Johnny Rawls & Dave Keller – Tribute to Soul
Third Street Cigar Records
11 tracks/36 minutes
Look at the album cover. It hearkens to Eric Clapton and B.B. King and Riding With The King. Here we have Rawls who looks to be driving the car of his signature song “Red Cadillac,” with Keller giving us a look of confidence and satisfaction in the passenger seat.
Keller and Johnny have performed with each other for decades now and it shows; they are completely in sync with this superb tribute album. It is a masterful set of tunes with soul icon Johnny Rawls paying tribute to the previous iconic soul men of yore. And then we have Dave Keller who joins his mentor again for a delightful album of soul classics that they both put their indelible stamps on.
Dave’s band of keyboardist Ira Friedman, bassist Alex Budney, and drummer Jay Gleason are stellar and solid as always. The three-piece horn section of Paul Johnson (tenor and baritone saxophones), Ben DeLong (trumpet), and Travis Geiman (trombone) are fantastic here. Rawls and Keller trade off lead vocals and play rhythm guitar. The guitar solos are all Keller’s.
“I’m Qualified” is the Clarence Carter hit from 1968 and Johnny makes it his own with a rousing, pretty performance. He smooths the cut out in Johnny Rawls fashion, and Keller adds some responses to Johnny’s calls, making it a cool rendition. Next is “I’ve Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)” which is a deep soul cut originally released by Eddie Floyd. Keller testifies with passion as the horns back him sweetly and then Rawls enters the fray with equal emotion. A slick, restrained guitar solo adds nicely to the mix.
“Walk A Mile In My Shoes” is the great Joe South tune calling for acceptance and equality. Elvis gave us a famed rendition, too. Here both Dave Keller and Rawls give us their take on it and emote with deep feeling; well done! “Neighbor, Neighbor” follows, a rocking Jimmy Hughes cut where Rawls and Keller trade off the lead. A stinging guitar lead and solo replaces the old school guitar, and the hollow organ from the original get replaced by a more modern sounding horns and organ that help to make the cut special.
Keller fronts “I Remember” first and Rawls joins in on this 1971 Tommy Tate soul classic. The piano and horns add a nice dimension, another winner! Benny Latimore’s “Bad Risk” follows. Dave gives us a spoken intro and then Rawls takes over; this is soul like it’s supposed to be done. Horns and organ flow nicely and then we get a nice little guitar solo tnear the end that adds to the mood.
Joe Tex’ “Hold What You’ve Got” is from 1964 and was first done in Muscle Shoals with their backing musicians and signature sound. This version is less raw but equally passionate with Keller and Rawls sharing the mic. Dave and Johnny give it their all and it’s a super rendition. “Make Love To Me Baby” is classic 1970 Little Johnny Taylor and Rawls and Keller hit it out of the park. Slick vocals and horns, they make it all theirs.
Next is “The Kind of Love I Want” and Johnny tells us in no uncertain terms what he desires, and then it’s Dave’s turn to also tell us. This great Z.Z. Hill song is another classic and this duo give it up to us with guts and gritty feeling; I loved it! Albert King’s sultry “Drowning On Dry Land” moves from the realm of slow and somber blues into the world of deep soul and it’s oh-so cool. Keller kills it vocally as does Rawls and by the time it’s done you’ll be emotionally spent. They conclude with “You Didn’t Know It But You Had Me,” a bouncy cut by George Jackson and Dan Greer. Rawls and Keller turn the tempo down by a small notch but it remains a cool and vibrant song. The Farfisa combo organ is gone but there is a nice funkiness to this version with Friedman’s organ and piano and a short but cool bass set of riffs along with nice guitar and horn accompaniment.
I first played this album driving into the Chicago Blues Festival this year. I was floored and I keep listening to it over and over again. I’ve seen Johnny and Dave together many times and I continue to marvel at the synergy these two have with each other. It is remarkable. If you like soul music, then this is for you. It’s an amazing album filled with classic songs that Rawls and Keller make their own. Go get it- you won’t regret it!
