This review is a musical change of pace. It is for a new CD from The Chris Saunders Band and it's deep into Jazz blues of the South. Chris Saunders plays Trumpet and Cornet and is also a terrific singer and songwriter. He is a native and current resident of the San Francisco Bay area but there is no doubt that he has been heavily influenced by some of his favorite Blues singers like Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, Lou Rawls, Dr. John, Howlin' Wolf and Louis Armstrong. In his new CD, "Dancing With The Widow St. James" Saunders has included a mix of covers and originals which he co-wrote with his collaborator, Pianist and group founder Ken Cook. All of the Saunders and Cook songs tell stories about life and its struggles. The short stories inside these tunes are why the Blues have been so popular over the years. They strike home for the listener and make the music and lyric very relatable to life.
I love the sound and feel of Saunders' voice, his lyrics and his Cornet, they all fit well together. He and his writing partner Ken Cook have the rare ability to take real human emotional experiences and inject them into medley and lyric.
I have attached two "YouTube" videos for your listening pleasure. The first is a tasty song written by Percy Mayfield, "River's Invitation". The second is an original song written by Saunders and Cook. It's the title tune on the CD, "Dancing With The Widow St. James"
PLAYLIST:
1. River's Invitation
2. Big Man
3. Butterflies and Chicken Wings
4. I Wonder
5. Am I Blue?
6. Lighting and a Feather
7. Dancing With the Widow St. James
8. Low Tide Rising On a Devil Wind
9. Life is a Struggle
10. I Don't Need No Doctor
11. Lullaby of the Leaves
PLAYERS:
Chris Saunders-Vocals, Cornet & Trumpet
Ken Cook-Piano, Organ
Rob Fordyce-Electric Bass
Michael Aragon-Drums
Luis Carbo-Percussion
"River's Invitation"
