(This review first appeared in issue #65 of Shindig! magazine.)
Alive
Natural Sound CD / LP
Heath Green possesses a
voice that's not only lived-in, it may also have hosted a fair share
of all-night house parties. Gritty, gravelly and full of that good
ol' southern soul, the man sure as hell can sing! Based in
Birmingham, Alabama, he's been the city's best-kept musical secret
for the last two decades. He and his killer band make a fiery hybrid
of soul, blues, rock and gospel, breathing new life into the region's
musical heritage and traditions.
Alternating between
Saturday night revelry and Sunday morning redemption with the trials
of grown-up relationships thrown in, this earthy, blue-eyed and
blue-collar soul recalls Jerry Lee Lewis, Otis Redding, The Faces,
Joe Cocker and The Black Crowes yet is beholden to none. Equally
adapt at guttural howls and soulful sophistication, quite why Mr.
Green has not broken through to wider recognition is a mystery. With
this album his dues must surely come.
Click here for Heath Green & The Makeshifters' website.
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