Louisiana's LeRoux One of Those Days

Louisiana's LeRoux
One of Those Days
Self-produced

Decades ago, the Louisiana band LeRoux were signed to a major label, played on album rock stations. At the time, they toured with such groups as the Doobie Brothers, the Allman Brothers, Heart, Marshall Tucker, and others. This, their seventh album, is the first in a decade. The present configuration of this group is comprised of Jeff McCarty on lead vocals; Jim Odom on lead and rhythm guitar, and backing vocals; Tony Haselden on lead and rhythm guitar, slide guitar, and backing vocals; Rod Poddy on piano, Rhodes piano, and backing vocals; Nelson Blanchard on Hammond organ and backing vocals; Joey Decker on bass guitar and backing vocals; Randy Carpenter on drums; and Mark Duthu on percussion. Other musicians heard here include Tab Benoit, who plays guitar on one number, Leon Medica, who replaces decker on bass on three songs, and Tim Courville, who plays drums on one selection.

The publicity for this release and LeRoux's website describe this as contemporary blues. Calling this contemporary rock album as blues makes the description of music as "blues" meaningless. Blues may influence LeRoux, but that does not make this recording a 'blues' album. Listening to the title track or "The Song Goes On," the Doobie Brothers, not Otis Rush, is evoked. If not blues, the title track still is a humdinger of a raucous rock performance. It has a terrific lyric about getting Memphis barbecue, going to a Mississippi crossroads, and visiting the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans to see if the animals talk to you. McCarty shows himself to be an expressive singer here and throughout.

Among other songs of note include the "Lucy Anna" with its rollicking New Orleans groove (pianist Poddy is outstanding on this song), and "Don't Rescue Me," which evokes Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to these weathered ears. "After All' is a swamp-pop flavored ballad with a heartfelt McCarty vocal. Then there is a very appealing understated instrumental, "Sauce Picante," before the album closes with the band remaking one of their signature songs, "New Orleans Ladies," which features Tab Benoit's guitar solo. It is an excellent rendition of this classic rock song with a superb vocal and Benoit's superb solo, which makes a fitting close to this recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video associated with this recording.

 

Cyril Neville's worldly blues.

The following review appeared originally in Jazz & Blues Number 315 (April 2009) and downloadable from www.jazz-blues.com.

The youngest member of the Neville Brothers, Cyril Neville, like his brothers has long engaged in a variety of projects including exploring reggae and other world musics, and revisiting some Crescent City classics along with adding his voice and conscience to the Neville Brothers. M.C. Records is bringing out his latest disc, “Brand New Blues,” which has a most definite blues focus.

Producer Brian J. plays most of the music here but most tracks are supplemented by such artists as older brother Art, his nephews Ivan and Ian, guitarist Tab Benoit, harmonica whiz Johnny Sansone and washboard from Waylon Thibodeaux. There are some originals but also some intriguing covers like Jimmy Reed’s “I Found Joy,” that opens the album with its simple groove (Art Neville’s cheesy organ fits in so well) with a vocal that suggests a hint of Taj Mahal. It is followed by the title track, where he sings about having all types of blues, from the hole in shows to broken hearted blues, but when he thought he had seen it all, she walked in his life with the brand new blues, spending his money as if no tomorrow, with Ivan Neville on Hammond B3 while Tab Benoit adds guitar fills and a solo after which the lyric takes a slightly topical twist. “Shake Your Gumbo,” is a funky, dance oriented number as he encourages his woman to shake her gumbo all night long.

With Art Neville returning on organ, Cyril does a marvelous version of “I’ll Take Care of You,” modeled on Bobby Bland’s classic recording. He can really lay down a blues ballad. “Cream Them Beans,” with washboard and Johnny Sansone’s harp, is a lively ditty with a hot creole groove. “Cheatin and Lyin,” has a sparse percussion heavy backing as Cyril wonders how some people sleep at night “as something so wrong can be seen as right” with “cheating and lying from the White Horse on down,” makes Cyril want to beat those scoundrels down and it makes him sad. “Mean Boss Groove,” with Ivan on organ and Tab on guitar, has a protest lyric about a bad boss and credit card bills piling up with a haunting, accompaniment evocative of some of John Lee Hooker’s brooding slow blues. “Blue Blue Water,” is another lesser known Jimmy Reed number with Sansone returning on harp, with Brian J on acoustic guitar and Andy Cotton adding bass on this unplugged number. After a heavy dose of blues, a gospel-tinged number “Don’t Move My Mountain.”

The album closes with a highly expressive, blues-infused rendition of Bob Marley’s “Slave Driver.” Many of Cyril Neville’s recordings have had limited distribution. Hopefully, M.C. Records will be able to get his music out to wider circulation as he has a voice that is well worth hearing on its own, just like with his brothers.

For purposes of FTC regulations, the review copy was sent to me by the record label.