Leonard "Lowdown" Brown - Blues Is Calling Me

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2023
Time: 33:21 
Size: 78,5 MB 
Label: Music Maker Foundation
Styles: Blues
Art: Front 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Juke Joint - 3:06
 2. Find a Bridge - 3:11
 3. French Quarter Woman - 2:11
 4. Can't Buy Time - 3:27
 5. Blues Make Me Feel Good - 4:23
 6. Lowdown's Blues - 2:38
 7. Let Me Live My Life - 3:37
 8. Take a Friend - 4:44
 9. Blues Is Calling Me - 2:57
10. You Gotta Move - 3:03

Leonard “Lowdown” Brown, waited until he was nearly 70 years of age before recording his debut album, but it is an album that is worth the wait.  The Arkansas native moved to Houston and was given his nickname by the organizers of the Benson and Hedges Houston Blues Festival.  While his name may seem unfamiliar to most, he has opened for some legends, including Johnny Taylor, ZZ Hill and Bobby Bland, and was recently featured at both the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival and the Baton Rouge Blues Festival.This debut album was made possible by the Music Maker’s Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to meeting “the day-to-day needs of the artists who create traditional American music, ensures their voices are heard, and gives all people access to our nation’s hidden music treasures. The Foundation’s talented drummer and producer, Ardie Dean, joins Brown on the album, along with “Microwave” Dave Galaher on guitar, Tony Grady on bass and Dan Hochner on keys and bass.What stands out immediately to listeners will be Brown’s soulful voice.  In addition, the pure, beautiful tone and effortless manner in which he plays guitar illustrates how less can be more.  Blues Is Calling Me opens with an inviting song about wanting to go to the juke joint to hear some lowdown blues.  Brown later does a bit of scat-singing in “Can’t Buy Time”, and the slow rolling song, “Blues Makes Me Feel Good” is the perfect example of how blues songs improve mood rather than causing sadness.  One of the best songs, “Let Me Live My Life,” offers a highly emotional vocal, noting, “I am what I am, and I do what I do.  I ain’t messin’ with no-one.  I ain’t messin’ with you!”  And, the title track leaves no doubt that, as stated in the song, Brown was born to play the blues and it is his destiny.  Brown used to sing in traveling gospel choirs when he was young, and that early influence can be heard in the moving conclusion to the album, “You Gotta Move”.  That song is the only track on the album not written by Brown, but he offers a unique arrangement of the classic gospel tune.There are really no weaknesses to Blues is Calling Me, and those who love traditional blues will be particularly enthusiastic about this album and will only regret not knowing of Leonard “Lowdown” Brown sooner.

Blues Is Calling Me