Kyle Rowland – Not Holding Back
http://www.littlevillagefoundation.com
15 Tracks – 52 minutes
Georgia born and now Sacramento based Kyle Rowland learned to play his harmonica at age ten by taking lessons from Rick Estrin. As a teen, he released his first album, High Rollin’ in 2011. In the twenty-four years since that release, he was worked with many of the blues masters, including James Cotton, Lazy Lester, Hubert Sumlin, Billy “Boy” Arnold, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Henry Gray, Charlie Musselwhite and many others who have helped him in all aspects of his performance. The obvious education was in mastering some of the performer’s secrets as harmonica players, but also about stage presence, and working in the music business.
In 2022, he signed an endorsement deal with the Hohner Harmonica Company, which has allowed him to teach kids how to play the harmonica across the US and in Mexica and Cuba. In 2024 and 2025 he was a semi-finalist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Also in 2024, he became the youngest inductee into the Sacramento Blues Hall of Fame.
Completing the circle, Rick Estrin joins with Kid Andersen to produce Kyle’s second release. Kyle plays harmonica and vocals on all tracks, plays the guitar on tracks 7 and 10, and has a piano solo on track 6. Kid plays guitar, bass, and Hammond B3 on several tracks with June Core on drums, Jim Pugh on keyboards, and Ronnie James Weber on bass. Johnny Burgin and Bob Welsh play guitar on multiple tracks and Bob adds piano on four cuts.
Eight originals and seven covers kick off with “Convict #1” as Kyle announces “Love is a Prison. You’ve got me locked up in your shackles. My playboy days have come and gone.” Johnny Burgin rocks out with Bob Welch’s piano flowing in the background before Kyle launches into a harmonica roll. He then says, “It breaks my heart to see you smile cause your smile is not for me… but I am “Wishing You the Best” as “you break my heart”. Rick Estrin and Donnie Woodruff wrote “I’ll Take You Back” in 1987 for Little Charlie and The Nightcats, which Kyle quickly makes his own as she pledges to “do better and if I’d take you back” and he responds, “I’ll take you back when rattlesnakes have knees, when money grows on trees.”
Mike Zito & Lara Price recorded Mike Schermer’s penned “We’re Still Friends” in 2024. Kyle declares “wherever you go, I want you to know we’re always friends”. Dennis Dove and Lisa Andersen guest on backing vocals. On Billy Boy Arnold’s 1957 “Kissing at Midnight”, Kyle laments “I hate to leave, better stay all night” and includes another solid harmonica solo. Anson Funderburgh guests on guitar and Kyle plays a rollicking piano on Clarence “Filmore Slim” Williams’ 1957 “You Got the Nerves of a Brass Monkey”. Kyle declares, “You’ll never find a man under the sun that will do for you what I have done. Why be a fool and treat me this way. All you want to do is ball and play”.
Kyle shows his prowess on guitar with Kid kicking up the B3 on “Gamblin’ Blues” as he begs her to “loan me one more dime” after losing all his money. He declares “Everyone’s got one on “E.G.O.” as Kyle accents the song on a smooth harmonica with Kid’s B3 again humming in the background. Marcel Smith and Dennis Dove guest on backing vocals. St. Louis Jimmy Oden’s 1964 “Complete This Order” lets Kyle list a few seemingly impossible things he wants her to do for him. Only then will he believe her love is true.
Kyle plays guitar and harmonica on the bouncy “Coffee Man” who “will grind your beans all night long until your coffee comes in the morning”. “Stockton Boulevard” is an instrumental showcase for Kyle’s harmonica with Kid’s B3 and Justin MacCarthy guesting on guitar. Junior Parker’s 1957 “Backtracking” has another solo by Kyle. Kyle comes running out of the gate with the vocal explosion, “Well it’s been a long time, baby, since your daddy held you tight”. Johnny Burgin on guitar and Bob Welch on piano stand out on the track.
He shows some humor as he determines it “Must’ve Been a Dream” “cause my old lady was treatin’ me right”. He then says, “I met my best friend” in “The County Pen” and hopes to “see you again when I get out”. He ends the album with the traditional “This Train” which seems appropriate as Kyle seems “bound for glory” with his smooth tenor and well-learned harmonica.
One thing that can certainly be determined from this album is that Kyle certainly is Not Holding Back as he delivers a polished masterclass from the blues lessons of his cited mentors including his friend Rick Estrin.
