Kenny' Blues Boss' Wayne Go, Just Do It!

Kenny' Blues Boss' Wayne
Go, Just Do It!
Stony Plain Records

"Go, Just Do It!" is the latest album by the veteran blues and boogie-woogie pianist, Kenny' Blues Boss' Wayne. Backing the keyboardist, who was inducted into the Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame in 2017, are former B.B. King bassist Russell Jackson, guitarist Yuji Ihara, drummer Joey Dimarco, and horn players Jerry Cook and Vince Maie. There are also appearances by Sherman Doucette on harmonica, and vocalists Dawn 'Tyler' Watson, Julie Masi, and Diane Schuur. Wayne's son SeQuel — Cory Spruell — infuses rap cadence and a fresh verse on one tune. There are ten originals from the Blues Boss and three covers.

Musically, this is a mixed bag. Wayne is an affable singer who is heard best in a relaxed boogie and blues approach like Fats Domino and Amos Milburn. There are tunes such as the relaxed boogie shuffle "You Did a Number On Me," where his voice seems to show a bit of wear. His piano shows little diminishment of his skills. His duets with Dawn 'Tyler' Watson, including the title track, are stronger performances that do benefit from her presence.

Arguably the finest selection is Percy Mayfield's "You're In For a Big Surprise," a duet with Diane Schuur, who has a vocal authority that matches Ray Charles and Johnny Adams, among the best interpreters of this song. Other stand-out performances include the brassy blues shuffle, "Motor Mouth Woman." Then there is the rocking Chicago-styled blues, "They Call Me the Breeze," with Doucette's saucy harmonica, in addition to the Blues Boss' piano. "Bumpin' Down the Highway," is a relaxed instrumental that allows Cook and Maie to stretch out before Wayne plays a sterling piano solo. Then there is a boogie train blues, "T & P Train 400," and the rollicking closing number, 'Let the Rock, Roll," with some Amos Milburn style boogie-woogie piano.

Given that this an election year, one can't be surprised that someone would cover the Percy Mayfield-Johnny 'Guitar' Watson song, "I Don't Want to Be President." But that song came out of the post-Watergate era, and Wayne's amiable vocal doesn't convey the wry, sport-spoken quality of Mayfield's recording nor the street-savvy wisdom of Watson's. SeQuel's rap on this track adds a fresh gloss on the performance. It is not a poor performance, just not outstanding.

I have been a fan of Kenny' Blues Boss' Wayne since his first album came out in 1998. This album may not be one of his best recordings, such as 2018's "Inspired By The Blues." That said, I doubt anyone buying this recording would be disappointed by the good times Kenny' Blues Boss' Wayne provides.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is "That's The Way She Is" from this CD.