CD Review
Dan Treanor and Frankie Lee
African Wind
(Northern Blues NBM0023)
by Gordon Baxter
Review date: Ferbruary 2005
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"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by The Blues Foundation
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Dan Treanor from Colorado has been playing the blues for 35 years and is also renowned for building his own African instruments. Frankie Lee is a soul/R&B singer with a recording career spanning over 40 years, which began with Don Robey's Peacock label. The two came together to perform a series of concerts in the Rocky Mountains in 2003, where they hit it off. Treanor played Lee some of his tunes, which led to them getting together to record them as "African Wind."
The introduction to the opener, "Missing," is very promising, calling to mind R.L. Burnside's "It's Bad You Know"). The tune is good, and the vocals are good, but together they do not quite work on this occasion. Persevere, however, and your reward comes immediately on the ensuing "Mean Woman Blues" with its Diddleyesque beat and unamplified harp, where the balance works just fine.
Lee has a big voice which sounds as though it would be better suited to a bigger or more raucous backing. This is particularly evident on the downhome blues of "Tell Me Mama" and "Kidnapped By The Blues." For the most part, though, the combination does work surprisingly well. Particularly noteworthy are "African Wind," the slide based "Cut With Dynamite" and "Texas Son" which is probably the best track here. (Those who pay close attention to detail will note that "The Groit Man" should really be "The Griot Man.")
"African Wind" is an interesting album. The musical style really brings African sounds into the Blues through the use of African instruments, and the resulting sound is certainly very listenable. The combination of Lee and Treanor works well for the most part too. If you are after something a little bit different, "African Wind" may well be just the tonic you have been looking for.
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