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Repertoire [Release date 13.02.24]
‘Sun On My Face’ could easily be a metaphor for the veteran British blues artist Dave Kelly, who in the slipstream of The Blues Band’s retirement, can now enjoy exploring the formative influences that have helped shape his enduring career.
This album is a musical journey routed in the blues, but never defined by it. His open ended approach and a combination of the past and present gives the album its subtle flow.
His natural bluesy approach is offset by salient country and folk influences, and is occasionally underscored by a funky undertow.
This is very much a song driven album which pushes his vocals to the centre of the mix and asks much of his range and flexibility. And while he doesn’t always quite have the vocal prowess to achieve his aim, he delivers enough emotional honesty and musical acumen to get inside the songs and attack them with a mixture of reverence and gusto.
Everything is glued together by an intuitive rhythm section comprising his two sons Homer on bass, and Sam on drums and percussion, while an array of guest including Lou Stonebridge (keys), Rob Millis (keys), Steve Simpson (fiddle), Paul Jones (harp), Pete Emery (guitar) and Dog Cox (dobro), add their own subtle colourful tones.
He opens with Cole Porter’s celebratory ‘Lets Do It, Let’s Fall In Love’ which acts as signifier of his intention to dip into the past, as well as innovate in the present. And this is particularly so on the bluesy brush strokes of John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home Country Road’,
The album simmers, percolates and ultimately resolves itself with the closing mission statement of ‘I’m Am The Blues’, an impressive groove-led Kelly/Stonebridge composition.
He’s very good on Tom Jans’s heartfelt ‘Lovin Arms’, which is given a sprightly band arrangement with an embedded slide.
It is perhaps surprising that he restricts himself to 5 songs, (3 of which are self penned), of which the reflective ‘Sun On My Face’ is a deserved title track.
In fact aside from a spirited version Arthur Crudup’s ‘Mean Old Frisco Blues’, which benefits from some lovely jangled band interplay and an overall lightness of touch, it’s the self penned material that stands out.
‘Them Ole Crossroads Blues’ is trademark story telling acoustic blues with an autobiographical bent. It references the formative South West London blues scene, with Tony McPhee in particular, as well as Dave’s sister Jo Ann and Bob Hall.
But he shows a different side of his song writing craft on the Caribbean tinged ‘Too Happy to Write’, with some wry lyrics about contentment, framed by a musical accompaniment that could be Brinsley Schwartz.
He’s very ambitious on the croaky rap and percussive funk of ‘From My Ass in Lagrasse’, a titular pun and poetic ode to the Occitane region of France.
The cleverly woven lyrics deserve an accompanying printed lyric sheet.
Dave sonorous voice is well suited to the bluesy ‘Georgia On My Mind’, which builds from a cool piano line to the full blown Hammond break.
He wisely let’s Hank Williams’ ‘I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You’ breathe, so that he can indulge himself in some country twang, nasal resonance and nuanced slide.
‘A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square’ opens wistfully and asks much of Dave’s vocal, but the song is subsequently given purchase by a subtle melange of harp, violin, Dobro and acoustic guitar.
He also revisits Smoky Robinson’s ‘My Girl’, a Dave Kelly Band live favourite.
An initial tentative feel is subsumed by some ethereal slide playing and deft piano, while he’s the exact opposite on a vibrant live version of ‘Ain’t Nothin’ In Ramblin.’
The acapella Scottish folk song ‘Tramps And Hawkers’ pushes the envelope still further, but once you get over the shock, you will immerse yourself in the moment.
The fact that he’s able to integrate such a stripped down effort and then return to the blues on the next track, says much about a versatile musician and his craft. ***½
Review by Pete Feenstra
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