Omar Coleman

Strange Times

Color Red, 2024

8/10

Listen to Strange Times

The Chicago bluesman, Omar Coleman, picked up music as a way to pass the time between barber clients, which turned into a job as a touring musician. These 9 songs were fleshed out with the guidance of Eddie Roberts, who enlisted an all star cast of Color Red collaborators for the funk filled and dance friendly tracks.

“Chicago” gets the listen off to an energetic start, where Coleman’s harmonica is met with thumping drums and playful bass lines that populate the dense grooves, and “Strange Times” follows with spirited guitar and bright brass that complements Coleman’s gritty yet tuneful pipes.

Further along, the rhythmic “Got A Good Man” isn’t lacking any melody amid the rich layers of blues rock, while “You’ve Been Cheatin’” showcases animated horns and crisp drumming that suit the moody keys and Coleman’s howling vocals.

Landing close to the end, “Happy Home” allows Coleman’s radiant harmonic to shine in the textured climate, and the intimate and powerful “I Want You To Have My Child” tugs on the heartstrings with much warmth.

Coleman is joined by Eddie Roberts, Eric Benny Bloom, Dan Africano, Chris Spies, Cole Rudy, Carl Sorensen, Nick Gerlach, Kari Clifton and Adrienne Short for the timeless songs, and it sure does make for a top notch blues listen.

Travels well with: Tim Carman Trio- Key Lime; Marcus Rezak- Guitar Head