Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dan Treanor & Frankie Lee: African Wind

Dan Treanor & Frankie Lee: African Wind

By Jim Santella
November 2, 2004
View read count

Traditional blues travels around the world on this session of emotional music. Except for "Lonesome Road," Dan Treanor wrote all the songs; Frankie Lee sings 'em with passion. While the timbres featured by the band's array of percussion instruments have a worldwide association, it's all about the blues at heart.

A Bo Diddley beat carries "Mean Woman Blues" along urban streets, up and down the countryside, and back. Lee sings about the feelings we own up to when we're mistreated. "Kidnapped by the Blues" mourns a broken heart with acoustic instrumental sounds all around. Hand drums, down-home guitar, upright bass, and Treanor's soulful blues harp drive the message home.

Lee's vocal exercises rely on dramatic emotion for their impact. As a result, his performance is uneven, with several interpretations pushing the limits a little too hard. In several spots, his near-shouting becomes a distraction. He's at his best with a hard-driving blues such as "Texas Son" or "Cut With Dynamite," where his forceful vocal energy pushes the music forward. Surrounded by a powerful band and Treanor's soulful harmonica, he makes these tunes sizzle.

"African Wind" explores the sounds of South Africa and neighboring countries. "Love a Woman's Soul" drives with an urban funk groove. "Tell Me Mama," "Lonesome Road," and "Got No Lifeline" represent the roots of Mississippi Delta blues. In all, Treanor and Lee provide an eclectic cross section of the kind of blues heard all over the world.

Track Listing

Missing; Mean Woman Blues; Love a Woman's Soul; Tell Me Mama; African Wind; The Griot Man; Got No Lifeline; Black Hanna; Cut with Dynamite; Kidnapped by the Blues; Texas Son; Who's Playing Who; Lonesome Road; True Love; Cane Flute Soul.

Personnel

Dan Treanor

Dan Treanor: harmonica, acoustic guitar, dobro, keyboards, bass, diddley bow, ngoni, khalam, cane flute, drum; Frankie Lee: vocals; David Henderson: electric guitar, lap steel guitar, acoustic slide guitar; Gary Flori: drums, congas, djembe, tabla, surdo, shakers; R.D. Jones: electric & upright acoustic bass; Tom Quinn: drums; Sammy Mayfield: guitar, backup vocals; Erica Brown: vocals (13); Peggy Brown, David Booker: backup vocals (13); Tony Arceneaux: flute; Ruben Flores: percussion.

Album information

Title: African Wind | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: NorthernBlues Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Justin Time For Christmas Four
< Previous

Innovation
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.