2016 – Middle Mountain
Music
By Phillip Smith; Mar 26, 2016
Veteran musician R.B. Stone brings a big ol’ plate of
delicious downhome blues to the world via his new album and seventeenth
project, Some Call it Freedom. This eleven track album of all-originals is
seriously great. Stone takes on guitar, vocals and harmonica, while supported by Larry Van Loon on B3, B2 and piano, bassists
Randy Coleman, Josh Fairman, and drummer Terrance
Houston.
I love the swampy slide
guitar Stone plays throughout “Hill
Country Stomp”, the first song out of the gate.
Howard kills it on drums, as
he amps up this ramblin’ stomper. Stone lays down more rippin’ guitar
licks on title track “Some Call it Freedom”. Stone’s
fearless fuzzy licks are smoothly blended together with Loon’s brilliant piano boogie for “35
Miles to Mobile”, a definite stand-out track.
Things get a little ominous
and dark with “Another Thief”. With Howard’s pseudo tribal Native American
beat behind Stone’s wailing, both on
guitar and vocally, this badass song rocks pretty damn hard. “Nickajack”, although only two minutes long,
keeps the energy flowing with plenty of swampy hill-country blues and fine
picking.
My ears perk up even more
when “Standin’ on Top of the World” kick in with harp playing that rivals that
of John Popper. This is a feel-good song for sure, and puts
me in my happy spot when I hear it.
This album comes highly recommended
to everyone who appreciates The Blues.
