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‘Nocturne’ is a piano instrumental that has a dreamy quality about it that just lets your mind drift. It is noticeable
how Sean’s piano playing has improved and come to the fore in recent months. With ‘Nowhere To Hide’ Sean
creates a groovy blues vibe that draws you in, something that he seems to do so well. ‘Let Kindness Be Your Guide’
carries a good message and has a more Americana feel about it that brought to mind Bob Dylan circa ‘Slow Train
Coming’. The album closes with a piano ballad ‘The Heart Of the Ocean’ a beautiful song so atmospheric you can
almost feel the sea spray!
Once again Sean has produced a fine album, one that is perhaps more reflective but also full of love and hope. As
well as being a great guitarist and pianist his gentle whispering voice has matured in such a way that his lyrics just
flow and please the senses. Sean has now developed into one of Britain’s finest contemporary songwriters so if he is
new to you please go and check him out.
Ged Wilson
Little G Weevil—Live Acoustic Session—Hunna Records HRCD 2106
Originally from Budapest, Hungary, Gee formed his first band in 1996, who
continued to tour Europe until 2004, when he moved to America, while he
was there he spent time in Birmingham, Alabama and Memphis, Tennessee
where he secured a steady gig on Beale Street in Memphis.
Sadly, Gee had to return to Hungary for personal reasons in December 2018,
the year his album “Back In Alabama” was released. During the following
year he continued to tour Europe but, while lockdown was in effect, he wrote
a novel entitled ‘Játssz Tovább’ (meaning Play On), based upon his musical
adventures around the globe.
In 2020 he recorded an electric album also entitled ‘Play On’. With this, his
latest album, recorded in February of this year; he sat alone, with his
acoustic guitar in the vaunted “Stone Room” at the Super Size Recording
studios, in Hungary to lay down sixteen unedited numbers in a room consisting of thick stone walls, wooden floor
and a high ceiling.
These materials became essential ingredients to the overall sound of the music. Gee’s distinctive singing voice, the
crisp, clean clarity of his guitar work and the sturdy flooring, all combined to create a unique sound. The two
opening numbers ‘Keep Going’, and the Hill Country Blues ‘Real Men Don’t Dance’ display all of this. With his
insistent percussive foot-pounding behind gentle but enticing guitar work, his Delta infused hollering certainly
attracts your attention.
The traditional twelve bar blues of ‘Early In The Morning’, is given a new lease of life by his warm and mellow
picking that forces you to pay attention. ‘Dad’s Story’ is a warm personal tribute to his father who lost the family
farm during the communist takeover in the 50’s requiring the family to move to the city where his father had to work
in a factory. This tribute is played in an engaging, almost joyful, attractive piedmont style. R.L. Burnside’s ‘Poor
Black Mattie’, possesses a frenetic and compelling picked train-like hook which captures you from the very start.
The sparse and bleak blues of ‘She Used to Call Me Sugar’, is full of strong emotive picking and sad vocals. John
Lee Hooker’s ‘Roll and Boogie’, is undoubtedly a splendid high energy, finger stinging stomper.
Simply splendid!
Brian Harman.
Dionne Bennett—Sugar Hip Ya Ya—Hunnia Records
Dionne is a British Jamaican singer-songwriter and producer, she is also a
radio personality who hosts and produces her own music show titled ‘The
Suga Shack’ for her local radio station, Radio Cardiff. In addition, she is also
a vocal and performance university lecturer, who coaches the next
generation of singers on the music scene and at degree level Dionne also
chairs the Diversity Advisory Group at the Royal College of Music Drama.
For this album, Dionne has collaborated with producer; songwriter and artist
Little G. Weevil, the album was recorded in Budapest Hungary with local
musicians Laszlo Borsodi, guitar; Attila Her, bass; Lajos Gyenge, drums and
Matyas Premecz, keyboards. Horns are supplied by the Jambalaya Horns,