Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mick Hucknall: Tribute To Bobby

296

Mick Hucknall: Tribute To Bobby

By

Sign in to view read count
Mick Hucknall: Tribute To Bobby
Two decades into his career and a good decade after his last U.S. chart success, Simply Red lead singer Mick Hucknall releases his solo debut. In many cases it's hard to differentiate the singer's solo offerings from those of Simply Red. This is as much due to the identifying tone and texture of a singer's voice as to the sound of the guitars, bass and drums, in addition to singers often being their band's main songwriter. The tone, mood, texture and songs found on a Tom Petty solo offering like Full Moon Fever (MCA, 1989), for example, are virtually undistinguishable from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers releases.

Not necessarily so for Hucknall. On Tribute To Bobby, the singer pays tribute to Memphis R&B stalwart Bobby "Blue" Bland. It's an extraordinary CD, not only paying tribute to Bland but to the Memphis sound, while allowing Hucknall to forge his own relationship with the source material.

By stepping outside of the confines of Simply Red, Hucknall has given his Blue-Eyed Soul voice the chance to grow and experiment in ways not possible fifteen or even ten years ago. With any instrument, time adds to the timber and texture and Hucknall's voice is no different, with wisdom and experience providing greater maturity.

In order to sing real soul music, especially classic Memphis R&B and soul, the singer must have the right sound—intense, earnest, heartfelt and sometimes a bit world-weary. Songs such as these require an authentic voice.

Here, Hucknall reinterprets twelve songs originally recorded by Bland, his distinctive voice and style giving the CD a flavor that is not quite Bland and definitely not Simply Red. It's still Blue-Eyed Soul and jazz-influenced Memphis R&B, but it is so much more, enhancing rather than losing the integrity of the original music.

The songs are treated well incorporating jazz on "Farther, On Up the Road," pop on "Chains Of Love," funky rock on "Stormy Monday Blues," gospel on "I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around)" and soul on "I Wouldn't Treat A Dog." "Cry, Cry, Cry" benefits from the organ and horns mix and almost has a Motown-meets-Memphis sound. "I Pity The Fool" is raw, angry, perfect and quite possibly the best performance on the CD.

Some might say that this disc isn't too much of a stretch for Hucknall. After all, Simply Red's biggest U.S. hits—"If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "Holding Back the Years"—had they been recorded by Bland, would have fit in perfectly on this CD. Additionally, some might also be of opinion that an album of classic tunes, sung by an artist with a twenty year pedigree, would have to be good. If it were only that easy, then everybody would be doing it.

The fact is that Hucknall has taken a chance. By recording well-known songs by an under-appreciated singer he has given Bland some additional exposure. Those who know the songs but not the singer might wish to further explore. Those who know neither but know Simply Red, will also hopefully explore. Hucknall has breathed new life into some old Memphis Soul.

Track Listing

Father Up the Road; Ain't That Lovin' You; I'm Too Far Gone (To Turn Around); Poverty; Yolanda; Stormy Blues; I Wouldn't Treat a Dog (The Way You Treated Me); I'll Take Care of You; Chains of Love; I Pity the Fool; Cry, Cry, Cry; Lead Me On.

Personnel

Mick Hucknall: vocals; Kenji Suzuki: guitar; David Clayton: clarinet, piano, keyboards, Hammond organ; Andy Wright: bass, guitar, piano, keyboards, programming, background vocals, producer; Gavin Goldberg: guitar, keyboards, programming, producer, engineer, mixing; John "Snakehips" Johnson: trombone; Ian Kirkham: saxophone; Peter Lewinson: drums; Steve Lewinson: bass, double-bass; Jim McWilliam: strings; Kevin Robinson: trumpet.

Album information

Title: Tribute To Bobby | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Rhino

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.