It's not just in his vocals you see his respect for the music, it's in everything Alexander does with a song. Even with the material on this disc being primarily written by him ( "Bad Man" and "Big Woman" were co-written by Sharon Pomaville) he doesn't indulge in any extravagances, like over elaborate guitar solos, which might detract from a number's overall impact. His solos, as well as those by fellow guitarists Breezy Rodio and Mike Wheeler, elaborate on a melody's theme to accent a song instead of being excuses to show off anyone's expertise. Each song is carefully arranged to take best advantage of the entire band without any one of them taking precedence. From the rhythm section of Greg McDaniel on bass and James Wilson on drums out, the band plays so well together there are times when it feels like you're listening to a single instrument instead of the up to nine that could be playing at anyone time.
Recordings like Been There Done That show how the blues have survived both the ups and downs of popular interest. It's because of the love and passion the music inspires in musicians the quality of Linsey Alexander. Not only does he respect the music he plays, he also remembers playing implies having fun. When it's appropriate he can be as serious as the next musician, but he also knows there's enough troubles in the world that sometimes even the blues has to have some laughs. This is a wonderful album of music from a musician who deserves far more attention then he has received up to this point in his career.
Article comments