Monday, January 11, 2010

Bernard ALLISON - Across The Water 2000


Bernard ALLISON - Across The Water 2000

Blues

With Bernard Allison following the North Mississippi Allstars and Susan Tedeschi onto its roster, Tone-Cool has become home to the blues' most exciting young talents. Like his dad, the late Chicago guitar hero Luther Allison, Bernard likes to mix his music with rock and soul. This CD starts with a burst of uptempo funk ("The River's Rising") and quickly passes through six-string metallurgy ("I Just Came Back to Say Goodbye," with it's ZZ Top rhythmic bedrock and squealing guitar), Johnny Taylor-style ballads (like the Malaco-perfect "Work It Out"), and other permutations. Although Allison's voice possesses a serviceable simplicity, it's his guitar that really sings, chorus after chorus packed with keening wah-wah and daredevil bends. It's also full of down-to-the-bone blues runs, like the solo that tags the funky "Higher Love." Allison shows some Texas sting, too, especially on a Stevie Ray-style guitar epic called "I've Been Down," which should produce fireworks live.
By Ted Drozdowski. AMG.
**
Rock, funk, and straight-ahead blues are all covered with ease on Across the Water, guitarist Bernard Allison's first release on the Tone-cool label. Allison is the son of blues guitarist Luther Allison and while the blues was a constant in his early listening, the rock and funk influences of his generation also played a natural part in his musical upbringing. Allison employs producer Jim Gaines who has worked with Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Albert Collins, helping to achieve the right blend of musical influences without getting away from the blues focus.
By Al Campbell. AMG.
**
Bernard Allison- (Vocals, Electric & Slide Guitars);
Paul Diethelm- (Guitar, Dobro);
Jim Spake- (Sax);
Joe Mulherin- (Trumpet);
Bruce McCabe- (Piano, Keyboards);
Ernest Williamson- (Hammond B-3 Organ, Tambourine);
Mike Vlahakis- (Keyboards, Tambourine);
Kim Yarbrough, David Smith- (Bass);
James Knowles- (Drums);
Willaim Brown, Jackie Johnson, Reba Russell- (Background Vocals).
**
01. The River's Rising 3:46
02. Meet Me Half Way 3:57
03. I Just Came Back To Say Goodbye 3:47
04. I Want To Get You Back 3:48
05. Love Is Free 5:37
06. Coming Back (Across The Water) 4:40
07. Change Your Way Of Living 4:13
08. Feels Kinda Funny 3:21
09. Work It Out 5:34
10. There's No Higher Love 4:09
11. I've Been Down 6:39
**
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1 comment:

  1. Hi Steve! I can't d/l the Bernard Allison album ... is there something missing?

    ReplyDelete