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| by Marty Paule |
Date Added: Saturday 12 October, 2013 |
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[In the interests of full disclosure, I'm the brother of the bandleader/guitarist on this CD. That said, being as objective as possible, this album is as satisfying as anything I've heard over the past two decades.]
Frank Bey is a veteran Philly soul and blues singer, and judging by the conviction of his vocals, he's seen his share of heartbreak, trouble, and redemption. Guitarist Anthony Paule has been a luminary on the San Francisco music scene for decades. Supported by a deeply grooving rhythm section and ultra-tight horns, this pair has come up with an immensely soulful and satisfying set with their new CD, Soul for Your Blues.
The disc kicks off with a stirring cover of Willie Mitchell's "I Don't Know Why," evoking that '70s Hi Records sound with sinuous organ, spare rhythm guitar lines, and sharp horn interjections creating a bed for Bey's fiercely committed baritone that pleads and growls.
Bey gives his lover the kiss-off on the mid-tempo Paule composition "I'm Leaving You" that offers the guitarist/bandleader oom to stretch out. A smoking horn chart adds fat to the fire.
Paule's writing partner Christine Vitale's "I Just Can't Go On," a soul-searing ballad that recalls vintage Stax sounds in general and The Big O in particular, is an album standout. Suffused with regret and resolve, Bey bids his lover adieu while the Booker T/Memphis Horns-like arrangement gives the number a retro glow that'll thrill old-school soul fans.
A pair of cookers follow in the form of the Vitale/Paule number "Don't Mess with the Monkey" with Rick Estrin contributing a cutting harp commentary, and the late-career Wynonie Harris wry rocker, "Buzzard Luck."
Getting deep in the alley, the band next steams through the slow blues "You're Somebody Else's Baby Too" with rueful lyrics, stinging guitar, and a razor-sharp horn chart.
The grease factor mounts with "I Want to Change Your Mind," another flashback to deep Southern soul that comes across like a lost treasure from the Hi catalog. Churning and funky accompaniment gives Bey's gritty vocal big-time propulsion.
While Bey takes a breather, the band launches into the funk-infused instrumental "Smokehouse." Written by Paule, it supplies the setting for his grooving chicken-pickin' licks as well as a wonderfully smeary trombone solo by Mike Rinta who collaborated with Paule on the beautifully conceived horn parts throughout the CD.
Percy Mayfield's philosophical "Nothing Stays the Same" gets an unusual and tasty reading that enters and exits on drum rolls and tuba. The middle section reveals the rock-solid pulse of drummer Paul Revelli and Paul Olguin on bass that provides the consistently driving force with which Soul for Your Blues is blessed.
Bey celebrates a relationship that really works with "It's Good to Have Your Company" featuring a spotlighted tenor solo by Nancy Wright--one third of the stellar horn section.
On John Prine's wistful "Hello in There," Bey shows off his facility for digging into a lyric and making it his own. Aching with regret, he marks the passage of time experienced by a long-married couple whose family has split off in different directions leaving contrails of despair in its wake. Bey urges us to break down the spaces that create isolation in our lives in a rendition that should earn accolades from Prine fans.
"Bed for My Soul" offers another satisfying shift in mood with it country-blues feel. Bouncing along on Estrin's harmonica and a jew's harp accompaniment, the song speaks to our need for both physical and spiritual shelter.
The closer, a big-band instrumental take on the chestnut "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," shows off the entire band's chops with a lush arrangement that offers a thrilling wrap to an altogether remarkable effort.
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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