Take It To The Bridge [Release date 30.09.22]

The Boneshakers ‘One Foot In The Groove’ is an intuitive old school album forged by Detroit funk and Memphis soul that taps right into the current soul renaissance that has permeated the American independent record industry.

Together with producer John Wooler, with whom they signed and originally worked with in 1997, the soulful ‘One Foot Into The Groove’ brings together 8 covers and a brace of rather good originals.

‘In truth’, the album takes its time to fully reveal itself while dipping into the past as well as uncovering some contemporary songs worthy of The Boneshakers treatment.

Julian Burdock’s exclamatory ‘I Am The Blues’ is a good example of contemporised blues with a memorable opening verse:

“I am the moan of suffering women, I am the groan of dying men, I am the last one to start, But I’m the first one to begin.”

More significantly it provides the moment when Blues Hall Of Fame inductee and vocalist Jenny Langer (last heard with Moonshine Society, and previously with Ron Holloway Band) explores her natural range and phrasing.

The interpretive nature of the album helps us savour the sum of its parts. The parts in this case are the cool rhythm section of bassist Nathan Brown and Sergio Gonzales on drums, the exuberant Texacali horns featuring Joe Sublett on sax and trumpeter Mark Pender, keyboard player Jon Gilutin, Randy Jacobs wah-wah and tone friendly expressive guitar and the vibrant vocals of Jenny Langer.

They collectively uncover a patina of timeless soul related songs which on balance work better as part of a de facto album, rather than individually downloaded tracks.

Listen for example, to the Was/Was/Dylan penned opener ‘Mr. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’, which nearly asks too much of Langer’s vocal, until producer Wooler cleverly fattens the sound with subtle bv’s leading to a potent hook.

The outro also leaves just enough room for two suggestive solo’s to draw the listener in.

Jenny Langer is far more relaxed on Sophie Baudry’s ‘Ice Cream & Cigarettes’ which evokes a Bill Withers feel.

The choice of ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’ as a single is a long shot, albeit the slide, pumping horns and beefy vocals do bring fresh impetus.

The previously mentioned ‘I Am The Blues’ would have been a better choice, both in terms of originality and to offer an insight into the band’s ability.

The only real reservations about this album concerns the sequencing and the fact the band only give themselves two originals.

This is all the more vexing given the Randy Jacobs superb closer ‘Powerful Notions’. It could have been placed earlier in the album, even though it delivers a climactic finish and one that will doubtless have listeners reaching for the repeat button.

That said, it’s simply one of the best songs on the album and brings out the band’s true paying style. The double tracked vocals and fattened sound is far more organic than much of what has gone before.

It also provides everything a blues, funk and soul album aims for and only a perfunctory finish robs us of the full substance of a great groove.

The Randy Jacobs and Jenny Lang co-write ‘Big Leg Man’ offers a big clue as to the band’s name, as Langer attacks the lyrics with gusto, while Jacobs adds the requite edgy guitar squalls.

Perhaps the most ambitious cover here is the Donnie Fritts penned title track. The Boneshakers transform the original intimate acoustic and organ arrangement into something more powerful, which is also given a brief Jacobs wah-wah break on a notable example of less is more.

If ‘Powerful Nations’ is a standout track, the best cover here is the Bernard Flower/Jenny Langer duet on William Bell’s Stax classic ‘ I Forgot To Be Your Lover’. Denuded of its original string arrangement, the focus here is on the visceral duet and the sonorous horns.

Everything gels together seamlessly at the 2 minute mark on the back of Randy’s uplifting guitar break. It’s a memorable moment when the band coalesces magnificently to send a shiver down your spine. Soulful moments are made of this. ****

Review by Pete Feenstra

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)