Real Blues

2000

Charlie Morris: Bluer Than Thou

Bang! First impression is "Hey this guy can actually sing… (and write good tunes)." Here's a CD from our monstrous pile of independent releases and while it's obviously been around for a couple of years now, we blues nuts aren't hooked to the rock/rap/spin-doctor manifesto of music having to be no more than a week old or it's a crime to listen to it (that stuff is a crime from the time it's conceived). Great music is timeless, particularly blues, and I'm sure Charlie will be happy to get a tardy review rather than none at all but excuses aside, here I am running through a disc I know nothing about other than what I hear and I'm impressed mightily by this artist and his tight, talented band from Florida (Tampa?). Eleven original bluesy tunes and every one is a catchy, well recorded and produced number. Charlie Morris is the guitarist/vocalist on each song and aside from having a pleasant natural vocal style he's a tasty picker as well on both acoustic and electric guitars. The Southern environment seems to have a profound influence on White blues artists in that the blues they play is unpretentious, natural and free flowing.

Great drumming from a skin man on "Mr. Miracle" who knows how to use cymbals and employs some tasty second-line rhythms. On "Fool" we have a tongue-in-cheek "Why do I do this to myself" theme we men can relate to. Ditto on "No More Money", a fine blues that deserves to be a blues standard. Gary Doyle is a mighty fine keyboard player and most of the songs feature some truly funky Hammond B-3 work. Charlie Morris shows his stuff on guitar on "Cold Day" in a straight Chicago-style slow blues. "Louisiana Land" is a real hootin' piano poundin' New Orleans romp that'll get your feet movin'. "Bluer Than Thou" is a fine piece of work from an outfit that's got a lot going for it. You'll be more than pleased if you decide this is worth checkin' out. Strong stuff from the South. 4 Bottles for some Southern-Fried fare with lots of drawl and swamp soul.