American Showplace Music artist: Slam Allen - Feel These Blues - New release review

I just received the newest release, Feel These Blues, from Slam Allen and it's a hard driver. Opening with title track, Feel These Blues, Allen on guitar and lead guitar sets the pace. Joined by keyboard wiz John Ginty, Jeff Anderson on bass and Dan Fadel on drums, these guys show they mean business. Allen slashes with Albert King like bend phrasing and mean intent. Cool! All Because Of You has a really smart bluesy guitar intro sliding into a Otis Rush like tempo with cleverly styled guitar riffs. Ginty and Allen trade alternate drop in riffs as punctuation around Allen's lead vocals. Very nice! R&B styled, In September, lays easy ground work for a radio track with slick guitar work and also showcasing Allen's soulful vocals. The Blues Is Back showing definite influences of Mr BB King. Allen's vocal phrasing is spot on and his Albert King/ SRV guitar phrasing is hot! Baby Please Don't You Go is a boogie rock n roller. Flashing guitar chops over a Chuck Berry rhythm and Ginty's organ dynamics makes this a true rocker on the release. High stepper 35 Miles Outside Of Memphis is a real swamp rocker along the lines of Edwin Starr or CCR's Born On The Bayou. This is a great track with a rolling beat from Fadel, super key support from Ginty, heavy bass from Anderson and searing knife like guitar strikes from Allen. Super! My favorite track on the release, World Don't Stop Turning, has a bit of BB and a bit of SRV (Ain't Gonna Give Up On Love) blended into Allen's own chowder giving Allen a spectacular opportunity to show his stuff and he isn't bashful. Excellent! Another R&B flavored track, Can't Break Away From That Girl has a real nice feel. Allen has a real nice voice for this particular style and his guitar riffs are very complimentary as well. I don't now if you have noticed but sometimes a track just hits me. When it does, gotta say what it makes me think. When The Blues Comes Around is a funky blues track and Ginty on organ with the beat brings me to one of my all time favorite Blues Rock tracks, I'm A Roadrunner, from Humble Pie's Smokin' release. This track has a bit of the feel but instead of Steve Marriot's superb voice, you have Allen who really does have a great feel for this style. I particularly love his guitar work on this track with solid tone and sting. Strong blues track, You're Wrong, has a great vocals and stiff guitar call and response ad mostly demonstrated by BB King. With youthful exuberance, Allen not only pulls at the strings but he runs then raw. This is a really hot track that will stick you...watch out! The release is wrapped by a soulful cover of Prince's Purple Rain. Allen works the vocals over pretty good with a hard soulful eye. Ginty pours on the heat with his B3 and Allen comes back hard with a really cooking blues guitar solo wrapping a really strong release.

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Five Long Years - Slam Allen

For over 20 years, Slam Allen has been entertaining audiences with his unique blend of soul and blues. Playing the famous Chitlin' Circuit as well as performing around the world, Allen's music and enthusiasm has been shared with thousands of people.

For the past eight years he has played an important role, as the lead singer and guitarist, in the legendary James Cotton Band. "It's one of the highlights and privileges of my life to play with Cotton" says Allen, "He is one of the last living legends, and there's so much history there.

Cotton was directly connected to Muddy Waters -- who was a major factor in the blues world as well as being one of my all time favorites. Playing with Cotton is such a great experience for me and there are things you can learn from him that you can't learn from any school. It's a great honor."

Music is in Allen's blood -- he got his start from his father and uncles who were known as the Allen Brothers Band. Allen carries on the family legacy wherever he goes. His music runs deep. "When I play," says Allen, "People who may have never heard of me leave the show with a feeling that we're old friends or family."

From B.B. King to Otis Redding, Slam has a way of making you feel the Soul of the Music. It's often difficult to tell if he's doing one of his originals or an old blues or soul cover. Regardless, he makes all the music his own.
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