2025 – Pugnacious Records
By Phillip
Smith; Mar.
1, 2025
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com
I first became aware of Dean
Zucchero through his work on Ghalia Volt’s Let the Demons Out
and her One Woman Band albums. It was Zucchero’s Electric
Church for the Spiritually Misguided which really brought him into the
forefront of my awareness. His talents as a songwriter and bass player are
strongly coupled with his talents for song arrangement and music production. Zucherro’s
latest release Song For the Sinners serves up a luscious feast of a
dozen blues-soaked tracks. The record features an amazing list of guests such
as Jimmy Vivino, Johnny Burgin, Bobby Rush, Victor
Wainwright, Albert Castiglia, Little Freddie King, Mike Zito,
John Nemeth, John Boutté, Tiffany Pollack, Glen David
Andrews, Sean Riley, Ron Hotstream, Jake Eckert, and Jerry
Dugger.
Zucchero leads the album off in a blast of heavy blues-rock
with “Biting Through”. With Vivino
on the mic, lead and rhythm guitar, along with Burgin on second rhythm
guitar, this searing track oozes with true grit, reminiscent of bands like Mountain
and Blue Cheer. The funky blues of “South Side” draws me in with a
welcoming New Orleans-flavored groove and keeps me tuned in with its depiction
of the city’s warzones overrun by pushers and criminals. Topped with the brassy
sounds of The Roadmasters’ Horn Section and the whisky-soaked vocals from
Andrews, this track is indeed a favorite. Another standout selection is
the folk-blues track called “Lullaby” with Dugger on vocals, Rush
on harmonica, and Eckert on dobro/electric guitar. This ode to making
through the night brings to mind the writings of Taj Mahal. Castiglia
and Pollack are paired for the glorious duet “Shine”. Pollack’s
voice is absolutely illuminating and Castiglia also joins on lead guitar
culminating in a free-wheeling Grateful Dead-like jam. Unspeakable acts and
an unescapable situation result in a girl’s dire fate in “Suicide For Jesus”. Hotstream, on acoustic guitar and
vocals, beautifully performs this melancholy song in troubadour fashion.
The depth that Zucchero goes
to in developing his songs is a stand-out reason I admire his work. From the very
first listen, Song For the Sinners had my full attention. I highly
recommend this record.
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Dean Zucchero
https://www.deanzucchero.com/
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