CD Review
Fred Moolten
"The Way We Are" (A Blues, Folk and Cabaret Album)
Great Gull Records MOOLTEN888
by Dave Thomas
Review date: April 2001
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1999 KBA Award Winner Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by the Blues Foundation
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Fred Moolten is a Songwriter and by his own admission is a non-performing songwriter, who only just gets by on a piano. The Question is then why this album, the answer is quite simple,
get lots of real artists to perform your songs and then you get to produce the album as well, this is exactly what Fred has done. This album by Fred is like nothing I've ever encountered before,
it contains Fred's favourite music Blues, as well as Folk, rock, Dixieland, Cabaret (with Blues Elements) and even a Waltz. The album has 13 songs, 10 were recorded in Miami while
the other three were recorded in New Orleans. The opening song "It Ain't Rock" is Dixieland, though the song does have a rock feel to it, singer Michelle Amato handles the vocal very well. Bryan Harden does a good job singing on the bluesy "Night Love". Juanita Brooks is the featured vocalist on one of those New Orleans tracks, "I've Got Peace And Quiet" which
is my favourite number on the album. Bruce ("Sunpie") Barnes plays some very tasty Harmonica as Juanita gives a powerful performance on this wonderful mid-tempo groovy song.
"Coming To The Valley" with vocals from Vernon Phillips has a lovely gospel feel to it, with Thaddeus Richard on organ, he is superb throughout the song. "Expedition Rag" is just pure Dixieland. While "Waltz in D Flat" an instrumental brings the album to a close. The album is a complete mix of styles and I have to say there are some good performances on it, but I will add there is stuff on it that I don't like, but I suppose you can't like them all.
Great Gull Records Website www.bluesandfolk.com
Fred Moolten e-mail address fmoolten@bu.edu
This review is copyright © 2001 by Dave Thomas, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission. For permission to use this review please send an E-mail to Ray Stiles.
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