Best For Last
BT, 2020
9/10
The legendary and veteran bluesman Pete Thelen returns with 6 originals and 6 covers on what will be the 71 year old’s last album. It’s titled Best For Last, and while we don’t want to diminish the quality of his past work, this installment sure seems accurately named as Thelen takes help from Bennie Hughes, Annie Dekom, Lester Chambers, Rena Haus, Linda Moss and Chico Chism.
Thelen starts his swan song with the intricate, bluesy guitars of “You Make It Easy”, as soulful vocals from Hughes enter the cautious landscape, and “Some Kind Of Sign” follows with warm singing from Dekom as playful keys guide the upbeat and bouncy old school blues rocker.
The back half of the listen has Thelen taking over vocal duties for most tunes, including the percussively strong and atmospheric “VooDoo King”, while “Lost & Found” benefits greatly from gentle brass as Thelen’s expressive pipes highlight the calm, reflective mood that flirts with jazz. “Spider Lake Woman”, a stand out tune, then adds ambience and mystery into the darker display of sublime talent.
Close to the end, Chico Chism lends his versatile pipes to “New Pain” as plenty of rhythm exists between the guitars and drums, and “Thought Passing Thru” finishes off the listen introspective and emotive, with stirring strings and an almost cinematic quality that even gets funky.
An exceptional way to bookend a glorious career, every tune here is gold, as Thelen takes a lifetime of experience and packs it into a very thoughtful, eloquent and adventurous farewell.
Travels well with: Jeff Fetterman- Southern Son; Mark May Band- Deep Dark Demon