Reckless and Blue – Seven Deadly Gins
These spirited blues by a veteran Colorado-based quintet playing since 2017 have 10 glasses served on their sophomore Seven Deadly Gins (Dropped Dec 21/Independent/42:16). Produced & recorded in Denver, CO by George Williams (guitar/vocals) & Brian Hunter.
The band has a darker edge than most & George Williams has a nice, optimistic tone on “Come Back.” His guitar is fairly standard but has an eloquence between its piercing notes & deeper tones. The musicians add varied spices from the creative drums to the guitar’s “wall of sound” as George sings with pained power & soulfulness.
Providing contrast (“Seven Deadly Gins”) is the newest member, Shaunda Fry (vocals), who adds a savory, bluesy circuitry, closer in tradition to Little Feat’s former female singer, Shaun Murphy, than, say, Janis Joplin, Brenda Patterson, or Genya Ravan. Shaundra has power, but from an authoritative position & not aggression. She doesn’t need fireworks because she’s got nitro.
George has a good bluesy balladry voice with incandescence on “Triflin’ Blues,” but it’s when Shaundra takes her verses that the song lights up with fluorescence. Together they shine on brightly. The band itself assures with its varied instrumentation & this quality is evident on “Don’t Expect Me,” with George’s finest vocal. Instead of singing words, George throws vocal tinsel over the branches of the composition. Somewhat in a Fabulous Thunderbirds tradition, it sparkles throughout.
“Burnin’ Daylight” (a phrase uttered by John Wayne in his film “The Cowboys”) has Ms. Fry smokin’ on a low blue pilot flame. Quite sultry in lyrical pronunciation, she conveys the waste of time with an economy of bluesy inflections. Slow twistin’, as Chubby Checker once sang decades ago, is rubbed into Ms. Fry’s exemplary voice & captures a noirish weave with a late-night blues expression.
George is more abrasive with “Can’t Give Me the Blues” — heavy on the throttle vocally — borders on the evocative voice of The Nails’ Marc Campbell (“Darkness Comes Uncivilized”). Not someone you’d want to meet in a dark alley late at night. Shaunda comes on effectively “blacker” in this tune. Heavy & decisive. Whereas, with “Shimmy Shakin’ Blues,” Shaunda’s in a different voice. She rocks with authority. Lots of Muscle Shoals soulfulness & Allen Anderson’s fine barrelhouse upright piano notes splash around her rollicking voice. Good, exciting tune.
Not a bad cookie on the tray. Good songs. Ms. Fry helps to keep the band in oil colors rather than just watercolors. George & Shaundra together lead to inspired blues.
Highlights – “Come Back,” “Seven Deadly Gins,” “Triflin’ Blues,” “Don’t Expect Me,” “Burnin’ Daylight,” “Can’t Give Me the Blues,” “Shimmy Shakin’ Blues,” & “If the Blues Was Whiskey.”
Musicians – Steve Gaskin (drums), Tom Dillard & Dutch Smith (bass), Annie Phillips, Ernie Martinez (bgv), Jeff Miguel (sax) & Derek Banach (trumpet).
CD photo courtesy of Sunny Lynn. CD @ Amazon & iTunes + https://recklessandblue.net/
