Post by jptheprofessor on Feb 11, 2007 23:24:28 GMT -5
ANGEL BLUE AND THE PROPHETS – BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE BLUES (no label) Listeners won’t suffer from the blues or stare through the bottom of a bottle for long after hearing Bottom of the Bottle Blues, the rousing debut CD from Pittsburgh’s Angel Blue and the Prophets. Through the album’s dozen tracks, we are introduced to a smoking band, featuring mainstays Scott McLean on drums and Jeff Conners on keys, plus an assortment of hired guns on guitars and bass. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire; and in front of this smoking band there’s the fiery presence of group namesake Angel Blue, a.k.a. Angela D’Ambrosio, a top-notch blues howler who frequently conjures comparisons to the legendary Janis Joplin with her arsenal of range, power, gusto and personality. Angel Blue wrenches the maximum gamut of emotions out of each and every song, as she goes with the flow and rides the vibe of each song to its fullest impact, injecting catchy and clever little nuances along the way. This results in exhilarating, robust displays on such upbeat, fun numbers as “Shimmy Shakin’ Lowdown Blues,” the train-themed “749,” the hard-rocking “I’m Guilty” (a slower acoustic variation of the song, “Guilty Baby,” appears later on the album), and the rowdy Bo Diddley-beat-powered closer “Jonny McGaster.” Angel Blue’s passionate presence also sells the master/pet theme of the swing-flavored “Short Chain,” and yields the maximum playfulness out of “Back Here in the Kitchen” and “Baby What You Want Me to Do,” complete with Angel Blue emulating a muted trombone solo at song’s end. That magic works on slower blues as well, including Angel Blue’s exceptional full meltdown display on T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday” and the title song “Bottom of the Bottle Blues” (featuring a cameo guitar solo appearance from former Winger axe man Reb Beach). Recorded in several studios and produced by Scott and Angela, Bottom of the Bottle Blues sounds clear and full, with the balanced tandem of keys and guitars cleanly guiding the sound along; punchy and bright on the upbeat numbers, and subdued and laid-back on the slower numbers. Angel Blue’s voice constantly shines front and center through it all, cleanly revealing her stellar vocal talents for all to hear. Bottom of the Bottle Blues is an intoxicating debut album that fans of hot-sounding blues and blues-rock will want to imbibe frequently. It convincingly introduces Angel Blue and the Prophets as a fiery blues band worthy of immediate attention. (The CD can be obtained at shows or by visiting the group’s website, www.angelblueband.com.)