Earwig Music Company artist: Les Copeland - One More Foot In The Quicksand - New Release review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, One More Foot In The Quicksand, from Les Copeland and it's honest. Opening with blues rocker, Change Of Pace, Les Copeland sets up on lead vocal and guitar, backed by Cameron Ward on bass and Scott Grant on drums. On Big Bill Broonzy's When I Been Drinking, Copeland goes it alone with electric guitar. This is a particularly cool tract with solid vocals and excellent country blues style guitar accompaniment. Very cool. Freddie King's Woman Across The River gets a real funky edge. The base arrangement remains intact but Copeland's added funk gives it a really fresh feel. Copeland lays in some real nice riffs and Ward's bass lines are excellent. Another cool, country style blues track, Perfect Man Like You, blends solid vocals by Copeland, backed by flat picking and slide guitar overlays. Very nice. Slow blues number, Uncle To Aunt, gives Copeland a real nice opportunity to just stretch and show his blues chops. With only the minimal of bass and drum backing, Copeland shines. Tiny People is a real cool tune with a great melody. Featuring Copeland on lead slide (melody), this is certainly one of my favorite tracks on the release. Ray Charles' Hallelujah I Love Her So gets a savvy swing alternating Copeland vocals with cool jazzy guitar soloing. Very nice.  Another nice country blues rag is I'd Be Nothing with straight up Piedmont picking and tight vocal delivery. Title track, Just Another Foot In The Quicksand, adds a jazzy approach to a traditional country style blues. With some real nice articulation and bluesy accents, a real nice job. Closing the release is I Gotta Get Up, a jazzy R&B style track with a lot of commercial potential. This release has a number of approaches to the blues with a constant theme in acoustic style blues guitar. Take a listen.

  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 favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

 “Like” Bman’s Facebook page and get support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Earwig Music Company artist: Les Copeland - To Be In Your Company - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, To Be In Your Company, from Les Copeland and it's lively and entertaining. Copeland, Honeyboy Edwards' traveling companion, working partner and student for 15 years, has released his second collection and this one's a doozy. Opening with title track, To Be In Your Company, Copeland sings about his friend, Honeyboy as he lays down a rudimentary Piedmont style pattern on acoustic and soloing over the top on electric guitar. Very nice. Slipping and sliding on acoustic, Borderline tells the story of crossing and being detained in border towns. Stealin' has a certain period styling and a mellow acoustic sound. I particularly like Copeland's vocals on this track with a bit of loose vocal improvisation. Henry Townsend's Why We Love Each Other has a really nice meter, with Cat Wells joining on harmony. Knucklehead is a track about the interplay between Copeland and his wife, Sarah. With his Herb Ellis hollow body tuned to open D, this track has a really unusual acoustic jangle. Cool. Jim Stafford's Swamp Witch is up next with poetic like descriptions. Primarily a folk tune, this is cool expressive track. A simple ballad, Something Nice and Sweet, has a nice melody, expressive lyrics and backing vocals by Sari. Jelly Roll Morton's Whinin' Boy is played pretty straight up and will always bring to mind Hot Tuna's version. A cool blues track, it's easy to appreciate the sensitivity of Copeland's voice. Friend, is a light blues based ditty, about the wife stealer. Copeland's acoustic guitar work on this track are particularly clean and effective. If I Was A Bad Man, has a really gritty feel and traditional slide blues styling. Copeland really slays it on this one so listen up. Bessie is a really sensitive track recounting Honeyboy and his admiration for his wife. Very nice! Gordon Lightfoot's Ribbon of Darkness is a simple modern folk ballad with a sweet melody and articulate guitar interplay with Copeland's vocals. Bob Dylan's Moonshiner has a certain poetic feel to it showing Dylan's strong sense of writing. Copeland keeps his adornment to a minimum giving the song a refreshing feel. Ray Davies' track, Sunny Afternoon is one of my favorite tracks with few variations from the Kinks original. Toned down to a simple acoustic country track how it was likely originally written gives it a warm feel. I'd Be Lonely Too is an upbeat track featuring a duet with Sari and more prominent guitar lead without breaking the simple folk rhythm. Billy Joe Shaver's I'm Just An Old Chunk of Coal has a lot of spring in it's rhythm and Copeland's finger picking technique is tight. Very nice! Slashing slider, Crosstown is driven by a train rhythm. Copeland's vocals have a lot of the old country styling giving the track an authentic old time feel. Wrapping the release is I Dream About You, a snappy country blues track. One final country blues solo shows some smoke and it's done. Very cool release.



  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 favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE"