SONNY LANDRETH: Bound By The Blues (BLUES): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Although he is used to playing with the greatest (Eric Clapton, John Hiatt, Gov't Mule, John Mayall, Mark Knopfler, ...) Sonny Landreth is so discreet that he would go almost unnoticed. His solo career is nevertheless worth taking an interest in because the prince of the slide has already offered some fifteen quality albums on which he sometimes doesn't hesitate to stray from the shores of the blues of his origins. In 2012, with "Elemental Journey", he offered an entirely instrumental work with a mystical atmosphere. The year 2015, however, sees him returning to traditional blues with a well-named "Bound By The Blues" that should leave a lasting impression.

In a trio format with his faithful David Ranson on bass and drummer Brian Brignac, the Canton (Mississippi) native offers a true demonstration of a blues with Cajun accents blossoming in his adopted Louisiana. The guitarist-singer alternates covers of standards of the genre with home-made compositions. This marriage is quite common in blues productions and the most difficult part of this exercise is to succeed in appropriating the covers without distorting them too much, but also to offer good personal tracks.

Robert Johnson's 'Walkin' Blues' opens the record in an energetic and luminous way. In addition to the usual numerous slide interventions, a muffled rhythm and the slightly veiled voice of the master who seems to finally assume his vocals. These three elements will be the main threads of this opus, giving it all its coherence and its endearing identity. Alongside a torrid 'It Hurts Me Too' (Elmore James) and a 'Cherry Ball Blues' (Skip James) with burning slide interventions, the compositions let appear some elements which make the originality and the quality of this album. The eponymous track is groovy, 'The High Side' is casual with country-folk accents, and the bewitching 'Where They Will' deserves to be listened to on the sunny highways, hair in the wind. For 'Firebird Blues', Sonny Landreth brings out a good old Gibson Firebird to offer an instrumental tribute to Johnny Winter and 'Simcoe Street' ends the trip with a hopping and catchy finale.

With 'Bound By The Blues', the resident of Breaux Bridge (Louisiana) offers a great blues album as he hadn't released one since 'The Road We're On' (2003). It also proves that this musical style is very far from the sclerotic image that some people like to attach to it. There are many ways to make blues and it is always possible to add a nice dose of personality to this music. That's what the greats like Sonny Landreth do, who reminds us that beneath his self-effacing tunes, he is indeed one of the boss of Louisiana blues. - Official website

SONNY LANDRETH

BOUND BY THE BLUES

PROVOGUE RECORDS

BLUES