Blues Matters -- Guilty of the Blues

Latest review from the prestigious, international blues magazine(Blues Matters)


CD REVIEWs: 
LIGHTNIN ROD AND THE THUNDERBOLTS 
GUILTY OF THE BLUES 
Memphis Blues Records 


After spending two years on the road Rod Wilson decided to re-locate his home, firstly from the Midwest to Florida and then finally settling happily in Southern Kentucky, during this time he amassed sufficient material to enable him to be spoilt for choice for the songs on this, his new album. Rod takes lead vocals and plays all guitars and six string banjo, his extremely smooth and well-oiled band are bass players; Calvin Johnson and Shannon Link, on drums and percussion; Tom Delarossi and Roy Edmiston; Bob Hopps on keyboards and harmonica, with Joe Kleykamp providing saxophone and horn arrangements, featuring John Pope on trombone and John Francis on trumpet, with William McNeil on violin. Together they present thirteen original numbers that ooze sunshine filled aural delights. The mellow, laidback funky guitars merge and dance with keyboards that sweetly pepper the air while in the background urging horns and violin tightly entwine, creating an undercurrent of irresistible rhythms that lifts you to your feet. Black Widow and Guilty Of The Blues exemplifies the bands ability to instill and fuse the denser Chicago club guitar feel with a looser swinging, wandering saxophone led southern sound. The fluid rich, ringing guitar work of the very pleasant shuffle entitled Shufflin Sue, wonderfully conveys a hot, languid and stifling Saturday night out in the open air. The rock inflected guitar and slide work on the motorway based I-75 foot tapping lifts and gently drives the groove happily along in the best traditions of the master, Chuck Berry. This album is well suited to a hot afternoon where you groove at a slower pace but still maintain the high standards of blues, soul and rock. 

Blues Matters (Jul 28, 2015)