THE PROVEN ONES
WILD AGAIN
ROSELEAF RECORDS
CHEAP THRILLS–CITY DUMP–DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY–IF YOU BE MY BABY–WHY BABY WHY–ROAD OF LOVE–RIGHT TRACK NOW–WILD AGAIN–LOAN ME A DIME–DON’T LET ME DOWN/PROVEN FUGUE IN E MAJOR
The gentlemen who comprise The Proven Ones are a literal “Who’s who” in contemporary blues. They have a collective multitude of awards and nominations for awards, and they have jointly pooled their considerable talents on the rowdy, raucous, and ram-bunk-shush rockin’ blues of “Wild Again,” for Roseleaf Records. The band is Willie J. Campbell on bass, Boston powerhouse Brian Templeton on vocals, fellow New Englander Anthony Geraci on keys, (who has a Grammy nomination!), Jimi Bott on drums, and one of our all-time favorite guitarists, David “Kid” Ramos.
This set is a cool mix of originals and covers, and blasts off with one of our set favorites. “Cheap Thrills” is a Jimi Bott original, that we first heard several years ago with Kim Wilson on the vocal. Here, Brian and the fellows bring to life the story of our hero who, when it’s all said and done, “you can color me gone!” Every town’s got a “City Dump,” where everyone goes to have fun, and this one is full of horn-driven, West Coast jump blues, while “If You Be My Baby” is a fine slow blues done with Kid channeling his inner B. B. King on the guitar licks.
The fellows get into a sweet soul music groove with Brian’s vocal and the horns driving Clarence Carter’s “Road Of Love,” with Kid all over the slide guitar. That soul vibe keeps runnin’ thru the grooves of another original, this one written by Jimi, Kid, and Kim Wilson, on the tale of a rocky love affair that’s “on the Right Track Now.” Anthony is on the plaintive B-3 and Kid digs way down deep into his bluesman’s soul for the guitar lines that fuel Brian’s vocals on Fenton Robinson’s iconic “Somebody Loan Me A Dime,” nearly twelve minutes of pure slow-blues ecstasy. The set closes with our other favorite, a joyful, majestic, sweeping read of John and Paul’s “Don’t Let Me Down.”
The Proven Ones have shown what they can do as individuals throughout their illustrious careers. However, as a team, they catapult contemporary blues to a whole ‘nother level, runnin’ “Wild Again.” Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow.
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