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Bey Paule Band: Not Goin' Away
ByFrank Bey is the consummate soul singer who came up in the traditional gospel household in Georgia, paying his dues on the road with numerous gospel acts in his teens. His early brush with the big time was as an opening act for Otis Redding, before singing for several bands throughout the 1970's. He then went into a personal hiatus before surfacing in Philadelphia in 1996, putting out a record. By the turn of the new century he was in the Bay Area and eventually hooked up with Anthony Paule. Paule, meanwhile, had released several solo efforts in the mid '90's, all the while backing some of the biggest names in the business. The union of these two talents is one of those which was meant to happen, resulting in an extensive creative output.
From the biographical "Black Bottom," to the hard hitting "Right In Front Of You," the band supplies a solid backdrop for Bey to show that he can grind with the best of them. "Next To My Heart," and "Don't Ask Me How I Feel," bring the pace way down, where the vocals wring the most out of the lowdown lyrics, and then it's back up to the defiant "Not Goin' Away," which not only is the perfect title track, but should be the bands calling card. 'Ballad Of The Lover Man," with classic organ riffs by Tony Lufrano, harkens back to when soul music was made for jukeboxes, Saturday nights, and wishful thinking. The instrumental "Noel Haze," is done in the vintage Booker T & The MG's groove, complimented with a honking tenor by Nancy Wright.
The Bey Paule Bad performs in a manner which upholds the tradition from where this music came from, while keeping it relevant for today. This is not something one decides to do one day on a whim, but is the result of a lifetime of dedication and direction. Frank Bey, as good a singer as he is, could not do this alone, it is the combining with Anthony Paule and this perfect band that makes this an excellent record. Electric soul is what these guys are about, and they are not going away.
Track Listing
Black Bottom; Kiss Me Like You Mean It; Right In Front Of You; Next to My Heart; Someone You Use; This Party’s Done; Nobody’s Angel; Not Goin’ Away; Ballad Of The Lover Man; Noel’s Haze; Don’t Ask Me How I Feel; If I Could reach Out.
Personnel
Frank Bey: lead vocals; Anthony Paule: electric, acoustic and National resonator guitars; Paul revelli: drums, percussion; Paul Olguin: bass, back up vocal (1); tony Lufrano: Hammond B3 organ, grand piano, Wurlitzer; Nancy Wright: tenor sax; Mike Rinta: trombone; Tom Poole: trumpet; Christoffer “Kid” Anderson: slide guitar (7), rhythm guitar (12); Loralee Christensen: backing vocals (1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12); Lisa Leuschner Anderson: backing vocals: (1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12); Larry Batiste: backing vocals (1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12); Jack Sanford: baritone sax (8).
Album information
Title: Not Goin' Away | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Blue Dot Records
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