Under Suspicion has a been a favorite bar band in the Twin Cities for nearly as long as anyone can remember. The energy they produce on stages and dance floors all over the area are hard to match. Their renditions of hard driving R&B standards, blues flavored ballads, danceable originals and original arrangements of familiar rock tunes have all worked to bring the band a strong following.
Their CD released last year, Guilty, captures the band in top form. The recording features Phyllis Rutter on vocals, Lecily McKee on vocals, Paul Holland on guitar and vocals, Randy Olejnicak on drums and vocals, Jerry Richardson on bass, Dale Peterson on keys and vocals, and the Suicide Horns including Mike Olander on baritone sax, Tom Luer on tenor sax, and Kyle Newmaster on trumpet.
The set kicks from the first cut "Love With An Attitude" (one of three originals published by Plump and Lusty Music-BMI) and just continues to build through "You Got Me Hummin", "Never Enough", and a strong arrangement of the crowd-pleaser "Radar Love" -- which has a creative radio-dialed lead-in to a Chicagoesque horn driven intro. The next two tunes are originals; the instrumental, "Flammable", and "Full Time Job" which features a very nice harmonica solo by Lecily McKee, and really fine guitar solo by Paul Holland. Another highlight on the CD is the old-timey rockin' and jump-bluesy "Ten Dollar Bill" which features Paul Holland on lead vocals.
Under Suspicion is a band which is well-known for strong and sultry lead vocals featuring Phyllis Rutter and Lecily McKee, funky guitar and Hammond B3 interplay, a dynamite rhythm section, soulful precision backup vocals, and those trademark horn lines. Guilty is a great representation from this first class act.
This review is copyright © 1999 by Kurt Koehler, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
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