| CD REVIEW |
| VOICE + STORY - HARRISON KENNEDY |
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| There is plenty to love on this 2005 recording by bluesman Harrison Kennedy of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada).
Voice + Story is a follow-up to his Juno-nominated Sweet Taste of 2003 and is a culmination of the decades he has spent sharing his love for traditional roots-based storytelling put to music, be it patterned on straight-ahead blues, traditional jazz, soul, funk, gospel, or rhythm and blues. Released on Black & Tan Records (in Apeldoorn, Netherlands), it features Harrison Kennedy on vocals, guitar, percussion, harmonica and kazoo), accompanied by incredibly gifted Dutch players Nico Heilijgers on bass, Roel Spanjers on accordion and Hammond, and Jan Mittendorp on guitar. Nico and Roel, who produced, engineered and mastered the CD in Utrecht, are both members of the Sunset Travelers band, and Jan Mittendorp, who produced a Black & Tan compilation disc called Keeping Living Music Alive, was the executive producer. Although the lyrics on Voice + Story are meant to be the focus of this CD, you�ll soon find yourself immersed in the richness and purity of the instrumentation and vocals, particularly on �One Track Mind� (another classic follow-up to �I Can Feel You Leaving�) and �Make a Difference�. The stronger exceptions to that are �Let Her Talk� (performed a capella by Harrison), �Too Far to Fall�, �40 Acres and a Mule�, the latter a spiritual incantation following in the vein of �Sylvie�, contained on both Sweet Taste and its acoustic precursor, The Dog on Guard, and, ironically, �There Ain�t No Words�. I�d have to say that Mr. Kennedy has a unique songwriting style, but the rockin� �Bad Attitude� is rhythmically reminiscent of Bob Seger�s �Fire Down Below� (but flavoured with Zydeco accordion rather than electric guitar), with hints of �Sunspot Baby� lyrically. Just as Seger paired up briefly with Tina Turner, I�d love to hear what Harrison could cook up with her. The healthy dose of tracks (14 in all) average a comfortable three minutes in length, with the only �indulgence� being the extended six-minute-plus version of �It�s Hard� (performed acoustically on The Dog on Guard), reprised on a resophonic-sounding guitar here. There really ain�t no words to do justice to this recording � I strongly urge you to scoop up your own copy and check out the rest of the roster on Black & Tan while you�re at it. Not only do they honour legendary blues artists, but they also market younger players who are carrying the blues torch through this new millenium. Harrison Kennedy is doing a repeat tour of the Netherlands in November 2005. If you�re in the area, get your tickets now; like his shows in Ontario, they are sure to sell out quickly. For more information, visit www.harrisonkennedy.ca. |
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