It’s no exaggeration to say – and I’ve written it on this website many, many times – that it is highly unlikely that without hearing Joe Bonamassa’s cover of “Sloe Gin” that my musical tastes would be the same as they are now.
Over the years, I’ve seen Joe countless times, and for the last while when he does the band intros, he always says something like: “well you know him from his work in Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble. He’s a rock n roll hall of famer….on keyboards Reese Wynans!”
Bonamassa plays a crucial role in “Sweet Release” too. Not only does he sing on the brilliant “So Much Trouble”, but he was the Producer – and encouraged Wynans to make the record in the first place.
The special guests are all over this, such is the veteran keysman’s standing – the cover above reads like a who’s who of blues – but its easy to get caught up in the “who.” What matters here is the “what”. That is to say, what they play and what the songs sound like.
And, it needs to be said right here, that “Sweet Release” is absolutely stunning.
Right from the off – a cover of SRV’s “Crossfire” which has incredible vocals from Sam Moore and wonderful organ meshing with a horn section – everything this touches turns to gold.
“Say What” is driven by the guitar, but it is fair to say that you know Wynans is about all the way through, its just that he’s clever enough not to get in the way. “That Driving Beat” is propelled by its sax appeal if you will, and its as raucous as soul gets (Wynans calls the vocalist here, Mike Farris, his favourite in the world and on this evidence you can’t really disagree).
Doyle Bramhall III was the “first choice” for “You’re Killing My Love” – and lets be honest, if you got the call up then you play, right? – but he plays second fiddle to the main man here as the organ is worth buying the record for alone.
The title track is a country fried thing. It had been Wynan’s favourite song when he worked with Boz Scaggs. He does it justice here with eight vocalists and a sound that is rooted to the southern air of Muscle Shoals.
If that is close to being the best thing here, then in the end, I’d have to plump for “The Shape I’m In”. I know Robbie Robertson’s version, but this – sung by Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Noah Hunt –sounds like it relishes the hangover in the morning. The honky tonk was made for this, and Jerry Lee, you best move over after the killer piano solo.
“Hard To Be” (in Wynans’ own words a “rave up”) recalls Southside Johnny playing something from Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound era, which is ace, frankly, and there is very little that can be said about yer boy Bonamassa’s take on “Riviera Paradise” that doesn’t involve the phrase, “damn, boy,” straight after. The way he and Reese meld together is almost hypnotic. The ocean will be lapping up against your toes and there is an incredible calmness here.
“Take The Time” is a southern rock masterclass, while Keb Mo turns up on “I’ve Got A Right To Be Blue”, which is just the two of them doing something old time and stripped down. It is an abrupt turn, but like everything here it is near perfect.
Ending with two instrumentals, “Soul Island” is funky as it gets and Josh Smith adds a fine jazz element, and “Blackbird” (which is just the man himself showing his skills and reminding everyone why all these musicians were honoured to be on this record) allows for some real refection, and this is one that you maybe only understand the true glory of after a couple of listens.
Songs that are a snapshot into Reese Wynans career and his love of music is perhaps the way to put the 13 that make up “Sweet Release” and in many ways it would be best to write this review without mentioning the guests, because like any football fan knows, you can have all the best players and you can still struggle. Not here. A little like the Walter Trout record “We’re All In This Together” from a few years back, this is even greater than the sum of its many parts.
Rating 10/10
