Blackburn Brothers – Soulfunkn Blues
www.blackburnbrothersmusic.com
11 tracks – 53 minutes
Per the liner notes of this album, “The Blackburn Brothers are 4th generation Canadians. Descendants of Elia Earls, an enslaved man born in Kentucky, who escaped slave owners and found freedom traveling north though the underground railroad and settling in Northern Ontario. Blues historians tell us that the Blues are from, and belong to, the African American tapestry that covers America…but what happened to the music that travelled north, carried in the hearts and minds of those who escaped or migrated to Canada in search of freedom, acceptance, or just a better life? I believe there is a gap within the history of the blues.”
The Blackburn Brothers have been nominated for the Juno Award; Canada’s equivalent of the Grammy and has won the Maple Blues Award. Their music is authentic soul blues, or as they call it “soulfunkn”. The lyrics reflect the stories of Black Canadians and “is a tribute to all of the trailblazers and all of the ancestors and forgotten tribes who taught the Blackburn Brothers the importance of history, blues, soul, groove, rhythm and life. It’s a tribute to 231 years of Canadian Roots and Blues”.
Their father, Bobby Dean Blackburn, was a seminal figure on the R&B scene in Toronto. He still travels regularly in performances through Canada and other countries. He regularly brought home tapes of recordings and had other musicians in the house frequently. That atmosphere obviously influenced the brothers to become a band. The Brothers are Duane on lead vocals, organ, piano, and vocoder; Brooke and Robert on guitar and backing vocals; Cory on drums and percussion; and Nathan on bass. Neil Brathwaite on tenor sax and Ted Peters on trombone also perform on a large number of the songs. The group has been the opening act for Sharon Jones & Dr. John. This is their third release from Electro-Fi Records and contains ten original songs penned by the brothers and one covers.
The album kicks off in high funk mode with “Bobby’s Blues” as they sing about their father who “started playing the blues in 1955” and “did it my way”. The horns intermingle with some excellent guitar leads and a piano run. “She’s A Heartbreaker” is a blues rocker citing “she will let you in, play you for a fool.” “Let The Devil Play” keeps the funk rolling as “the devil is calling your name, but that’s okay, let the music play”. They say “that the end is coming, nothing you can do but kneel down and pray”.
“Soul Brother” sounds like something that might have been written by Sly Stone or Marvin Gaye and they cite “the Soul Brother grew up in the 70’s”. Duane then says, “every day I am walking by myself” and asks “Won’t You Let Me Go”? “There is no future for you and me.” The Neville Brothers’ “Sister Rosa”, which tells the story of Rosa Parks, is the first cover on the album and features a very jazzy sax solo. On “Why Do I Do (What I Do)”, they slow the pace as Duane sings about the woman in his life and says “I can never forget you. I am here if you need me.” He then states, “I want you to “Be My Wife” and asks that she “please say yes to my sweet request”.
“Freedom Train” sounds like a song from a previous era with the vocoder mix as Duane sings “listen to the struggles of our people…peace and love together …make a change…show the world love can last”. “Little Sister” gets the funk going again as he asks, “what is wrong with you, looks like you are lonely”. and tells Little Brother that “I hear you just go out of jail” but tells both “it is going to be all right before the night is done…a change is gonna come”. The album ends with a slow stroll as Duane declares “I Don’t Ever Want to Be Alone”. and he says, “I think of you until the day is through.” Duane delivers another beautifully played piano run in the song.
The Blackburn Brothers deliver excellent soul blues laced with funk. Neil and Ted’s horns blend well into most of the songs on the album with “Soul Brother” and “Sister Rosa” the only songs that do not include horns. They certainly demonstrate a talent with their instruments and Duane’s vocals are constantly strong, drawing you into every song.
