The continuing musical saga of bluesman
Ronnie Earl ventures further into jazz territory with this, his first release on the Verve imprint. As always,
Earl is ably and tightly backed by the Broadcasters, featuring solid and empathetic playing from drummer
Per Hanson, bassist
Rod Carey, and keyboardist and co-collaborator
Bruce Katz. It's Katz's "Hippology" that opens the album with a swinging bang, sporting guest appearances on alto sax from
Hank Crawford and
Allman Brothers alumni
Jaimoe on drums.
Crawford also shows up again on "Anne's Dream," while
Jaimoe joins
Marc Quinones for a two-drummer rhythm section guest turn on "Bonnie's Theme" and "Mother Angel."
Gregg Allman plays Hammond B-3 organ and contributes the album's only vocal on "Everyday Kinda Man." But guest stars aside, this is clearly
Ronnie Earl's show to direct, and his playing, as always, sports exquisite taste, economy, and tone for days. His nine-plus-minute soliloquy on
Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" (the only cover on this album) blasts the venerable jazz standard into new territory as
Earl's passages take on almost trumpet-like tonalities, while his "I Like That Thing You Did" (dedicated to
Jimmie Vaughan) creates an organ-like sound with tons of ultra-shimmering Leslie vibrato. Since adopting an all-instrumental format several albums back,
Earl's music has blossomed in a multitude of directions, embracing jazz, soul, and the rockier aspects of guitarists like
Carlos Santana (the title track) and
Peter Green ("Heart of Glass"), and bringing new life to the organ jazz combo format ("Deep Pockets") while remaining true to his deep blues roots, like in his closing tribute to
Albert Collins, "O'Yeah." This release pushes the envelope even further and breaks new ground, wrapped in the velvet glove of
Tom Dowd's production. ~ Cub Koda