4 JACKS
DEAL WITH IT
ELLERSOUL RECORDS ELL121201
DEAL WITH IT–HAVE OURSELVES A TIME–I DON’T WANT TO BE PRESIDENT–SHE AIN’T WORTH A DIME–LOVE’S LIKE THAT–BOBCAT WOMAN–YOUR TURN TO CRY–THUNDER AND LIGHTNING–TEXAS TWISTER–ANSONMYPANTS–BAD NEWS BABY–PAINKILLER
The accomplishments of the four gents who play on this set would fill a blues encyclopedia. Guitarist Anson Funderburgh, drummer Big Joe Maher, keyboard whiz Kevin McKendree, and bassist Steve Mackey have either led their own bands or played on records with countless others, and they pool their immense talents on “Deal With It,” which consists of nine band originals and three covers, dabbling in straight blues, swing-driven jump blues, and soul that showcases the unique talents of these four giants.
The fellows lay down three excellent instrumentals. The leadoff title cut utilizes Anson’s guitar and Kevin’s B-3 to take you right back to ’63, at the height of the Mar-Keys popularity. Then, Anson breaks off a scorchin’ slab of Texas roadhouse boogie on “Texas Twister,” and closes the set with another funky original, “Painkiller.”
They play some hot, swing-oriented stuff, too. “Have Ourselves A Time” and “Bobcat Woman” have a T-Bone Walker feel, while Yates McKendree plays some downright Killer piano in a humorous look at romance, “Ansonmypants.”
We had two favorites, too. Kevin goes into full-on Little Richard mode on the piano-driven rocker, about a “crazy woman” who “Ain’t Worth A Dime.” “And, Percy Mayfield’s topical look at the Oval Office, “I Don’t Want To President,” is given a funky, stop-time treatment by the fellows, who compare four years as top dog to “doin’ time!”
“Deal With It” proves that the whole is sometimes greater than the sum of its parts. With Anson, Joe, Kevin, and Steve, these 4 Jacks stack the deck for some great blues!! Until next time….Sheryl and Don Crow.
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