Smoking Sugar
Bergman Jonas | Sweden | 04/14/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sugar Ray's latest is a return to form, for the veteran singer and harmonica player. For years, Ray Norcia, honed his skills with Ronnie Earl, Roomful of Blues and the crop of the breed within blues. This effort brings back the Bluetones and newest guitar wiz Paul Size, once a member of the legendary outfit Red Devils. As can be expected, fantastic singing and creative harp-blowing, and definitely well chosen covers and originals. The mix is eclectic, no doubt, but it gels and cooks! Sugar was always a wonderful singer and his phrasing is nothing short of top notch. The songs cover old style R&B, rock, a few jazzy numbers and blues shuffles. Compared to his previous CD, this is clearly an improvement, this is easily this years best blues CD this far."
Superb playing and singing...
R. F. Cooney | Cranston, RI United States | 01/04/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Although this CD was released in 2005, it has rarely left my CD player. Further, in looking at the most played CDs on my iPod for 2006, this CD came out tops. With all due respect to the previous two reviewers, one is right on (5 stars) and one is way, way off...but evey man has his opinion and herein is mine as follows...
Sugar Ray has a voice to die for, and there are very few who can blow a harp like him, either (check out the CD, 'Superharps'). On this CD Ray is joined by longtime bandmates Michael 'Mudcat' Ward on acoustic and electric bass and Neal Gouvin on the 'skins, with Anthony Geraci on the keyboard, and Paul Size (from Texas) slingin' the ax. They are joined by the infamous Providence Horns, i.e., Carl Querfurth on the 'bone' and Doug 'Mr Low' James on baritone and tenor sax -- need I say much more? Ray wrote or had a hand in writing most of the 13 songs here, and it is the best writing of his career. Check out the title tune 'Hands Across the Table' and you'll be hooked. Then try 'Say you Love Me,' 'I Wanna Marry You Girl,' and then check your pulse...the more classic, traditional blues numbers are also done with great taste and rarely have they been performed better than on this CD. This is traditional American blues music at its very best.
This is Ray's 3rd CD for Severn Records, and while the other two are also excellent, this is clearly the best one. The liner notes by 'Mudcat' Ward tell the story behind the lyrics and the music, and are very enlightening and entertaining.
It is true, in my opinion, that the best rendition of Roomful of Blues was during the '90's when Ray was fronting the band for 6 - 7 years. Roomful, still simply great, have never truly been the same, however, since Ray's departure, both solo and back to the Bluetones.
That said, Ray has had the opportunity to open up and branch out on CDs such as this one, and the ones prior to this release (Rockin' Sugar Daddy is great, as is Ray's 'Sweet and Swingin' released on Bullseye Blues and Jazz).
Ray is part of the RI blues scene, as are many of the artists who play on these records. I have had the joy of attending Ray's concerts and he is as good live, maybe better, than on his CDs. So, if he is in your area, go see the man and the other Bluetones, as well as whomever else might be in the audience and come on stage to play -- you will only regret that you didn't start listening to Ray earlier on...his vocals and harp playing are second to none. This CD is a treasure...and I don't say that lightly. Pick up a copy, turn up the volume, sit back and just relax and enjoy a true master...a great band, an outstanding blues CD."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1