Alex Shultz – Think About It (Severn Records).

Guitarist Alex Shultz has brought together a plethora of top performers for this album which was, in his own words, “a labor of love”. Guest vocalist Finis Tasby is first up on the opener, Done Got Over It, which is a smooth blues that drifts off into jazz with Shultz’s guitar, Alberto Marsico’s Hammond and Mando Dorame’s sax to the fore. Lynwood Slim takes over vocal duties for Be Good, Be Gone, a jive song that harks back to 50s America and it’s already becoming obvious that Alex sets himself on the jazz side of the blues. Let’s Start Again features yet another singer. This time it’s Tad Robinson and he, like those who have gone before, gives a rounded performance. This has a big band feel (without the big band!) as Alex continues to work on the fringes of the blues. Shultz comes up with some slow, sweet moves on Big Time which is an instrumental to close your eyes and drift away to. Acoustic guitar makes an appearance for the first time on I Don’t Want Your Money Honey. This is jazz club fare and even Lynwood Slim fails to ignite it. Think is 12 bar blues of the highest standard and Shultz shows that he can do it on this, the best song so far. It’s no coincidence that Finis Tasby returns on vocal.

Act Right is another example of Alex’s jazzy blues but I sense a lack of edge to his music. That edge does surface a little on the fast paced, guitar led instrumental Lexington Express. I Love The Woman is a slow Chicago blues and is the real deal. There’s a strong vocal from Finis Tasby and an excellent guitar performance from Alex – a highlight. No Use Knocking is good time music that will have your feet tapping whereas Who Will The Next Fool Be is deathly slow with Tad Robinson’s voice wracked with emotion. This should push your buttons. The instrumental, Rhumba & Orange, as the name suggests is a rhumba but it leaps off into a big bad blues with excellent exchanges between guitar and horns. Alex closes with Walkin’ And Talkin’ which re-introduces Finis Tasby’s fine voice but it may be a strange one to end with although it does build throughout the song.

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Copyright David Blue 2006.