Breezy Rodio If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It

Breezy Rodio
If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It
Delmark Records

Billy Branch, in the liner notes to Breezy Rodio's new release, observes that "the mandate of record companies and audiences is to present vibrant quality new material." He then observes that this new release fulfills this. "He has produced a veritable smorgasbord of tasty songs that span the 1940s to the present."

Breezy Rodio has surrounded himself with a terrific band of Sumito 'Ariyo' Ariyoshi on piano, Dan Tabion on organ, Light Palone on bass, Lorenzo Francocci on drums, Constantine Alexander on trumpet, Ian Letts on alto and tenor sax, and Ian 'The Chief' McCarrie on baritone sax. Guests include Corey Dennison, Monster Mike Welch, and Kid Anderson. And they certainly kick off this album with a touch of a James Brown funk that segues into a shuffle. The horns stand out as does harmonica player Simone 'Harp' Nobile before Rodio takes his solo. On a talking blues, "Dear Blues," Rodio raps about his love of the blues before paying tribute to some of his heroes. First sounding like Albert King, he verbally salutes and then emulates B.B. King, Albert Collins, and T-Bone Walker. His love for Collins is also reflected in a sizzling instrumental, "The Breeze."

With Nobile's harp, Rodio performs an easy-rocking shuffle "From Downtown Chicago to Biloxi Bay" with a marvelously shaped solo. There is an excellent urban blues cover of B.B. King's "A Woman Don't Care." There also is a fine cover of a lesser-known B.B. King recording, "I'll Survive." "A Minute of My Kissing" is rock and roll mixed with Rodio's guitar evocative of Magic Sam. Pianist Ariyoshi stands out on this. Rodio does a bit of crooning on the jazzy "Look Me in the Eye," loriginally recorded by T-Bone Walker. Saxophonist Letts shares the spotlight here. Then there is a touch of soul for "Desperate Lover," followed by his autobiographical "Los Christianos," where he sings about his experiences in this Copenhagen district. The latter number features some deep singing and exquisite guitar. Another highlight is a moving, soulful rendition of 'Toots' Hilbert's "I Need Your Love."

A particularly noteworthy track is "Led to a Better Life," a gospel-infused tribute to the late Mike Ledbetter with Monster Mike Welch, who also solos on this. Corey Dennison shares the vocal duties on this moving selection. I found a couple of lyrics a tad off, and Breezy Rodio sings with a pinched, quivering vibrato that others might find to be an acquired taste. With the exception of these minor reservations, the music here is first-rate.

I received my review copy from Delmark. Here is a performance of one of the songs from this album.