ROSEDALE JUNCTION

                         Photo credit: Dan Busler in artist web site 

ROSEDALE JUNCTION WEB SITE : https://rosedalejunction.com/

Rosedale Junction is the crossroads of traditional American born and raised blues, country, R&B and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll.  Founded by Boston based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Toby Soriero, the band’s debut album, Stompin’ on the Front Porch, harkens  back to the golden era of album rock, when LPs were played from beginning to end, lyrics told stories and songs featured plenty of guitar solos. 

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Rosedale Junction

"Stompin' On The Front Porch"

Center Block Records

By Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro © March 2021  in artist web site 

"Stompin' On The Front Porch" is a very impressive debut release by the Boston based Rosedale Junction. The album contains thirteen tracks of what the band calls "traditional American born and raised blues, country, R&B, and good old fashioned rock 'n'; roll". Of those tracks, ten are originals penned by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Toby Soriero.

Those making the music with Toby - on guitar, bass, uke bass, resonator, banjo, drums, piano, percussion, handclaps and background vocals - are: Joel Jorgenson, Rachel Gavaletz, and Dgiovahni Denizevahni on vocals; Tyra Juliet on vocals and background vocals; Taylor Marshall on background vocals; John Lee Sanders on vocals and keyboards; Roger Smith on keyboards; Jim Reily on drums; Vito Gutilla on violin; Trent Williamson on harmonica; and Toby's sons Matt Soriero on tenor & alto sax and handclaps; and Joe Soriero on guitar.

Between John Lee Sanders' gritty and emotional lead vocals and Tyra Julliet's choir sounding background vocals, the discs opening track, "Prison Yard Blues" is strongly reminiscent of the field hollers commonly associated with chain gangs. Lyrically, it's a fantasizing plea from an inmate to his loved one on the outside, in which she helps him over the wall and drives him in her Cadillac to the ball. Musically it's traditional blues with a deep roots feel that features a strong rhythm by Toby and Jim Riley on the bass and drums: and smoking blues licks from Toby and Trent Williamson on the guitar and harmonica. Great way to kick things off.

Now I can't say for sure that "Brass City Blues" has anything to do with Waterbury, CT - the city that's known as Brass City, but what I can say for sure is that the track is six minutes of hard drivin' boogie blues at it's best. With them coming from a different vocalist, gritty vocals seem to be a common denominator. This time it's Dgiovahni Denize detailing some of Brass City's most famous characteristics: guns, shootings, murders, drugs, booze, cop chases, and other such things commonly heard about on most cities evening news these days. In addition to Jim possibly being at disc's best on the drums, the track features an intense toe to toe slug fest between Toby on guitar and Roger Smith on the Hammond organ. Killer track!

Yes, history does have a way of repeating itself. This track tells the tale of a freak snowstorm that pretty much crippled the southeast portion of the United States, but it's not about the storm of 2021, its about "The Blizzard Of '73". This is one of those occasions where nothing I say can be nearly as good as using the songwriter's description of the track. As Toby says, it's "A little bit country, a little bit bluegrass, and a whole lotta foot tappin' western swing". Sounding like he's calling a square dance, John's back at the helm on vocals; Toby's playing some of everything he could find in the whole guitar section of the music shop; Jim, who I'm recommending for a raise, is doing his usual craziness on the drums; and Vito Gutilla, who's tearing it up all track long on the violin, closes out the track with an ear opening, smile inducing thirty second solo.

Although there are several instruments involved, this one is basically a duo. It's down home Delta blues that features Joel Jorgensen sorrowfully lamenting about his woman running off with the "Bourbon Man" and Toby - amongst other things - laying down a masterful acoustic slide guitar performance.

So when I think Led Zeppelin the last thing that comes to my mind is an emotional blues ballad being belted out by female vocalists - and yet, that's what I'm hearing on this Page/Plant/Berns penned track. The song is called "Baby Come On Home" and it's one of Zep's obscure tracks that has never been covered. That said, anyone wanting to cover it going forward had better give this rendition a listen first. Being slow blues it's got all the necessary musical components - a relaxed and tight rhythm groove (Toby and Jim), the heartbeat of the Hammond (John) and the hot blues guitar leads (Toby) but it's the ladies that make it magical. Rachel Gavaletz, with her angelic voice and awe inspiring range on lead vocals, and Tyra Julliet, again with that choir sounding voice on background vocals, are indeed a heavenly sounding pair.

Being pretty much one of my favorite blues songs of all time, I've often said that I've not often heard a bad version of the song. That said, having just heard Rachel's fabulous voice for the very first time, I went into this song already knowing this would be a killer version of "I'd Rather Go Blind" and yes, I nailed the prediction. Rachel, WOW! Then there were the guys. Since a powerful song like this needs powerful musical accompaniments, Toby, Roger, and Jim were all over that guitar, organ, and drums. For sure one of the disc's best tracks.

