Segue Records artist: Vaneese Thomas - The Long Journey Home - New release review

I just received the newest release (September 16, 2016), The Long Journey Home, from Vaneese Thomas and it's soul is dripping. Opening with Sweet Talk Me, a soulful pop track, Vaneese Thomas plants her feet and delivers. With solid radio melody, tight guitar riffs by Al Orlo, Paul Mariconda on piano, Paul Adamy on bass and Joe Bonadio on drums and ultra rich back vocals by Lisa Fisher, Erin Pellnat and Sergio Cocchi I like this opener. Another favorite on the release is the R&B track, Mystified. Adamy sets up a nice bass line and Thomas' vocals are gripping. Bryan Davis on trumpet, and Ed Palermo on sax give the track a rich warmness and Orlo and Wayne Warnecke lay down some tasty guitar riffs. On The More Things Change, Adamy uses a single bass line to control the track, changing up for a nice vocal opening and Thomas' strong vocals saturate the track with stinging guitar riffs by Orlo. Prince of Fools has a really nice groove with tight vocals and a real sweet organ solo by Cocchi. Very nice. Opening with a heavy bottom and grinding guitar riffs, I Got A Man In TN, has a super heavy sway and Thomas is stomping it down hard. With great vocal phrasing, cool slide work by Orlo and Tash Neal and nicely complimentary bass and vocal backing, this track is hot. With warm gospel style organ, Rockin' Away The Blues has great presence. Peter Calo's addition of dobro work adds yet another dimension and Adamy's ever solid presence nicely highlights Thomas' super vocals. Excellent! With a simple blues strut, Revelation, shows yet another side of Thomas with a bit of country stirred in. Piano work by Mariconda, acoustic guitar work by Orlo, dobro by Neal and harp by Rob Paparozzi gives this track it's spring. Definitely my favorite track on the release is Mean World, a simple soulful ballad with Thomas accompanying herself on piano, joined by military like rudiment percussion by Bonadio. Really nice melodic guitar riffs add a nice dimension to Thomas' already rich vocals and solitary guitar soloing by Orlo is nicely executed. Wrapping the release is a cover of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain. Nicely interwoven vocals by Thomas, Pellnat, Cocchi and Fischer. Cleanly articulate acoustic guitar work by Orlo, smooth violin work by Katie Jacoby and supplemental dobro work by Neal makes this a cool conclusion to a pretty nice release.



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