The Road Were On by Sonny Landreth

03 Jan

Written by Mark Keresman
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Singer/guitarist Sonny Landreth is a wizard on the slide guitar - he’s got a meaty, spunky style that sizzles like thick-cut pepper bacon (lean, to be sure)on a grill (my apologies to my vegetarian bro’s and sisters) that comes from simultaneously using the bottleneck-type slide and making fingering movements on the fretboard. He’s no hardcore blues purist, make no mistake - though blues is a BIG part of what he plays, SL is born of the mix of the musics of his native Louisiana: Cajun music and its cousin zydeco, swamp blues and pop, Southern-fried blues and rock & roll. Landreth can and does play it all and play it well: his resume includes work with Marcia Ball, Junior Wells, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, John Hiatt, Beausoleil and Clifton Chenier. He’s a got a hearty, mellow voice, more Chris Whitley and Robert Cray than T-Bone Walker or Buddy Guy. This stretch of Road includes heated, sensuous blues balladry ("A World Away"), rousing Cajun rockers ("Gone Pecan," "Juke Box Mama") and Elmore James/South Side Chicago-style slide-driven stompers ("Gemini Blues") - just about all the basic food groups needed for a tasty, varied n’ filling modern blues platter. Give SL’s latest a taste, pretty soon you’ll be going back for seconds n’ thirds.

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Sonny Landreth
CD Title: The Road Were On
Genre: Blues
Year Released: 2003
Record Label: Sugar Hill Records
Musicians: S. Landreth: guitar, vocals; Brian Brignac, Mike Burch: drums; Steve Conn: keyboards; Dave Ranson: bass; Danny Kimball, Joe Mouton: rubboard.
Label Website: http://www.sugarhillrecords.com
Rating: Four Stars