Brad “Guitar” Wilson – Boundless
This set is saturated with originals & near-blues classics. Brad Wilson (guitars/lead vocals) tries his hand at bluesifying songs, not originally blues. There are 16-tracks to Boundless (Drops July 31/Cal Bee Music/66:07) produced by Grammy Award winner Francis Buckley (synth bass/percussion) & recorded in studios in CA & Brussels, Belgium.
The B.B. King classic “The Thrill is Gone” isn’t as raw as the original but has a smooth Wilson vocal, warm, palatable playing on lead guitar & piano. The bluesy absorption through the arrangement allows the song to take on a new life. It’s a good reinterpretation but doesn’t add any new luster to the original.
Percy Mayfield’s classic “Hit the Road Jack,” a hit for Ray Charles, is creative. Wilson sings with a bit more attitude. Good backup. Wilson applies snazzy leads & delivers a fanciful vocal. Whereas “Everybody Wants To Rule the World,” the old Tears For Fears hit, has a slick guitar lead, is well played & sung, but the song is superficial. Does it belong on a blues album? No. And “Wild & Free” is a bit too much Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The original songs from what I assessed have sparkling musicianship but are more “commercialized” than a serious attempt to recapture a deep blues tradition. “Sky Full of Rain” is one of the better originals. Others are threaded with cliches despite skillful playing. Wilson’s “Gonna Stay Or Go” & “Living Underground are savory & fortified Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes in style.
Some of Brad’s songs late in the LP are more mainstream with stinging blues guitar. Wilson has a good blues voice…it simply doesn’t work on all songs. However, “Between the Hours” has a cool Alvin Lee & Ten Years After indulgence. “Blues Magic” not so much. No bite but nice blues licks. “Cry Me a River” has excellent piano & bluesy guitar, but Wilson’s voice is melodramatic. Should be soulful.
There’s no juke joint blues dust here. Mr. Wilson’s more of a blues entertainer. He plays sharp but doesn’t signify having lived a blues life. The music & the image should display a character on a level field. The music suggests it; the artist’s image falls short. The CD graphics are a hair-band in tradition. Blues legitimacy should be extended to the “look” of the artist. Lose the sunglasses & jewelry. Is Mr. Wilson a blues artist or a new Bon Jovi? See what I mean? Gotta choose a path. Stick with the blues, just double down on the gutsiness & abandon the formulas.
Highlights – “The Thrill is Gone,” “Gonna Stay Or Go,” “Hit the Road Jack,” “Living Underground,” “Let’s Dance Tonight,” “Sky Full of Rain,” & “Between the Hours.”
Musicians – Toto Poznantek, Chris Ross & Adam Gust (drums), Chris Rhyne, Luca Catalfamo & Frankie Vriens (keys), Hal Cragin, Brian Beal & Fabrizo Erba (bass), Paulina Campos & Valerie Chanelle (bgv).
CD image courtesy of Elfi Kluck. CD @ https://bradwilsonlive.com/