Album review: RICHARD ROZZE – Lion
Pete Feenstra chatted to Richard Rozze for his show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, playing tracks from ‘Lion’. First broadcast 10 December 2023.
Waterbound [Release date 29.09.23]
Richard Rozze’s ‘Lion’ album finds the Kent based story teller counter balancing lyrical introspection with musical ebullience.
He’s a skilful guitarist who lets his tones colour the tracks as part of a new take on the power trio format, in which he uses subtlety, feel, real emotion and dynamics instead of simply power.
At his best he’s Peter Green, as on the haunting solo of ‘Go It Alone’, or Eric Johnson meets Pat Metheny on the more complex ‘Living Man’, which shifts from an opening Stonesy riff into a mellifluous piece.
Above all, he lets the melody breath, while his neo-Nick Drake vocal hovers over a song which regains its equilibrium via a return to a repeated riff anchored by an intuitive rhythm section.
Then there’s the very 70’s sounding shuffle instrumental called ‘Sovereign,’ which reminds me Steely Dan in general and Larry Carlton and Wes Montgomery in particular.
He’s equally good on the later instrumental ‘Prana’, filled by unison guitars, a dirt toned solo and percolating rhythms which perfectly combine to evoke the life force meaning of the Sanskrit title.
There are many salient influences here, but he defines his own DNA in the way his musical arrangement are an extension of his narratives. Then there are also the unexpected moments of contrast, as on the Kossoff style opening riff of ‘The River’ (think Free’s ‘Mr. Big’), which is then transformed into subtly crafted meandering musical journey.
He tops it all with a sonorous sub-Jackson Brown vocal and a second bigger clean-toned solo framed by distant chimes. The concluding fluid solo into the fade is the perfect metaphor for his own lyrics: “If you go down to the river, where it flows so deep, so wide and true, through distant lands, from the mouth to its end, a river that flows through me and through you.”
As if to highlight his occasional dichotomous approach, ‘Lion’ is a song that doesn’t immediately connect with the notions of power and strength which you might expect from a title track, though he certainly has the courage to slip into a smouldering groove with a fragile voice which wraps itself round some philosophically tinged poetic lyrics: “See the lion hear him roar, stand with pride for evermore, he wont be silenced or cast aside, or be crucified.”
There’s almost a touch of Neil Young as the repeated chorus gives way to a slow building solo before going back to the hook again.
The cornerstone of the album is both the relaxed interplay between former Tull and Gary Moore drummer Jonathan Noyce and bassist Simon Lea (Ronnie Wood/Jamie Cullum) who lay down a succession of grooves, while Rozzo’s tremulous vocal draws us into a song with far more possibilities than you might imagine.
On the downside he has a limited vocal range, but is smart enough to build interesting arrangements which never ask too much of himself.
Listen for example to ‘Forgotten’, a slice of Americana with a jazz opening and some understated phrasing which shines just enough light on the beguiling lyrics: “There are times that I’ve forgotten, there are thoughts that I once knew, please don’t let them be forgotten I will follow you.”
There’s a similar understated feel to the sparsely arranged ‘Here On The Ground’. The song spotlights his sinewy timbre and clarity of diction while a final emotive solo evokes the spiritual quest to be found at the heart of the album: “Here on the ground’ I will be found, there will be something to show me the way. Out of the rain begin again there will be something to show me the way.”
It’s also one of several moments when the trio coalesces seamlessly.
He book-ends ‘Lion’ with another strong opening riff on ‘Voice of the Wind’ which much like ‘The River’ leads to a contrasting undulating melodic sweep.
The song is well suited to his airy vocal which does indeed sound as if it’s being carried by the wind.
His concluding niftily picked solo taps into the same uplifting feel which glues together an album that refreshingly brings rock-blues, folk, funk and jazz elements to bear on his exploration of the human psyche.
You might call it tapping into the inner wisdom of a lion, which would bring us full circle. ****
Review by Pete Feenstra
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
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