Will Wilde – Blues Is Still Alive
10 songs – time – 40:59
Will Wilde has created a new sub-genre called blues-rock harmonica. His main M.O. is playing fast and loud. That is fine as his intention is to be modern. He composed all the songs as well as one co-write. He gets close to traditional blues sounds on occasion. He has enlisted a very capable stable of players to back his endeavors.
The title track dives right in headfirst. Fierce overblown harp as he exhorts “Tell ’em what I’m talkin’ bout Walter” as guest star Walter Trout rips off some of his signature blues-rock guitar gymnastics. Will’s charged vocals fit his music well. “Wild Man” essentially amounts to self promotion. Russell Carr’s bass is prominent under the harmonica pyrotechnics. The energy flow continues with “Don’t Play With Fire”. The melody of “Gypsy Woman” is taken directly from “St. James Infirmary”. An upright bass and electric piano lend a lighter blues vibe.
Will reverts back to his high-powered stance on “Trouble Of That Girl”. Although he plays fast here and elsewhere, his approach is stylized. Although the tempo slows down once again for “Stole My Love”, his harp is intense. He really lets loose on “Girl’s Got Soul”. His playing on “Learn How To Love” is a bit more stylized. The song has female backing vocals with a single voice answering his vocal at times. “Broken Dream Blues” leans more towards a traditional blues sound. The harp intensifies as his solo progresses. It also contains one of his more impassioned vocals. Greg Coulson’s organ vamps underneath the harp and Bobby Harrison’s guitar on “Don’t Trust Me”.
Nothing unusual in his harmonica playing, but it is unrelenting in its pure energy. His gritty vocals don’t hurt and either does his choice of first-rate musicians. Will brings harmonica blues into the future.
