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Rating: Blues is rich in great and immortal masters: Robert Johnson, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Albert Collins, BB King, Muddy Waters, Duane Allman, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray..
Do I need to continue?
Willie Dixon, Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, Gary Moore, Johnny Winter, T-Bone Walker..
You carry on.
The ranks of pivotal pillars of the genre are endless, and they include a certain Lonnie Brooks, father of the musician in question, Ronnie Baker Brooks, who began playing the guitar as a child and performing with his father's band in his teenage years, from 1986 onward, eventually playing solo in 1992, in New Orleans, before none other than Albert King, his great idol, from whom he received solid acclaim that convinced him to walk the path of blues on his own legs.
In 1998 he attempted the big leap, releasing his first album "Golddigger", a concentrate of the best school of blues mixed with rock, soul, country shades, and R&B, or "Power Blues" as he likes to define it, which quickly made him an icon on the Chicago Club circuit and one of the most promising talents globally.
Ronnie sees himself "predestined" to carry on the tradition of his father and his great predecessors, having thoroughly learned the lesson, boasting a guitar style of notable inventiveness, warm and precise touch, his hand follows like a shadow the deep soulful voice characteristic of any respected bluesman, opening the show and delivering to the large audience with "She's a Golddigger", an atmospheric intro and immediately the guitar begins to dance in a continuous solo, following the nuances of a captivating vocal line, with excellent support from the perfectly balanced powerful and sweet drumming by J. C. Tucker, accompanied by the pulsating bass of Carlton Armstrong.
Moving from the fiery soul/rock of "Turn A Bad Into A Positive", where the guitar replies note for note to the voice, it almost seems they speak to each other in continuous phrasing, the atmosphere calms down a bit in the subsequent classic shuffle blues of "Baby Please (Come Back Home)", where the keyboards of Steve Nixon start to make an appearance, although it's always Ronnie's six strings that dominate.
Following is the soft and smooth ballad "Where Do I Stand In Line", accompanied by female soul/gospel choirs, where the band shows full command of the instruments even in "soft" settings. They kick off again with the gripping groove of "Love Rebound", dual vocals, brass insertions, great work on the drums, especially the hi-hat, by J. C. Tucker. The journey continues in the vein of the most gut-wrenching blues with "Stuck On Stupid", where Ronnie makes his guitar dance, giving a nod to the one who set new, fiery rules for using the instrument.
After having properly presented all the qualities of the musicians in the previous tracks, the fusion is almost perfect in "You Make Me Feel So Good", while notable is Tucker's (always great) work in "Make These Blues Survive", showcasing his mastery and ease in this classic fast-paced rock/blues (and this is coming from someone who has persistently tried, but let's forget the results, to approach the drums starting from blues basics: to play such pieces you really need to have chops).
The foot continues to nervously tap the beat in the subsequent "Must've Been Bought", but more so in "Bad-headed Woman", where, even when dealing with slide technique, Ronnie is no joke.
More shivers with "Cry Baby Cry", before relaxing closure entrusted to the splendid acoustic and vocal "I'll See You Again".
Magnificent debut, a blues album as God commands.
An Artist to discover.
Tracklist
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