STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART Kenny Neal (Ruf) *****+
When the blues comes out of Louisiana it has some kind of special juju. That’s the case with Kenny Neal’s new record Straight From The Heart. It’s the blues, but with a swampy Bayou undercurrent and a shot of jazz. To say this disc is mesmerizing may be the understatement of the year.
As a guitar player, Neal is a cross between BB King and Buddy Guy. Straight from The heart found Kenny drawn by the siren song of his home state. “This is the first album I’ve ever recorded on my home turf, and it truly came straight from the heart” he says. Kenny led a crack team of local musicians and produced the album too. “All the tributaries of the blues converge here” he notes, “flowing into one rich tradition.”
Lots of rich grooves at play here, like Louise Ana featuring Dopsie Jr. & The Zydeco Twister; in many respects a straight up blues, but with accordion solos instead of harp or guitar. Close your eyes and it’ll feel like you’re in some dive bar in downtown New Orleans or Baton Rouge, having the time of your life. The guest list for Straight From The Heart is a lengthy one, with over 20 musicians taking part. Special guests you might recognize include Grammy winning guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Michael Jackson’s older brother Tito, who just put out his own blues album not long ago. Kenny Neal is a tasty guitar player and he was born to sing this kind of music but it’s worthwhile to take a step back and take in the performances of the band and all the guests involved. “It was like a family reunion” Kenny says about the sessions. “It was excellent because I had all the musicians that grew up under me here in Baton Rouge. And just being in my own studio, not worrying about the clock.”
I don’t know if ‘Zydeco Blues’ is a genre, but after getting tight with Straight From The Heart, it feels like it SHOULD be. Giving this a listen is one of those life affirming, soul shaking experiences that you’ll want to share with your friends.
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HOT TRACKS: Louise Ana, Blues Keep Chasing Me, It’s Been So Long