#664 : Brothers Brown - Nowhere Left to Go (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2024 – Woodward Avenue Records

Release Date Jan 12, 2024

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 2, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

It’s been eight years since Brothers Brown released their debut album Dusty Road. Their follow-up record Nowhere Left to Go recently landed and is very much worth the wait. Founded by Grammy-nominated keyboardist/synth-master Brother Paul Brown of the Waterboys, and two-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter/guitarist Paul Brown (George Benson, Al Jarreau, Norman Brown) the band also includes bassist/rhythm guitarist/vocalist David Santos (Billy Joel, John Fogerty, Elton John) and drummer/percussionist/guitarist Peter Young (Loretta Lynn, The Burrito Brothers). Together, they approach music much like Grateful Dead and Little Feat pushing genre-specific boundaries of rock, blues funk, and country.

I’m captivated from the beginning as the record rolls in on a super-melancholy wave of regret and loneliness with “Wrong Side of Town”. The way the guitar notes seem to float in mid-air with a Mark Knopfler-ish way sounds amazing as they naturally join forces with the keys. “Junior’s Back” puts me in a happy space with every listen. Once the bridge hits, I am thrown into the Phish-zone, and relish every bit of its expansive and wonderful jam. The Brothers Brown zero in on the Sixties Chicago blues sound with “My Baby”. It hits the bullseye dead center. “Chitlin’ Pickin’” is a grateful instrumental which fills the sky with sunshine and smiles. A driving rhythm slathered with grease and a cookin’ pulse pulls me into the delectable blues-rock anthem “Black and Blue”.      

The great Bobby Rush joins the Brothers Brown on title-track “Nowhere Left to Go” making for a soulful, funky treat.  Rush’s history of working with Brother Paul Brown stretches back for over twenty years, culminating in four albums, three Blues Music Awards, a Grammy nomination, and multiple concert tours.

Nowhere Left to Go receives a high recommendation from me. It’s a terrific album that just gets better with every listen.                                     

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For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://wbaentertainment.com/brothers-brown/

 

Read the PhillyCheeze review for Brothers Brown’s Dusty Road album 

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2016/03/brothers-brown-dusty-road.html

#537 : Bernard Allison - Highs & Lows

 

2022 – Ruf Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 15, 2022

 

Bernard Allison is one of those artists who I totally admire, and I’m absolutely thrilled to hear fresh music from him.  Highs & Lows, his latest album is hands-down fantastic.  Produced by Grammy Award winner Jim Gaines, this eleven-track blues album is a slice of perfection.  The core of Allison’s top-notch band consists of George Moye on bass guitar, Dylan Salfer on rhythm guitar and Steve Potts on drums.

Energy levels are high as Allison fearlessly hits the ground running on “So Excited”.  It’s great to hear him blaze full-throttle on guitar.  This is exactly what I was hoping for on an opening song.  Title-track “Highs & Lows” rolls out with its funky, infectious riff and pulls me right in.  Guitar in hand, Canadian blues artist Colin James joins Allison in a juicy duet of Texas-style electric blues on “My Way or the Highway”.  The swampy sounds of the Mississippi delta are quite infused into “Side Step”, making it one of my favorite songs on the disc.  What a pleasant surprise it is to hear Bobby Rush accompany Allison on “Hustler”.  His distinctive voice and harp playing are delivered in his usual suave approach and it’s fun to hear him collaborate with Allison. 

I love that Allison pays tribute to his father, Chicago blues legend Luther Allison by recording two of his songs.  The first up is the 1974 single “Now You Got It” off the album Luther’s Blues.  This is Seventies soul-blues at its best.  Immediately following is “Gave it All”, from Luther’s 1994 album Soul Fixin’ Man.  It swoops me right up in its cozy warm arms for an intoxicating horn-infused listen.  Allison's performance on this is downright breathtaking.

Lows & Highs ends with a blast of funky downhome blues with “Last Night”.  Lyrically timeless, this song hits on every cylinder, and I dig every bit of it.  Allison pours everything he has into this guitar performance, making it a huge standout. 

This is an album that delivers the goods with each and every song.  It’s terrific through and through.       

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 For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://bernardallison.com

 

Past PhillyCheeze reviews featuring Bernard Allison :

PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews: #313 : Bernard Allison - Let it Go (phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com)

 

PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews: #347 : Czech Village Blues - Aug 11, 2018 featuring Ruf Record's Blues Caravan (phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com)