Review by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
4 stars out of 4
Whoa! Were did this guy come from? Jeff Pitchell is a young bluesman
that really can smoke the six-string. "Heavy Hitters" is the best
possible name for this CD. Pitchell is totally a major league caliber
artist, a real home run hitter. He gets a little help from his friends,
namely Rick Derringer, Clarence Clemons, legendary harmonica player
James Cotton, and Dave Mason, which gives the production countless
years of experience in the studio. Derringer is an excellent producer,
not to mention a great rock guitarist and vocalist.
What impressed me is all the original material found in the 15 tracks
on this album. Blues is an idiom that has its share of covers available,
and many artists take advantage of that in lieu of writing their own
material. Jeff does not fall into that mindset, and he sets out to
hold the line with his own material.
His voice sounds like a heavy-duty combination of Stevie Ray Vaughan
meets Michael Bolton. It is an attractive blend of vocal styles to
put the accent on his lighting fast guitar picking. It seems the spirit
of Stevie Ray inspires every young artist wielding a guitar. I hear
his soul and influence in a lot of new blues music. I really enjoy
blues-rock that proudly displays his trademark sound. "Eye for an
Eye" permeates itself with that recognizable echo of the past. There
is a truckload of music on this CD, and even so, there is not a washout
in the entire lot. Every track rocks with blues soaked emotion and
fervor. Pitchell plays all the guitars on the fiery instrumental title
track "Heavy Hitter." Even without words, the music is scorching hot,
and it speaks to you as if it had a voice.
With strong performances like this as an example, the blues will continue
to evolve. The future of music itself holds a lot of promise as the
burning flame of commitment from men like Jeff Pitchell continually
ignites the spirit of music.
1. One Day Away (Pitchell) - 3:41
2. When It All Comes Down (Jennings/Sampling) - 4:27
3. Unsung Hero of the Blues (Derringer/Pitchell) - 4:18
4. Fat Cigars (Kennedy/Pitchell) - 4:05
5. Turn the Tables on You (Greenlee/Pitchell) - 2:50
6. Whiskey River (Shinn/Shroud) - 5:17
7. Ain't Nobody's Business (Grainger/Robbins) - 4:40
8. Out in the Cold (Pitchell) - 4:39
9. Pitch Pitch Boogie - 3:03
10. Eye for an Eye (Pitchell) - 3:33
11. Prisoner of Love (Pitchell) - 4:17
12. Heavy Hitter (Pitchell) - 4:15
13. Hard Honey (Durso) - 3:27
14. My Babe (Dixon) - 2:56
15. Magic Eyes (Pitchell) - 5:09
Credits:
Ace Moreland - Vocals (bckgr), Engineer
Rick Derringer - Guitar, Vocals, Producer
Dave Mason-Guitar
James Cottton-Harmonica
Clarence Clemons - Saxophone
Doug Bare - Piano, Organ (Hammond)
Jonathan Chatfield - Organ, Piano, Organ (Hammond), Vocals (bckgr)
Bob "Rattlesnake" Greenlee - Guitar (Bass), Producer
Bob Leinbach - Piano, Organ (Hammond)
Jeff Levine - Piano, Organ (Hammond), Producer, Engineer, Mixing
Teo Leyasmeyer - Piano, Organ (Hammond)
Nick Longo - Drums
T.M. Stevens - Guitar (Bass), Engineer
Floyd Murphy - Drums
Ken Carter - Saxophone
Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood - Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals,
Vocals (bckgr), Handclapping, Producer
David Smith - Guitar (Bass)
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