Beyond The Blue Door
Stony Plain, 2019
8/10
Listen to Beyond The Blue Door
Ronnie Earl is no slouch when it comes to playing the guitar, and here he’s backed up by his esteemed band The Broadcasters with appearances by Kim Wilson, David Bromberg and Greg Piccolo.
“Brand New Me” starts the listen with warm keys and guitars alongside soulful, Motown influenced vocals, and “Baby How Long” follows with a bluesy spirit and plenty of playful rhythm where Wilson handles harmonica and vocals.
In the middle, “The Sweetest Man” offers plenty of sophisticated melody amid fluid piano, while “It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry” recruits an atmospheric setting as it reinterprets the Bob Dylan song with plenty of detailed musicianship and smokey, gritty vocals from Bromberg.
Near the end, “Wolf Song” illustrates incredibly skilled guitar work, and “Bringing Light (To A Dark Time)” moves at a quick pace with grooves, rhythm and timeless melody. “Blues For Charlottesville” ends the listen with grace, restraint and sublime instrumentation in the moving, topical exit.
Earl and company offer 15 tunes here, and it gives them plenty of time to display their unparalleled, respective skills. Now 20+ albums into their career, Beyond The Blue Door proves they’re in no danger of running out of ideas and that their delivery isn’t waning one bit.
Travels well with: Roomful Of Blues- Dressed Up To Get Messed Up; Bob Margolin- Bob Margolin