Sonic Blue - Shake The Blues

An album of songs of timely relevance - original and vintage songs which refer to the hard times of recent years - and 'up' Blues. Sometimes you've just got to get into some music and lose your blues and that's what "Shake The Blues" is all about. "Shake It Now!" The great healer! Blind Alfred Reed's song, 'How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live', from the Great Depression of 1928 and notably covered by Ry Cooder in the 1970s, seems to be just as relevant today. As does Jimmy Witherspoon's classic hard-up blues 'Times Getting Tougher Than Tough'. 'I Don't Need To Be Rich', an original, also deals with the tricky question of money - some have too little, some have too much. And when is enough enough? Who do you trust? Another original, 'Up All Night', deals with recent tribulations, but takes a brighter look at the future. And Jimmy Reed must have been feelin' good when he wrote 'The Sun Is Shining'. He was all dressed up and had pockets full of dough. 'Long Cold Night' has that brassy Daptone-style groove, and the instrumental 'Strut' invites you to do just that - and you should. Sonic Blue's is the band project of south east London guitarist/singer/songwriter Stephen Brayne, whose pedigree takes in twenty years of playing the blues circuit in the UK, right back to his days on the prog circuit in the Fox. Today he tours with the line-up of Richard Marcangelo (also album co-producer), Steve Shone and Matt Withey. • For his second Sonic Blue album Brayne has brought in a stellar supporting cast to Polish the material. Notably vocalist Sarah Brown (Simple Minds/George Michael/Roxy Music/Simply Red) who positively illuminates the title track and 'Up All Night'. The glorious Hammond is courtesy of Walter Trout sideman Mick Parker; original Climax Blues Band members Richard Jones and Derek Holt (writers of their classic hit 'Couldn't Get It Right') guest on a couple of numbers. Nine Below Zero's current keyboardist Tom Monks brings some rockin piano to 'Rattlesnake', complemented by slide guitar whiz Geoff Everett. Saxophonist Richard Martin and trumpet player Dom Clark bring the Daptone vibe and not forgetting our own APM artist Mississippi MacDonald flexing his Albert King-like fingers across 'Long Cold Night'.