#593 > Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers - How Many Roads? (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

2023 – Lex Grey

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 21, 2023

Release Date : Jan 27, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

How Many Roads? , the eighth release from New York ensemble Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers grabbed my attention quite quickly on the first listen.  Grey’s voice is powerful and soulful as she performs the eleven masterfully-written originals on this album.  Known for their rock, blues, and burlesque shows in Brooklyn and lower Manhatten, the group is comprised of vocalist/guitarist Lex Grey, producer/guitarist/audio engineer Vic ‘Mix’ Deyglio, writer/musician Ed Wasilewski, sonic innovator Brian Dewan, and drummer/percussionist Sonny Rock.  

I love the brilliant Amy Winehouse vibe Grey injects into the opening song “In it Together”.  Her voice is delicately soulful as Mix and Dewan drive the song on piano and synth.  I can’t help but smile like a possum when she breaks out a briefcase full of blues in “Ain’t From Mississippi”.   The extra grease Wasilewski pours into his guitar performance makes for a splendid listen.  It’s exciting to hear Grey beautifully deliver “Begin Again”.  This a song is so reminiscent of the psychedelic rock of Jefferson Airplane, and instantly transports me to that awakening time.  Her haunting ballad “Biker Down” is a heartfelt and gorgeous dedication to a lost friend.  Bringing the record to a stellar close is “Angel” a song of gratitude and loss.  Grey’s vocal performance drips with raw emotion as she sings this song of aches and pains.   In the vein of John Prine and Bonnie Raitt, this is a song that cuts deep to the bone.    

This recording has turned me into a solid fan of Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers.  How Many Roads? is album-oriented Americana at its finest.

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For more information about Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers, visit his website at :  http://www.lexgreymusic.com/

 

Check out other PhillyCheeze reviews for Lex Grey at :  https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=lex+grey

#429 : Tas Cru - Drive On

2020 – Subcat Records

By Phillip Smith; Jan. 25, 2020

Tas Cru (Rick Bates) has been on my radar since reviewing his Simmered & Stewed album in 2017.  Since then, I’ve seen him perform some kick-ass blues live at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis and the Prairie Dog Blues Festival in Wisconsin.  Drive On, his latest album is another superb recording of music rooted in the blues.  With backing vocals from Mary Ann Casale, Tas keeps front-and-center on lead vocals, guitars, and harmonica.  Adding a lush new sound to his music is the new guy Saxophonist Anthony Terry.  The band also includes Gabe Stillman on slide guitar, organist Anthony Geraci, bassist Bob Purdy and drummer Andy Hearn.  Special guests include drummers Sonny Rock and Cathy Lamanna, and Colin “Big Yellow Dog” Beatty on bass.       

Tas kicks this one off with “That Lovin’ Thang”.  Delivered with a cool, swinging groove and a hot keyboard lesson from Geraci, this barn-burner is an absolute gem.  Stillman loads “Money Talks”, up with a nice juicy dose of slide guitar.  Title-track “Drive On” is so sweet and infectious, it’s certainly among my favorites.  Sonny Rock, who has toured with Tas quite a bit over the past few years, makes a guest appearance on “Save Me”, a heady tune with a Doors-meets-Dire Straits atmosphere.   On a haunting and ominous note, the album concludes with “Devil in Your Heart”, an acoustically-performed duet with Mary Ann Casale.  I love the fact that this is stripped-down, where we can zero in on the vocal performance.  They sound great together. 

Whether live or on record, Tas is one of my favorites.  His songs are almost always originals, and his writing stands out from the herd,  Drive On is indeed another terrific album. 

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Mary Ann Casale , Tas Cru @ Prairie Dog Blues Festival

 Prairie du Chien, WI

 July 26, 2019

* Photo by Phillip Smith