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gospel-based track. ‘Vibe with Me’ is a slow blues, ‘Into the Room’ is jazzy a bit
like Boz Scaggs and I really liked the lyrics to ‘Liquor Stores and Legs’ – “the only
things open up late is liquor stores and legs…” The album closes with the nice
BB-style blues ‘What Real Men Do’ and also the wonderful gospel rocker ‘Praise

These Blues’ – like something from Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

There’s nothing new here but the beauty of the album is that DK really inhabits
the blues of the 3 Kings with his strong, resonant voice, guitar playing and also
his song writing – these are all original songs – and this is all enhanced by Kid

Andersen’s production which lets DK shine and even with such a large band never
overwhelms him.

Graham Harrison

Larry McCray—Heartbreak City—KTBA Re-
cords ASIN : B0F54F239N

Following a cancer diagnosis in 2013, Larry
stepped back from recording and live
performance but in 2022 Joe Bonamassa and Josh
Smith got him back in a studio to record the album

“Blues Without You” which resurrected his career.

This new album is again produced by Joe and Josh
and features three new songs by Larry and three
others by Josh, starting with Larry’s song ‘Try to
be a Good Man’ with his strong, soulful voice and

keening lead guitar—both with echoes of Albert
King. The seven-minute plus title track is a swampy blues with Hammond organ,
backing vocals and stabbing brass and ‘Bye Bye Blues’ is a great typical McCray-
style melodic soul blues. Josh and Michael Price’s ‘Bright Side’ was originally

written for Bobby Bland but is perfect for Larry and ‘Everything Falls on Me’ is
one of my favourites, a different- sounding track that slowly builds.

Josh’s slow blues ‘I Know What I’ve Done’ has Joe adding his lead guitar, while on
the up tempo ‘Keep on Loving My Baby’ Kirk Fletcher adds his guitar to Larry and

Josh’s and ‘Hangman’ is a semi-acoustic gospel song. ‘Stop Your Crying’ is a jazzy
soul blues with Larry testifying over the top and we check out with ‘Crazy World’
a rocky song about climate change with some blistering lead guitar and more
stabbing brass. This is a great sounding album with Joe and Josh’s production
really hitting the spot and the core band of Reese Wynans (keyboards), Calvin

Turner (bass), and Lemar Carter (drums), plus Jade Macrae and Dannielle De
Andrea (backing vocals) providing perfect support to Larry (not forgetting the
brass section). I’d love to see Larry touring Britain again soon, he really is an
entertaining act to see live.

Graham Harrison