Customer Reviews

Blues & Beyond

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. Heckstall-Smith is sometimes referred to as the father of the blues in England. Forty years ago, Heckstall-Smith joined John Mayall and his Blues Breakers as part of its legendary horn section and stayed on through most of the Jazz/Blues fusion period in the mid 70's. Heckstall-Smith recently rejoined Mayall for his excellent CD "John Mayall and Friends".

On this CD, Heckstall-Smith assembles some friends of his own including Mayall, former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, Led Zepplin's Paul Jones, the Legendary Peter Green, Jack Bruce and Clem Clemson. The result is an excellent production of 65 minutes of jazzy blues numbers. Even Muddy's "Rollin' and Tumblin'" is treated to an interpretation which is jazz infused. Ten original tunes, two interesting covers and lots of fun. If you are looking to broaden your blues collection, start here, you will be pleasently surprised. This is Brithish Blues at its finest.

I bought this CD on the strength of the list of guest musicians. Unfortunately, the best known appear on only one track each. It did take me quite a while to get into the music but now that I've heard the disc a dozen times or so, I find it to be about as good as I originally expected.
There is less of the blues and more of the jazz here but that does not detract. My favorite tracks are the hard-driving Watching Your Every Move which features some searing sax and guitar work and Hidden Agenda which is carried by Jack Bruce's otherworldly vocal style. Spooky But Nice offers some memorable guitar work by the legendary Mick Taylor. And throughout the CD, Heckstall-Smith's sax virtuosity is on display.
My only criticisms of the album are that it lacks direction and cohesion and that Mayall, Green, Taylor and Bruce were not more widely featured. Overall, Blues and Beyond is a fine effort well worth an encore.

Heckstall-Smith is a great sax player who has played in some of the most important and influential bands in rock and blues history. From Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, to the legendary Graham Bond Organization, to John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. He formed a lot of friendships from these great bands over the years, and on this album he brings a lot of those friends aboard for this very cool project. This is one heck of a reunion. The whose who here includes Peter Green, Jack Bruce, Mick Taylor, Paul Jones, and John Mayall among others. Experienced professionals all, and it shows in the music. Except for Muddy Waters "Rollin and Tumblin" and Helen Reddy's "Angie Baby", everything here is Heckstall-Smith originals. I don't think there is anybody out there who is better at blending together blues, jazz, and rock, with a little R&B, and making it work this good and sound this wonderful. Some of my favorite cuts here are: "Spooky But Nice", which features the tasty slide guitar of Mick Taylor. The very catchy "Milennium Blues" which features a mannish boy beat and some unusual rhythm changes that you don't hear everyday. And "Hidden Agenda", which features some very strong vocals by Jack Bruce. The only thing I would have hoped to hear more of here is for Smith to have used Peter Green and Bruce to do all the singing on here instead of just their 2 songs. Because the album suffers otherwise from weak vocals throughout. But that's the only knock I have on this very enjoyable CD. Fans of both jazz and blues should equally enjoy this. Because the main attraction here is still Heckstall-Smith. And his sax playing is outstanding throughout. Very classy stuff.

Well worth it. DHS' work here is loose-limbed and rollicking, with excellent help from his "friends". While the 2 most famous friends (Jack Bruce and Peter Green) are limited to 1 cut apiece, don't let that stop you. Clem Clempson's guitar work is tasty and the vocals, while not perfect, fit well with the music. Also, just a hint now and then of Colosseum (including 1 specific reference in the liner notes).

Well worth it. DHS' work here is loose-limbed and rollicking, with excellent help from his "friends". While the 2 most famous friends (Jack Bruce and Peter Green) are limited to 1 cut apiece, don't let that stop you. Clem Clempson's guitar work is tasty and the vocals, while not perfect, fit well with the music. Also, just a hint now and then of Colosseum (including 1 specific reference in the liner notes).

Dick Heckstall-Smith is known as a bluesman, but there is little blues here. Similar to John Lee Hooker's "The Healer" (despite winning a Grammy because of all the big names), this album has lots of star power, but little else. The most bluesey song is the first one, "Rollin' and Tumbling", credited to Muddy Waters who got it from Robert Johnson's "Preacher Blues". It goes downhill from there.

There are some excellent guest musicians here but they are for the most part under utilized. There needs to be a central theme, a distinct sound the main musician has (in this case Heckstall-Smith) that the album can wrap its arms around. By attuning the guest stars to the sound, a cohesion can be established. That doesn't happen here. Just having great stars isn't enough, there needs to be a foundation or the entire effort is top heavy, and that's what this album suffers from. The "Rainbow Concert" is an example of ample starpower getting together and having it work. Bonnie & Delaney's "On Tour" is another example of using the big names in an effort where the total exceeds the sum of its parts. This album never gets off the ground.

B for effort, C for execution.