Kelly’s Lot – The Blues Remind Me
Self Released
https://www.kellyslot.com/
10 tracks
Kelly’s Lot began in 1994, founded by Kelly Zirbes. Her background in a folk music and love for the blues has produced 16 CDs. She and her band have toured the US and Europe over the last 30 years. Originating in Los Angeles, Kelly met Perry Robertson in 1996 and produced her first . He then joined the band and they composed music together, mixing her folk and blues roots with his southern rock and Texas Blues background. Perry has produced most of Kelly’s Lot’s music and they celebrate 30 years of music making with this album.
Kelly fronts the band, Perry handles the guitars, Matt McFadden is on bass, and Mike Sauer is on drums except for the first track which features Art Mendoza. Mo Beeks joins in vocally on the first cut and adds keyboards throughout. A variety of horns and instruments abound. Bill Johnston, Aviva Maloney, Paulie Cerra, Didier Reyes, and Chip Tingle are on the horns. Maloney adds flute to a track, Rob Zucca guitar to the same one, Frank “Cisco” Hinajosa plays harp on another, Gary Bivona is on flugelhorn on another and, Tomislav Goluban is on another track with harp.
The opening cut is “I Gotta Sing The Blues,” a somber cut with Zirbes and Beeks singing with passion and Beeks laying out some cool organ licks. Next is “Boogie Bus: with some delightful harp by Cisco and a slick boogie beat. Slow blues is the order of business for “Mama’s Blues.” Kelly lays her heart out and the horns set the mood. Pretty tenor sax (Cerra) is featured here.Things get jumping with “It Ain’t Always” as Kelly and the band give it their all. Horns and piano and a baritone sax solo by Johnston help to sell this one.
“Man In The Moon” follows. Reyes’ trumpet and the piano help define the darker blues feeling here. Upright bass gets some time to shine, too. “Without You” is a mid tempo rocker that is fun. “Just Tell Me The Truth” is a has a bit of a jazzy feel with flute and a little rock with stinging guitar. Horns and organ add nicely to the mix.
Up next is “Blessings,” a torch song of sorts with Kelly and Mo’s organ passionately giving emotive performances. Some more harp is featured on “Aces” with Goluban blowing the Mississippi Saxophone on a cut with a jumping beat. The guitar switches to acoustic for the finale. “Love and Understanding” had a down home, front porch feel to it and some nice slide to make things even better. Add a cool piano solo and the album wraps up sweetly.
This is a fun and tight recording with a sweet team of musicians working together. You can tell these folks have worked together a long time as they deliver ten all-new songs for the listener to savor. This one is well worth a spin to enjoy!
