Roosevelt Sykes: Nasty But It's Clean
Musically much of the material starts sound the same around the midway mark, but Sykes’ endlessly inventive lyrics are part of what keeps the program fertile and engaging. Ranging from barely cloaked lowbrow humor to three-minute treatises on the darker emotions his verbal creativity is constantly on display. Also absorbing is the time capsule nature of many of the pieces. When strung together sequentially they illuminate the subtle shifts in Sykes style dependent upon the setting he found himself in. Through it all his burly barroom touch at the keys works as an umbilical from his St. Louis origins to his later Windy sojourn. Sykes was indisputably the real-deal and each one of these sides proves his credentials and pedigree conclusively. An added bonus is the comparatively clean fidelity of the tracks, which fortunately doesn’t reflect a lacquering of Sykes’ more risqué musings (another tip of the hat to the title perhaps?).
Catfish on the web: http://www.catfishrecords.co.uk/
Track Listing
Personnel
Roosevelt Sykes- piano, vocals; Oscar Carter- guitar; Kokomo Arnold- guitar; Sidney Calett- drums; Johnny Morton- trumpet; Oett
Album information
Title: Nasty But It's Clean | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Catfish Records (UK)