Jeff Healey – Mess Of Blues (Ruf Records).
Jeff Healey was one of the most distinctive guitarists of my generation and I was sad to hear of his recent passing after bravely battling against cancer. It is all the more sad as this album, his first blues/rock album in eight years, was due to be released within three weeks of his all too early death. He is backed on the album by Dave Murphy on keyboards, Alec Fraser on bass, Dan Noordermeer on guitar and Al Webster on drums, a line-up that Healey called “the best damned bar band in Canada”. Mess Of Blues is a compilation of standards, some live, that have been part of his show over the years. I’m Torn Down is live and what he did best – a scorching blues. This is how to remember him and parts of his solo just melt together. You don’t really have to do too much to How Blue Can You Get. However, there are more notes than BB King and keyboards get a big slice. Live again. Sugar Sweet is a funky blues with a fuzzed guitar solo and Jambalaya is upbeat Creole with superb guitar. There is a good version of The Weight but it just lacks the original feel and Levon Helm’s vocal can never be recreated. A classic song nonetheless.
Mess O’ Blues is played in a barrelhouse style. It’s been recorded by many from Elvis to The Quo and this one tends towards Elvis. It’s Only Money is high paced boogie/rock n roll. I would have loved Jools Holland on this although pianist Dave Murphy (who Healey said is “undoubtedly the finest keyboardist I’ve ever worked with) does the job exceptionally well. He also takes on vocal duties here but Healey steals the show yet again with his scorching guitar. Like A Hurricane is one of my all time favourites and this is a very good version but it does lack a bit of the originals impact. He does stamp his own personality on it though and his guitar work goes without saying. Sitting On Top Of The World is the classic blues. This is a driving version with a good piano break and marvellous guitar. A boogie-woogie version of Shake Rattle & Roll finishes things off.
This album is as good an epitaph to a great guitarist as there can be.
http://www.rufrecords.de/
David Blue.
Jeff Healey was one of the most distinctive guitarists of my generation and I was sad to hear of his recent passing after bravely battling against cancer. It is all the more sad as this album, his first blues/rock album in eight years, was due to be released within three weeks of his all too early death. He is backed on the album by Dave Murphy on keyboards, Alec Fraser on bass, Dan Noordermeer on guitar and Al Webster on drums, a line-up that Healey called “the best damned bar band in Canada”. Mess Of Blues is a compilation of standards, some live, that have been part of his show over the years. I’m Torn Down is live and what he did best – a scorching blues. This is how to remember him and parts of his solo just melt together. You don’t really have to do too much to How Blue Can You Get. However, there are more notes than BB King and keyboards get a big slice. Live again. Sugar Sweet is a funky blues with a fuzzed guitar solo and Jambalaya is upbeat Creole with superb guitar. There is a good version of The Weight but it just lacks the original feel and Levon Helm’s vocal can never be recreated. A classic song nonetheless.
Mess O’ Blues is played in a barrelhouse style. It’s been recorded by many from Elvis to The Quo and this one tends towards Elvis. It’s Only Money is high paced boogie/rock n roll. I would have loved Jools Holland on this although pianist Dave Murphy (who Healey said is “undoubtedly the finest keyboardist I’ve ever worked with) does the job exceptionally well. He also takes on vocal duties here but Healey steals the show yet again with his scorching guitar. Like A Hurricane is one of my all time favourites and this is a very good version but it does lack a bit of the originals impact. He does stamp his own personality on it though and his guitar work goes without saying. Sitting On Top Of The World is the classic blues. This is a driving version with a good piano break and marvellous guitar. A boogie-woogie version of Shake Rattle & Roll finishes things off.
This album is as good an epitaph to a great guitarist as there can be.
http://www.rufrecords.de/
David Blue.
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