| KENNY NEAL...ONE STEP CLOSER TELARC RECORDS**** Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the son of legendary harp master Raful Neal, Kenny Neal has been around the blues scene plenty and his new album goes to show it. Ever since Slim Harpo handed a three year old Kenny the harp to stop his crying; the boy has had the blues with a passion. Kenny is proficient on harmonica, trumpet, bass, lead guitar, rhythm and slide. This guy is racked and packed and just waiting on his big break. The album�s fleshed out contemporary blues are tastefully presented with such unexpected instruments as mandolin, violin and accordion to add to the multi-textured feel therein. There�s a definite Louisiana impact over-all, and the album consists of a seamless selection of cuts where the outstanding originals stand up to the cover songs, maintaining a meld of wholesome, smooth, bluesy ear-trips. A really cool song on One Step Closer is �Backdoor Tripper�. It contains smooth, groovy blues licks with a modernized taste of The Big Bopper and Chubby Checker. Kenny Neal�s One Step Closer is another fine Telarc addition to a long list of many such fine releases. GREY DELISLE...THE SMALL TIME HUMMINBIRD RECORDS***1/2 She is as beautiful as her expressive, captivating voice; part ethereal angel, part honky-tonk squeeze. Grey Delisle was quite a surprise to pop into my CD player. Her album knocked me out. Old time reverberations that echo pre-depression songsmiths comparable to the artists featured on Harry Smith�s Anthology Of American Folk Music weave in and out of the selections, just without the tinnyness. The album features down-home country heart-tuggers that would please yer Grandma, like �Sing To Me�, a song about Daddy�s little girl, and his last, fading days. The wonderful, almost whispered �Sabor A Mi� is guaranteed to draw hand to cheek in search of a nonexistent tear to wipe away. We also get �Calvery� a soaring gospel acapella. Many of the songs are filled with bluegrass tastes and Appalachian spice. We get the stark, face-saving �Free� which is about anything but. Lord, but what we see that is not there too late. Another cool cut is �Blue State Of Mind� with it�s country torch jazz. Other good songs featured are �Loving In The Past� and �Lullaby�, but make sure you smoke some good pot before you listen to the last one. Peace out. |