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"...Brown is massively funky, and uncorks truckloads of energy..." - Michael Molenda, Editor, Guitar Player Magazine

Peter Marinus reviews our new CD in Bluestown Music (Netherlands)

Posted by Trudi Brown on February 21, 2020. 0 Comments

Thanks goes out to Peter Marinus for his review of "Dancing In The Belly Of The Beast" in Bluestown Music​, and publication in the Netherlands... we appreciate you!!! :-) <3 (thank you for the review, and for including a link to both our website and our video for "Profile" on our youtube channel) :-) <3

https://www.bluestownmusic.nl/recensie-bushmaster-dancing-in-the-belly-of-the-beast/

Translated (using google translate):

Bushmaster - Dancing In The Belly Of The Beast
Format: CD / Label: Gem Records
Release: 2019

Text: Peter Marinus

This fourth album from the Bushmaster band from Washington, DC, can be classified in the category "very pleasant soul blues". A versatile album on which soul, blues and funk go hand in hand, but where shouting Jimi Hendrix influences can also be found.
The band consists of singer-guitarist Gary Brown, bassist Justin Kimball, drummer Justin Pinkney and keyboardist Tim McDonald.

As said, the soul blues dominates this album. Such as in the lazy grooving soul blues of Ajax And Hot Wax . A song with languid guitar riffs plus suddenly emerging James Brown grooves. The voice of Gary Brown reminiscent of Huey Lewis sounds very soulful in the sultry pumping funky blues of Profile with nice driving keyboard work by Tim McDonald and soulful backing vocals by Tracy Nelson and Vickie Carrico.
The looming, mid-tempo, Song For Freddie Gray is based on the marching band-like rhythms of drummer Justin Pinkney and the cutting guitar of Gary Brown. Mushroomis a funky rocker heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" with psychedelic and funky guitar skills. The text here is hilarious: "why did you treat me like a mushroom baby, you left me all alone in the dark".
40 Acres And A Mule was what the Negro slaves were promised after the abolition of slavery. At Bushmaster this song is more about "getting what you are promised" in a driving shuffle with flaming guitar work. Then Army Of Two is a lazy shuffle with light Sam Cooke ("Twistin 'The Night Away") influences. Daniel Weston Cohen enters with his carving slid guitar in Elevator in which the Bo Diddley beat enters into a “Sittin 'On Top Of The World” -like blues melody. Pressure Cookeris a very fat grooving Meters-like funk song with languid soulful vocals and a pumping driving organ. Gary's guitar playing can be described as very loud and smoldering in songs like The Blues and Nowhere To Stand .
The album is closed very intimately with the gently shuffling Thing Back Home .

Bushmaster has delivered a very pleasant and versatile soul blues album!

Tracklist:
01. Profile
02. Ajax And Hot Wax
03. Song For Freddie Gray
04. The Blues
05. Nowhere To Stand
06. Mushroom
07. Miss Sexyfine 08.40
Acres And A Mule
09. Army Of Two
10. Elevator
11. Pressure Cooker
12. Jekyll And Hyde
13. Profit From Pain
14. Thing Back Home

Website: BushmasterBlues.com

______

Original (Dutch):

Bushmaster – Dancing In The Belly Of The Beast
Format: CD / Label: Gem Records
Release: 2019

Tekst: Peter Marinus

Dit vierde album van de band Bushmaster uit Washington, D.C., valt in te delen in de categorie “zeer aangename soulblues”. Een veelzijdig album waarop soul, blues en funk hand in hand gaan maar waar ook scheurende Jimi Hendrix invloeden te bespeuren zijn.
De band bestaat uit zanger-gitarist Gary Brown, bassist Justin Kimball, drummer Justin Pinkney en toetsenist Tim McDonald.

Zoals gezegd, de soulblues heeft de overhand op dit album. Zoals in de lui groovende soulblues van Ajax And Hot Wax. Een nummer met lome gitaarriffs plus plots opduikende James Brown grooves. Het aan Huey Lewis herinnerende stemgeluid van Gary Brown klinkt zeer soulvol in de broeierig pompende funky blues van Profile met lekker stuwend toetsenwerk van Tim McDonald en soulvolle backingvocals van Tracy Nelson en Vickie Carrico.
Het dreigende, midtempo, Song For Freddie Gray drijft op de marching band-achtige ritmes van drummer Justin Pinkney en de snijdende gitaar van Gary Brown. Mushroom is een zwaar door Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” beïnvloede funky rocker met psychedelisch én funky gitaarwerk. De tekst is hier hilarish: “why did you treat me like a mushroom baby, you left me all alone in the dark”.
40 Acres And A Mule was wat de negerslaven na de afschaffing van de slavernij beloofd werd. Bij Bushmaster gaat dit nummer meer over “krijgen wat je beloofd is” in een stuwende shuffle met vlammend gitaarwerk. Vervolgens is Army Of Two een luie shuffle met lichte Sam Cooke (“Twistin’ The Night Away”) invloeden. Daniel Weston Cohen treedt aan met zijn snijdende slidegitaar in Elevator waarin de Bo Diddley beat een verbond aangaat met een “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” achtige bluesmelodie. Pressure Cooker is een zeer vet groovend Meters-achtig funknummer met lome soulvolle zang en een pompend stuwend orgel. Gary’s gitaarspel is in nummers als The Blues en Nowhere To Stand als zeer hard en smeulend te omschrijven.
Het album wordt zeer intiem afgesloten met het zacht schuifelende Thing Back Home.

Bushmaster heeft een erg prettig en veelzijdig soulblues album afgeleverd!

Tracklist:
01. Profile
02. Ajax And Hot Wax
03. Song For Freddie Gray
04. The Blues
05. Nowhere To Stand
06. Mushroom
07. Miss Sexyfine
08. 40 Acres And A Mule
09. Army Of Two
10. Elevator
11. Pressure Cooker
12. Jekyll And Hyde
13. Profit From Pain
14. Thing Back Home

Website: BushmasterBlues.com

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