Sean McDonald – Have Mercy
Little Village Records
www.littlevillagefoundation.com
9 tracks – 37 minutes
It is always encouraging to see new young artists surfacing in the blues. At age 24, Augusta, Georgia’s Sean McDonald is embracing traditional blues but is creating new blues for a modern generation. Sean is a recent graduate from Middle Tennessee University where he majored in audio production and a minor in music industry. In the liner notes, Kid Andersen states, Sean demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of the classic guitarists ranging from the blues greats to jazz and gospel. to that, Sean adds a highly expressive tenor with a huge vocal range to the mix all wrapped up as a musician with unlimited appeal.
Kid Andersen co-produced the album with Sean and plays second guitar with some of Little Village’s core session musicians including Jim Pugh on organ & piano, June Core on drums, D’Quantae “Q” Johnson on bass, Eric Spaulding on tenor sax and Jack Sanford on baritone sax. The Morgan Brothers, formerly the Sons of The Soul Survivors, and Marcel Smith add some gospel styled accompaniment on some songs.
He opens the album with a rocking cover of Rudy Moore’s “My Soul” from 2000, quickly establishing his guitar capabilities and a warm tenor voice. The song has a styled 1950’s jump swing with Jim’s barrelhouse piano accompanying. He moves into an R&B vibe with Jim’s rollicking piano and the twin sax ripping as he states on his first original that I’m “Fakin’ It” “I have a knack for playing pretend, Lord I’m acting so much it’s a sin when I am grieving.” “Here I am playing this part because you broke my heart. Fakin’ it that I don’t miss you”. On another original “Killing Me” he plays some classic blues riffs with a nod to B.B. King and sings “I can’t sleep at night…because I can’t get you out of my head.” he further notes “You’ve got a wonderful figure, some fixin’ beautiful eyes. I thought you were an angel, but you were the devil in disguise. Unchain my heart and set me free.” Jack’s soulful sax ignites the way.
He expertly handles Bobby Blue Bland’s “Rocking in the Same Old Boat” written by Deadric Malone in 1968 with the vocal presence of a veteran. He states, “I smile to keep from crying because I just got a Dear John note”. He begs a new love experiencing the same love loss “That it will be smooth sailing from now. Everything gonna be alright”. Mike Rinta guests on trombone on the track. “Shuffleboard Swing” is an original blues shuffle allowing each musician a chance to shine. Sean’s final original “Angel Baby” features Jim’s honky-tonk piano on a rocking jump blues with Sean asking, “Come on down from heaven and set my heart free”.
Sean shifts into a gospel mode with a smooth guitar on Oris May’s 1968 song “Don’t Let the Devil Ride” with Marcel Smith and The Morgan Brothers providing a call and response. He declares “if you let him ride, he will want to drive”. Ike Turner’s 1968 “That’s All I Need” is jumping as he says, “All I ask is, all I need is a little bit of huggin’, and a whole lot of lovin’ from you”. He closes with a smooth vocal on Henry Glover’s 1952 ballad, “Let’s Call It a Day” with a smooth sax and even-handed guitar.
There has been a recent influx of young performers joining the blues genre led by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and joined by D.K Harrell, Jontavious Willis, and Solomon Hicks, to just name a few. Sean establishes himself at the top of these young artists ready to make an enduring mark in the blues. “Have Mercy!” indeed, this man can sing and play guitar.
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