Roomful Of Blues
Watch You When You Go
Bullseye Blues & Jazz
The new CD finds New England•s favorite blues band travelling down a more soulful road. Led by the powerful vocals of Mac Odum, this decades old band (they formed in 1968) covers blues, R&B, a little rock, and a touch of jazz throughout these ten songs.
The CD kicks off with “Roll Me Over,” a full frontal assault of horns and guitar. The song maintains a groovy beat as Odum sings about his woman, who’s never too tired to fulfill his primal urges. The next songs come full of horns, mix in a little lounge drumming, and Buddy Guy style guitar jamming by Chris Vacon, who also produced the disc. Odum’s rich vocals are especially soulful and full of emotion as he continues singing about women, relationships and that sweet undercurrent of sex that laces throughout most of the songs.
The title track is a healthy stomp and roll, as Odum sings “I hate it when you leave me, but I love to watch you when you go.” “Over My Head” has a raunchy blues guitar snap a la Keith Richards, and the upbeat melodies can almost make this a pop song. Bouncy beats continue with “Backlash,” with its jump blues guitar. This instrumental is devoid of horns, giving it a classic strut feel. The CD does not let up on the soulful pieces. “Fair Weather Friend” is a strong R&B tune that plays like an old Motown hit. The CD closes with “Where•s Bubba?,” which has nothing to do with Southern redneck rock, but instead is a smooth jazz rendering.
Roomful Of Blues covers a lot of ground in these songs: jump, swing, jazz, soul, and R&B. Personally, I would have preferred more classic blues, like “Backlash”, but this is a band that keeps changing and keeps moving forward by expertly playing what they know. With each member change comes a new knowledge of a new sound. This time around, it’s more soul and swing than blues, but it’s done so professionally that I don’t think, most purists will mind.
Bullseye Blues & Jazz; http://www.rounder.com
