JEFF DALE
AND THE SOUTH WOODLAWNERS
BLUES POWER
PRO SHO BIDNESS PSB 4716
TOXIC STEW–GOOD LUCK WOMAN–BLUES POWER–MIDDLE CLASS MOAN–ONE STEP FROM A BROKEN MAN–BEST KIND OF TROUBLE–STONE COLD–LET’S BUZZ–UNDERCOVER MAN–BLACK CROW–CAN I BOOGIE
Jeff Dale has been in this bidness for some forty years. He’s a product of the legendary, rough-and-tumble South Side of Chicago scene, and plays his blues just like the legends showed him how as he was growing up–with plenty of spit and swagger. Witness the eleven originals that make up his sixth album in the last nine years, entitled “Blues Power.” Along with Jeff, who is on guitar and vocals, we have Derek Phillips on keys, Glen Doll on the harp, and a host of other excellent backing players.
Leading off, Jeff plays out his autobiography as he details the “gray skies, black dust” of his neighborhood, and surviving and thriving in that “Toxic Stew.” Hellhound guitar and Pat Zicari’s sax add to the biting commentary herein. “Blues Power” takes us down to Blues Church with its sanctified groove, while Glen’s mournful harp is the perfect complement to Jeff’s tale of hard times in the land of plenty, “Middle Class Moan.”
Jeff traces his blues heritage thru shout-outs to Honeyboy Edwards, Muddy, and B. B., in “Best Kind Of Trouble,” his slide wailin’ over a cool Diddley beat. “Undercover Man” is a tongue-in-cheek look at a man who holds nothin’ back in the love department, and Jeff goes deep down to the Crossroads to the very roots of the blues’ creation with a cigar-box guitar-fueled tale of that “Black Crow, back on the wire.”
The set closed with our favorite. Jeff captures the feel of Theresa’s on a Saturday nite with the stop-time piano romp that is “Can I Boogie,” full of Derek’s red-hot 88’s and Pat’s sax!
Jeff Dale has lived the life of a bluesman, growing up and honing his chops smack dab in the middle of the South Side. His mentors always told him to “keep on doin’ what you’re doin,” and “Blues Power” keeps that promise! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues And Roots Alliance.
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