Terry
Evans, vocals and rhythm guitar with special guests including guitarist
David Lindley, bassist Jorge Calderon, trombonist George Bohannon. and various
other accompanists
Terry Evans hails from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and his vocal style
combines gospel roots with southern soul. He credits Ry Cooder, with whom
he toured, as a major inspiration. Evans wrote five of the eleven tunes
on this seventh CD under his own name. He was a session vocalist for many
years, earning a gold record for his work with John Fogerty.
The opening cut of "Uphill Climb (to the Bottom)" focuses
on Evans's incisive vocal exploration, which shifts from groovy smooth to
a sweet falsetto. "Nothing Wrong with Texas (That Leaving Won't Fix)"
resonates with humor and meaty ensemble work by the band. Evans covers the
Ry Cooder tune "My Baby Joined the Army" with melancholy emotion.
"Let's Get Gone" features the crying slide guitar of Joe Colombo
as Evans drives the melody with rich phrasing on this very groovy tune.
Evans pleads with soul intensity on "Turn on Your Lovelight,"
and "I'll Be Your Shelter (in the Time of Storm)" is gospel-infused
with Evans wringing emotion out of every word.
The highlight of this CD is "Discover Me" with George Bohannon's
infectious trombone solo, snaking and snarling around Evans's vocals. Another
favorite is the full-throttled blues number "I Got a Pony (She Likes
to Ride)" with a driving beat that is delightfully enhanced by the
slide guitar of Mark Shark. Evans slows it down on "What about Me?"
in a slow soulful expression of longing. The last cut, "Walkin' Chains,"
is a solemn ballad rendered with sensitivity and the fearful
background vocal refrain, "walk."
This is a gem! Evans reigns high on my list of unique talents, and
this is a splendid effort which is highly recommended.
by Dorothy L. Hill
Back to: August 2005 Vol. 15 No. 4 Table of Contents
Comments: mailto:jazznow@sbcglobal.net