CD Review
Dan Treanor & Frankie Lee
African Wind
(NorthernBlues Music – NBM0023)
by Dave “Doc” Piltz
Review Date: May, 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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The latest recording by soul singer Frankie Lee and Dan Treanor, a Colorado bluesman who demonstrates a grand proficiency on a variety of instruments, is entitled African Wind. While conceptually the combination of traditional American blues and African music is not particularly new, having been successfully attempted by a number of fine American musicians including guitarist Johnny Clyde Copeland and bluesman turned world musician, Taj Mahal; African Wind definitely takes on a unique feel because of the fact that many of the songs found on the CD are traditional blues tunes, played in a traditional style, but with non-traditional instrumentation.
African Wind is a raucous and fun blues CD that is entertaining and full of raw energy. The instrumentation is a mix of acoustic and electric sounds, including some hard edged guitar on songs like "True Love", intermingled with sounds more like that found in the North Mississippi Hill Country with the African flavor on songs like "Cane Flute Soul". The range of sounds runs from hypnotic Bo Diddley beat on "Mean Woman Blues" to a sound right out of Congo Square on "Love A Woman's Soul." Adding a few mystical ingredients, this is the blues cut to its heart. Treanor demonstrates considerable skill as a traditional blues guitarist, while applying that talent to a number of other instruments including the diddley bow, umakeyana, ngoni, kalimba (African thumb piano), djembe (an African drum) and cane flute. The addition of such unusual instrumentation, combined with Frankie Lee’s soulful voice, makes African Wind an interesting listen for any blues fan.
All but one of the fifteen songs (“Lonesome Road”) on African Wind are penned by Dan Treanor. However, the responsibility for conveying the feeling and emotion of the songs if left up to Lee, who meets that challenge extremely well, maximizing the impact of each and every song for the listener. Some of the best vocals on the recording can be heard on the hard-driving blues tunes such as “Texas Son” and ”Cut With Dynamite.” “Kidnapped by the Blues” laments a broken heart surrounded by the sounds of drums, guitar, upright bass, and Treanor's soulful harp to make the message clear.
Supported by an excellent band and the versatile Treanor, Frankie Lee makes a claim for the fame that has eluded him until now with his performance on African Wind. Personally, I would not be surprised to see this recording and Lee nominated for several W. C. Handy Awards in 2005. To find out more about the CD and the performers, visit the Northern Blues Music website at www.northernblues.com.
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