Jeff Pitchell — “Brown Eyed Blues” — Deguello Records
Jeff Pitchell is, among other things, a talented singer/songwriter from Connecticut whose eclectic musical style revolves around the blues, in all of its myriad shapes and sizes.
When he was just 15, Pitchell won a Best Guitarist contest in his home state. In the four decades since, he’s been making the kind of music that fills his latest album, “Brown Eyed Blues.”
Pitchell, with his band Texas Flood, is talented enough to hold his own here, but a stellar musical cast adds considerable punch to these sixteen tracks (yes, that’s sixteen, a few more than your average album these days.) That lineup includes the criminally talented Tom Hambridge (co-composer, co-producer and drummer), Reese Wynans, Duane Betts, Rick Derringer, and Charles Neville.
The tough, rocking opener, “Now You Know,” emphasizes Pitchell’s robust vocals surrounded by fierce guitar lines, leading into the driving rhythms of the title track, “Brown Eyed Blues,” ridden hard by honky-tonk roadhouse piano from Dan Fontanella. “Wait” steps it up next with jitterbug dance-floor rhythms fueled by Pitchell’s hot lead guitar.
Rock-steady drumming from Hambridge kicks in with the call and response behind the strong vocal on “Caught Up In The Wave,” followed by the smooth R&B groove of the philosophically optimistic “Every Day.”
More highlights include:
The sweetly sung shuffle “Do Right Girl,” co-written by Hambridge, the pulsating B3 by Bruce Feiner on “Beg, Steal And Rob,” the first of two tracks featuring Charles Neville on sax on the blues chestnut, “Meet Me (With Your Black Drawers On)” by Jim and Jeannie Cheatham.
The mournful harp of the great James Cotton opens a funky trip down an easy-rolling “Whiskey River,” the Willie Nelson classic. “When It All Comes Down” is another sturdy shuffle, then the torchy ballad “Soulshine” features Michael Allman on vocals. The closer and bonus track is the Latin-flavored “Welcome To The Beat,” a Tex-Mex styling that adds its own seasoning to this fine collection.
Every track here is crisp and clean, with the backers razor sharp. “Brown Eyed Blues” is a joyous, full-throated exploration of blues themes from a veteran singer/songwriter/guitarman whose talents deserve a much wider audience. Treat yourself to a listen. Then repeat.
Here’s a live performance of “Brown Eyed Blues”
Track list & credits from the album cover:
Blues Roadhouse 