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Tommy
Chung - Blues Talk
Original Release Date: May 2002
Tommy Chung/Vocals
& Guitar, Kazuo Takeda/Guitar, Yoko Hashimoto/Harmonica,
Mark Foster/Piano, Larry Rott/Bass, Ivan Sherill/Bass, Stephen
Marshall/Drums, Haru Yoshida/Drums
1. All Your Love
(Rush)
2. Mean Mistreator (Carr)
3. Look Over Yonder's Wall (James)
4. How Long Blues (Carr)
5. For You My Love (Gayton)
6. Goodbye Down The Road (Chung)
7. Trouble In Mind (Jones)
8. Walking By Myself (Lane)
9. Love, Life & Money (Dixon/Glover)
10. Walking Thru the Park (Morganfield)
11. Goodbye Down The Road (acoustic) (Chung)
Review
Evidently
the most anticipated blues CD of the year, Tommy Chung finally
released his second album, six years after his first (one
and a half World Cup ago). Gladly, this is a vast improvement
over his first album, both regarding his voice and guitar
playing. Overall, there is a lot more blues in the songs while
the playing is not as hurried and muddled as before. One can
really tell Tommy has gained more experience and the blues
in a mere six-year period.
In his last album,
Tommy desperately tried to sound black. In Blues Talk,
Tommy relaxes and sounds his most natural, and lets his blues
feeling flow. This kind of singing is Tommy's best, reminiscent
of Peter Green and Eric Clapton in their early
years - trying to sing the blues without sounding black. Incidentally,
Tommy pays tribute to the early British blues - admittedly
his first blues influence - singing "All Your Love"
as the first tune. Moreover, Chung pays tribute to artists
that influenced him the most - Leroy Carr, Elmore James, Muddy
Waters, Johnny Winter, Jimmy Rogers, etc. Reminds me of appropriate
songs voices in Eric Clapton's From The Cradle.
The real treasure
of Blues Talk is of course Chung's original
composition "Goodbye Down The Road," especially
the acoustic version. Though Chung claims that he won't write
as many songs before, the quality of that song is just as
good as his previous "Play My Blues" with
the same feelings of "love, joy, misfortunes, pain
and suffering."
Musician-wise,
Tommy never sounded better. He is at his top form. Jedi-Master
Kazuo Takeda, also the
producer of the album, lends solid support on the guitar.
Sonny Girl Hashimoto is almost impeccable on the harp,
giving much force and power to the songs, which is a contrast
from her hurried and muted performance from Play My
Blues. Bassists Ivan Sherill and Larry Rott
(local USA blues artists) are solid on their job. Stephen
Marshall is very decent and consistent on the drums. The
entire rhythm section sets the right pace and tone for the
CD.
The unhurried
and constrained underpinnings stand side by side with William
Tang's natural Chicago-Blues tribute Out of the Blue.
Blues Talk is undoubtedly one of the most important
albums in Hong Kong blues history
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