CD Review
Paul Lamb & the Kingsnakes
"John Henry Jumps In"
Indigo Delux (IGOXCD 512)
by Gordon Baxter
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"John Henry Jumps In" (Indigo Delux IGOXCD 512) is the third CD on the Indigo label by Britain's best Blues band, Paul Lamb & the Kingsnakes. They play Blues in a style that meshes together influences from Chicago and Memphis, with a dash of the West Coast thrown in just for good measure. The resultant blend is very much original, however, with twelve of the sixteen tracks being penned by the band. When it comes to harp playing -- amplified or unamplified -- there aren't many better than Paul Lamb, anywhere. And although it's Paul Lamb's name up front -- and he produces too -- they are very much a band. Special mention should be made of the largely unsung Chad Strentz, who is under-rated as a singer, and a fine songwriter to boot. From the opening shuffle of "The Pillow" right through to the harp-driven west coast swing-along of the closing "Jump For It," "John Henry Jumps In" is Blues straight out of the top drawer.
Web site for Paul Lamb: members.aol.com/biedie/blues/
This review is copyright © 1999 by Gordon Baxter, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
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