2018 – Vizztone
Release Date : June 1, 2018
By Phillip Smith;
June 23, 2018
Forged in Tennessee, Little Boys Blues
keeps pumping out solid southern blues music.
Their latest album, Hard Blue
Space brings guitarist John Holiday (aka Kid Memphis) into
the mix, as he rips it up with singer/harmonica player JD Taylor for ten
luscious original songs. Holiday
played the role of Carl Perkins in the 2005 Johnny Cash bio-film Walk the Line. Taylor actually played gigs with Perkins
himself. The band also consists of
drummer Mark Brooks, bassist Dave Mallard, and guitarist Alex
Taylor. Guests include guitarists
and slide players Andrew White, Wes Henley, and Brad Webb,
with Dave Thomas on keys.
The first cut “Six Foot Down” tells the story of a
broken heart beyond repair. Taylor’s
smoky vocals are reminiscent of John Hiatt’s and hover above gobs of
juicy harp, a heart-pounding beat, and a lot of laidback slide. “Loving Kind” takes a walking blues stroll and
is topped with nice bluesy licks from Kid Memphis. Changing pace and slowing it down a bit, “Blues
Bug” is wonderful and right in the pocket.
I’m immediately caught up in the intoxicating rhythm
of “Got a Mind of Your Own”. Swirling
sounds of the B3, and Taylor’s magnificent harp playing perfectly accent
this one as Kid Memphis plays guitar with a cool Robert Cray vibe. The ghosts of North Mississippi must’ve been present
on the recording of “If the Blues Start Calling”. The song’s infectious groove is so downright dirty,
it sounds fabulous.
Hard
Blue Space from Little Boys Blue w/ Kid Memphis is a
grand slam. This pairing is a delight to hear.
They were definitely made for each other.
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