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The Eric Byrd Trio + 4: Brother Ray

AAJ Italy Staff By AAJ Italy Staff

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Il fratello di cui parla il titolo è il grande Ray Charles, cui viene fatto un omaggio con le canzoni che lo hanno reso famoso sui palchi di tutto il mondo e con una formazione piuttosto minimale: il trio di Eric Byrd ed una sezione di quattro sassofoni, più qualche ospite qua e là. Il finale "You Don't Know Me" è invece eseguito da Byrd al solo pianoforte.

A parte la domanda se ha senso fare un omaggio ad un artista del calibro di Ray Charles (oppure James Brown), ci si può pure chiedere cosa si può ancora estrarre da queste canzoni che non sia già stato fatto e rifatto tante volte. Quindi: si ascolta un prodotto di simpatica fattura, che ogni tanto si lascia scorrere volentieri in sottofondo. Corretta la ritmica ed i sassofoni di accompagnamento, corretti gli arrangiamenti, ma qualcosa rispetto al modello di riferimento manca, e come poteva essere altrimenti?

Brother Ray è tuttavia un CD che evita le sonorità elettriche più facili e per questo risulta un omaggio meditato, con delle scelte precise di produzione.


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Track Listing

Let The Good Times Roll; Them That Got; Come Rain Or Come Shine; I've Got News For You; Get On The Right Track Baby; Baby It's Cold Outside; Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying; I Want A Little Girl; Watch Them Dogs; Baby Won't You Please Come Home; You Don't Know Me.

Personnel

Eric Byrd
piano

Eric Byrd: piano, vocals; Bhagwan Khalsa: bass; Alphonso Young, Jr.: drums; Brad Clements: trumpet; Lyle Link: alto saxophone; Paul Carr: tenor saxophone; Chris Watling: baritone saxophone; Lea Gilmore: vocals; Frank McCreary: vocals.

Album information

Title: Brother Ray | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Self Produced


About Eric Byrd

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