By Tom Baldino
Peter Veteska is without a doubt, the most prolific musician in the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation. With a new year comes another new collection of curated covers and fresh sounding originals, paying homage to some of his greatest influences. His latest release with Blues Train, which drops on January 23rd, is cleverly titled “Key OF V,” and is comprised of ten songs, half new material and half covers. The core band, which includes Peter on guitar and vocals, Chuck Hearne on bass, Jeff Levine on keys, and Alex D’Agnese on drums is supplemented by Coo Moe Jhee and Rick Prince, who each play bass on a song, Mikey Junior, who harps on one number and Danny Walsh who sits in on sax for a couple of tunes.
The opener, a great version of the Otis Rush tune “Checking on My Baby,” is propelled by Jeff’s driving B3 sound coupled with Peter’s strong vocals and economical guitar, making this a fine starting place. Next up, Big Bill Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway,” is highlighted by Peter’s vocals and some stinging fret work over the solid rhythm section provided by Alex and Chuck. The first original, “Home of the Broken Hearted,” is my favorite track of the collection. With that swing feel, and a chorus that sounds like everyone joined in, this song hits a sweet spot.
Another original is, “Falling Out of Love Again,” a rocker which opens with a strong guitar riff from Peter over Jeff’s screaming organ, and with lyric’s that include “another kink in the armor, or just bad Karma,” Peter lets the listener know how he feels, without using some well-worn phrase. If this one doesn’t get you moving, you better check your pulse! The first guests appear on the self-penned tune “Tuning Out the Noise,” with Mikey Junior and Danny Walsh blowing some mean harp and sax respectively, both solo and together. Along with Jeff’s organ soloing this track sounds like it could have been a hit single from STAX back in the day. A song made famous by “Old Blue Eyes”, “Learning the Blues” starts with Alex on the brushes and Danny’s plaintive sax, transporting the listener back to the 50’s. Coo Moe Jhee’s jazzy bass and Jeff’s organ provide just the right accompaniment for Peter’s vocals on this trip down memory lane.
Another original, “Watch the Love Grow,” is built on another great riff that moves us back into blues/rock territory, with the band pouring their collective efforts into a song that culminates with a soaring guitar/organ solo. This is the essence of what elevates a good song into a great one. The band then shifts into that unmistakable Texas Blues shuffle for the final original tune, “I Did All That I Could.” Terrific lyrics and sound bound, and my only compliant was, at three minutes, it was over too soon. “Walking By Myself,” another blues staple, is given a nice arrangement that highlights Jeff’s piano stylings and Peter’s rich vocals. Not another wrote cover, this version harkens back to the earlier days of the original. The final tune, a Peggy Lee classic, “I Don’t Know Enough About You,” features Peter on acoustic guitar and vocals with Rick Prince on bass and some sparse accompaniment by the rest of band. A fitting to end to a wonderful compilation. Kudos to Joe DeMaio and Shorefire studio for that winning production and sound.
Check all things Peter V and Blues train at PeterVBlues@icloud.com and Peterveteskabluestrain.com.