Eddie 9V – Capricorn
Loaded with some well-stimulated tunes, the expressive Eddie 9V with his resourceful vocal with gallons of soul, spiced up with charges of sax, snarky lead guitars, greasy burger bass, tight drums & a pinch of Dr. John humid blues-funk (“Yella Alligator”) – unleashes some imaginative stuff.
Some songs even dive deep as Captain Beefheart did on his Bluejeans & Moonbeams LP (that few Beefheart fans liked but it was an LP that proved Beefheart could sing straight & soulfully with a deep-fried voice).
This collection is not innovative. What it does is take something that’s already classic like Sam & Dave, Joe Tex, Jerry Knight & squeeze out more drops of soul as if Stax-Volt Records mixed the brew. Every arrangement is solid & performed with a groove that slides & glides without falling. Deliciously soulful without being retro.
At times, Eddie 9V (Eddie 9 Volt) steps into the shadow of soul-crooners like Sam Cooke, & Angelo Bond with Arthur Conley-inspired horns. The vocals are exceptional & diverse. Each word sung with just the right intonation, phrasing & Ray Charles coloring. The man didn’t bring a box of influences he brought a trunk.
The 36-minute, 11-cut CD Capricorn (Drops Jan 27-Ruf Records) was recorded in Macon, GA at Capricorn Studios & produced by Lane Kelly (bass). Eddie 9V is 26 years old but sounds like he’s been singing soulfully for 50 years already. This is his 3rd CD & Eddie wanted it to sound old school.
While “How Long,” is filled with electricity “It’s Going Down,” & Bob Dylan’s “Down Along the Cove,” has a generous amount of Taj Mahal tradition & it’s superb. Each performer adds character to the music.
The gospel-tinged “Mary Don’t You Weep,” even features the band’s female vocalists in an expressive stimulating soulful spiritual swirl. No doubt Aretha Franklin & Otis Redding would approve. Not because the collection is good but because Eddie 9V has created something authentic, & genuine, in the spirit of an exciting era. A time that was theirs. And his band maintains it respectfully in 2023.
Musicians: Eddie 9V (vocals/guitars/bass/drums), Noah Sills (alto sax), Cody Matlock (rhythm guitar), Chad Mason (piano/Wurlitzer/Fender Rhodes/organ), Aaron Hambrick (drums), Dusty McCook (lead/rhythm, guitar), Leah Bell Fraser & Chelsea Shag (backing vocals), Tony Erice (conga/percussion), Spencer Pope (organ), Daniel Wytanis (trombone) & Justin Golding (baritone).
Highlights – “Yella Alligator,” “Bout To Make Me Leave Home,” “Are We Through,” “How Long,” “It’s Going Down,” “Tryin’ To Get By,” the fiery Dylan cover “Down Along the Cove,” & “Mary Don’t You Weep.”
Photos by Em Pearson & Julia Rae. CD @ Amazon & Bandcamp + http://wordpress.rufrecords.de/en/eddie-9v-e/