Roly Platt - Inside Out - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Inside Out from Roly Platt and I really like it. A mixture of classic ballads, jazz, R&B and deep seeded blues this release has a lot of breadth. Opening with Joe Sample's, Put It Where You Want It, Platt that's a jazz track and replacing horn with harp it has a real nice effect. Joined by Al Cross on drums, John Tilden on guitar and Lance Anderson on keys this is a super opener. Mad River has a real nice Texas boogie style driven by Russ Boswell on bass, Platt, Tilden and Anderson each take nice solo lines. Dropped down a few clicks, Steve Strongman takes the lead vocal spot and adds guitar on Good Mind To Wander. Platt rides high with his harp on the melody of this likely commercial track. Congo Strut has a jazzy feel of course featuring the slick but gritty harp work of Platt. Anderson adds some real nice electric piano work giving the track a nice transition to a hot guitar solo from Tilden. Yes, everyone has done an interpretation of Over The Rainbow but aside from Jeff Beck, this may be one of my favorites. The purity of Platts harp work puts me in mind of Toots Thieleman although on a conventional harp. Anderson plays a very expressive and sensitive piano solo complimenting Platt's work. Excellent! Rippin' It Up is a hot rock n roller featuring Platt on vocal and harp. A genuine smoker, conjures thoughts of JL Lewis with boogie piano by Anderson but this track is burning from all corners with Neil Chapman on guitar, tight drums and harp work as well. Well done! Steve Strongman is back on Ocean Of Tears, a slow blues number. Platt really digs in deep with deep blue phrasing and Strongman's vocals are spot on. At 8 plus minutes this track is "the one" that you guitar heads are looking for. Strongman, Tilden, Platt and Anderson each take turns at the lead and Boswell and Cross keep the track tight. Hot! On Ray Charles' I Got A Woman, vocals are replaced by lead harp and Platt is certainly up to the job. He lays down fluid harp lead and Anderson pushes him along on Hammond. Chapman and Tilden each throw down hot riffs but this is Platt's show and it's well done. Another jazz classic, Georgia On My Mind is done quite straight forward with nice phrasing by Platt. On this track it's Anderson's spiritual like phrasing on keys that really propels Platts work. Very nice! Funk Shui puts me in mind of TOP but with harp instead of horns. Again Platt shows he's got what it takes to shake the bushes and Tilden steps up with yet another tasty guitar solo. Anderson takes a nice ride on the Hammond and Cross and Boswell hold the gang together. Wrapping the release is a somber ballad, Bartender's Blues,  with Jordan John on acoustic guitar and lead vocal with Platt adding just the right amount of harp to round out the release. This is a different kind of release but one that I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing.

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