GARY CLARK,JR.

slide into country, but stops just short of
down home plate.
On “A Hand In Love,” from her latest
release, Almost Always Never, her guitar
chimes like an Allman Brothers’ solo laid
over a driving beat that could have been
lifted from an old Eurythmics rhythm track.
That’s not too much of a stretch, since
Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart discovered
Taylor and hired her as a member of
his group D.U.P. when she was 16. Ten
years and three solo albums later, the Birmingham,
England native is a strong presence
on the global blues scene.
Her playing and singing show such
maturity that when she sings about “looking
back on 17” on the title cut, you wonder
how she could remember back that far until
you realize she’s only 26. But along the way
she’s apparently garnered enough pain and
heartache from romantic entanglements
gone sour to fill an album with, and put in
enough gig time on the blues highway to
play guitar like a seasoned road dawg.
“Beautifully Broken” has a Joan Armatrading
feel, the ragged edges of Taylor’s
anguished soulful vocal shredded by her
jagged guitar solo as she reveals her lover
left her “hanging onto words unspoken, all
burned out and beautifully broken.” Lyrics
aide, Taylor sounds neither burned out nor
broken. For “Soul Station,” she drags up a
trunk full of guitar gods of the Page and
Clapton persuasion, tossing them in a cauldron
and bringing them to a rolling boil,
blistering licks splashing down the sides.
Then, she shows off some frenetic Joe
Satriani licks on “Tied And Bound,” her Gibson
hurling flaming brimstone balls around
the studio.
Although this release isn’t as bombastic
as her two previous releases, it’s a nice
change up that shows off a sultrier, more
introspective side. But given Taylor’s talent,
drive and intensity, it’s a good bet there’s
plenty of fire left for future projects.
– Grant Britt
62 BLUES REVUE
SCRAPOMATIC
I’m A Stranger And
I Love The Night
Landslide
When bits of inspiration from the likes of
Taj Mahal, Nina Simone, Dr. John, Tom
Waits, Sly Stone, Howlin’ Wolf, and
Charley Patton slide into the mixer, the
name Scrapomatic makes perfect sense.
Of course, it’s what comes out that makes
all the difference. This New York Citybased,
Midwestern-embedded roots
group injected a rare distinctiveness into
the genre on their 2003 self-titled debut.
Although they never lost sight of that
unique soul-blues-folk-country amalgam
on two subsequent albums, this is the one
that should do it for them.
Singer Mike Mattison makes a huge
impact. The breathy soul in his voice is
unmistakable, rising to an unusual falsetto
even, in the sexy, low-slung “Crime
Fighter.” Mattison spent ten years pulling
double duty as the lead singer for the
Derek Trucks Band, and continues today
as a backing vocalist in the universallyacclaimed
Tedeschi Trucks Band. He’s
never sounded more natural than he does
here. Plus, his songwriting skills have really
taken off. He wrote every one of these
dozen gems with guitarist Paul Olsen, and
several contain that “Jeez, I swear I’ve
heard this before” quality.
The title song ranks among the sunniest
pieces of soul in a long while,
despite its almost esoteric tone. Youthful
innocence suffuses the dainty melody
and sentimentality of “Don’t Fall Apart On
Me, Baby,” and the flowing ballad “The
Party’s Over” celebrates shutting it down
in grand style. All are absolutely irresistible.
On the other hand, “Alligator
Love Cry” takes a jumpy stance in the
realm of rough-hewn roadhouse blues,
and “Gentrification Blues” adds a sociohippy
vibe to the age-old style. Guitarist
Dave Yoke, ex of Susan Tedeschi’s band
and now a full-fledged Scrap, adds significantly
to the proceedings, his assertive
yet concise solos at times recalling
Trucks’ in tone. Bassist Ted Pecchio and
drummer Tyler Greenwell (of Tedeschi
Trucks Band) supply the incredibly wideranging
rhythms. Mattison’s a Harvard
American Literature grad and Olsen won
an ASCAP songwriting award twice. Triumphs,
street cred, and capriciousness
among talented musicians all add to the
draw. It seems the sky’s the limit for
Scrapomatic.
– Tom Clarke
SHAKURA S’AIDA
Time
Electro-Fi
Her vocals are the creamy filling in a blues
sandwich, spread between slices of Shemekia
Copeland and Susan Tedeschi with
a dash of Tina Turner sprinkled on top for
extra seasoning. Brooklyn-born, Switzerland-raised
Shakura S’Aida has called
Toronto home for nearly three decades.
Her unique voice spans jazz, soul, rock,
and R&B. Add in her partnership with guitarist
Donna Grantis and the musical landscape
they cover is ever expanding.
Canadian blues men Harrison Kennedy
and Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne are also
aboard.
This two-disc set is split into a rock
and a blues set. It’s a strange mix at times,
like a cabaret singer trying to rock out. Perhaps
that’s why the blues side seems more
comfortable to listen to. You get the feeling
that S’Aida is used to filling big rooms with
her voice, or maybe just trying to let her
voice be heard as when she was singing
backup, going up against the heavy
artillery of Patti Labelle. But when she
relaxes, you really begin to appreciate the
nuances of her voice.
The rock stuff is just ok. “Long John
Baldry’s Don’t Try To Lay No Boogie-Woogie
On The Queen Of Rock And Roll” is
energetic and funky. The title cut sounds
like Shemekia in a higher register with
S’Aida’s bombastic vocal loud enough to
peel the paint off the walls.