Forever Blue

Chuck Leavell | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 24, 2001)
• Original Release Date: April 24, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Terminus Records
• Copy Protected
• ASIN: B00005MPQM
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,726 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #98 in Music > Blues > Piano Blues

Track Listings

1. Forever Blue

2. Song For Amy

3. Blue Rose

4. Comin' Home

5. Ashokan Farewell

6. A Lotta Colada

7. Just Before Dawn

8. Walk A Little Closer

9. Higher Ground

10. Georgia On My Mind

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Chuck Leavell admits to three passions: his family, his tree conservation, and his music. A bluesman to the core who's worked with the Allman Brothers Band, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Gov't Mule, the Georgia-based piano player touches the hearts of listeners here with solo performances of mostly original material. The title song pleases with Leavell's improvisations on blues sequences, his references to the history of blues piano tied together with an impressive craftsmanship. Genre-bender "A Lotta Colada," which he originally wrote for his blues-rock-jazz group Sea Level, displays even more of his creative musical mind. Leavell's "Song for Amy" points to the sunny jazz piano of Vince Guaraldi, and his ardor for life comes across most effectively on his Crescent City-directed boogie takeoff on the gospel staple "Walk a Little Closer." --Frank-John Hadley

Billboard, June 9 2001

Leavell steps out with his first collection of tunes for solo piano. Throughout, Leavell's technique is flawless and performances inspired

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just 88 keys, but a lot of soul.., September 4, 2002

By 

spiral_mind (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever Blue (Audio CD)

According to Chuck's liner notes, Forever Blue's opening title track was a quick improvisation he dashed off while the engineer was setting up to record. It's a simple basic blues tune, but brightly performed with some spirited embellishments and a light overall playfulness. This sets the tone for the rest of the record nicely; it's not groundbreaking, but it doesn't try to be anything other than 37 minutes of fun ivory-tickling. Never mind the grim bleakness of the cover, it's quite a cheerful little gem. We've got some upbeat boogie ("Walk a Little Closer"), some Southern gospel ("Higher Ground"), and a few beautiful meditative moments made for quiet reflection. And for mood-lifting sunniness, the joyous "A Lotta Colada" stands out as the brightest offering here. As his history (Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones) attests, Chuck's musical personality is permanently tied to the blues, but the blues aren't always meant to be sad. This shows the joyful side of the coin, and it's one of the nicest quaint treasures I've discovered in a good long time. I'll be getting some mileage out of this.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best solo piano recording in ages, August 23, 2001

By 

CAL (Macon, Ga. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever Blue (Audio CD)

What a refreshing thing for the ears! Leavell has put together a diverse and satisfying set of tunes that gets better with every listening. The styles range from melodic to latin to boogie, all with a thread of the blues (thus the title). This is a classic, and if it doesn't get a grammy, there is no justice! Buy more than one copy! CAL

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like piano, you will LOVE this CD!, July 24, 2002

By 

Joseph V. Montoro (Saint Augustine, fl United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forever Blue (Audio CD)

When you hear this album you will have a hard time beliving this is solo piano. It is not what you might expect. Not rock based but blues, jazz and N'orleans styles. It is more than the hard piano rifts from Sea Level and Gov't mule. Totally entertaining! So enjoyable you'll want to go out and "spread the word". Chuck is a master and I hope he does more solo work.