Billy Price – Reckoning
13 tracks
Billy Price is a blues soul singer who toured the East Cost extensively and won a BMA in 2016 for Best Soul-Blues Album with This Is Real. Since that album, his stock has risen quickly and here he teams with Kid Andersen at his Greaseland Studio to produce his 16th recording. This CD features Price on vocals along with Andersen on guitars, keys and vocals, Alex Petersen on drums, Jerry Jermott on bass, Jim Pugh on keys, Johnny Bones on various saxes, Nancy wright on tenor for track 10, Konstantis Jemeljanovs on trumpet, Derrick “D’Mar” Martin on congas for track 7, Martin Winsted on congas for track 3, Courtney Knott, Lisa Leuschner Andersen, Rusty Zinn, Sons of the Soul Revivers, and Robby Yamilov on backing vocals, Marcel Smith preaching on track 3, Don dally Orchestra on strings for track 2 and Kim Kistler on cello for that same track.
The album opens with “39 Steps,” a gritty and cool track about the number of steps needed for him to tack stock of his stuff and get to his Crown Vic to attain his freedom from an oppressive woman. The tune has a nice groove along with Price and team on vocals. The organ provides a church like feel and it’s a nice start to a sweet CD. “Dreamer” is next up, a sultry and slow cut about foolish dreaming about a woman. Nice guitar work and the woman backing Price add a lot to the performance. The title track opens with some revival styled preaching and then breaks into an old school Philly soul-styled sound about reckoning coming with his woman. Very suave and cool stuff and the trumpet really makes things better. Nice fuzzed up guitar work also makes this nice and Price delivers another beauty. “No Time” is a J.J. Cale tune that has a jumping beat and some grooving horn work. The guitar and horn trade off in the solos to good measure. The Eddie Floyd/Booker T. Jones cut “I Love You More Than Words Can Say” follows. Soulful, slow and sweet blues are testified by Price throughout and the band punctuates nicely as he really delivers the goods. Johnny Rawls’ “I Keep Holding On” is next, picking the pace up as Price sings about trying to mend things in his relationship. A little instrumental bridge mid song by the band makes for a cool break as Price delivers another great cut for us. Price helped write the next tune, “One and One,” a smooth and pop-like soul tune with a great sound.
Denise LaSalle’s “Get Your Lie Straight” blasts off to a rousing start and the horns add loads to the mix. a funky bass groove leads the horns and Price through this song with a nice guitar and organ solo to boot. Price and Company’s “Never Be Fooled Again”is a darker and somber piece about a relationship he’s surviving. Andersen offers a stinging guitar solo and Proce again emotes sweetly on vocals. Price also has his hand in writing “Expert Witness.” It begins with a little testifying by the Sons of the Soul Revivers and then Price comes in for the kill. A big sax solo and the Sons backing really sweeten up the pot for this number. “Love Ballad” has the feel of the late 1970’s to it along with a modern twist with Price’s vocal lead. Lisa’s backing vocal is pretty and so well done to complement Billy. “Synthetic World” is a Jerry Williams Jr. cut and Price and the bass lead sell this nicely and the backing vocalists play a really nice role behind Price here. “Your Love Stays With Me” concludes the set, a beautiful and soulful ballad. The song builds and there is a nice tenor solo mid song. A pretty conclusion to a very, very nice album overall.
Soul and soul blues lovers will eat this up. Price delivers to us another great CD that will garner some accolades. This one gets better and better every listen so pick it up and enjoy it!
