David Deacon - Four

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2023
Time: 45:58 
Size: 105,8 MB 
Label: Self-Released
Styles: Roots Rock/Blues
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. No Never Mind - 3:01
 2. Arc of Life - 3:17
 3. Rising Up Again - 5:08
 4. California Has No Winter - 4:35
 5. Poetry - 4:13
 6. Only in Her Dreams - 3:52
 7. Simplify - 5:38
 8. Jane - 7:05
 9. Hard Time - 4:49
10. Waving Free - 4:15

You often find that when musical veterans with a certain pedigree get together it all goes horribly wrong. And the Puppies certainly have a pedigree. Alan Glen was a member of The Yardbirds between 1996 and 2003 and has also recorded with Nine Below Zero, Little Axe, Dr Feelgood, Alannah Myles and numerous others. Jim Mercer has worked with Paul Lamb & The Kingsnakes, Pinetop Perkins and Muddy Waters. Dino Coccia has session credits with Andy Shepard, Patrick Moraz and Grace Jones and live shows with Jo-Ann Kelly, Homesick James and Lowell Fulson. John O'Reilly has worked with The Blues Engineers and The Big Town Playboys. Finally, Dave Briggs has performed with Scotty Moore, D.J.Fontana and Sonny Burgess. Frankly you couldn't get a much better CV than these guys.
Now bearing in mind how badly this could have turned out, it gives me great pleasure to say that it's a joy from beginning to end. If you like white boy blues then you're going to lap this up. Mixing up originals as well as classics from Taj Mahal and T-Bone Walker amongst others, this is the perfect soundtrack to the blues basement party in your head. The best covers are the Mississippi Fred McDowell track, “61 Highway” and G.L. Crockett's “Man Down There”, with the instrumental title track being the winner amongst the original material. As well as the outstanding (and contrasting) guitar work from Alan Glen and John O'Reilly, the former also provides some splendid harmonica work. A joy from beginning to end, it's good to hear a band playing the music they love, the way they love. Highly recommended. /Stuart A. Hamilton

Four