Pass the hot sauce....
Beardo | 07/11/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Ironically recorded months before the hurricane Katrina disaster as part homage to one of TP's favorite places on the planet, this CD is an Americana exploration, and experimental Telecaster proving ground. A real guitar driven "gumbo" of musical styles and tastes.
The first and arguably the best track, "Louisiana (Been Callin' Me)" deploys a sinister Congo Square hoodoo feel as Tommy Lepson further proves he is the best Hammond organ player in Washington DC and a potent blues singer to boot. The Nighthawks Mark Wenner is the engine driving this composition.
Former Principato band member Kevin McKendree (Delbert's band now) hammers a piano to pieces on Dave Kitchen's rockin' "If Love Is Blind", "They Took My Money" and the classic "Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee". Add Pato's road rhythm section for the last few years, John Perry on bass and Joe Wells on drums and you have an air tight machine.
The requisite instrumentals that Pato fans look forward to, "Return Of The Voodoo Thing", "Tango'd Up In The Blues" and "Tipsy" sequence brilliantly as Tom quite frankly, tears it a new one. Nobody imposes his will over the wild Telecaster quite like Tom Principato.
Be careful, may topple your current guitar hero from that lofty pedestal.
Beardo
Co-Host of Beardo & Spinner Podcast"
Rockin' blues gumbo from the South
Denis | NJ, USA | 06/06/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ever feel like you want to go outside, grill some meat, have some beer, hang out with your friends, and put on the perfect soundtrack? Tom Principato's Guitar Gumbo CD definitely fits the bill. Tom is the master guitarist, vocalist, and composer from the Washington DC area, and his main inspiration for songs on this CD has been none other than New Orleans, Louisiana, where he fondly remembers spending some time.
The fabric of this album is blues-rock with somewhat swampy Southern flavor, which Tom so ably exploits to come up with catchy, infectuous tunes that would have you jumpin', nodding', or tappin' your foot. The songs Tom cooks up here are sort of difficult to categorize, as they have a healthy dose of just about every musical style neatly folded into original compositions. You'll hear elements of blues from his scorching solos, you'll hear definite influence of rock from the rhythm and the fat, grinding rhythm guitar that Tom plays on some songs, you'll hear elements of funk, and you'll hear elements of country, and you'll hear elements of jazz. Yes, it's quite unique and somewhat eclectic, but it's done so right, which is what makes it so good.
Tom Principato sounds fresh and rested and sings with real passion and exuberance, while at the same time sounding loose and relaxed in his delivery - like he's really enjoying himself. That catches on with the listener, and I find myself cycling this CD in my CD player for a long time.
Some songs proclaim love for Louisiana and a yearning to return to the bayou, while others tell stories of vendetta, best friends, love gone wrong, and partying hard in New Orleans. "Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee" is a jumpin' New Orleans barrel house boogey that Tom casts in his own style, and it is a hoot! "Tango'd Up in the Blues" is a gorgeous and memorable blue instrumental, where Tom's guitar is sings in that silky and expressive story-telling way. "Return of the Voodoo Thing" and "Tipsy" are rockin' with a taste of funk, which have Tom playing some fat rock tones on his guitar, sounding like down and dirty grindin', which always makes me turn the volume up high and feel the power and the drive.
Tom has a great band backing him up on this CD, just like on every CD I've heard of Tom's. This is important because he's a real master at what he does, and as such he needs the best support team to let him work his magic. And that he does. He is certainly one of the finest guitarists in the world and is on a very short list of my personal guitar heroes, which also include Pat Metheny, Albert King, Freddie King, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Son Seals, and Peter Green.
The beauty is this CD and of what Tom Principato does is that it's unlikely to sound like anything you've heard before. Even when Tom plays blues covers like "Crosscut Saw", which isn't on this CD, he makes them his own with his authoritative and expressive singing and his creative guitar licks. And it's his special style of singing and playing that makes him a breath of fresh air when it comes to rockin', rollin', or gettin' blue.
Do yourself a favor, get this CD, and then go see Tom live, and he'll knock your socks off."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1