Page 52 - BiTS_09_SEPTEMBER_2023_Neat

Mick Kolassa – Wooden Music – Endless Blues MK072023
www.mimsmick.com

Mick Kolassa pops up fairly frequently in these pages with a
string of consistently fine albums from his base in Memphis.
Here’s another, made, as Mick puts it on the sleeve, “with love,
soul and wooden instruments”. It does support Mick’s conten-
tion that an acoustic album can sound as big and full as an
electric one.

Mick’s voice is easily identifiable once heard, and he has long
been a passionate advocate for the blues – listen to the lyrics of
‘Sugar In Your Grits’ for his take on the current blues scene, and ‘Educated By The Blues’ for
some of his own influences and what he has taken from them. He strays into Americana at
times too, as on ‘Memphis Wood’ or ‘One Hit Wonder’, both with fine accordion by pianist Rick
Steff. ‘Gas Station Sushi’ is a nicely whimsical-sounding closer, with a ragtime feel and good-
humoured if pointed lyrics.

Long-time associate Jeff Jensen is also present on guitar, as usual, but Mick has also drafted in
some guests who share a similar stance to his own – people like harmonica ace Bob Corritore,
guitarist Doug McLeod, singer songwriter Tas Cru and singer Libby Rae Watson. Taken alto-
gether, it makes for a rather tasty album all round.

Norman Darwen

Vic Martin - Angry Hammond - Independent Release

Vic Martin is a British keyboard player who has played with
many big names but is perhaps best known for being part of
Gary Moore’s band for many years.

The album opens with ‘Obsessed’ a nice mellow sound that
could quite easily be adopted as a theme tune for a TV series.
Things slow down as the name suggests with ‘Down’ which has
a melancholic feel to it. There is a nice uplifting feel to ‘7 Up’
whilst ‘Lazy Blues’ reflects the title with a laid back jazzy blues
vibe.

‘Lonesome’ seems to drift a little due to its weak melody but Vic gets back on track with ‘Rollin’
which has shades of Booker T Jones. The album closes with the aptly titled ‘Endpiece’ which
has that majestic church organ sound as it swirls around with those lush circling arpeggios.

This is not a blues album in the conventional sense but certainly is blues based. All the
instruments are played and programmed by Vic which means that the drums and bass parts
are quite basic and lacking dynamics and I think the whole album would lift up a notch with a
real live drummer and bass player in tow. On the flip side Vic’s playing is faultless throughout
and he is indeed a master of the Hammond organ.