| CD REVIEW |
| If there ever was an unsung (slide and lap steel) guitar hero in the Pacific Northwest, Doug "Louisiana Lightning" Kearney would be candidate number one in my books! Just as some slide guitarists are inclined towards slower-paced compositions, to get that "eerie" effect, Mr. Kearney uses his guitars to create a much more joyful sonic tableau. The opening track, "Colour of Blue", is fairly unremarkable, stylistically, as it lends itself to a modern blues-jazz-funk rhythm, following closely along the lines of Colin James' Fuse. If you're not immediately struck by the talent of Nelson Blanchard (on B3 and piano), the following French Quarter-flavoured track, "La Fleur Rouge", will do the trick. I wasn't crazy about the lyrical phrasing of this track, but Doug's slide work makes up for it, as well as the bad French accent, as the song itself is wild, weird and wonderful! Doug concentrates on his instrumental abilities on "Cha Cha Real", a seemingly Jeff Beck-inspired jazz instrumental, and then follows up that with a mid-tempo rocker called "Bed of Nails", where his vocals mildly reminded me of Johnny Winter, although a bit on the choppier side. "Hannah Rae" is a mellow, too-short but sweet pedal steel instrumental that could have been developed into a real magnum opus, musically speaking. This track also features Buffalo native Dan Sturner (John Stephan, King Biscuit Boy, Crowbar) on synthesizer and Jim Cliff on bass. Strangely enough, this dream-like sequence is followed by a jazz-rock-country fusion (think Led Zeppelin's "Hotdog" played by Jeff Beck or Joe Satriani instead of Jimmy Page) revealingly entitled, "Teles' Rule", driven by a rollicking, stompin' drumbeat played by Doug's long-time pal, Richard Courtney. The proceedings slow right down again on the sultry "Texaco Blues", with Monty Lamanze playing a steady, if slightly monotonous bass line, unlike his efforts elsewhere on the CD. Dan Sturner returns on the jazz-rock styling of "Love Gone Wrong", bringing back memories of Gino Vanelli's "Black Cars" as well as the ensuing "Legend of Sonny Ray Johnson", which blends elements of Pink Floyd, Robin Trower and even Marshall Tucker. Despite my making it sound derivative, it's really anything but. I would actually consider "Legend of Sonny Ray Johnson" as the most musically innovative track I've heard in a while. It segues in perfectly with the CD closer, "Feather from An Angel", a bluesy anthem favourably rivalling Hendrix's "Little Wing", with Nelson Blanchard returning on B3 and piano. So, to sum it all up, you get a real nice sampling of various rhythmic styles backed by strong, appealing vocals. And did I mention that Doug Kearney is a hell of an underrated guitarist? |
| MY BACKYARD - DOUG KEARNEY |
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