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| It�s a testament to the human spirit to be able to repress one�s misery with an outward appearance of exaggerated joy, and such is the essence of Chicago blues (and perhaps manic-depression as well). This offering of well-honed craftsmanship by vocalist-harmonica player Scott Bradbury (John Brim, Floyd Jones, Eddie Taylor, Sam Lay and Jimmie Rogers) is a perfect example of that. The instrumentation, musically characterized by the ebb and flow of an upbeat, driving shuffle rhythm, a cheerful, be-bopping harmonica and percolating electric guitar, serves as an antidote to the seriousness of the lyrical content. �Don�t Turn Your Back on the Blues� actually gives blues music an identity as a universal, unconditional friend that �won�t let you down. It will be with you, baby, when there�s no one else around.� On the catchy opening title track, a host of these unconditional friends is invoked to commiserate on his losing his best girl. No blues CD would be complete without the essential slow-blues tunes, stripped of any pretensions and willing to expose the true feeling about it, and this is featured excellently on both �Life Story� and �Things I Should� (my favourite track). Averaging around five minutes, neither one gets carried away in its own pathos, and the musical talent provided on harmonica by both Mr. Bradbury, Tr� (also a solo recording artist) on electric guitar, Frank Bandy on bass and the ubiquitous Marty Binder on drums, still shines through. Overall, it�s easy-listening blues, with a snappy, determined attitude to enjoy this life that �don�t last forever�. There�s even a bit of funky Zydeco sentiment on �Be Careful What You Wish For�, a common adage counseling us to be happy with what we�ve got, not what we don�t. Tr�s �bug music� guitar licks on this one are pure rock�n�roll! �Light Fuse Get Away� is Scott�s brief but full-throttle instrumental harmonica showcase. It�s not as anthemic as John Mayall�s �Room to Move�, but it will have you tapping your feet or pogoing around the room if you�re in the mood for it. Ditto for �Looking for My Baby�, featuring right-there-on-all-counts drumwork, ambitious bass lines and a jazzy guitar style that Jack de Keyzer would dig. �Third Eye�, while not really a slow-blues, is laidback in a tastefully hypnotic, swaying kind of way that doesn�t quite give way to mournfulness. I really enjoyed that one, too. Momentarily foregoing his own non-sexist songwriting, Scott pays an homage to one of his own favourite bluesmen � Johnny Otis � with the final track, �Country Girl� (who is not necessarily restricted to one location but is very accommodating, in an old-fashioned kind of way). I�d half-jokingly say this one is a touring musician�s song. Scott Bradbury�s Callin� All Blues is a tasteful production (by Frank Bandy) that will strike a nice chord with anyone, even a Delta blues-lover like myself. |
| CALLIN' ALL BLUES - SCOTT BRADBURY Teardrop Records (2004) |
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