Nathan James - What I Believe

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:04
Size: 98.6 MB
Styles: R&B, Urban blues
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:49] 1. You Gotta Please Me
[4:24] 2. Weary Traveler
[4:39] 3. Is It Too Late
[3:24] 4. Give To Understand
[3:53] 5. Down On The Road
[3:21] 6. What I Believe
[3:58] 7. Tryin' To Get Along With Myself
[3:19] 8. Silent Treatment
[3:41] 9. In The News Today
[3:58] 10. Bonsai Sequoia
[3:33] 11. When Tomorrow Comes

Americana has many different ingredients and Nathan James knows how to mix just the right amounts to create his own signature flavor. ‘What I Believe’ is a showcase of years of experience in self production and songwriting and it is his first album featuring 100% original material. From the opening track ‘You Got to Please Me’ with it’s Bill Withers inspired acoustic rhythm guitar and funky drums featuring tasteful layering of fuzz guitar and B3 organ to the acoustic soul meets spy movie sound track moodiness of ‘Down on the Road’ with classical string arrangements, there are many twists and turns for the listener to behold. ‘Tryin’ to Get Along With Myself’ is a songwriting standout with it’s telling of personal turmoil turned to hope with the start of new day. This song is true Americana with a mixture of gospel changes and country pedal steel inspired slide guitar.

In this day and age with unspeakable events and political corruption happening the world over, ‘In the News Today’ explains why we are better off not obsessively staying connected to current events. The mood is set to a funeral dirge beat with the moaning cry of blues veteran James Harman’s harmonica with soul jazz hammond organ by Rafael Salmon and ‘chicago blues meets swing’ guitar. There are many other guests lending their talents including the great Kim Wilson playing harmonica in a folky acoustic style not often heard by him on ‘Give To Understand’. Nathan’s longtime trio, the Rhythm Scratchers, is featured on ‘Silent Treatment’, the album’s solid blues number. The rollicking instrumental ‘Bonsai Sequoia’ is a dedication to the gargantuan Sequoia tree that graces the album’s front and back covers and features all of Nathan’s different home made Washbaord guitars. The album ends on a meaningful positive note with ‘When Tomorrow Comes’- transitioning from a string band lullaby with harmonies to a soul ballad duet featuring R&B vocal great Missy Andersen.

What I Believe

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Missy Andersen - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:20
Size: 74.0 MB
Styles: R&B-Soul-Blues vocals
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:10] 1. Ace Of Spades
[4:27] 2. New Feet
[4:41] 3. I Can't Stand The Rain
[3:40] 4. Tell Mama
[4:18] 5. Same Old Blues
[4:58] 6. Little By Little
[3:27] 7. Pack It Up
[3:35] 8. Stand Up And Dance

As a child, Missy was exposed to her parent’s extensive music collection that included soul, R&B, blues, jazz, and gospel. It didn’t matter what the genre was as her favorite songs were always the ones that told a story. Later she would discover Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, and Billie Holiday and that eventually lead her to O.V. Wright, Bobby Bland, Little Milton, James Carr, Ray Charles, Ann Peebles, and Irma Thomas.

Missy began fronting bands in her early teens, playing local venues which quickly lead to doing studio sessions and performances as a background vocalist. She continued honing her skills and moved to San Diego, California where she met Heine, a seasoned musician visiting from Denmark. They would eventually marry and form the San Diego-based band, Tell Mama. It wasn’t long before they decided to strike out on their own and immediately began touring Europe for several years, recording the debut CD’s rhythm tracks in Copenhagen between performances. The CD, Missy Andersen, was received extremely well despite having just two original songs.

