The Bluesers 2006 Shut The Front Door

Genre: Blues
Rate: 192 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:30:19
Size: 41,67 MB

From Toronto, a hotbed of musical releases lately, comes The Bluesers, comprised of almost a single, and as far as we can tell immediate, family. Notable is the wide range of ages, but not enough to be trivial. The results of preservation and continuing interest has made the pleasures of blues performance available to people of just about all ages, races, creeds, colors. To see the photos of Chris Cotton, lead guitar, John Cotton on bass and drummer Mike Cotton Jr. striking a pose or playing their instruments, it’s clear many people express blues today.

All material on their disc Shut The Front Door is original. Chris was age 13 during recording and was the youngest performer at the 2006 International Blues Competition in Memphis, as well as the North By Northeast Showcase. The hot guitarist was also written up in the Toronto Star after he opened for Dr. John and Phil Guy at the ‘05 Windsor Blues Fest. He’s a vocalist too, but not listed as such on this disc.

Add to the Cotton clan Mike Branton, who apparently organized the band. He plays second rhythm guitar and is in excellent voice as the sole vocalist. Finally there’s “Alex” Hagopian’s harmonica. His playing is technically dazzling, as is the budding lead guitarist Chris Cotton, while drummer Mike Cotton Jr. sounds quite mature. But there is overplay in some places, inadequate groove in others, overriding what only seasoned experience provides. For what is probably patriarchal credit, the CD is dedicated to the memory of John H. Cotton. For other assumed leading family figures, let’s imagine the curmudgeon pictured on the cover, but a better bet would be the proud-yet-humble appearing John Cotton presiding over the younger players on the back.

The recording sounds homemade, which is a soulful positive in blues character. Instrumentation is definitely urban, the variety of tempos, rhythms (including two-beat and funk) and chord structure are a good mix. The opening track, “It’s A Pity,” is being distributed as a single for radio. A technical glitch seems to have duplicated track four again as track eight, with only seven on the playlist. Two tracks are standouts, the calypso “Harder Look At You” and slow Hendrix-ish “By Your Bedside,” and earn a B+ individually. Overall the CD feels B-. For more go to www.thebluesers.com (Tom Coulson Broadcaster/Musician)



Tracklist:

01 - It's A Pity 03:36

02 - Harder Look At You 03:06

03 - Ac Boogie 02:52

04 - The Bottom 05:55

05 - Funk Thing 04:17

06 - By Your Bedside 04:31

07 - E Jam 06:02





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