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The new collaboration by Tommy Castro, Jimmy Hall and Lloyd Jones, Triple Trouble, one in a long line of recordings for the veteran trio of Castro, Hall and Jones. To enhance the listener's "experience" on Triple Trouble, the CD offers participation by the "super" support cast, Double Trouble (plus one). I use the term "plus one" because both CD features not only the talented rhythm section of Tommy Shannon (bass) and Chris Layton (drums), but another prominent Stevie Ray Vaughan alumni from his later recordings, keyboardist Reese Wynans. Clearly, from listening to the CD, there is no question that these three musicians are very versatile and able to handle whatever style of music is thrown at them, bit blues, soul, r+b, rock and roll or rock-a-billy.
The musical feeling that Double Trouble helps to generate on the collaboration between San Francisco guitar wizard Tommy Castro, Northwest favorite son Lloyd Jones and Southern Rock veteran Jimmy Hall takes on a much different persona that with Cummings. Triple Trouble comes off as it seems to have been planned, as a down and dirty jam session of blues, blues rock, funk and r+b tunes performed by an all-star cast of characters. Among the threesome, Tommy Castro is currently the best known, having achieved tremendous success on a national level for is heavy rock, soul, blues sound and his charismatic, high energy performances. Jimmy Hall is the longest performing member of the threesome, a co-founder of the Southern rock band Wet Willie and as a vocalist and/or sideman for the likes of Jeff Beck and Hank Williams, Jr. Although Lloyd Jones may be the least well known of the trio, he is definitely no less talented having worked with the likes of Big Mama Thornton, Charlie Musselwhite Robert Cray, Curtis Salgado and others, also performing with his own band, The Lloyd Jones Struggle all over the Northwestern United States.
One of the nice things about Triple Trouble is that Castro, Hall and Jones really work together as a team to put together some great music, backed by the talented Shannon, Layton and Wynans who provided the backbeat for the collaboration. The entire CD just has the feel of a group of friends getting together and having a good time with the music. The mix of songs on the CD includes some nice blue eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues and country-tinged honky tonk music. Among the eleven songs on Triple Trouble, Castro only provides one number , a well put together version "Whole Lotta Soul"; Jones offers two, the opener, "Sometimes," a very Delbert McClinton-like honky tonk number, and "Raised In The Country"; and Hall provides three, "If That Ain't Love," "Love Will" and "Midnight to Daylight," all of which were co-written with a host of others. The closing "jam session on Triple Trouble, "Cold Funk" is credited to Hall and Jones, along with Chris Layton and Thomas Smedley. Triple Trouble also includes some excellent covers of songs by James Brown ("Good Good Lovin'), a Johnny Winter classic ("Be Careful With A Fool") and an excellent, but almost unrecognizable rendition of The Beatles' classic "Help". All of the songs are full of excellent guitar by Castro and Jones, along with exceptional harp and tenor sax work by Hall.
Triple Trouble is a recording that has a relaxed feel to it that reflects the fun that the musicians had putting it together. With a "one take" feeling to it, it may be as close as the listener ever gets to seeing these performers together on a stage anywhere. Still, it is an enjoyable musical experience for fans of any or all of the performers.
Triple Trouble is available from various online e-tailers or at your favorite record store. To find out more about the performers you can also visit these websites:
Telarc Records (www.telarc.com)
Lloyd Jones (www.lloydjonesmusic.com)
Tommy Castro (www.tommycastro.com)
Jimmy Hall (www.jimmyhall.groovy-music.net)
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