JOEL ZOSS
FLORIDA BLUES
BLUZPIK RECORDS 2015
HAVE YOU SEEN MY RIDER–PAPERS OF LIGHT–VODKA AND RED BULL–THE RIDDLE SONG–STREET VET CHANT–KEY TO THE HIGHWAY–TWO FISH–ALBERT’S SONG–GOODNIGHT IRENE–FOLLOW ME I’LL TURN YOUR MONEY GREEN
Guitarist Joel Zoss began his career in Chicago, working with many blues legends, opening shows for Etta James and B. B. His stock as a composer took off after Bonnie Raitt cut two of his songs, “Too Long At The Fair” and “I Gave My Love A Candle.” His latest set, recorded with his acoustic trio, is “Florida Blues.” Recorded and mixed by Grammy winner Ron Taylor at Echo Beach Studios in Jupiter, FL, Joel combines his own compositions with a few classics that showcase his brilliant fingerpicking skills. His trio consists of Jeff Adkins on bass, Matt Calderin on drums, and Jeff Harding, the set’s producer, on guitar on one cut.
The set starts with the easy groove of “Have You Seen My Rider,” with its tales of a “bad moon rising” and “hoodoo you,” with a fine solo at the bridge. “Papers Of Light” follows a samba-esque pattern, while the old-time feel of “Albert’s Song” takes a tongue-in-cheek look at life in The Sunshine State, full of “pythons in my back yard” and where it’s “too damn hot to contemplate.”
He does two fine covers also. “Key To The Highway” has that sweet solo from Jeff Harding, while “Goodnight Irene” has a rolling rhythm pattern repeated throughout.
We had two favorites, too. If “Vodka And Red Bull” doesn’t cause your heart to blow outta your chest, you are bound to “get a good buzz on!” And, perhaps the set’s most intriguing cut is an ode to homeless vets, “Street Vet Chant.” Many of them suffer in silence, admittedly “disenfranchised and scary as Hell,” and whose best friends are “my forty-four and my three-five-seven!”
Joel Zoss, on “Florida Blues,” plays these blues they way the Delta masters intended–straight from the soul, and just as natural as puttin’ on your walkin’ shoes! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.
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