Eric Lindell – West County Drifter 12.30.11

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Eric Lindell

West County Drifter

M.C. Records 2011

BluesWax Rating: 8

Take A Walk Through the Latin Quarter

Here is a double CD which emphasizes songwriting craft and ensemble virtuosity rather than star preening and solo pyrotechnics. Although not really a blues album, it is bluesy — as well as jazzy and soulful — and represents a fine debut for Eric Lindell on M.C. Records, a new record label for him.

Lindell, originally from Northern California, is now ensconced in New Orleans, and judging by this release, it’s where he belongs and where his muse lies. The 18 songs are almost all mid-range in tempo, and feature a variety of instruments in addition to the basic guitar, bass, and drums. Horns are prominent, as they are in the Big Easy, but piano is also prominent and clavinet and harmonica make appearances as well. The vibes are upbeat, and I can envision sashaying through the Latin Quarter with these tunes setting my pace and lifting my feet in time. (Ironically, although the music is evocative of the Big Easy, much of the album references images and memories of California, with explicit nods to the Golden Gate Bridge and small towns like Bodega, Cazadero, and San Juan Capistrano.)

Each CD is only 28 minutes long, but scant quantity is compensated for by high quality. CD One begins with “Sentimental Lover,” a brief tune augmented by Delbert McClinton’s harmonica renderings. Soon we encounter a couple of Curtis Mayfield compositions, separated by “Bow Wow,” a risible throwback to 1950′s rock ‘n’ roll, featuring honking sax and a piquant ending guitar flourish. “Head High and Peelin” begins as reggae, then morphs into a tasty jazz tune. It’s followed by “Too Far Gone,” the closest cut to the blues genre. “West County Drifter” is a breezy shuffle with a fine clarinet solo, and CD One closes with a brief “boogaloo” showcasing a stylish organ contribution.

CD Two presents a fuller band sound, with two or three horns rather than one per song, and a second guitarist to abet Lindell’s own string forays. The opener, “Lucky Lucky,” evokes memories of Van Morrison; another Curtis Mayfield song sounds like the Young Rascals from the 1950s and ‘60s, and “Matrimony” is a rockabilly rave-up with a humorous organ coda. The chops of Lindell and his band are patent. (The different rhythm sections on each CD are solid.) For me, the highlight is “That’s Why I’m Crying,” a Magic Sam tune featuring the gritty pipes of guest vocalist Peter Joseph Burtt and some stellar trombone and slide guitar.

Although a more than competent guitarist, Lindell, who produced the album, keeps his ax understated. Although none of his songs is a drop-dead classic, they are all catchy and well-constructed. Lindell’s lead vocals, often augmented by overdubbing, are limited in range but consistently appealing, characterized by a soulful, slightly nasal drawl and great phrasing.

Steve Daniels is a contributing writer at BluesWax.