Search - Duster Bennett :: Bright Lights Big City

Best of British Blues

James L. Kenyon | Reno, NV | 01/01/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Duster Bennett was active in the British Blues scene of the 1960's when he recorded recording a series of singles and LPs for the Blue Horizon label (adopting the name Duster in place of his own Tony for obvious reasons). These original recordings feature great songs ("I'm Gonna Wind Up Ending Up or End Up Winding Up With You") presented simply. Duster plays all the instruments on some tracks (including a terrific live session) and gets help from his friends including Peter Green and the rest of Fleetwood Mac in sessions produced sympathetically by Mike Vernon. The soulful performances on these recordings have aged will over nearly 40 (!) years and I was happy to digitize my copy of the "Justa Duster" LP before it was worn smooth. Sadly, Duster died in an auto crash in 1976 and the Blue Horizon catalog has gone out of print. (Exceptions are the essential Complete Blue Horizon Sessions of Fleetwood Mac and a sampler). Until Sony/BMG and Mike Vernon get a reissue going, the only way to hear this wonderful artist is through the collections released originally on Indigo Recordings and the "best of" selection now available from Castle. These compilations were assembled with great care and attention from demos and rehearsal tapes as well as occasional studio and live out-takes that Duster left behind. The quality of the recordings ranges from fair on some of the home sessions (dating from the mid-sixties) to excellent on the out-takes but that is not the point here. The point is the music, the songs and performances that Duster left behind and the chance to spend some time listening to a talented young bluesman play the music that he loves. There is a lot of excellent stuff here with my favorites including "Blue River Rising", "Jumping at Shadows" (a live staple of the original Fleetwood Mac), "Bright Lights Big City", "It's a Man Down There", and "Love Me Like You Can". Two cuts merit special mention. The first is a version of the Beatle's "All You Need is Love" that is completely different but works. The second is Duster's quiet, soulful slide guitar performance of "Rock of Ages". So buy and enjoy these recordings and tell Mike Vernon and Sony/BMG to get in gear and reissue the Blue Horizon recordings."