Harris on fiddle, and Rockin’ Jack Jacobs on harp, and Terry Hanck on tenor saxophone.

From the beginning, I’m swallowed up by the lush blues-rock groove on title-track “Brick By Brick”. It grabs on tightly and keeps its clutches sunk in until the end. I absolutely love it. A funky guitar riff, swirling B3, and a slathering of soul gives “Keep Good Company” the Muscle Shoals treatment for a southern-rock, feel-good time. “In the Moment” is absolutely gorgeous. Soars’ delicate performance makes this a beautiful instrumental. I always appreciate hearing J.P. break out that back-woods swampy slide, and when he does on “The Good Lord Will Provide” it sounds so damn good. The racing pulse on “Things Ain’t Working Out” makes for an exciting listen while Soars rips it up on this bodacious jamboree.

J.P. Soars’ Brick by Brick receives my highest of recommendations. I encourage everyone to give this a listen.

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For more information about J.P. Soars, visit the website at https://jpsoars.com

 

For more PhillyCheeze reviews featuring JP Soars, visit https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=J.P.+Soars