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Norman Darwen

Brooks Williams—Diamond Days—Red Guitar Blue Music

Brooks Williams is a warm-voiced singer, accomplished guitar-
ist and always interesting song-writer from Statesboro, Georgia
who has been living in the UK for many years. He plays and
records both blues, folk and Americana, so let me state here that
the majority of this set is very definitely in the latter camp.

Brooks has worked with the likes of Guy Davis and Hans Thees-
sink (among many others) but on this set it is a case of just one
man and his guitar. There are elements of early Bob Dylan
(there is a cover of Bob’s bluesy ‘Nettie Moore’ with slide guitar) in a few places, but even a
pure Americana song like ‘Pony’ has plenty of blues-styled references in the lyrics.

‘Train On The Island’ is an all too brief fingerpicked blues in a convincing vintage style, in
complete contrast to ‘Doing Fine’, an attractive ballad more than a little reminiscent of the late
Buddy Holly. Brooks closes the album with the traditional ‘Ring Those Golden Bells’ (first
published 1887!), sounding like a rather classy guitar evangelist.

If you’ve seen or heard Brooks and enjoyed his music, chances are you’ll go for this. Check it
out especially if you go for Americana.

Norman Darwen

(www.brookswilliams.com)

Dave Kelly—Sun on My Face—Repertoire REPUK1469

Dave has a long history in the UK blues — he was already an
established and acclaimed artist long before the Blues Band,
though that undoubtedly raised his profile a lot. This set also

shows him as a solid blues performer, but he also, totally appro-
priately, introduces some outside influences too.

He does so right from the opening notes with the Cole Porter-
penned ‘Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love’, here transformed into a
working blues — he also tackles ‘A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley
Square’. He draws on Hank Williams for the honky-tonk blues of ‘I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In
Love With You’ and even transforms ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’ into a convincing blues.

The original ‘Too Happy To Write’ has subtle shades of early 60s pop, and ‘Georgia On My
Mind’ draws on Ray Charles, of course. ‘Tramps & Hawkers’ is an unaccompanied folk
number, contrasting somewhat with ‘From My Ass In Lagrasse’ an attempt at rap! Fear not
though, purists: Dave remakes ‘Them Ole Crossroads Blues’ that he sang with The Blues Band,
tackles Memphis Minnie’s ‘Ain’t Nothing In Ramblin’ and Big Boy Crudup’s ‘Mean Ole Frisco