by Tom Baldino
Paul Boddy is no stranger to the JSJBF. With his band The Slidewinders, he has performed at our events, competed and previously won our local IBC event, and had their music reviewed in our blog. For this project, he has stepped away from the band to record some of the music that inspired him to take up the craft when he was a young lad growing up in London.
When he first conceived of the project, he reached out to producer Marc Swersky and Jack Daley, both of whom were judges at the IBC event his band eventually won. Both have impressive resumes, and from there, a group seasoned veterans were assembled, including Jack (Lenny Kravitz, Prince, Dana Fuchs) on bass, Aron Comess (Spin Doctors) on drums, and Rob Clores (Black Crows) on organ. Special guests include, Sonny Landreth, Jessie Wagner, Lynn Lockamy, The Cinelli Brothers, Mikey Jr. & Early Times.
The first of six tracks “One Hundred Years,” was most notably recorded by Freddie King in 1963. The band is joined by Early Times, a SiriusXM DJ, whose band appears on the cover of the current Big City Rhythm & Blues. Paul and Early trade verses over this classic blues tune with some solid backing by the band, including a bed of organ laid down by Rob, which Marc has dialed in to perfection. Next up is an early James Brown song, “Chonnie-On-Chon,” which maintains that 50’s rock feel and is highlighted by Mikey’s harp playing around Paul’s strong vocals. “Every Dog Got His Day,” penned by NOLA native Eddie Bo adds a little gumbo to the mix, with Mikey’s distinctive harp and Paul’s fret work, including that ever present slide. Jessie and Lynn spice it up even more, with some gritty background vocals.
“Cussin’ Cyrn’ and Carryin’ On was a staple in the early Ike & Tina Turner Revue days, and here Jessie takes the mic for some fiery vocals, with Aron’s powerful beat driving the tune. Paul interjects some great effects on guitar that could be taken for a horn, really adding to the full sound of this soulful rocker.
Award winning English blues artists the Cinelli Brothers, who hail from an area of London only a short drive from where Paul grew up, are featured on the song “So Is the Sun.” With Marco and Paul sharing the vocals and Tom Jones handling the harp on this straight-ahead rocker, it literally jumps out of the speakers and grabs you from the opening note.
This EP ends much too soon, with the Peter Green tune “Need Your Love So Bad,” that has Paul capturing the feel of this blues ballad with his plaintive vocals. It’s highlighted by strong slide guitar work, courtesy of one of the masters of the form, Sonny Landreth. Being a huge fan of both Peter and Sonny, this pairing was a match made in musical Heaven for me.
The combination of Paul’s song selection, some extremely talented guests, and Marc Swerskey’s production at Dug Deep Studio in Asbury Park, has made for a winning combination. It will be available on streaming platforms and CD on January 2nd. Do yourself a favor and take a listen, you will be happy you did!
more information on www.PaulBoddy.com