A few weeks ago, a few friends and I went to Toad's Place to see Joe Bonamassa. Although he had a typically fiery show, I wanted to bring your attention to the opening band. They are a clearly seasoned group who had a great sense of vibe, blues, and fun. It was a 4 piece band complete with the ever cool stand up bass. I enjoyed the opener so much that I picked up his newest release by the name of Paul Gabriel and his Blues Band: Shuffle the Deck.
Shuffle the Deck is a lively and energetic mix of blues songs that brings back the memories of a smoky bar with a dance floor and lots of drinks flowing. The first cut is "Old Time Ball" which is a swing blues tune with great playing and fills. "Five Cars Later" has a similar shuffle vibe that is very catchy. Gabriel's playing through his Gibson ES-345 (pictured in the liner notes) has that great hollow out of phase tone which brings authenticity to the disc. Not sure exactly what Paul was up to with the "Rusty Trombone", but it is a tasteful endorsement to the style which is helped by Pat Gregor on keys. This song slows the overall tempo to a more tasty and thoughtful groove. "Cold Cold Feelin", "Five Cars Later", and "Runnin' Blues" pick the pace back up, and reminds me what a fun band this is to see live. One of the highlights is an Albert King cover, "Don't throw your love on me so strong." The disc finishes with a slow Chicago style tune named "Time."
Having the benefit of seeing this band live, the mix of a Hammond organ, stand up bass, that classy Gibson with the right amount of raunch... makes for a real good listen that has grown on me.
All in all, "Shuffle the Deck" is a fun listen with a lot to teach younger players on taste, style, phrasing, and keeping music alive- as it should always be. Keep an eye out for Paul Gabriel and his Blues Band, go see something different... and shuffle the deck!
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