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Blues Underground Network |
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JP Soars "More Bees With
Honey"
JP Soars first trip to
the International Blues Challenge was in 2007 as part of the
David Shelley and Bluestone band, which managed to make it to the Top 10
that year. Two years later, JP Soars, now with his own band JP Soars
and The Red Hots, made another trip to the International Blues
Challenge, which was hot off the heals of winning their second straight
South Florida Blues Society competition, and in fine fashion they took home
top honors. In addition, JP Soars also received the Albert King
Blues Guitar award, which sealed the deal, that this Arkansas raised artist was
now considered among the elite blues players of the day. Now with his
second release "More Bees With Honey", JP Soars and The Red Hots show us
that their talent is no flash in the pan and as his name implies, he
really Soars, when it comes to the
Blues.
"More Bees With Honey" consists of 13
Tracks and besides showing off JP Soars amazingly gifted Guitar work, it
also shows he has an immense talent as a songwriter, as well, with him
penning 10 of the Tracks himself and one which he "provided new
music behind the words of Baby Face Leroy’s, Where’d You Stay Last
Night". For the covers on "More Bees With Honey", they chose "The
Hustle (Is On)", a H.E. Owens song and "Sweet Blood Call" a song by
Louisiana
Red.
In addition to JP Soars and The Red
Hots, which consists of Chris Peet on Drums and Todd Edmunds on Upright
Bass and Tuba, yes I said Tuba, they had 8 other great artists
joining them on "More Bees With Honey", which included Robin Rogers whom
sang vocals along with Gullermo Lojo on the opening title Track "More Bees
With Honey". Other powerhouse performers on this album included Terry
Hanck (Tenor Sax), Sax Gordon (Tenor Sax), Jason Ricci (Harmonica) and
David Shelley, from David Shelley and Bluestone doing Percussion on Track
5 "Doggin''. Donald "The Cougar" Gottlieb (Electric Bass), and Travis
Colby (Piano/Hammond Organ), rounded out this amazing lineup of
talent.
"More Bees With Honey" is an
absolutely wonderful album with something new and interesting around each
corner, which includes everything from hard driving boogie woogie found on
Track 9 "Twitchin'", to the raw backwoods acoustically driven Track 11
"They'll Do It Every Time". This is of course due to JP Soars love of all
styles of the blues, which he doesn't mind mixing with other styles,
including a little Jazzy feel, when it is right. His choice of instruments
is also varied and includes Ukelele, Acoustic, and a Two String Homemade
Electric Guitar, which is pictured on the cover of his
CD.
When I first listened to "More Bees
With Honey", something that really caught my attention was JP
Soars vocals, which to me sounded similar to Dr. John, with perhaps a
little more gravelly sound. This great sound of his was perfect throughout
the album, and especially so on the longest Track "Chasin' Whiskey with
Whiskey", which beyond his vocals, he also showed us all, in no uncertain
terms, why he received the Albert King Blues Guitar award in 2009. Also
amazing on that Track was Jason Ricci's searing Harmonica
work. A fantastic Track and one of my favorites, on this
album.
Absolute uniqueness is really the
name of the game concerning "More Bees With Honey", despite the fact you
will find similarities to others throughout this album, it is JP Soars
gentle twists which make his style of music, all his own. From the opening
Track "More Bees With Honey", which initially sounded a bit like the Blues
Brothers just before they would come on stage, to the closing Track
"Where'd You Stay Last Night", a Track that JP and gang virtually lit a
fire under and burned down the house with, this Album Hook, Line, and
Sinkers you from the beginning and just doesn't let you
go.
JP Soars is one of those great young
talents whom really is no longer on the horizon, as he proves with
"More Bees With Honey" that he is now clearly in view and a force to be
reckoned
with.
"More Bees With Honey" is great stuff
and one I really highly recommend. One of this years
best...
Review by John Vermilyea (Blues
Underground
Network)
Additional Info
Tracklist
1. More Bees With Honey 3:36
2. K.Y.N.O.M.B. 4:55 3. So Many Times 4:28 4. Hot Little Woman 2:47 5. Doggin' 6:27 6. Back of My Mind 3:07 7. The Hustle (Is On) 3:40 8. Lost It All 5:21 9. Twitchin' 3:10 10. Sweet Blood Call 4:28 11. They'll Do It Every Time 5:17 12. Chasin' Whiskey with Whiskey 7:02 13. Where'd You Stay Last Night 4:12
Listen To Samples Here...
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