KIRK FLETCHER "MY TURN" Source: Big City Blues Magazine Date: 06/2010 Writer: Roger & Margaret White

For a relatively young man, Kirk Fletcher has been a main stay of the west coast  blues scene for half of his life. Embraced by Al Blake and Junior Watson in the mid-90’s he blossomed into a fine blues player touring with Kim Wilson, Charlie Musselwhite, the Mannish Boys and a host of others both in the studio and on stage. With his second solo project “My Turn” this son of a  preacher man is blazing his own path and expressing himself in a more contemporary blues style. Fletcher says, ”This is a look inside my world for the last few years.” Co-produced by Kirk, Michael Landau and Gary Novak they've laid down these tracks with the help of a few friends forsaking the heavy hitters, as the title states this is Fletcher's turn and he's ready to step up to center stage.

Kicking off in familiar territory with the jumping instrumental “El Medio Stomp,” it's a style he's honed with all the top cats, a sound that is crisp and sharp with every note played to perfection. That stomp takes us to “Ain't No Way” sung by sax player Paulie Cerra with some rocking blues down to it's core then jumping into the title tune“My Turn” adding  some funky jazz to Fletcher's resume.  Fletcher knows what he wants as his guitar hits the groove and Cerra's sax takes it to a higher level with Sly Stone's “Let Me Have It All” which is as  funky as funky can get, stepping up to the microphone Fletcher  fills the sound with his own experssive vocals. Taking a sharp turn with Jimmy Reed's “Found Love” Fletcher presents some down home charm playing guitar, mandolin and banjo while Mike Landau plays a baritone guitar and works the slide guitar and again Fletcher steps up to the mic on this toe tapping front porch saga delivering it from the heart. The perfect piece of jazzy Americana with a touch of funk “Natural Anthem” written by session man Jesse Edwin Davis floats along with horns filling out the bottom, Fletcher's licks have the lilt of a wild bird song as the music soars and Dave Melton's slide solo bringing it back down to earth. Beginning with a beat and light rhythm guitar intro the New Orleans traditional “Congo Square” with Paulie Cerra on vocals while the siren wails of Kirk's guitar gets to the root of the groove with some light feedback that hints at the voodoo lurking beneath. Taking their time with a cover of The Crusaders “Way Back Home” it's given extra heft with the bass of Travis Carlton, son of Crusader Larry Carlton, laying down the heavy funk as the sax takes the lead and Fletcher guitar carries the load until almost the last  moment when Fletcher slips in a hidden country guitar solo. “Blues For Antone” is a fitting tribute to a friend, Clifford Antone of  Austin's Antone's, hitting with Texas blues hard and heavy, as much Kirk's tribute to Stevie Ray as the club owner he played for. “Continents End” is a finale for this CD with it's quite intro building to a tempest of  sound, the guitars rushing in waves of gale force reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis.