Review Text
Yellow River marks the 4th album in 36 months by Jim Stephens on Ropeadope. This offering follows 2016's Soul debut On our Way To Forever; 2017's Delta Blues duo album Box Car Blues featuring BoyWonder; and 2018's Genre-defying 20-song double album Philasippiola Soul. Yellow River brings some of Stephens' All-Star New Orleans and Philly collectives together for a 10 song tour-de-force which is deep-rooted in Jazz, Soul, Blues, and Funk. The album was primarily recorded over 2 days at the legendary Esplanade Studios in New Orleans. Stephens wrote 6 of the songs, while personalizing and re-working cover songs and traditional gospel. Once again he delivered on the production and arrangements while playing lap steel, guitar, and harmonica. Shaun Martin joins the band as pianist for 5 of the 10 songs, with Deej Roisin accompanying Martin on organ, and taking lead on the other piano tracks. Will Winborne Jr., an integral member of Stephens' band, as well as performing regularly with BoyWonder, The Village People, and rising hip-hop stars XPresidents, lends his organ and rhodes work to the title track and accompanying Martin on organ on Stephens' Norah Jones'- inspired take on The Band's "Bessie Smith." The horn section features a pair of living legends in Big Sam Williams and Jeffrey T. Watkins (James Brown's horn director for the last 12 years of Brown's career, now with the New Orleans Suspects, who on top of his tenor work, stepped in for the intricacies and finalizing the horn direction on the album). They are joined by the elite talents of Lori LaPatka on alto sax, and Ian Smith on trumpet. The rhythm sections are broke into 3 groups featuring: Jerry JBLAKK Henderson and Milk Williams of Big Sam's Funky Nation; Sam Price from Honey Island Swamp Band; and Sam Shahin and Noah Young from Naughty Professor and Big Freedia's band. Stephens' band featuress 3 amazing vocal talents in Ja-Tun Thomas, Andre "BoyWonder" Coles (who also plays guitar on the album), and Ariel Skye, all of whom shine on duets and solo appearances - most noticeably on Stephen
