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resonating vocal and emotional range. “Joyful,” is a delightfully furious toe tapping expedition into

the funky New Orleans world of gospel, where the band unleash their inner soaring souls.

Greatly endorsed!

Brian Harman.

Avey Grouws Band The Devil May Care Independent

This is the début album from The Avey Grouws Band whose
line-up is: Jeni Grouws; vocals, Chris Avey; guitar and vocals,

Bryan West; drums, Randy Leasman; bass with Nick Vasquez on

keyboards. The ten numbers featured are Grouws & Avey origi-
nals. The formation of the band took place shortly after Jeni and

Chris met at a blues jam at Muddy Waters in the Quad Cities
situated in the Mississippi area in two thousand and seventeen.

In the same year they won the Iowa Blues challenge and in the following year they reached the
semi-finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, this year, the band were IBC semi-

finalists. The album was recorded at the Catamount Recording Studios in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with

Travis Huisman seated in the producer’s chair. The music possesses a refreshingly clean and crisp
sound as it pours from the speakers, which, in turn emphasises Jeni’s strong emotion filled but

understated voice. The album opens with “Come And Get This Love,” which is a highly foot-tapping

mixture of swing and rumba. The fiery underpinning organ allows Chris to deliver a confidently
swinging guitar, while Jeni scorches the air with her very pleasing and grooving blowtorch vocals.

On the title track “The Devil May Care,” the evocative and engaging guitar work is reminiscent of
one Albert Collins, over which Jeni bellows her unfulfilled demands, underneath; the ever searing

keyboards burn on. The pace lessens on the romantic “Let’s Take It Slow,” where a rich, Spanish
influenced guitar solo captures the moment as Jeni delivers to her beau the invitation of a luscious,

licentious, evening. On the swinging and tramping guitar driven “Let Me Sing My Blues,” Jeni roars

and wails away, while a splendidly effusing, strolling and rolling piano lightens the mood. The
splendidly atmospheric, slowburn, swinging “Two Days Off (And A Little Bit Of Liquor),” is given

a late-night club feel, courtesy of Nolan Schroeder on saxophone and Dan Mier on trumpet, mix in,

lazy, clacking percussion and an equally lazy but,rich guitar that is a nod to the late great ‘T Bone’
Walker and you have a tasty little after hours number. On “Rise Up,” a searing organ and guitar

soar while behind, a driving second line percussive strut marches, while Jeni pleasantly blasts your
ears.

Greatly endorsed!

Brian Harman.