Jimmie Bratcher – Far Enough
Self-release
11 songs – 54 minutes
The close if sometimes complex relationship between the blues and the Church is well-documented, from the likes of Rev Gary Davis (ordained as a Baptist minister in Washington, North Carolina in 1933), Blind Willie Johnson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, to modern masters such as The Blind Boys of Alabama and Mavis Staples. J. B. Lenoir and Elmore James were itinerant preachers when they were not singing or playing the blues and T-Bone Walker first heard heard boogie-woogie piano in the Holy Ghost Church of Dallas.
Kansas City blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, Jimmie Bratcher, put his guitar to one side when he was first called to the ministry, only picking it up again 20 years later in the late 1990s. Since then, he has released a dozen albums and two live DVDs. Far Enough is his 13th album, and it’s highly enjoyable collection of 11 self-written compositions, many sitting in the same blues-rock vein that early Eric Clapton (one of Bratcher’s primary influences) occupied in the late 1960s. Bratcher isn’t afraid to stretch the envelope however, employing a variety of unusual (for blues music) instruments to add color and texture to the songs, as well as turning his hand to swinging uptown blues on “Don’t Count Me Out.”
The core band on Far Enough features Bratcher on guitars and vocals; Eric Stark on keyboards, lap steel, and Irish penny whistle; Craig Kew on bass; Brandon Draper on drums and percussion and Aaron Mayfield on organ. Charity Von Mozafari and Charmelle Cofield added backing vocals, Micah Burdick contributed acoustic guitar to two songs, Judah Earl added strings to “When He Dreams” and Rod Lincoln guested on drums on five songs. A horn section of Bob Harvey, Steve Molloy, Mark Cohick and Brett Jackson also pop up, shining particularly on “Memphis Slim”, an upbeat, loving tribute to the much-missed singer/pianist.
The well-written songs (all composed either by Stark or by Stark/Bratcher) hark back to the heyday of early blues-rock, with “My Name Is Sinner” even recalling early Deep Purple. Clapton’s influence can be detected in a number of places, such as the Cream-like pop bridge of “Living Here In Babylon”. The piano-driven “Chains” builds into a classic power ballad, while the humorous “Why Is It Don’t We Dance Anymore” is a toe-tapping rock’n’roll track that is powered by some punchy horn licks. The primarily acoustic “When He Dreams (The Cowboy Song)” even has hints of “The Streets Of London”. “Don’t Bring That Evil Around Here” features haunting slide guitar.
Lyrically, Bratcher wears his faith on his sleeve, through a series of parables and narratives, never force-feeding the listener, but inviting them to draw their own conclusions.
Bratcher is a fine singer and guitarist (particularly on the album closer, “Save Me, From Myself”) and Stark’s keyboard contributions suit the songs perfectly.
The album was produced by Bratcher and Stark, engineered by Matt Russo and recorded at Covenant Studios in Kansas City, with mastering by Larry Gann at Awestruck Studios in Kansas City.
Far Enough is an impressive release from Jimmie Bratcher. Definitely worth investigating if you like some classic blues-rock.
