Zac Harmon – Floreada’s Boy
This blues grinder from Texas is an award-winning artist & it’s his third for Catfood Records. Zac performed for decades in juke joints in the South to stages worldwide. Unlike veteran blues singers Zac has a deep tone but not raw – closer to Keb’Mo & Taj Mahal than Muddy Waters. The sound has finesse, it’s well-defined yet not missing the element of the blues tradition & its soul counterpart.
Zac (vocals/lead guitar/bass) joined Christopher Troy (Hammond/Wurlitzer/Piano/Moog Bass/Drums/Vibraphone/horn arrangements) to produce these 12 tracks with an impressive array of musicians. This set perks like an old coffee pot on Floreada’s Boy (Dropped August 1/Catfood Records/Blues Foundation/54:51). Pronounced “Flo-Reeda” – Zac’s mother.
Zac manages to commercialize his blues a little to make it appeal to those who are not aficionados. “Fake News,” is a blues threaded with what became rock n’ roll. The guitar accentuates B.B. King’s style. It’s a challenge, with a nice aroma.
The tune with the most original & creative sound in an ancient genre like blues visits on “Glass Ceiling.” It even pumps in a few Archie Drell & the Drells fast strumming funky lines to hold the piece together as a superb lost Sly & the Family Stone-type tune. Excellent because it sounds different from everyone who thinks they know how to play the blues. Nice interplay. Had Jimi Hendrix lived I could see him cover a song like this.
“Stress,” is another dip into the hot Sly & the Family Stone pot. Good, despite the repetition, because it’s better than anything Sly did post-original Family Stone. The song “Let It Slide” has the soulful resonance of a 70s singer Angelo Bond (“Bondage”) who had this cool Sam Cooke expressive tone that at one time scored on the charts. But I believe with “That’s The Way I Feel About Cha,” a lovely romantic song, Zac is over-extending his diversity into a Barry White crafted arrangement — it doesn’t fit among these pieces.
However, “Big Dog Blues,” reeks of the ghost of B.B. King in Zac’s own lively & imaginative performance with slinky horns – quite a cool showcase. Everything’s back on track as it should be.
Highlights – “Babe & Ricky’s Inn,” “Fake News,” “Glass Ceiling,” “Let It Slide,” “Stress” & “Big Dog Blues.”
Musicians – The Drive: Corey Lacy (keys/bgv), Nate Robinson (bass), Gino Iglehart (drums) & Kingston Livingston (guitar). Guests: Caleb Quaye (electric-acoustic & slide guitars), Gregg Wright (acoustic guitar), Del Atkins, Buthel & Ricky Smith (bass), Jeffrey Suttles, Rayford Griffin & Lavell Jones (drums), B R Millon & Romeo Brune (guitars), Eddie Miller (keys), Munyungo Jackson (percussion), Mark Holding (string arrangement), SueAnn Carwell (lead & backup vocals), Carly Thomas Smith & Derrick Procell (bgv).
LA Horns: Les Kepics (trumpet), Jason Peterson Delair (alto sax), Chuck Phillips (tenor & baritone sax).
Texas Horns: Mark Kazanoff (tenor sax), John Mills (baritone sax) & Al Gomez (trumpet).
Color image courtesy of alain-hiot & Zac’s website. CD @ https://zacharmon.com/home