For her fifth release, the multi-talented Laura Tate, shares with us a concert from her home town of El Paso recorded (obviously) before the pandemic bit. She assembled a formidable group of musicians and set fire, metaphorically, to the Live From El Paso amphitheatre they performed in with a dozen tracks…including a cover of Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back In Town which, is delivered with just piano and horn accompaniment before it turns into a big band rendition that should have me cringing: but no, it is actually a stroke of genius.
The opening track is surprising too as No Place To Hide delivers a laid back rumba that soon captures you by dint of Laura’s perfectly annunciated and quite lovely vocal; this just shows the confidence and ability that runs through the performance that they didn’t feel obliged to open with the usual fast paced choice. Further in the set list we get some jazzy, sultry lilt with I Need A Man; some boogie and (at last) a guitar solo on Hitting On Nothing…nice! Horns, piano and neat guitar introduce Still Got The Blues (not that one) with blues/jazz balladry wizardry and another tasty guitar solo played with depth and feeling. Closing with If That Ain’t Love, an almost ballad with an irresistible lilt and a fine (too short) guitar solo too.
A 3 Doodle Paw album that is a great listen and captures a fine performance from Laura and the class band behind her…it only lacked a few more true rockers for me, but if you like the jazz/blues/country mix that she delivers so well, then you’ll love this.
- No Place to Hide
- I’ll Find Someone Who Will…
- The Boys Are Back in Town
- I Need a Man
- Hitting on Nothing
- Can’t Say No
- Still Got the Blues
- Nobody Gets Hurt
- What a Way to Go
- Cowboy Jazz
- Big Top Hat
- If It Ain’t Love
(iTunes provided the blues rock next as Laurence Jones delivered the hefty, bluesy, lovely Good Morning Blues.)
