Tad Robinson – Soul In Blue
This is another veteran blues harmonica man who reaches out with his newest blues excursion & he’s true to the tradition. He returns to where he started at the Delmark label & debuted in 1994. Tad is one of the blues artists who skillfully negotiates a pinch of soul into his program. If it were 1962, I’d say R&B, which it is, but today’s R&B doesn’t seem to represent accurately the music of artists like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Gloria Lynne & Lou Rawls. So, we’ll call it soul blues to stay contemporary.
There are 10 strokes from Tad’s musical brush that create Soul In Blue (Dropped May 2/Delmark Records/42:48) produced by Tad with Elbio Barilari & recorded in Indianapolis & Chicago. Tad Robinson (vocals/harmonica) doesn’t always dig deep into traditional blues, & that’s alright since many artists provide that luxury. I find his soul-blues possesses more mainstream fumes & the music is still traditional in the Chicago sense.
The flavors are a little more diversified. The net can be thrown out a little further, subject-wise. As found on “Keep It In the Vault,” which opens the showcase with a cool Steve Cropper coherency that spills from Tomi Leino’s distinctive guitar. Tad’s warm, penetrating vocals are quite the contrast. The slower blues balladry of the more cliché-oriented “Out of Sight & Out of Mind” deposits more well-defined lead guitar laid out steamy & fine. Vocally, Tad applies a somewhat Boz Scaggs edge to the proceedings.
Tad’s vocals are soulful on a few songs as he sings straight with a minimum of blues inflection. Songs may sound closer to the work recorded in Muscle Shoals with Tad’s mix of blues & dashes of soul. But he also takes stabs at funkiness effectively with “(I’m) Down To My Last Heartbreak.”
With this effort, he runs a finger across the edge of Motown, a more soulful commercial twist. The lead guitar adds a touch of wah-wah — quite nostalgic. Then comes “Deeper Than You Think,” & Tad returns to a Booker T & the MGs groove. “It’s Private Tonight” shakes up the Jackie Wilson, Chuck Jackson bottle. Deliciously arranged.
Highlights – “Keep It In the Vault,” “Out of Sight & Out of Mind,” “(I’m) Down To My Last Heartbreak,” “Deep Than You Think,” & “It’s Private Tonight.”
Musicians – Paul Holdman (guitar), Kevin Anker (keys), Brian Varde (drums), David Murray (bass) with the Delmark All-Stars: Roosevelt Purifoy Jr. (organ), Pooky Styx (drums), Larry Williams (bass), Carlos Showers & Mike Wheeler (guitars) with special guests: Alberto Marsico (keys), Steve Gomes & Brandon Meeks (bass), David Specter (guitar), Alex Schultz (guitar/bass), Chris Vitarello (rhythm guitar), Mark Buselli (trumpet), Rich Cohen (tenor sax), Geraldo De Oliveira (congas), Devin B. Thompson & Lorie Smith (bgv).
CD cover image courtesy of Rich Voorhees & color image from Tad’s Facebook. CD @ Apple Music + https://tadrobinson.com/ & https://delmark.com/2025/04/tad-robinson-soul-in-blue-exciting-new-blues-soul-recording-his-first-as-a-leader-on-delmark-since-98-with-a-much-anticipated-return/