I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, The River's Invitation, by Robert Allen Parker is it's quite entertaining. Opening with rocker, The Sound Of A Revolution, a vibrant instrumental with smoking drums by Paul Taylor, Brian Wells and Howard Grimes, Parker on guitars and Gerald Stephens on keys. My favorite track on the release is traditional Jesus Is On The Main Line with great slide by Parker and strong vocal work by Kennard Farmer, Sheba Potts- Wright and Hope Clayburn. Excellent! Indian Dream / 1 Way 2 Fly is a cool track with soaring violin work by Krista Lynne and Cello by Jana Misener, breaking into a crisp, Kink's like rocker. Farmer is again up front on lead vocal with Parker setting a guitar rocking feel and offering up some cool blues rock riffs. Progressive jazz rocker, The Movement, features Stephens on keys and cool Latin percussion by Michael Alan Todd and Melvin Turner under fluid Latin rock guitar riffs. Very cool. Another of my favorites on the release is King Curtis' classic, Soul Serenade featuring Candice Ivory belting out the lyrics with Hope Clayburn on sax, Victor Sawyer on trombone, Shayla Shaw and Jared Dover on trumpet and Parker on lead guitar showing definite influences by Duane Allman. This track captures the original essence intended by Owsley. Another track featuring Ivory is acoustic ballad, Hear These Words with just the simplest of guitar accompaniment by Parker. Very nice. Another excellent redo is Al Green's I'm A Ram, featuring Chris Stephenson on lead vocal and keys. Sweaty and funky with Hope Clayburn on sax, Victor Sawyer on trombone, Shayla Shaw and Jared Dover on trumpet and some really tasty guitar work by Parker.. really nice! Skydog, a tribute to Duane Allman, features Parker on electric and acoustic guitar, with Khari Wynn and Rev. Neil Down on guitars, along with Stephens on keys and Taylor, Wells and Grimes on drums. Definitely Allman like jamming. Midnight Sun opens with Richard Cushing on sitar, breaking into a poppy rocker featuring some really nice lead vocal by Kennard Farmer. Straight up with a driving drum rhythm thump, this has a lot of movement and fusion style guitar lead by Parker and funky wah wah guitar rhythm. Another of my favorites on the release is Copperhead Boogie with a relentless, JL Hooker boogie vamp and a energetic lead guitar backed by punchy trumpet work by Shaw and Dover. Wrapping the release is And The Song Goes On Forever, an anthem like instrumental with an ultrafunky opening and elongate guitar solo not unlike something the the Allmans or Marshall Tucker might do. This is a cool closer for a cool release.
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