JAC Records artist: Lee Delray - Brand New Man - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Brand New Man, from Lee Delray and it's got guts. I don't mean it is doing something gutsy, but that it is rugged and guttural... yeah...cool! Opening with Blues rocker, Meet My Maker, Lee Delray is upfront and leading the charge on lead vocal and slide guitar. Backed by Scott Ward on bass and Ken Conklin on drums these guys have a take no prisoners attitude. Very cool. Classic blues track, I'll Play The Blues For You, maintains it cool funky groove but has a fresh new appeal. Delray's vocals are super and Ward's bass line is spot on. Delray's guitar soloing on this track is spontaneous and really bluesy. Showing a scorching hot rock attack, Blues Came Callin' has a cockiness that is hard to ignore. Delray's call and response vocals and guitar riffs are solid and effective. Lively R&B track, Love Line, puts me in mind of a terrific track by Tyrone Davis and this track is every bit as effective. Melodic guitar runs by Delray give the track just the right amount of spank to give it a rock edge. I really like the approach on Cookin' In My Kitchen, a slower blues number with references to Robert Johnson's track. With warm jazzy chords under the melody and sassy vocals leading the way, Ward and Conklin create the tension as Delray dances through on guitar and vocal. Very nice! Elmore James style track, Hollar, is one of my favorite tracks just because of it's Hound Dog Taylor style rawness. With fat slide work and an easy blues tempo, this track kicks ass! Shuffle track, Gotcha, has a real nice feel with tight guitar riffs swinging back and forth between blues and rock n roll. Excellent track! With it's framework coming from Junior Wells but with an overlying rock feel, Mine All Mine is an interesting blend of blues and rock. The rhythm guitar riff anchors it in the blues and the vocals and lead guitar take it for a walk. Very nice. Ballad, Yesterday's Tears, ventures into country territory with it's quiet demeanor, simple rhythm and the quiet harmonica work of Mike "Sweetharp" Smith and acoustic guitar work by Lenny Hayden. Delray lays out a real sweet melodic guitar run in the track giving it additional traction but it is the radio track on the release. Wrapping the release is Son House's Grinnin' In Your Face, performed by Delray totally acapella. It starts off in a distance and then becomes more clear and current as it grows. This is a cool track to conclude the release which draws an interesting parallel between the traditional and the contemporary.



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It's A Little Too Late - Lee Delray

With over a quarter of a century under his belt and 14 years fronting his own band, Lee is causing quite the buzz on a national and international level. In 2013, Lee Delray headlined the 4th Annual Blues Bash in Hackettstown, N.J., along with Blues/Rock Legend Johnny Winter. He was also invited on as supporting act for “Superharp” James Cotton at The Stanhope House, N.J. Lee’s cd “570-BLUES” is getting airplay in over 15 countries and over 40 US states, and rapidly building a worldwide fan base. Lee’s style has been called a ferocious mix of Albert King, Albert Collins, and Luther Allison. He has also been compared to more modern artists like Tommy Castro, Nick Moss, Joe Moss, Chris Cain, and Bryan Lee. If you enjoy any of these artists you will love Lee Delray. Born in Florida and raised in N.Y.C., Lee started playing guitar at age 11 after finding an old flat top in a back corner of his garage. Lee gave up the guitar one year later for the drums after seeing a Krupa/Rich showdown on The Johnny Carson Show, but that didn’t last too long. Lee was captivated by a performance he saw of Alvin Lee & Ten Years After doing “I’m Going Home” on PBS, and begged his dad to buy him an electric guitar. But that was not Lee’s earliest influence to perform. Delray remembers his dad taking him to see Pete Seeger perform on a Staten Island pier when he was about 7 years old. “ He seemed larger than life to me at that age”. “Actually… Pete seems larger than life to me at any age. Those concerts my dad took me to every year changed my life forever. I knew after seeing Pete for the first time that I wanted to sing and perform for people. He made people feel good. After all the pain I’ve been through in my life, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. Make people feel good”, says Lee. After spending his youth playing in bands ranging in styles from Rock-N- Roll to Punk, from Oldies to Country, Lee discovered the Blues. Or rather, the Blues discovered him via an old Muddy Waters Record given to him by a long time friend and fellow musician Duke Lee. Lee talks a little about “Street Credit” and how he feels he was destined for the “Blues Life”. “My family lived in Staten Island suburbia surrounded by PTA meetings, Tupperware parties, and Monday night Mah-jong. But I wasn’t down with that. I hung out in the Park Hill Projects and on the streets of the “City” at all hours of the night. I was in and out of group homes till the age of 17. I was a graffiti artist, and I was there when Rap music was born. I’ve been shot at in East New York. I played guitar on the ferry boat and in Battery Park for change. I’ve dragged a Marshall Half Stack to auditions on and off every train in NYC. I’ve hung out with the Panthers in Harlem. I watched a “Wise Guy” beat a man half to death with a baseball bat, and I’ve been stabbed in the stomach and face going into a gig. The song “Don’t Tell Me I Can’t Get the Blues” is just the tip of the iceberg. Needless to say, I have a lot more stories to tell, so stay tuned”. Delray notes his main influences in the Blues as…Albert King, B.B. King, Albert Collins, Jimmie Vaughan, Luther Allison, Jimmy Reed, Hound Dog Taylor, Eric Clapton, and Freddie King.. Lee also was very honored to have former bassist with The Mighty Bo Didley, Debby Hastings and Margo Lewis ( Bo Didley and founding member of Goldie and The Gingerbreads) as his “Showstopper” rhythm section. Lee toured with this lineup which also included “Papa” John Mole’ ( Otis Rush, Bill Perry Band) for 2 years. Since forming his own band in 1998 Lee has played with or shared the bill with some of the finest musicians in the world of Blues from NYC all the way to Austin Texas and back.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!