The McNaMarr Project Holla & Moan

The McNaMarr Project
Holla & Moan
Bahool Records

The McNaMarr Project consists of guitarist-vocalist John McNamara and vocalist Andrea Marr. The two are amongst the leading performers on the soul and blues scene in their native Australia. "Holla & Moan" is their first release and recorded in Memphis at the famed Royal Studios. The studio band includes a rhythm section of guitarist Bobby Manuel, bassist Ray Griffin, drummer Willie Hall, keyboardist Lester Snell. There is a brassy horn section with Scott Thompson on trumpet, Lannie McMillan on tenor sax, and Jim Spake on baritone sax. Lester Snell provided all the arrangements of the nine originals the two have written.

From the title track's first notes to the final moments of "Blues Brought Me Home," This recording almost sounds like a lost Stax recording session. Think about duets by William Bell or Eddie Floyd, and Mavis Staples or Johnnie Taylor and Carla Thomas (and also the blue-eyed soul of Delaney and Bonnie). Marr and McNamara suggest those classic duets as well as the church preaching approach of Sam and Dave or Bobby & James Purify. There is the deep soul rocker title track or the deep southern soul ballad of "Missing You." The publicity compares Marr to Bettye Lavette and vintage Tina Turner, and her vocal on "Throwing Down a Little Love" suggests a comparison to Lavette is not far-fetched. McNamara sounds equally natural and persuasive and throughout throws in well-placed guitar licks. His guitar is well-featured on "Keep It Rollin'."

Perhaps the soul ballad "History" is the high point, but the entire recording is superb. With stellar backing and idiomatic originals the two brought to the recording session, The McNaMarr Project will surprise those who might not believe that a duo from down-under can get down so well. "Holla & Moan" is highly recommended.

I received a review copy from a publicist. Here The McNaMarr Project is seen performing "Missing You."

John McNamara Rollin' With It

John McNamara
Rollin' With It
Bahool Records

John McNamara is an Australian whose music took him to Beale Street, not simply because he competed at the International Blues Challenge, but because the influence of soul and blues that can be heard in his music. His new album was recorded in Memphis at the Ardent Studios and found the singer, songwriter and guitarist backed by such Memphis studio stalwarts as drummer Steve Potts; bassist James Kinard; guitarist Michael Toles; and keyboardist Lester Snell (who did the arrangements) along with a strong horn section. McNamara wrote six of the ten songs. along with his renditions of songs associated with Bobby Bland, Otis Redding and Little Willie John.

McNamara impresses as a singer as well as guitarist from the opening "One, Two Of A Kind," that evokes the brassy Memphis sound with his soulful, natural sounding singing and biting guitar set against the horn riffs. The idiomatic originals and choice covers continue with "Bad Reputation" delivered in his slightly whisky parched singing, whose musical structure is a cousin to "Fever," and a lyric of ignoring his reputation as he is "all about loving you." There is the slow, moody "Under The Weight Of The Moon," as he laments about laying awake about being without her, with very apt backing.

The covers are straight-forward and delivered in a relaxed fashion ranging from the Bobby Bland classic soul ballad "Ask Me Nothing (But About the Blues)," to an Otis Redding Stax classic "Security," another strong Bobby Bland cover "Blind Man" (that Little Milton also covered five decades ago) and the closing rendition of Little Willie John's "Suffering With the Blues." With heartfelt singing and the handsome arrangements, McNamara displays not simply his love of the music that influenced him but how ably he interprets these classic songs in addition to his marvelous originals. One gets impressed by his strong performances on a striking new recording to delight fans of sixties-seventies Memphis soul and blues.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here John performs "Ask Me Nothing (But About the Blues)."