CD Review
Grant Cook and the Starving Artists Band
"Loop 323 Blues"
Topcat Records (TC 01982)
by Dave Thomas
Review date: January 2000
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1999 KBA Award Winner
Achievement for Blues on the Internet
Presented by the Blues Foundation
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Grant Cook comes from Forth Worth, Texas and it certainly shows in his playing. The album opens with a song called "Loop 323 Blues" and is a mid paced guitar workout from Grant and special guest on this track, Bugs Henderson. There is some very good intertwining guitar work from both guitarists and they both compliment each other very well. Although most of the album is written by Grant, there are two songs written by others, one being by Earl King (Take you back home) and one by Darrell Nullish (Cried my eyes out). "Cried My Eyes Out" has a lazy rolling feel to the song with some nice guitar from Grant, and Mike Frank on organ does some nice little fills. "Take You Back Home" almost falls into the same formula as "Cried My Eyes Out," but instead of organ fills there is some good singing from Grant. The pace slows down to snail's pace on "I Just Don't Know" with some good dobro playing from Dave Bonner and some subdue harp playing from Mike Frank. "Baby's Seeing Red" has a kind of rumba beat driving the song along but what wins the song over is the great guitar playing and controlled singing from Grant, though full marks must go to Dave Bonner with the rumba type pattern on the bass guitar. The album ends with a great workout called "Hungry Shuffle," a Texas boogie at it's best. The album to me was very interesting and though slightly predictable it is still a very good album
E-mail forgrant@tvec.com
E-mail: topcat@computek.net
Web page http://texasblues.com/topcat
This review is copyright © 2000 by Dave Thomas, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
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