BLUES People – The Skin I’m In
Self Released
9 tracks/39 minutes
BLUES People are a New Jersey/NYC band with a ton of musical experience who produced their first album here. I saw then at the International Blues Challenge and was impressed by their soulful blues. They are the real deal. They’ve backed and supported many a fine artist, including, among others, Sue Foley, Josh Smith, Kool & the Gang, Ruf’s Blues Caravan, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Bo Diddley, Jr. and Michael Hill’s Blues Mob, an impressive list!
The band takes it’s name from the book Blues People: Negro Music in White America. This book is a highly-regarded study of African-American music and culture by Amiri Baraka. He published the book as LeRoi Jones in 1963. A couple of long time friends who spent the pandemic developing their music and sound to the eventual result of this fine band.
The players in the band are Kelton Cooper on vocals and guitar, Mike Griot on bass, Ron Thompson on keys and Gene Lake on drums. Cooper is a powerful and soul tinged singer who plays some wickedly great guitar. Thompson’s keys are really good and the backline provides a solid and impressive groove throughout.
The album begins with ringing guitar supported by heavy organ. Cooper comes in with his impassioned vocals and the listener is grabbed into their spider’s web that won’t let go. It’s soul blues done right. It’s a great start and leads into the title track. It has a funky groove with nice organ (featuring guest Victor Burks) and guitar. The solos on organ and guitar are both exceptional as are the vocals. “Hey Joe (Revisited)” takes the song Hendrix made famous and rearranges the lyrics to a more modern racial profiling theme. The guitar rings, the piano and organ add depth.
“I Was Always There” is a straight blues with a cool vibe. The vocals, organ and guitar are superb. Then it’s “Troubled Times,” a slow and deeper blues cut. It’s a nice transition and another excellent song. Burks also appears here on piano. “Blues Interlude” is next and is just a short transition from a live set and has two guests, Eric Brown and Alex T.
“Smoke & Mirrors” is a heavy, rocking blues with a soulful twist. Heavy guitar and keys and a big overall sound make this different and cool. “Nuthin’ Really” follows, mixing a cool groove and a narrative done in the studio as the band has fun just messing around. They end with “Knee Off My Neck,” a song about brutality and lack of respect. Funky and soulful, the song sends a message with it’s rousing performance.
They made the semi-finals at the IBC. I really enjoyed their set. Perhaps the reworked “Hey Joe” was their downfall; they reworked and modernized the lyrics but it’s basically mostly a straight up cover (with organ added). Despite that, I loved their set and love this album. There is a little heavy reverb echo on some of the vocals, a minor flaw in an otherwise superb soul blues debut album. I can’t wait to see them live again; these guys are a really amazing band!
