Post by jptheprofessor on Nov 12, 2006 22:44:10 GMT -5
SKYLA BURRELL BLUES BAND - LIVIN' DAY TO DAY (no label) Los Angeles native Skyla Burrell first picked up a guitar at the age of 10, and had formed her first band at age 13. After cutting her teeth in several bands and doing studio session work for other musicians, she headed eastward in 1994. She met guitarist Mark Tomlinson in 2003, and the Skyla Burrell Blues Band was formed. On their second album, Livin' Day to Day, the Chambersburg-headquartered group serves up fourteen displays of driving, upbeat original blues. The group's sound is driven by lean, romping rhythms by drummer Ezell Jones and bassist Tony Ryder, setting the foundation for the feisty and tasty twin guitar fireworks; and namesake Skyla's fiery, gritty and soulful voice, suggesting a feistier and hungrier Bonnie Raitt. The songs themselves range between high-octane blues/boogie/swing workouts like the opener "Little Bit of Your Love," "Fly Cat Daddy" and "Two Time Dirty Dog" (all featuring spirited saxophone wailing by guest Seth Kiebel); lively R&B numbers like "Too Much" and "Need Your Love Baby;" robust, straight-up blues exercises like "Dirt Poor," "Play Me Like a Fool," "Low Down Dirty Game" and "Shot in the Dark;" and slower, lowdown blues displays like "I'm Going Down" and "Don't Let Me Go." "Rockin' In Memphis" offers a driving Chuck Berry vibe, while the title track "Livin' Day to Day" shows more of a Booker T. & the MG's texture. The band's performances are bright, lean and efficient, with no notes or beats going to waste; likewise, Skyla Burrell's singing performance is sharp and concise, packing grit and energy but never overplaying her hand. Produced by Burrell and Tomlinson and recorded, mixed and mastered at Echoes Recording Studio in Sharpsburg, Maryland, Livin' Day to Day sounds clean, sparkling and bright. The song arrangements are basic and uncluttered, allowing this band's sharpness and gritty soulfulness to clearly shine through. Livin' Day to Day is a poised and confident set, which more firmly establishes the Skyla Burrell Blues Band as a classy, quality blues ensemble well worth exploring. (The disc can be obtained through the group's website, www.skylaburrell.com.)