PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com #554 > Diunna Greenleaf - I Ain't Playin'

 

2022 – Little Village

By Phillip Smith; May 14, 2022

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I Ain’t Playin’, the latest release from Texas blues artist Diunna Greenleaf is a must-hear.  This three-time Blues Music Award winner, dishes out thirteen wonderful tracks, incorporating blues, soul, funk, and southern gospel.  Her amazing vocals are backed by a stellar lineup of musicians which include producer Kid Andersen on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass, Jim Pugh on keys, and Derrick “D’mar’ Martin on drums.

The album busts loose on a strong Stax-influenced start with “Never Trust a Man”.  A funky bassline, groovy beat, and stellar horn section provide the perfect pocket for Greenleaf’s fiery voice.  Steeped in seventies soul, “Running Like the Red Cross” gets down as Pugh deals out a generous dose of swirling keys to accompany the song’s lush melody.  “If it Wasn’t for the Blues” is delightfully funky in an Isaac Hayes kind of way.  With guest Igor Prado on lead guitar, this is the song I can listen to many times over and enjoy it each and every time.  All it takes is five seconds for Jemmott’s infectious bassline riff on “Answer to the Hard Working Woman” to reel me in for an invigorating musical explosion.  I love how Martin’s precision beat, Greenleaf’s vocals, and those fabulous horns get increasingly thicker until the final note.  The blues sounds so good when Diunna sings “Damned if I Do”, and with accompaniment by Andersen, she sounds even sweeter. 

Ain’t Playin’ is such a dynamic album.  Everything about it works and it sounds amazing.  

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For more information about Diunna Greenleaf, visit this website :  https://diunna.com/

 

#365 : Kevin Burt - Heartland & Soul

2018 – Little Village Foundation

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 8, 2018

I still remember the first time I heard Kevin Burt perform. It was shortly after I moved to Iowa in 1992.  It was a remarkable performance with Kevin fronting his band The Instigators.  His voice was unique and unforgettable.  Kevin has been a key presence in the music community here for a long time.  It makes me happy to see him become a part of a much larger scene since bringing home first place awards in three different categories during the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee : Best Solo/Duo Performer, Best Guitarist, Best Harmonica Player.  Recorded at the famed Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California, and produced by Kid Andersen and Jim Pugh, this debut album Heartland & Soul is more than fabulous.  With Kevin on vocals, acoustic guitar, and harmonica, Jerry Jemmott (Gregg Allman) appears on bass, Derrick ‘D’Mar’ Martin ( Little Richard) on drums, Jon Otis (Johnny Otis’ son) on percussion, Kid Andersen (Rick Estrin & the Nightcats) on guitar and melodica, Jim Pugh (Robert Cray) on keys, and Lisa Leuschner Andersen on backing vocals.

It doesn’t take long to be overcome by the soulful groove of “Day Day”, the first selection on this twelve track masterpiece.  It certainly brings me to my happy space.  An inspirational message of gratitude is beautifully spun with heartfelt emotion in “Thank You”.  It’s a wonderful song indeed.  With a nice and swampy taste of slide guitar topped with harmonica, Kevin breaks into “Smack Dab in the Middle”.  This bodacious track is steeped in delta-style blues and infused with a funky bassline and brilliant, jamming keys.  Ensuring the only cover song on the album “Eleanor Rigby” is an absolute head-turner, Kevin adds a personal touch to give the song a greater sense of poignancy.  It’s such an amazing listen. 

Heartland & Soul certainly ranks right up there with the best blues albums released this year.  It definitely merits my highest level of recommendation.

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For more information about Kevin Burt, visit his website: www.bfburt.com .