Roy Gaines Bluesman For Life (CD)

(JSP Records) 11 tracks
Roy Gaines had an absolutely stunning recording history spanning from the 1950s to the 2000s - included is Andy Grigg's detailed original accompanying note listing Roy's amazing history and career - but this album shines as his best, a perfect example of "retro" and "contemporary." When first released, the album brought Roy back into the spotlight after he dedicated his life to running his legendary LA club, Gainesville. It is a bitter irony that the failure of that club led to the collaboration with Jimmy Morello.

No attempts were made to "go commercial" or "funk it up". The album had a great success and brought Roy back to the scene as a "headliner". There were offers for high profile management and some high profile opportunities that came his way. Aside from a few festivals shortly thereafter (I remember a wonderful show at the much missed Poconos Blues Festival) things slipped a bit and Roy drifted back into the club scene and into the pocket of "should have done it"! A slew of albums followed, but none matched the magic of this one. Roy was assisted by producer and songwriter Jimmy Morello, who made so many great albums during that time, his top-notch "house team" of West Coast musicians, and Studio Pacifica, which was the studio of choice in those days.

This is a brand new mix from the original Pacifica studio multitrack tapes and I believe it is sharper, harder and better than the 1998 original The album was the fortuitous coming together of talent at the right time and place. Roy was quoted at the time, "On this album I went way back to Texas. Rocky blues all the way..." That about sums it up.
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