The Washington, D.C. area, encompassing northern Virginia and southern Maryland, is a rich musical hotbed that, all too often, doesn't receive its due. Such blues and rock stalwarts as the Nighthawks, Roy Buchanan, and Nils Lofgren hail from the area, as does guitarist Tom Principato. Influenced by great instrumental talents like Buchanan, Danny Gatton, Chet Atkins, and Charlie Christian, Principato developed a unique and exciting playing style that easily blends blues, rock, and country music with jazzy overtones.
Principato has been kicking around since the late-1970s, first as frontman for the popular East Coast blues-rock band Powerhouse, and later backing up performers such as Geoff Muldaur, Big Mama Thornton, and Sunnyland Slim. He was a member of the Assassins with former Nighthawks' guitarist Jimmy Thackery, but since the mid-1980s the guitarist has pursued a solo career that has resulted in 15 acclaimed studio and live albums, culminating in what might be his best work yet, A Part Of Me.
Tom Principato's A Part Of Me
"Don't Wanna Do It" starts off with a taut guitar line before Principato's hoarse, slightly twangy vocals kick in. While Principato's guitar shines brightly in the background, it is guest Sonny Landreth's whiplash slide-guitarwork that creates the song's emotional backdrop. With Chuck Leavell's Hammond B-3 organ setting the mood, Principato dives headfirst into "Sweet Angel," a sweet lil' slice of Southern soul with a funky undercurrent and rough, soulful vocals. Principato's guitar licks here are smooth-as-silk, showing just a bit of jazz influence, but also that of 1960s soul players like Phil Upchurch.
The soul-blues ballad "Part Of Me" is drenched with enough pathos that, combined with Principato's nuanced vocals and passionate fretwork, could pass for some long-lost Stax Records outtake. Principato's efforts are assisted by Tommy Lepson's gently-chiming keyboards and Memphis soul legend Wayne Jackson's horns, the instrumentation combining with the bittersweet emotion of the lyrics to create a powerful piece of music.
Down In Louisiana
The sonic-blast drumming of Joe Wells and noisemaker Josh Howell's percussion create an undeniable old-school New Orleans rhythm for "Down In Louisiana." An up-tempo romantic rocker, the song does a great job in capturing the Crescent City's ambiance and tradition, Principato's vocals roaring joyfully above the instrumental clash, his razor-sharp guitar dancing in and out of the mix with recklessness and ferocity while Leavell's keyboards ride low, below the infectious rhythms.
If "Down In Louisiana" is a grinning mess of chaotic and gleeful instrumentation, the sparse "Back Again & Gone" stands out by contrast. Opening with a muffled drumbeat and Principato's intricate fretwork, this spry instrumental provides a magnificent showcase for Principato's incredible guitar tone and diverse talents; his performance is subtle but strong, mixing blues and jazz traditions to grab the moment and deliver a message sans words. A Part Of Me closes out with another inspired instrumental, "Strangers Eyes Pt. 2" displaying a more rock-oriented side of Principato's skills, the song short but steady, Principato capturing the zealous tone and amped-up energy of guitarists like Steve Vai or Joe Satriani, but with more elegance and at a more considered pace.
The Reverend's Bottom Line
Sadly, at a mere eight songs, A Part Of Me is too short. Considering the uniformly high quality of the songs and performances, a couple more tunes to extend the running time beyond that of a lengthy EP would have been wonderful. Principato is a pretty good songwriter, capable of expressing complex ideas and emotions in a few words, but it is his underrated skills as an instrumentalist that stands out on A Part Of Me.
Principato doesn't sound like any other blues guitarist, and he doesn't settle for rehashing the same old licks and recycling sounds that were created decades ago. Instead, he's writing his own roadmap as he goes, and A Part Of Me is a welcome oasis on the journey. (Powerhouse Records, released January 11, 2011)
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