Missy Andersen

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The Reverend Shawn Amos - The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You

Size: 102,1 MB
Time: 38:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues, R&B
Art: Front

01. Days Of Depression (2:05)
02. Brand New Man (2:05)
03. Boogie (3:15)
04. Brothers' Keeper (3:08)
05. You're Gonna Miss Me (When I Get Home) (3:25)
06. Joliet Bound (3:42)
07. Will You Be Mine (5:31)
08. The Outlaw (2:29)
09. Bright Lights, Big City (3:02)
10. Hollywood Blues (4:15)
11. Put Together (2:43)
12. The Last Day I'm Loving You (2:52)

Debut full-length blues album features guest appearances by Grammy winners Blind Boys of Alabama and 2x Grammy nominated Mindi Abair, who also makes debut as album producer.

Certified pure blues singer, harmonica player, songwriter and producer, The Reverend Shawn Amos is on a mission to spread his glorious secular gospel to all. The son of chocolate chip cookie magnate Wally “Famous” Amos and night club singer Shirl-ee May Ellis, he is dedicated to continuing, extending and spreading the tradition of the blues with unsurpassed fervor and emotional expression. Born in New York City, raised up on the gritty Sunset Strip in the seventies and preceding his performing career with many successful musical ventures, Amos breaks nearly every cliché with his talent and unstoppable drive. The results are in evidence on his four previous releases beginning with In Between (2002) and culminating to date with the sizzling and embraceable The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You. It is required listening for navigating the vicissitudes, meeting the challenges and enjoying the spoils of modern living. The album marks the producing debut of 2x Grammy nominee, Mindi Abair.

Ten bone-deep originals and two well-chosen covers contain the combined exceptional ensemble skills of Chris “Doctor” Roberts (guitars), Brady Blade (drums, percussion), Chris Thomas (bass), Anthony Marinelli, Hassell Teekell (keyboards), Mindi Abair (saxophones, producer), Lewis Smith (trumpet), Forever Jones (backing vocals) and Nick Lane (horn arrangements). In addition, guest artists The Blind Boys of Alabama and Missy Andersen lend their illustrious presence to two tracks. “Days of Depression,” with the lauded gospel group adding considerable gravitas, harkens back to the prewar South. Grinding slowly and inexorably forward on a haunting, hypnotic work song guitar riff, it has Amos intoning the poetic lyrics “In my days of depression I could take my hands off the wheel, let me go where the wind blows, let me go with the Lord.” “Brand New Man,” conversely, “tears the roof off the sucka” with a stomping R&B groove to lift listeners right out of their seats. Amos unleashes his soul power while making his carnal desires clear with “Baby gonna make me a brand new man” as a profane, repeating mantra dynamically charged with the stop-time aside “I’m feeling lonely, I’m feeling hungry, you got me wanting you”, as Roberts shreds on his axe. The throbbing “Boogie” would be lascivious merely with the music, though Amos leaves no doubt as to his desires with the invitation “C’mon and boogie (2x), I ain’t got all night, keep this thing locked tight” while the sensuous Missy Andersen urgently concurs “C’mon and boogie (2x), I ain’t got too long, babe, I’ve done something wrong” and Amos blows out the reeds on his harp.

He turns from his basic primal needs to a higher calling with the classic Memphis soul of “Brothers’ Keeper.” It could not be more timely as he confides “I’m gonna lead with my heart, open my hand from the start, and be my brothers’ keeper, be my brothers’ keeper,” his sinewy vocals moving easily from a bluesy growl to a soaring falsetto. The stone funk of “You’re Gonna Miss Me (When I Get Home)” allows Amos to drip malevolence by calling out his unfaithful lover with “I work all damn day and night for you, you take all of my money, choke them credit cards blue. I’m gonna take my good thing back, you gonna feel a cold chill at night in the sack,” his harp wailing in sympathy. A sprightly two-beat cover of Minnie Lawler’s “Joliet Bound” affords Roberts the opportunity to flaunt his impressive six-string skills as he weaves expressive blues lines around Amos relating with appropriate dread his tale of woe regarding the infamous Illinois prison.

