Clarence Spady - Just Between Us (2008)

By the mid-1990s, after nearly a lifetime of playing and better than 15 years of performing, guitarist Clarence Spady was widely-considered to be the next big thing in blues music. A virtuoso on the fretboard and a soulful vocalist, Spady had plenty of upside, and expectations among blues fans and the biz were high. Signed to Evidence Records in Philadelphia, which reissued Spady's critically-acclaimed debut Nature of the Beast in 1996, the future looked sunny for the young bluesman from Scranton, PA.

A Long Time Comin'

This is blues music, however, and soon there would be storm clouds on the horizon. Spady earned a reputation as being "difficult" and a "troublemaker," alleged misbehavior causing Evidence to drop their option on the guitarist. I don’t know if the drug problem that Spady had kicked by the time of his debut album had crept back into his life, but no other blues-oriented label would take a chance on the talented artist until Severn Records signed him. Just Between Us is Spady's first album in over a decade, and only his second recording since that promising debut.

Just Between Us

From the opening notes of "I'll Never Sell You Out," a distinctive throwback vibe hits your ears. The song could have easily been a late-1960s/early-70s R&B radio hit. Spady's impressive fretwork combines George Benson-styled soulful jazz with B.B. King-influenced urban blues, a sound punctuated by a lonely sax riff cutting through the darkness. There's definitely an "after dark" feel to the song, when the streetlights flicker on and the moon settles in for its nightly task, thus setting the stage for the rest of Just Between Us.

The spry, upbeat "Enough of You" offers a funky strutting rhythm, combined with blasts of rollicking Hammond organ and Spady's subtle, nuanced string-bending. The lyrical subject matter is pure blues, though, the guy getting dumped by his girl after, I presume, too much catting around. The beautifully-paced soul-blues ballad "Just Between Us" showcases tearful Spady vocals, supported by delicious backing harmonies and a melodious guitar line, while "Be Your Enough" is a slow blues number custom-built for a club stage, the kind of crowd-pleaser that is certain to snap the audience to attention with the first notes of Spady's trembling solo.

Spady's Retro-Soul Sound

The tender, positive "I'll Go" includes some rock undercurrents holding up a Gospel-tinged soundtrack with great vocal harmonies and a tough-enough Spady solo that walks the line between Eric Clapton's purist eye and Warren Haynes' blues-rock mastery. "Cut Them Loose" is a slice-of-Chicago-lifestyle, a big-band blues romp with a walking beat and blasts of horn, a "me-or-them" lyrical ultimatum that benefits from fat, funky chords and a delightful mid-point guitar solo that fits the song like a tailored sports coat. The instrumental "E-Mail" includes elements of old-school R&B and Southern rock (think Marshall Tucker's Toy Caldwell), with strident start-stop rhythms and cascading six-string gymnastics that display the breadth of Spady's talent.

The rest of Just Between Us follows a similar musical blueprint: wonderful songs with solid production and plenty of heart and soul. Keyboardists Bob O'Connell and Benjie Porecki merit special acclaim. The two players alternate songs here, adding a fine vintage flavor to Spady's retro-soul material with their Hammond riffs and flourishes. Most prominent, however, strung throughout the album, are Spady's carefully-crafted solos, the guitarist sculpting pure sonic joy whenever his fingers hit the strings.

The Reverend's Bottom Line

Just Between Us isn't your typical blues album, instead more of a mixture of supercharged-soul, raucous R&B, and slick urban blues (with muted rock & roll influences). Spady possesses a rough-edged voice, definitely reaching at times, while nailing other performances with a distinctive vocal flair.

It is Clarence Spady's skills as a songwriter and talent as a guitarist that rise above everything else on Just Between Us, the artist creating an intelligent and unique personal style. Spady's typically understated, and sometimes spectacular fretwork imbues each song with color, and his tales of love gone wrong, or the struggle to keep romance alive, are both well-written and universal in appeal. This is blues music for the 21st century: lively, sophisticated, and proud of its roots. (Severn Records)