Welcome back Danny
Samuel B. King | Concord, NH | 10/20/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I remember buying the first Blues Project album in 1966, initially taken by the Fender Jaguar on the cover. However, it was the incendiary singing and playing of Danny Kalb which sold me on the group. Many years later, I caught Danny at a gig in upstate New York and was disappointed. I thought he had lost it for good, another casualty of the era. This new album thankfully proves me wrong, a big comeback for a true bluesman of his generation.
I just picked up my copy from our local record store in Concord. Listening to it on the way home brought a smile to my face. Some of it does truly sound like a stripped down version of the Blues Project (the opening cut, "I wish you would", in particular, having shades of the Project's version of "Goin' Down to Louisiana". Although there are a couple of other electric cuts, most of it is tasteful acoustic picking from Danny. If he no longer goes for extended psychedelic guitar excursions, his short concise licks have lost none of their bite, and, if anything, are more tasteful without losing their exotic character. His vocals are strong, effectively trading the exuberance of youth for an older experienced vibe. Yes, he does have reason to sing the blues and comes through in spades, breathing new life into well worn chestnuts that lesser musicians would have left flat.
Danny Kalb is to his generation what Fred McDowell and John Lee Hooker were to theirs. Back in the day you were either a Bloomfield or a Kalb fan (heck, or both). Bloomfield was the more precise, studied virtuoso while Kalb was the more out there on the edge player (like McDowell or Hooker). To put it succinctly, Danny Kalb is one of the great primitive guitar players, and that is meant as a high compliment, indeed! His playing oozes pure feeling. It appears he is back in force. It would be a crime for any blues fan to pass up the opportunity to listen to this new disc. Check it out!"
Great new album by a master
guitar fan | USA | 03/01/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great new album from a influential master of acoustic and electric blues guitar. This album mixes both sides of Kalb. This is a great selection to rediscover this great guitar voice from the 60s who's still playing at a level few guitarists achieve."
Like Vintage Wine
For Two Cents Plain | Brooklyn, New York United States | 12/01/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Danny Kalb was a great blues guitarist and vocalist when he received his first accolades over 40 years ago. As he says in a recent interview in Fretboards Magazine, he's been through a lot since then -- but like vintage wine, his music has only improved. Kalb's new trio is probably his finest group since The Blues Project of 1960s fame. And this CD is a gem of musicality and powerful expression, which showcases many sides of the "life he sings about." Eloquent acoustic finger-picking, scorching electric blues, vocals with great phrasing and emotional conviction, Willie Dixonish acoustic bass by Bob Jones (also a great guitarist in his own right); dynamic, "in the pocket" drumming by Mark Ambrosio (who also produced the sessions); and as an added treat, some tasty harmonica licks by Danny's brother, Jonathan Kalb. This CD is a milestone recording."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1