slide than the Kentucky Headhunter! I must say, the title track, “Blues Heaven,” is
a standout track as well. This slow, smooth blues groove is highlighted by some righteous sax from Eric Demmer, and Mark’s voice and guitar never sounded better. For my money, Blues Heaven is one of the
finest blues releases of 2016. Hear that Blues Foundation? Let’s get Mark on that stage with a trophy in his callused fingers in 2017. No- body deserves it more.
-Michael Buffalo Smith Charlie Faye & The
Fayettes (Bigger, Better, More Records) It’s about time some-
one took the bull by the horns to brush the dust off the classic girl group
sound so embraced and adored in the Sixties. Bringing that luscious sound to life again is Austin singer/songwriter Charlie Faye, who masterfully captures that carefree sound with eleven brand new original tracks. Her backup singers, the Fayettes, BettySoo and Akina Adderley both have established and well-re- spected solo careers outside this charming trio. Charlie Faye and the Fayettes start their
debut album off with “Green Light”, a soulful and poppy feel-good treat about blossoming relationships. “Sweet Little Messages” walks the path between Motown and Memphis, dishing out beautiful harmonies peppered with Steve Cropper-like guitar licks. There’s also a huge Stax sound on “Eastside” a lively dance-inducing track which draws attention to neighborhood gentrification. This groovy track is definitely my favorite. I love the combined sound of spaghetti-
Peter Giri Still Want to Go (cdbaby) You may or may not
have heard of Peter Giri, but if you are a fan of the old Capricorn Records gang, you have heard his music. Peter
was lead guitarist and a vocalist with the band Cowboy, one of the Macon record label’s finest bands. Cowboy were doing harmonies and Eagles-sounding music before the Eagles. Speaking personally, they were in my top three bands that came form Phil Walden and Frank Fenter’s stable of artists. For you fellow music historians, Peter was known then as Pete Kowalke. Still Want to Go is a fine album start to fin-
ish. Great playing, well-written lyrics and in- fectious melodies. Like fellow Cowboy’s Tommy Talton and Scott Boyer, Peter is a top-notch writer and player. The first song, “Positive Flow” is just a great, uplifting tune. I first heard him play it when he was recording a reunion album with the entire Cowboy line up back in 2007. Unfortunately, the album was shelved. Perhaps one day.
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western surf guitar topped with the trippy psychedelic synth present on “Loving Names”. It’s so hard to believe this is all brand new music. When Faye sings “Coming Round the Bend” with her swirling and sug- ary sweet vocals, it sounds so good. The song makes me feel nostalgic for the Phil Spector- produced Ronettes. It’s refreshing to hear a brand new take on
a sound that’s been out of the spotlight for nearly forty years. I would definitely like to see music of this style make a comeback. It has been put away for far too long.
-Phillip Smith
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