Simply because it features Tyra singing lead vocals on a duet with Joel, I knew this cover of Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands" needed mention. It's a soulful R&B ballad with a bit of a Gospel feel that tells of the sorrow that comes from the loss of one's grandmother.. .something most of us have had to experience.

Other songs on "Stompin' On The Front Porch", which combine for over seventy minutes of great music and vocals, include: "Walk Me Home Tonight"; "Chasing The Devil Blues"; "Bourbon Man (Alternate Take)"; "The Ballad Of Letherman French"; "The Ballad Of Letherman French (Outtake)"; and "Song For Life" (Rodney Crowell).

To find out more about Rosedale Junction just go to the bands website - www.rosedalejunction.com - if you haven't yet received your copy of "Stompin On The Front Porch" for airplay, just email Toby Soriero at rosedalejunction@gmail.com. Additionally, the release can be found at all major online music platforms. Remember, wherever you go and whomever you talk to, please tell them the Blewzzman sent you.

Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro

Blues Editor @ www.Mary4Music.com

2011 Keeping The Blues Alive Award Recipient

Musical Bar

Dave Thomas

"One More Mile"

Blonde On Blonde Direct Records

Publicity: Blind Raccoon

Self Released

By Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro © March 2021

Starting with the albums title, "One More Mile", telling you a bit about Dave Thomas and how this release came about is going to require using a lot of numbers. Having played music for well over fifty years, Dave chose the title because he felt like the project was just one more mile on his lifetime journey in music. Although Dave says that there are two more releases soon to come, this - his first in five years - was a decade in the making. The album's ten tracks - which were recorded in three different sessions and eras, with some of those sessions dating back over twenty years - include two originals and eight covers. Enough with the math already, now let me tell you about the music and its makers.

Along with Dave - on vocals, guitar and harmonica - the first few tracks include: Terry Popple on drums; Dylan Aplvor on bass; Tom Arnold on Hammond organ; Norman Tischler on saxophone; and Jeff Hager on trumpet; the next few tracks feature Dave along Declan Sinnott on all the other instruments; and the last tracks feature Dave playing with Ken Pustelnik's Groundhogs.

The disc opens with a classic B.B. King track titled "It's My Own Fault" and the guys clearly nailed it. Just as you'd expect to hear the arrangement performed at a B.B. show, this rendition features the high energy that's fueled by a powerful horn section and powerful organ leads taking the already powerful rhythm section to a much higher level. Then there's Dave, who while soulfully belting the hell out of the blues vocally, is also doing those things on his guitar that B.B. used to do on Lucille. WOW! If you're going to open your album with a cover, this is the way to do it.

One of Dave's original tracks is titled "I Like My Chicken Fried", and with some fabulously funky bass lines by Dylan; equally funky organ grooves by Tom; and Norman and Jeff firing pure funk out of their horns; the track could have easily had a subtitle....."I like my chicken fried and my music funkified".

Depending on who you ask, "One More Mile To Go" is either a James Cotton or Muddy Waters cover. Either way, regardless which one of them is performing it, you know it's going to feature some killer harmonica. That said, in this particular case, it's not: James Cotton; Little Walter; Carey Bell; Jerry Portnoy; or any of the other fabulous harmonica players that played with Muddy who is killing it here - it's Dave Thomas.

The last of the four tracks recorded with this ensemble is Dave's other original, "Poor Boy". With the rhythm guys in their groove, this one features Dave and Tom passing the lead around on the guitar and organ like a hot potato.

The middle three tracks: "I Want the Blues" , "You Danced In My Kitchen" and "There's A Train", are all written Tony Henderson, a dear friend of Dave's. Along with some masterful acoustic guitar and mandolin playing by Declan Sinnott, the all acoustic tracks highlight Dave's outstanding vocal abilities.

The last three tracks: "Garden", "Eccentric Man" and "Strange Town" are Tony McPhee originals and they feature The Groundhogs backing Dave's vocals. Because they're a bit out of my wheelhouse, I'm going to steel a line from Rick Bowen's one sheet to describe them. "The project takes a psychedelic side trip to a studio in Bristol where The Groundhogs jammed out three more acid blues rockers.........."

To find out more about Welsh born guitarist, singer and songwriter Dave Thomas, and his long career on the British blues scene, just go to his website - www.davethomasblues.uk - and if you haven't yet received your copy of "One More Mile" for airplay, just contact Betsie Brown at www.blindraccoon.com. Wherever you go and whomever you talk to, please tell them the Blewzzman sent you.

Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro

Blues Editor @ www.Mary4Music.com

2011 Keeping The Blues Alive Award Recipient