The Blues is a part of the rich tradition that makes music in Texas special, that enables the music to reach beyond the boundaries of race and age -- to the common ground of the juke joint, honky tonk, and blues bar, where folks can get together, let their hair down, and just have a good time.
John Ussery is oozing that Texas "thang" on every cut, it's nothing new, but it grooves like a "modern farmer" and it's for real. No stream-of-consciousness chops a.l.a. SRV, no rock star pretensions, just good solid Texas blues. Supremely important is the role of the rhythm section in this music. Kudos to drummer Dave Cunningham for shuffling his ass off.
The horn section, used tastefully throughout the CD, brings back memories of the 1st (and best) Blood Sweat & Tears record, building on the foundation of the classy horn section blues bands of T-Bone Walker. Coupled with a clean, tight production, "Gettin' Lucky" is a good record, exemplifying the modern Texas blues, steeped in a deep tradition where the groove and the 'tude, and the mesquite in the barbecue just all feel right, nothing new...but oh-so-comfortable and so down home.
Order the CD from: Full Tilt Records, Killeen, Texas 76542
254-526-5713
Web: http://www.n-link.com/~ussery/
Knight & Day Media Control
lknight1@aol.com
888-242-6227 pin 1015
This review is copyright © 1999 by Guadelupe Slim, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
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