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Chris Beard—Pass It On Down—Blue Heart Records BHR
033

Chris Beard aka, Prince of the Blues, was born in 1957 in
Rochester, New York. He is the son of guitarist Joe Beard. He
honed his musical skills from family, and friends like Matt
“Guitar” Murphy and Buddy Guy.

The ten numbers here are a collection of blues and RnB, some
are remixes others are new.

Chris takes lead guitar and vocals, joining him are; Brother

Wilson and Phillip Campbell; rhythm guitar, John Tucker,
Jonathan Curry and Darryl Cathey; keyboards, Marvin Parker, Richard Rodolph; bass and Carlton
Campbell on drums.

The opener is ‘Let the Chips Fall’, an engagingly loose, funky horn infused rocking tune.

‘One More Cry For Love’, is a sensitive, guitar and organ sorrow filled slowburning tale of love,
unplanned pregnancy and rejection. The foot-tapping RnB groover ‘Big Girl’ which follows
possesses some nice guitar work.

The delightful ballad ‘Pass It On Down’ has father (Joe) and son, exchanging warm emotional
vocals and some enticing, entwining guitar work.

The splendid, soaring emotion laden guitar on the ballad ‘House Of Shame’, punctuates a sorry
tale of transgression, isolation and regret.

The urban, horn-stabbing funker ‘When Love Come Knocking’ is quite simply, a joyous,
foot-tapping floor-duster. While the soul searching, melancholy, slowburning lament of ‘Son I
Never Knew’, is a powerful and emotion-laden tale of the anguish and pain of knowing too late.

The hope filled ballad ‘Keeps Me Believing’, is a testament to trust and the simple belief in love
and ‘Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’’, is a seriously good, joy-laden urban guitar and horn filled
tramping-funker.

‘Bitter Baby’, is a slowburner with desperately crying and wailing guitar underpinned by a
starkly, lonesome piano and bubbling, burning organ telling the tale of a man done wrong.

Recommended!

Brian Harman
Tab Benoit—I Hear Thunder—Whiskey Bayou Records

Tab Benoit is well known on the blues circuit having received
multiple Blues Music Awards and four Grammy nominations.
Tab hails from Louisiana USA and “ I Hear Thunder” is his
first album for thirteen years.

The album opens with the title track, ‘I Hear Thunder’ a true
blues rocker. ‘The Ghost of Gatemouth Brown’ has a nice
funky Bo Diddley vibe and the vocal reminded me of Eric
Burdon. Things slow down a little with the country style
ballad ‘Still Gray’. ‘Inner Child’ is a guitar driven rocker whilst
‘Watching The Gators Roll In’ is more of a straightforward foot tapping blues.