Oct 2023 Willie J Laws Jr. “Too Much Blues”
Artista / Grupo: Willie J Laws Jr.
Álbum: “Too Much Blues”
Discográfica: Pilot Light Records / Frank Roszak
Año publicación: 2023
Fecha crítica: 10/2023
Valoración: VERY GOOD
Sitio web: http://www.frankroszakpromotions.com
Following in the footsteps of guitar players like T-Bone Walker, Albert King or Lightnin’ Hopkins among others and, with Phillip Walker as a mentor, Willie J. Laws Jr. appears as one of the outstanding Texas blues heirs, style he cleverly combines with rhythm & blues, funk blues, soul or country. Along his career, he has received several awards, besides reaching the semifinals at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. He has also toured nationally and internationally, including three tours over Russia invited by the American Consulate in St. Petersburg.
This last recording gathers twelve songs, most of them Willie’s own compositions, inviting listeners to a varied long journey to what we could name “Texas soul” now quite fashionable, that collects influences from all the just mentioned styles. Willie J. Laws Jr. is totally convincing on vocals and guitar, backed by a cast of excellent musicians like Brooks Milgate on keyboards, Dave Johnson on bass and Justin Blackburn on drums. You will also find some special collaborations like Erik Lawrence on baritone, tenor and alto sax, Mark Berney on trumpet, Mike Machaby on steel guitar, some backing vocals by Siobhan Magness and Amalia Ververis and the stellar appearances of Jerry Portnoy on harmonica and Paul Nelson on slide guitar.
In short words, a more than interesting album of “funky-soul-disco-blues”, performed with reliability by Wille J. Laws and all the musicians involved in the recording.