Bryce Janey
Down Home Blues
20113rd Avenue Music
The newest release from Bryce Janey is called Down Home Blues. It is all acoustic, rootsy, and it’s terrific. Playing a Gibson LG-1 acoustic guitar and a Kay stand-up bass, Janey is the sole performer on this album, and he shines. The album is exactly what the title implies, down home blues. The first song that really knocked my socks off is “Dust Off the Bottle”. What a great song. It’s very well written, very relatable, and catchy. When certain events happen in our lives, the ones that bring us down and make us sad, there is something or someone we turn to in order to start the healing process. In the case of this song, the healing begins with the bottle. “Down Home Blues”, the title track, is another impressive favorite. Immensely raw and gritty, this one was written in the style of the early blue masters Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. Janey plays the slide like nobody’s business. A couple of previously recorded Janey songs pop up on this collection, albeit this time recorded acoustically. They are “Gamblin’ Mans Blues”, from Practice What You Preach and the ballad, ”Heal the Night”, from Heal the Night. Down Home Blues is comprised of mostly original compositions, but there are some “cover” treats for us as well. I always enjoy slide guitar when it’s well done, and the slide playing on Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster” is fabulous. If you been looking for a new acoustic blues album to listen to, Down Home Blues is strongly recommended.
Phil Smith
