City Country City
Gulf Coast, 2021
9/10
The New Orleans musicians Jason Ricci and Joe Krown certainly know their way around a blues tune you won’t soon forget, and here they collaborate with Doug Belote on drums for an accomplished record that often hints at the jazz/blues ideas of the ‘60s, but yet carries a very distinct sound all its own.
The title track leads with warm organ and twinkling percussion that segues into Ricci’s spirited harmonica and agile drumming on the playful blues opener, and “Down ‘n Dirty” follows with no shortage of rhythm as the bouncy climate seems tailor made for getting your body moving.
Close to the middle, “Feel Good Funk” displays Ricci’s rugged vocals amid the indeed funk friendly and groove filled landscape, while “It Starts With Me” moves cautiously, where an emotive quality between the harmonica, drums and Krown’s keys is quite stirring. “Drifting Blues”, one of the album’s best, then brings power and melody into the slow burning 8 minutes of gripping song craft.
Arriving near the end, “Just A Playboy” moves swiftly with an infectious energy of timeless, gritty, blues rock, and “Ode To Billy Joe” exits the listen with an exploratory and reserved synergy between the players that you’re not going to hear anywhere else.
Ricci provides vocals on not quite half the tunes, and the intricate and fascinating musicianship between the trio makes for a very precise and impressive debut duo album.
Travels well with: Tito Jackson- Under Your Spell; Mike Zito- Resurrection