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| SLOW DOWN - LOU DeADDER (2006) |
| There must be something musically inspiring about living in Whitby,* even if Lou is mysteriously lesser known in the Greater Toronto Area�s �big music� blues scene. That certainly doesn�t mean he�s any less talented, but I do get the impression he may not be as commercially ambitious in marketing himself. His songs seem carefully composed and refined to a smooth polish, regardless of which genre they favour, whether it�s funk, jazz, blues, rock or country, but without losing any of the musical passion.
On this follow-up to his fun-tastic d�but, LouD, he truly brings his skills as a heavy-duty guitarist to the forefront while balancing the mix with the superb talents of his sidemen and guest players. The only �fluffy� track on the disc is �Believe� and it�s not that bad, either, in a John Sebastian or Steve Goldberger kind of catchy pop sensibility. Like those guys, DeAdder has the kind of crooning vocals that can get away with syrupy sentimentality. �Comin� Home� is a close second, but it�s enhanced by the beautifully serene pedal steel and classically played guitar accompaniment. On this second disc, Lou teams up with longtime buddies Franko Woodcock on drums, Brett Piekarz on bass (who apparently influenced Hamilton guitarist Troy Harmer to pursue a musical career), and Leo Sullivan displaying his horn chart arrangements on various saxophones and flute. These friends have brought in some favourite musicians of their own to further spice up the sound. They include John Marmora (Glenn Higgins) on organ, Steve McDade (Boss Brass) on trumpet, Doug Johnson (Gordon Lightfoot) on pedal steel, and Steve O�Connor (Rodger Brunning) on piano and organ. According to the liner notes, the CD�s funky title track is a directive to Piekarz, who was �burning the candle at both ends� with various musical projects. It does not refer to the rhythmic tempo of Brett�s bass itself, which is expertly played with the appropriate dynamic force and fluidity that makes it such a powerful instrument. The versatility of the recording is evident in the snappy blues-rockin� opener, �Ain�t Got Two Nickels�, the lazy-dazy psychedelic wah-wah of �Chills�, the groovy, bass-heavy instrumental of monstrous proportions weirdly titled �Wobbly Pop�, the swing-jive-boogie backbeat of �Searchin� for My Baby�, the rhythm and blues-fused boogie of �Without You�, and another innovative instrumental called �The Funky Strudel�. Of course, no blues-respecting musician could forget the obligatory homage to the Texas big-beat, and drummer Franko buffs it up on the sweet, mid-tempo slide guitar shuffle of �Goin� Down to Texas�. Lou DeAdder�s Slow Down holds many different connotations, but all of them point toward enjoyment of life and the people you surround yourself with. Using music as a vehicle to do this is not a new idea, but it�s one you�d be wise to remember. This CD is a treat in its entirety! N.B. This sentence was corrected from its original content, due to the reviewer being either geographically-challenged or misinformed about one of Lou's alleged "musical neighbours" in Whitby, ON. Suffice it to say, it's a rockin' suburb sometimes overshadowed by its bigger sister, Toronto. |
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