| CD REVIEW (This review was also published at www.701.com) |
| Although he was raised in the steeltown of Hamilton, and returns here regularly, this "hard-workin' man" has really made his mark as a 6-stringer playing anywhere and everywhere that is accessible to him. His professional and personal charisma haven't hurt his career either - he's an exciting and versatile professional all the way. On 6 String Lover he has assembled a complete cross-section of his musical roots (rockabilly, rhythm & blues, funk, rock'n'roll and blues) that gradually blossomed into an enduring and successful career as a guitarist and vocalist, both in live performances and as a recording artist. If you prefer your blues with a more uptempo beat, the West Coast swing of "Deal Me In" will ignite a high-rollin' mood right from the get-go. Jack is in perfect control of this musical ride, though, pacing himself accordingly, to keep the suspense factor high. Although the next few tracks generally veer towards mid-tempo soul/rhythm & blues, Jack sends out a warning on "Pleasure Is My Business" that demands serious attention, as he delivers this in spades! Before releasing the throttle for a "full speed ahead" run of rock'n'roll and funk, he proves on the soulful "The Answer" that his humanitarian approach towards life is genuine, as demonstrated on "Skid Row" (from his previous Maple Blues Award-winning CD, Down in the Groove). Although I found this particular track to be the weakest where lyrical phrasing is concerned, the instrumentation is excellent. Mr. De Keyzer and his musical collaborators have repeatedly performed at numerous benefit concerts in Toronto over the years, and this fact no doubt adds to his popularity of his live shows. If your preference is the slide guitar/harmonica-dominated Delta roots-blues of Mississippi Fred McDowell and Muddy Waters, you'll love "If You Were My Woman (And I Was Your Man)", as well as the title track closer, "6 String Lover", which was performed on an acoustic guitar, borrowing an authentic 'scratch' sequence from an early B.B. King recording, which idea was first thought of by another favourite guitarist of mine, Colin James. Speaking of B.B., Jack nails the 6-string technique of that great gentleman on "King of the Blues", offering a clever nightclub analogy for his "blues kingdom". Jack's long-time fascination with cars (especially Cadillacs) and those unmistakable Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins influences are let loose on speedsters like "Rock 'Til We Drop" and �Drivin' Home", the type of song that usually guarantees a feverish dance frenzy among his legion of fans, notably, but not exclusively, the female ones. The latter tune also recalls Jack's rockabilly roots with The Bopcats. The road-race tempo of the latter half of the CD is temporarily stalled with "Engine Trouble", the only real-slow, low-down dirty blues, but it's a "smoker" that proves Jack really CAN sing (and write) the blues! Although he plays with an irresistibly unrestrained wildness, mellow songs like "Soul Lover", "Making Love to You" and the sassy shuffle of "It's In the Way You Love" show his sensitive, loyal, romantic side. The self-explanatory "Funk This" is a celebration of life and music, showcasing the tightness of the other two-thirds of his musical trinity - Alec Fraser (electric bass) and Tony Ajo (drums). Alec, a tremendous vocalist and instrumentalist in his own right, provides harmony vocals as well as percussive contributions on congas and tambourine, as well as producing the CD. One of Canada's best sought-after blues keyboardists, Michael Fonfara, plays B-3 on most of the tracks, including "Funk This", when he's not otherwise going full-tilt boogie on various types of piano and a Fender Rhodes (on "Soul Lover"). Other guests appearing are saxman Perry White, bassist Shane Scott and guitarist Peter "Sab" Sabourin (rhythm on "Drivin' Home" and a solo on "Rock 'Til We Drop"). Speaking of saxes, fellow Hamiltonian Tim Gibbons, another excellent singer-songwriter-guitarist (Shakers, Little Red Blues Gang) related a story from their high school days, quoting Jack [to their music teacher]: "�be that as it may, I can't get a single note out of this [sax]." Good thing he switched to guitar! Maple Blues Award-winning David Rotundo, a frequent performer with Jack in his live shows, displays his full-blown harmonica style on "Jump (Jun) Right to It", a collaborative composition by Jack de Keyzer and John Mars, one of the featured Liquid Lounge Singers/Handclappers/Rabble Rousers/Hoofty Hoos'ers! Speaking of award-winners, Jack, also a Maple Blues award-winner, has now been nominated for a 2003 Juno, the show to be broadcast in April, in the "Blues Album of the Year" category with 6 String Lover. Let's hope the blues purists remember Muddy Waters' famous lyric, "The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock'n'Roll"! |
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