"Slow Blue Get Away" Review
How does one review a 'Greatest Hits' package of an artist who has never been heard before? Perhaps he and his band are from another galaxy or time travelers from an alternate reality or another dimension! Or maybe this is music from the Twilight Zone or the X-Files. One listen and you'll wanna know, "WHY has this music sat in the can all these years?!" Suffice to say, it was a combination of the "road not taken" and more to the point, the "one taken", one especially life changing when 25 years ago James was in a motorcycle accident which left him partially paralyzed.
Apart from the fact that James 'Jimmy' Boucher-Wyble is virtually an unknown name outside an inner circle of musicians heard on this disc, the Wyble portion of his hyphenated surname alerts those in the loop that he's related to jazz guitarist Jimmy Wyble. That alone might stir some interest in the music contained in "Slow Blue Get Away". Those familiar with Wyble's swinging jazz bebop guitar solos will be met with a big surprise if they spin this disc hoping for a chip off the elder Wyble - that is if their expectations are for James to zero-in on the dead-on torch carrying of Charlie Christian's style his father has committed himself to for the last 60 years plus; No other guitarist has kept that flame lit like Jimmy Wyble.
This CD is about SONGS! Impressive as the guitar work is on these 9 songs, the lyrics, vocals, arrangements and production as well as the other musicians & guitar tracks all get Straight-A's across the board! What's present on this disc is 38 minutes
of pure rock & pop, a little blues, a hint of metal, even a whif of grunge and punk. This is art & groove rock & roll that speaks to a thinking listener yet it is down and dirty where the kids play in the streets! It's roll down the top, pop in this CD, crank it up and hit the freeway kind of music. You'll come away singing these songs after only a listen or two.
At times his solos evoke a certain feeling present in the best work of greats like Jeff Beck, Tom Scholtz, and Neal Schon. Kudos for NOT copping every Slowhand lick in the book, something that way too many unsung rock guitar players seem to rely on, which might shed light as to why they go unheard. His searing leads harken back to the days when the guitar was a major player in the rock scene. With "Slow Blue Get Away", James is a major contender for the title of "One of the Greatest Guitar Players You NEVER Heard!"
The entire album smacks of Top 10 single on every track, at least back in the day when these tracks were recorded in the 80's & 90's! This is 38 minutes of pure musical enjoyment that cries out for MORE!
Buddy McPeters - July 2007
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