Omar Coleman & Igor Prado – Old, New, Funky & Blue
NOLA Blue – 2026
11 tracks; 52 minutes
Chicago’s Omar Coleman joins forces here with Brazilian guitarist Igor Prado, no stranger to cooperative efforts, having previously released albums with the late Lynwood Slim, keyboard player Raphael Wressnig and The Delta Groove All Stars (an album that included the likes of Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza and Junior Watson as guests). Everything here was recorded in Sao Paolo, Brazil, with Prado’s regular band, brother Yuri on drums (replaced on two tracks by Juninho Isidoro) and bassist Ted Furtado, but on most tracks there is also Felipe Morgan’s Hammond, Luciano Leaes’ piano and the horns of Denilson Martins (tenor and bari sax) and Bruno Belasco (trumpet).
Coleman handles all the lead vocals in soulful style, but only plays harp on four tracks. There are six originals penned by Coleman and Prado and five covers from the repertoires of Syl Johnson and Bobby Rush.
Opening track “I’m Leaving My No Good Woman” certainly lives up to the album title as Coleman sings strongly and soulfully and Prado hits the whammy bar, living up to the liner notes’ observation that the album sounds like “Willie Mitchell brought Syl to Hi to record with Ike Turner on guitar”. As on a few tracks here, there is some studio banter that has been left in, reinforcing the informal feel of the sessions, notably on two acoustic tracks: the original “Blue Line Train To Chicago” is down home and funky with Coleman’s harp and chunky acoustic guitar riffs from Prado and Rodrigo Belloni, the lyrics recounting the journey between Chicago and O’Hare airport; Syl Johnson’s moody ballad “I Let A Good Girl Go” is beautifully played, this time Eduardo Belloni joins Prado on acoustic guitar.
The pair of Bobby Rush tunes definitely fit the ‘funky’ aspect of the title. Coleman plays harp on both “I Wanna Do The Do” (a close relative of “Wang Dang Doodle”) and “Night Fishin’” which is not actually about that tranquil riverside activity, not surprising if you have ever seen Rush’s salacious stage show! Also in the funky vein is “Brown Nosin’ Man”, an amusing portrait of someone “always sucking up to everyone, trying to get ahead but he’s fooling himself with the lies he spread”.
Syl Johnson’s “I Only Have Love” is the other track with harp, the horn blasts and dramatic drumming making this a real toe-tapper. Prado’s guitar work is solid throughout, nowhere better than on “Cut You Loose” where he sounds like Albert King and “Answer Your Phone” where it’s another Albert, Collins, whose distinctive guitar style is featured. “Moving On To Better Days” is a song about a break-up with strong vocals and guitar but the pick of the originals has to be “Don’t Give It Away” which combines everything good about this album, a funky background, great vocals and guitar and a fine horn chart.
It is almost impossible to remain still while this fine release is playing!
