ANDY POXON
MUST BE CRAZY!
ELLERSOUL RECORDS ER-1509-24
MUST BE CRAZY–LIVING ALONE–NEXT TO YOU–GIVE ME THE CHANCE–COLD WEATHER–DON’T TELL YOUR MAMA–HARDER EVERY DAY–I WANT TO KNOW–ALREADY GONE–MAKING A FOOL–DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO–TOO LATE–REBOUND
Andy Poxon has sho’ nuff got it goin’ on. This young man has just released his third album for EllerSoul Records, entitled “Must Be Crazy!” On this collection of vintage swing, R & B, and roots music, he came to the friendly confines of the Rock House Studios in Franklin, TN. Under the production tutelage of Kevin McKendree, Andy’s killer guitar and ever-maturing vocals take center stage. All thirteen cuts were written either by Andy alone or in tandem with Kevin and Yates McKendree. Kevin’s also on keys throughout, (save for Yates on organ on one cut), Steve Mackey is on bass, Kenneth Blevins on drums, Jim Hoke on sax, and the McCrary Sisters and Chris Kohanski on backing vocals.
The cuts have a jump-blues, swingin’ feel, or go in the direction of classic soul, all done to take advantage of Mr. Poxon’s considerable talents.
The title cut leads off, with an unmistakable, Elmore James-styled intro. Andy tells another guy “you Must Be Crazy to break that poor girl’s heart!” Two sides of the same coin are studied with Andy’s tale of “doin’ fine since you left,” as “Living Alone ain’t so lonely after all!” He then changes gears on a song that belies the pain of lost love, “Harder Everyday,” done in a slow, classic-soul style.
“Cold Weather” lets Andy get in some jazzy, “3 AM-closing time,’ slow-blues licks while an old-time-used-to-be comes crawling back, but Andy tells her flat out, “It’s Too Late–you shoulda thought of that before!”
For all the swingin’ blues on this set, our favorites were vastly different. Another good dose of vintage soul is Andy’s poignant tale of a love affair about to crash, which has his lover “Already Gone.” And, the set closes on a rousing instrumental note that sounds as if it was cut down at 926 E. McLemore in Memphis, as Andy and Yates McKendree (on organ) make “Rebound” sound like a long-lost MG’s track.
Andy Poxon is a gifted young artist who is rapidly coming into his own. He could probably play any style he wanted to, and all blues fans are lucky his passion is for vintage blues and R & B, served up aplenty on “Must Be Crazy!” Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow.
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