This is a live recording of Paul Fenton from a in Toronto, Canada. Overall the quality of recording is good and gives an indication of audience reaction during the show. His guitar style leans towards traditional blues and slide guitar. Six of the ten songs on the CD were
either written or co-written by Fenton, with the remaining songs written by Willie Dixon, Elmore James or John Lee Hooker. It's pretty easy to say the Paul Fenton gets his influences from these artists.
The CD opens with "Highway 401', a rocking blues number with Fenton and Rick Gunn trading guitar licks back and forth. Fenton on slide and Rick Gunn with standard guitar. 'LUddite' is a medium shuffle wish Fenton and Gunn trading guitar licks again. Willie Dixon's 'Little Red Rooster' starts out like a slow Foghat song with some soulful slide on top of a backing groove. Elmore James's 'Shake Your Moneymaker' starts slow but then kicks into high gear after a bit. More slide permeates this song. The wick gets turned up a bit here. 'T-Bone Walker Blues' is a strange song, which appears to be written from Fentons vision of what T-Bone Walker might have felt when performing. In lyrics to this song, T-Bone Walker doesn't want to play 'Stormy Monday' anymore but the audience only wants to hear it and nothing else. Done in a T-Bone Walker style, it is a bit out of place overall, at least to me.'I'm Goin' Upstairs' is a John Lee Hooker song that works the basic Hooker groove for over 12 minutes. Bits and pieces of organ, slide, vocals and guitar trade licks over the basic one chord groove.
Bottom Line: This CD is mixed in regards to audience reaction and intensity. The various styles cover a lot of ground. The musicianship is decent overall. The vocals could be a bit better but are servicable in this setting. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Paul Fenton - vocals, rhythm guitar, slide guitar, lead guitar
Doug Englis - drums
Peter Jermyn - Hammond organ
Rick Gunn - guitar
Mike Pellarin - bass
Web sites:
www.paulfenton.com
Tony McLean Artist Management:
www.moparman@storm.ca
(613)-836-7549
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This review is copyright © 2003 by Robert T. Murphy, and Blues On Stage at: www.mnblues.com, 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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