| Michael Burks | |
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MAKE IT RAIN
Michael Burks is third generation Blues. This Arkansas native picked up the guitar from his family at the age of two, went on to play organ in church, and eventually put it all together to be one today's rising Blues stars.
His first release on Alligator records Make It Rain is solid as a rock. Teamed with Bruce Iglauer for the first time, Burks is worthy of the Alligator label. Using a competent stable of back up artists; Vasti Jackson (rhythm guitar), Ernest Williamson (Hammond B3), David Smith (bass), Steve Potts (drums), Jim Spake (saxes), and Scott Thompson (trumpet), a tight groove frames Burks' clean Blues vision.
Predictably and literally Burks hits the ground running with Hit The Ground Running, but he really gets his traction at the end of the second cut Got A Way With Women. Burks' guitar sound is awesome. He plays a Gibson Flying Vee and will remind you of Albert King to watch him play. If you have ever seen Michael live, you know he works up quite a sweat squeezing out the Blues. This drippy vision will help you understand the depth he can reach with his playing.
What Can A Man Do? and the title cut Make It Rain is why we're here. Soulful singing, guitar wailing Blues. Williamson's Hammond organ shines as he leads Burks guitar down a gospel path without stepping on his sensibilities. The ensemble is straight ahead and manages to inject energy into somewhat cliché grooves. Burks guitar too can be perceived as cliché-ville at times, but he has a way of digging deep within himself to achieve a genuine statement speaking in clear consise sentences.
Burks also has the ability to make a rock groove sound nice and bluesy.
Thank God For Fools and Everybody's Got Their Hand Out rock out but still have that precious mud of the Blues. His father and grandfather used to play Blues, but Michael grew up with Rock and Roll and knows how to amp up his Blues.
My favorite cut is Don't Let This be A Dream. Burks vocals are strong and soulful. The arrangement is clever and comfortable. Voodoo Spell wraps up this record with just Michael and his Flying Vee.
Please do yourself a Blues favor and go see Michael Burks live. Whereas some artists make it look easy, Burks works it hard, digging deep for his Bluesy expressions. Good thing, it takes hard work to play the Blues.
JB
Michael Burks
Alligator Records
