KIRK FLETCHER "MY TURN" Source: Blues Bytes Date: 05/2010 Writer: n/a

It’s been over five years since Kirk Fletcher released his last solo disc, Shades of Blue, and a lot has happened for the young man since that time.  He teamed up with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Charlie Musselwhite on stage and in studio during that span, and has also played or recorded with The Hollywood Blue Flames, Lynwood Slim, and The Mannish Boys.  He also started playing with guitarist Michael Landau around Los Angeles. After leaving the T-Birds recently, Fletcher decided to focus on producing his own material again, and the result is My Turn, his latest release for Eclecto Groove Records.
 
My Turn finds Fletcher playing with an impressive group of musicians, including Landau, bass player Travis Carlton (son of jazz guitarist Larry Carlton), Bobby Tsukamoto (former bass player for Jesse Ed Davis), and percussionist James Gadson (who has worked previously with Marvin Gaye, Bobby Womack, and Bill Withers, among others).  It also finds him incorporating other sounds into his blues, such as jazz, soul, and funk.
 
A couple of songs are examples of the different direction Fletcher is taking.  The funky rhythms and blistering sax on the title cut reminded me of those old Tom Scott records my college roommate had even before I read in the liner notes that this was the sound Fletcher was going for on the song, mixing in some Hendrixian guitar work for good measure.  The album closer, “Continent’s End” is also different from his previous work, sort of resembling Hendrix during his “Third Stone From the Sun” phase.
 
The opening track, “El Medio Stomp” is a free-wheeling instrumental that will probably remind you of SRV.  Fletcher also covers the Jesse Ed Davis track, “Natural Anthem,” and “Way Back Home,” a lovely number from the 70’s pop/jazz giants The Crusaders (featuring Travis Carlton on bass, whose father played guitar on the original version).  “Blues For Antone” is a power-packed Texas blues instrumental in tribute of the late Clifford Antone.
 
Fletcher even steps behind the mic for the first time on four tracks…..a pair of Chicago blues tracks (the Jimmy Reed standard “Found Love” and Jimmy Johnson’s “Ain’t No Way”), a smoking version of “Congo Square,” and Sly Stone’s “Let Me Have It All.”
 
My Turn shows that Kirk Fletcher continues to grow and develop as a performer, stepping out into new directions.  The guitar work has always been there and is better than ever.  Now, the vocals are coming around very well. This is his most satisfying disc so far.