Terry Evans - 2 albums: Fire In The Feeling / Puttin' It Down

Album: Fire In The Feeling
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:14
Size: 133.3 MB
Styles: R&B, Electric blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:48] 1. Uphill Climb (To The Bottom)
[4:17] 2. Nothing Wrong With Texas (That Leaving Won't Fix)
[6:53] 3. My Baby Joined The Army
[5:12] 4. Let's Get Gone
[6:34] 5. Turn On Your Lovelight
[4:59] 6. I'll Be Your Shelter (In The Time Of Storm)
[4:54] 7. Discover Me
[3:55] 8. I Got A Pony (She Likes To Ride)
[5:52] 9. What About Me
[3:26] 10. Racket In The Room
[7:20] 11. Walkin' Chains

After marking time with a live release, Terry Evans returns after four years with a studio collection that, while it doesn't explore new territory, revels in the gospel-laced rocking R&B that has always been his forte. Old friend Ry Cooder sits this one out again (he does contribute a terrific if slightly off-kilter love song in "My Baby Joined the Army"), but his influence is never far from the proceedings when Mark Shark, Joe Colombo, or especially ex-Cooder cohort David Lindley picks up a slide guitar. Evans plays some rhythm guitar and penned or co-wrote six of these 11 songs, including the stirring "Walkin' Chains," the album's longest and most intense piece. Here the swamp, religious, blues, R&B, and folk strains that appear throughout the disc collide in an explosive, moving ballad that builds to a shattering climax with Colombo's Cooder-ish guitar wailing away. There's plenty of party music, too, with the self-explanatory double entendre "I Got a Pony (She Likes to Ride)," the funky "Let's Get Gone," and the jaunty "Nothing Wrong with Texas (That Leaving Won't Fix)." Evans balances these upbeat tunes with slower, more pensive and brooding material, making for a varied and eclectic outing. The singer is in typically fine voice, shifting from an angelic falsetto to a lowdown growl in seconds. When he spars with legendary trombonist George Bohannon, who sizzles on the jazz-funk groove of "Discover Me," the sparks really fly. This is as good as anything Terry Evans has done, and those unfamiliar with his brand of rootsy R&B can start here. Established fans will feel right at home with this typically tough and tender release from an unfortunately underappreciated artist who is keeping roots R&B and soul music alive, one album at a time. ~Hal Horowitz

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Album: Puttin' It Down
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:35
Size: 120.4 MB
Styles: R&B, Electric blues
Year: 1995/2000
Art: Front

[4:06] 1. Money In Your Pocket
[5:37] 2. Too Many Ups And Downs
[4:29] 3. Walking In The Same Tracks
[7:46] 4. Down In Mississippi
[4:15] 5. In This Day And Time
[5:48] 6. Rooftop Tomcat
[4:08] 7. A Lover Like You
[5:01] 8. One Sided Love Affair
[3:15] 9. Nasty Doll
[8:06] 10. Blues No More

Terry Evans' second solo release (after a few with his singing partner Bobby King) further explores his swampy gospel, rock, R&B, and blues roots. Backed by veteran musicians like former employer Ry Cooder, bassist/songwriter Jorge Calderon, and even legendary jazz/funk trombonist George Bohanon (who tears it up with his solo on the album-closing slow groove of "Blues No More"), Evans proves that he's one of the most underrated vocalists on the blues/roots scene. Growling, humming, and testifying through an album primarily comprised of originals, Evans is in terrific voice. Much of the material sounds like it could have been on a mid-'70s Cooder release, but the singer adds additional vocal bite to this rootsy material. He's as comfortable with the upbeat approach of the humorous leadoff track, "Put the Money in Your Pocket," as with the searing, almost frightening deep blues of "Down in Mississippi" (reprised and rescued from obscurity on the Crossroads soundtrack), which at nearly eight minutes is the album's centerpiece and most intense piece. Here Evans uses his gruff voice to swoop and moan over eerie, snaking slide guitar and Jim Keltner's ominous, pounding drums. What's refreshing is how effectively Evans avoids typical blues clichés, preferring a more rhythmic approach -- one that Cooder's quicksilver lines do much to enhance. Soulful and emotional, Puttin' It Down is a dusty gem of an album. Like Evans' entire catalog, it's well worth exploring for blues/gospel fans looking for music that effectively combines the urging truth of gospel with the sensual grit of Memphis R&B. ~Hal Horowitz

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