Rating:
Genre:
Blues
Release Date: 06/03/2003
The fact that
Darrell Nulisch was nominated for a
W.C. Handy Award does mean something in the
blues world.
Times Like These does make a person wonder why, though. While it's true that
Nulisch's voice is deeply expressive and rings loud and clear in the way
Joe Turner's did -- albeit much smoother in delivery -- and he's a more than adequate harp player, the material here is generic at best. This record, with its tightly arranged and conducted horn charts, muted, stylistic B-3, rounded-off lead guitar solos, and in-the-pocket drums, sounds exactly like what it is for the most part: a
blues record made in New England. What passes for guttural
blues here is played a bit sloppier by your local
bar band. But
blues isn't the only thing that
Nulisch tackles here, thank goodness. It's his
soul tunes, both his originals and his cover of
Smokey Robinson's
"Don't Look Back." Here is where
Nulisch shows his gift as a singer; he moves just behind the beat, pronouncing every syllable with a smoothness that is reminiscent of
Bobby "Blue" Bland and a passion that
James Carr would be proud of. His reading of the
Ashford & Simpson nugget
"Running Out" is vocally honest and true, but the band is stilted and wooden -- had he a better backing unit, this would have been the best track on the album. His back-to-back interpretations of
Ray Charles'
"I Found Love" and
Otis Redding's
"That's a Good Idea" are emotionally true, deep-in-the-belly-of-fire readings. Even the horns come through with a raw-enough sound outside the cookie-cutter Massachusetts
blues factory box.
Nulisch's own tune,
"Handle It With Care," feels like
Johnny Rivers'
"Poor Side of Town" without sounding a bit like it -- pure, honest, and full of nuance, grace, elegance, and a truth that we can use more of in this time. On this tune, the band flows behind him with a pure fluid accuracy that stays in the groove, letting it float without attempting to push a vocal that's as fine and mellow as a vintage Chianti. On his next outing,
Nulisch will hopefully write more; he's extremely talented, and this song was worth the
Handy nomination alone. And perhaps he should record in Detroit or Chicago, where musicians will be far more sympathetic to his considerable gifts as a true
soul singer.
~Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
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