Andrew Duncanson — “California Trap” — Run It Back Records
Passionate singers of soulful blues have been disappearing into the musical mists of time for at least the past half-century. Their voices are fast becoming as scarce as sunshine on a cloudy day.
But then there is Andrew Duncanson, who for more then twenty years has been reaching deep into that primeval source and adding his own deeply soulful voice to the music. He has been the voice of the Kilborn Alley Blues Band, and more recently The Dig 3, a trio whose name was inspired by Willie Dixon’s Big Three Trio. California Trap is Duncanson’s first solo album, and he’s paired here with co-producer Michael Peloquin, who also contributes his talents as a horn arranger, songwriter and harmonica player. Kid Andersen is also co-producer of the session, recorded at Andersen’s Greaseland Studios.
Great soul and R&B music has traditionally been rich with horn sections, and they resonate throughout this album, with Peloquin’s sassy brass charts kicking the music into a higher gear. Duncanson has also been gifted with a songwriter’s voice, so California Trap is mainly original songs – with one from Peloquin – and a couple of fascinating covers.
Everything opens with the lilting, horn-laced R&B of “Relearning to Climb,” with its optimistic tone: “I’m trying a new state of mind, re–learning to climb.” Then Duncanson leans into his regrets in a lover’s lament with “Naw Naw Naw” – “I’m sorry baby—for being untrue / But you got to do, yeah—oh just what you got to do.” “Hold Me Back” floats in on a harp intro, then then pounds out a delicious shuffle with Duncanson’s equally tough attitude and vocal: “You never drove a used car, never had your ass kicked in a bar / If I see you in a tavern, Jack – It’d take all twelve apostles, to hold me back.”
California Trap is a gorgeous blues with a stinging guitar that summons Duncanson’s vocal from its soulful depths, enhanced by some down-home piano: “I’m leavin’ in the morning, baby will you take me back / You know that California sun, ain’t nothin’ but a trap.” A joyous “That was good!” shout at the end says it all. “Town Saint” steps out to a funky beat with a chunky bass line and a soaring sax solo with a flourish of hypocrisy: “He’s got scars from the woman that he loves / Wakes up every day and thanks the lord above.”
“Outer Space” is a stellar bit of musical whimsy launching a desire to cast aside earthly restraints: “Getting ready to jump—jump into outer space / Been sittin’ too long, sittin’ too long, in one damn place.” Peloquin’s original “What Kind Of Man” is a gently soulful plea asking “What kind of man does she want—what kind of fool has he been,” and answering, “Now he’s the man that she wants, not the fool he used to be.”
Duncanson says that Peloquin suggested this swinging cover of Woody Guthrie’s anthemic “This Land Is Your Land,” inspired by an old version by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, adding Andersen’s funky bass line. “Feelin’ Better Now” opens with a bluesy Peloquin harp and pulses along in a solid R&B vein, with a wicked harp solo midway: “Well, I was feelin’ low, snake’s ass in the mud / Now I’ve got my good sweet baby, bringin’ all that love / Feelin’ better now, feelin’ better now.”
Duncanson’s aching vocals reach deep for the plaintive “Next Life,” echoed by sympathetic horns and a haunting guitar solo: “Everything I thought I knew turned out to be untrue … Oh what a mess, the next life will be the best.” The rhythmic “More Lows Than Highs” chugs in with soaring horns as a bouncy counterpoint to its existential theme: “Sure as you’re born—you gonna die / And there’s more lows — more lows than highs.”
The other cover, “It’s A Pleasure,” by Might Mike Schermer (who Tommy Castro calls “Probably the best blues guitarist, singer and songwriter you’ve never heard of”) is an upbeat ode to friendship, with Peloquin’s eloquent harp solo, “No matter where this road may end / It’s a pleasure to call you my friend.” The closer, “Better Off Now,” offers an uplifting finale to this gorgeous musical outing: “Oh, that’s how I feel and I need you to know / That I’m better off now, than I used to be / I’m better off now, oh than I used to be.”
We’re all better off now that Andrew Duncanson has given voice to California Trap. His passionate vocals sing with authenticity in a musical style where authenticity is the blues standard. You won’t want to escape the sheer musicality of the California Trap.
Here’s “Relearning to Climb” from the album:
Tracklist:
- Relearning To Climb 2:59
- Naw Naw Naw 4:31
- Hold Me Back 3:04
- California Trap 3:12
- Town Saint 5:33
- Outer Space 4:02
- What Kind Of Man (Michael Peloquin-BMI) 4:58
- This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie & TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc. -BMI) 4:08
- Feelin’ Better Now 4:21
- Next Life 4:10
- More Lows Than Highs 3:11
- It’s A Pleasure (M. Schermer/Bentsongs-BMI) 3:07
- Better Off Now 4:04
Blues Roadhouse 