Blue Dot Records artist: Jackie Payne - I Saw The Blues - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, I Saw The Blues, from Jackie Payne and it's a funky blues party! Opening with Back To Normal, a soulful ballad with a nice walking bass line from Endre Tarczy and with horn backing from Ed Early (trombone), Jeff Lewis (trumpet) and Frankie Ramos (sax). Kid Andersen lays in a scorching bluesy guitar solo nicely complimenting Payne's vocals. Next up is title track, I Saw The Blues, R&B track with a rural feel. Lorenzo Farrell does a real nice job on organ on this track and Anthony Paule gives the rhythm a funky feel on guitar. Aki Kumar adds his always tight harp work. Very nice! Anthony Paule rips it open on Full Moon Blues with rich slide guitar work. Derek D'Mar martin on drums and Farrell on organ are joined by Bob Welsh on piano and Paynes vocals are real nice. Full blown swing blues When The Blues Comes Knockin', features Payne leading the way with really strong vocals and solid horn reinforcement. Kid Andersen really takes a nice walk on the fretboard on this track making it one of my favorites on the release. Basic R&B styled Wife, Woman, Hootchie stays the basic line sounding like it could have been performed during the prime R&B days with particularly nice backing vocals and punchy guitar riffs. Paynes vocals are particularly strong on this track. On Kicking Back With The Blues, Anthony Paule selects just the right spots to insert stinging blues guitar riffs nicely accenting Paynes' vocals. Ed Early steps up with a killer trombone solo. Piano boogie, Feel Like Doing My Thing features Bob Welsh on piano and he really rolls. Payne's vocals are perfect for this mix and Farrell lays down a nice organ line punctuated by Early, Lewis (with a nice muted trumpet solo) and Eric Spaulding on horns making this a great track. Slowing it down and getting it dirty, Six Million Dollar Man plays it right down the blues highway. Andersen rips it a new one with a hot, heart felt guitar solo, and the horns are strong but this track is all about the vocal and Payne really has a take no prisoners attack. Excellent! Another funky track, I Get Off On It, gives Tarcyz the chance to step up with a great seriously funky bass line. With a lot of the swagger and Kid Andersen working the wah wah and vocoder, this track really gets you moving. Easing off the pedal with a T-Bone Walker style track, Rock Me With A Steady Roll, Payne shows the more sensitive side of his voice. Bob Welsh rolls out a cool piano line giving Lewis a nice opportunity for a tight trumpet solo followed by a really hot sax solo from Frankie Ramos. Oh yeah, Andersen slips in some hot riffs of his own on guitar! Little Johnny Taylor's Somewhere Down The Line has a great feel. Payne hits it running and Ramos tears it up on sax...really! Kumar, Lewis ans Welsh each get a few really nice riffs off but don't miss the great bass work of Tarcz. Wrapping the release is Ollie Nightingale's I'll Drink Your Bathwater Baby. Yeah, I haven't met that one, but it is a great track to close a really powerful release. Payne never eases up and Andersen rips another great guitar solo on this track. Check it out!

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