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REVIEWS

Dave Keyes —Rhythm Blues & Boogie—Blue Heart Records
BHR 037

New York City born keyboard player Dave Keyes, has been playing
the Blues, Roots and Americana music for over thirty years now
and with this his sixth album he continues to champion the music
of his heroes who to name but a few include: Fats Domino, Dr.
John, Johnny Johnson, and Professor Longhair. During his career,
he has been nominated for three Blues Music Awards also, he has
spent a good deal of time working on Broadway, in shows such
as; Smokey Joe’s Café along with stints in television and not
forgetting his time spent on the road touring.

The album was recorded in various studios in New York, New Jersey, and Memphis. Joining Dave
who takes lead vocals and plays piano, B3, Wurlitzer and accordion in the studios, are John
Putnam; guitar, Jeff Anderson; bass, Frank Pagano and Bernard “Pretty” Purdie; drums. The horn

section consists of Chris Eminizer on tenor saxophone and Tim Ouimette providing trumpet.
Guest musicians are; Doug MacLeod, Early Times and Poppa Chubby.

Of the ten numbers here, nine are original compositions and a cover of Willie Nelson’s ‘Funny
How Time Slips Away’. The opener ‘Shake, Shake, Shake’, is a jolly good rolling piano and
hand-clapping led shuffler with gently soothing, swinging horns continuingly mellowing the
mood. Upping the pace is ‘That’s What The Blues Are For’, the slightly vamping, tramping piano
is again splendidly supported by punching horns while the B3 and guitar are pleasingly entwined.
The jauntily, swinging ‘Blues And Boogie’, leads an all out “Stagger Lee” styled floor stomper as
the piano, horns and percussion sweep up all in its compelling path.

‘Funny How Time Slips Away’, is a riveting slice of grand Southern Gothic solo piano that washes
over you, in waves of emotionally pleasing pleasure. ‘Ain’t Going Down’, is an emotionally stirring
piano-led civil rights number that poignantly entwines and infuses secular good-time southern
soul with sanctified soul. The splendidly stomping and enticing solo piano boogie woogie of
‘WBGO Boogie’ is absolutely riveting. The gentle piano and acoustic guitar, (courtesy of Doug
MacLeod) on ‘Invisible Man’, is quite simply the wry reflections of two old men and their possibly
misspent youth.

Splendid!

Brian Harman

Lil Red & The Rooster—Keep On—Blue Heart Records BHR
034

Westerfield, Ohio U.S.A. born Jennifer “Lil’ Red” Milligan provides
vocals and washboard, is a graduate of Fort Hayes Performing
Arts High School, she also holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from
the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and an MFA in
Contemporary Performance from Naropa University. While
Normandy, France born Pascal “The Rooster” Fouquet who
provides guitar, began studying classical guitar at the age of eleven
and also discovered the jazz oriented music label, Blue Note at an
early age. They both consider France and the USA home and are