2024 – Scott Weis
By Phillip Smith; Oct. 12, 2024
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com
Live in Europe, the eighth release from Scott Weis Band packs
the raw essence of his live shows into a bootleg-type recording made with four
microphones and a two-track board from performances across four different
cities in Germany. This Pennsylvania-based blues-rock band has
been on my radar for just over four years now, and have very much enjoyed each
of the studio albums I have reviewed. This is an interesting disc. It reminds me in ways of John Mayall’s
Live in 1967 discs featuring Peter Green, John McVie, and Mick
Fleetwood in a kind of way. With Weis standing front and center on
guitar and lead vocals, he is joined by Robert Kopec on bass guitar, and
Roger Voss on drums.
This fourteen-track release begins with hard-driving title-track off his most recent studio album called “Raise Your Hands”. Weis’ guitar performance is searing. Their smoking cover of ZZ Topp’s “Jesus Just Left Chicago” sounds best at high volume. I love their cover of Chris Stapleton’s ‘Tennessee Whiskey”. That is such a beautiful song, and Weis sings it with a soulful delivery. “Pride and Soul” off the Simmer Me Down album surfs a heavy-rockin’ Texas-style blues riff and is topped with an amazing guitar solo. The way he plays that swampy slide on “Motherless” takes me right to the Mississippi Delta. They attack “Right Where It Belongs” with flash and fury and it sounds great. They bring this record to an end with “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” which runs just a little over ten minutes. Lyrically it is different from the Freddie King version but the essence remains as Weis makes this his own with amazing licks and runs.
Live in Europe captures the
energy of Scott Weis Band’s live shows and brings it directly to the
listener.
Visit Scott Weis Band
online at https://scottweisband.com
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reviews of Scott Weis Band with this link:
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