Description
Des Kennedy and Blues Utopia – Blues Band
CD review by Tony Smith
TN1586-72 – $25
TN168 Jan 25
As well as Des Kennedy on Harmonica, Blues Utopia features Chantelle Kennedy on piano, Harold Flint on guitar, Syth Dene on bass, Corey on didgeridoo and Zoe on congo drums.
The 15 tracks on this album occupy about 50 minutes.
The tracks are: ‘6 O’Clock Blues’, ‘Ain’t Blue No More’, ‘Beyond Blue’, ‘Devil Ways’, ‘Evil Ways’, ‘Got a Bone to Pick’, ‘Heart Breaker’, ‘It Must Be a Blue Moon’, ‘Joy Forever’, ‘Love Sick’, ‘Make Me Smile Pussy Cat’, ‘Mistreatin’ Mama’, ‘My Cherry’, ‘Sweet Heart of Mine’ and ‘Sweet Candy Cane’.
Previous to this album, Des Kennedy has released with Blues Utopia ‘Harp ‘n’ Soul’ and the double CD ‘The Blues Man’.
This is hard core harmonica for ‘Gob Iron’ fans and players.
Most blues harp albums include at least a little voice but not this one.
There is no doubt that this is virtuoso harmonica playing.
Potential emulators would no doubt wish to know makes and models.
The general listener should know that harmonicas come in all keys, major and minor, tremolo style, chromatic as well as diatonic.
Kennedy starts each track with what amounts to an attempt to speak through the harp.
Sometimes the opening phrase sounds like a statement.
At other times, he seems to be asking a question.
Besides displaying his skill, he works on expressing the feelings he wants to convey in each track.
Given the theme of the album and indeed the nature of blues harp generally, it is not an easy instrument on which to express happiness.
Nevertheless, a few of the titles suggest that Kennedy sometimes aims for a more upbeat mood.
None of these tracks is particularly fast or slow.
Most conform to a moderate sort of tempo.
Kennedy shows a deal of Louisiana style with plenty of vibrato and regular pauses to communicate with the backing instruments.
Perhaps other arrangements could give greater variety to the pieces, but there seem to be some recurring patterns, if not repetition.
Whether audiences will want to sit and concentrate on the playing or have this CD running in the background, listeners will rarely find more competent blues harp playing than that displayed by Des Kennedy and Blues Utopia on Blues Band.
Des Kennedy is a Melbourne based artist who does not need any introduction.
He regularly performs at festivals, clubs, pubs and even on the streets of busy Melbourne.
He is backed by his band Blues Utopia for his third album.
Blues Band was recorded quite differently from his first two CDs.
This was a labour of love like the other two albums except that this time each instrument was recorded on separate days.
All Songs arranged by and composed by Des Kennedy and his backing band =20 BLUES UTOPIA. This is Des Kennedy’s third album. The first being ” =20 Harp N Soul” the second being a double cd “The Blues Man” and now =20 “BLUES BAND”.
First to be recorded was percussion and Harmonica, then guitar, Bass, =20 and finally keys.
Track 1. is a live recording with the inclusion of Congo drums and didgeridoo.