The dramatic, hook-heavy R&B of “Will You Be Mine” is a vocal and musical show-stopper with Amos passionately extolling with all his might “You’ve been running with the wrong man, let me get you on the right plan. And we’ll go driving, away from here” in a classic plea for starting over and seeking redemption intensified by his lyrical harp lines. He struts, swaggers and menaces on “Outlaw” as Lucifer’s disciple with lyrics like “The good Lord may be your savior, but never was no friend of mine (2x). I preach the good book of ‘El Paso,’ keep your boots and your pistol shined” as Roberts fires off a distorted solo. The sweet-singing Mindi Abair duets in harmony with Amos on the Jimmy Reed classic “Bright Lights Big City” as the band lightens the mood by loping appealingly in a lilting boogie shuffle.

Album producer, Mindi Abair, co-wrote the swinging shuffle “Hollywood Blues” as a snarling look at life in “Tinsel Town.” Amos accuses with the scalding, uncensored street lyrics of “These folks got gold at their fingertips, while I’m in my piece of shit, driving down the Sunset Strip” and Abair honks and squeals with venom on her alto sax. “Put Together” is a sexy, funky tribute to a modern day “femme fatale,” Amos praising and pleading “…your do rag, honey you’re all right. Baby, you’re put together. I just wanna come home, baby, can you let me come home? I won’t stay too long if you can let me get it” and Roberts wringing prurient licks from his guitar. Amos opts to end his set with the tender soul ballad “The Last Day I’m Loving You”, though he spikes it with a kicker heard in the capper “You got the mojo and the moves to make it hard, to keep my right mind in front and keep me strong. You got them ten dollar words you know how to use, but this is the last day I’m loving you.”

As opposed to “saving” souls, the temporal and spirit-nourishing blues of the “right” Reverend will provide “soul” as well as love to one and all. Romantic love and lust, along with vengeance may be standard blues fare. However, in the hands, heart and head of Shawn Amos they become the seeds for sowing and reaping life lessons as well as unqualified entertainment of the highest order. The good Rev may promote what some call the “devil’s music,” but the figurative “religious” experience is a God send. ~Dave Rubin, KBA recipient in Journalism

The Reverend Shawn Amos Loves You

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Missy Andersen - In The Moment

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:49
Size: 114.1 MB
Styles: Soul blues
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:59] 1. Rent Party
[4:40] 2. Whole Lotta Nuthin'
[4:14] 3. Night Stalker
[5:35] 4. More Than Enough
[3:26] 5. Better Or Worse
[4:19] 6. No Regrets
[3:43] 7. Same Things Make You Laugh Will Make You Cry
[4:04] 8. Reach Out
[5:30] 9. Ladies Shoes
[4:40] 10. Hey Now!
[5:35] 11. I've Been Walkin'

Missy likens her musical approach to Soul dipped in Blues. While you wrap your head around that description, consider the early influence of her parent’s extensive record collection of soul, R&B, blues, jazz and gospel. Her mother fanned Missy’s interest in singing early by entering her in a children’s talent contest and practicing with her after school. Missy started singing and performing at six, and particularly loved listening to songs that told stories like those by Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, The Staples Singers and Teddy Pendergrass. Teenaged Missy released a single which led to a string of club dates opening for the Grammy Award winning American soul and gospel singer, Cissy Houston. Missy’s music career had taken root, and it continued to evolve as she fronted local bands and did professional studio sessions as a background vocalist.

In the late 90’s Missy became one of the original Juke Joint Jezebelles, a gospel, blues, and soul quartet. They performed as an act, and also toured the U.S. and Europe as back-up singers in blues festivals and at clubs. While touring Missy had ample opportunity, and plenty of motivation, to further develop her chops by opening for, and sharing the stage with Ray Charles, B.B. King, Robert Cray, John Hammond, Keb’ Mo’, Kenny Neal, and The Meters.

In The Moment mc
In The Moment zippy

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