Chris Harper and Sharade Band - Blues Is My Life

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 2007
Time: 64:46 
Size: 148,4 MB 
Label: Self Released
Styles: Blues/Modern Electric Blues/ Harmonica Blues
Art: Full 

Tracks Listing:
 1. Sweet Honey Sunshine -  4:41
 2. You've Got Me Baby -  6:28
 3. Groove Machine -  4:54
 4. Help Me -  8:19
 5. Stormy Monday - 10:31
 6. Lie Lie Lie -  6:06
 7. I'm Checkin' Up on My Baby -  2:26
 8. Sweet Sixteen -  5:19
 9. Deep Blue Sky -  5:27
10. Blues Is My Life -  6:43
11. Soul Bossa Nova -  3:46

Musicians:
Chris Harper: harmonica, vocals
The Sharade Band:
Gianluca Barocelli - Sax
Stefano Moruzzi - Guitar
Giacomo Lauria - Keyboards 
Albano Castresei - Drums
Special Guests:
Billy Branch - Harp, Vocals
Chico Banks - Guitar, Vocals
Chicago Horns

Chris Harper is a typical blues harmonica player through and through. What he offers in terms of energy, savvy, and traditional styles based in the Chicago blues tradition is unquestionably literate and enjoyable. Harper sings in an unaffected, measured manner, neither over-the-top emotional, nor smooth and slickly attractive. It is his competent playing, choice of material, bandmates the Sharade Band (comprising Italians and Italian-Americans,) a little organ/chitlin' circuit groove, emphasis on horn charts, and veteran special guests that elevate this session above average. It's easy to pick the styles Harper is putting down, whether it is the rollin' and tumblin' flavored "Sweet Honey Sunshine," the mellow down easy sweet surrender tune "You've Got Me Baby," or the choogling "Blues Is My Life" with the rousing three-man horn section (featuring the great trombonist Bill McFarland) in a funky Saturday Night Live type fun funk. All of those cuts are penned by Harper, as is the outstanding slow instrumental "Deep Blue Sky," and the light funk post-put down "Lie Lie Lie." Wah-wah and psychedelic guitarist Chico Banks helps out on three tracks, including a ten-and-a-half minute epic take of "Stormy Monday," while the great Billy Branch adds a second harmonica voice to the classic "Help Me." The swinging big-shouldered "Checkin' Up On My Baby" is the shortest and sweetest track of the set, and is most firmly rooted in Chi-town blues. An Al Green cover "Sweet Sixteen" represents the Stax soul sound of Memphis with an Albert King twist, while the familiar but tame finale "Soul Bossa Nova" has Harper on his harmonica in place of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's flute, as heard on the original Quincy Jones take popularized through the Austin Powers films. One gaff though -- Jones composed this hit, not Bernard Purdie and Richard Tee as credited on this CD. Nonetheless, this is a fine effort for those who like their Windy City blues authentic and a tiny bit contemporized.

Blues In My Life