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KIRK
FLETCHER "SHADES OF BLUE"
Source: Blues On Stage
Date: 2004
Writer: Craig
Ruskey |
Exceptional.
Reviewing should always be objective without any
room for personal favorites. Honest and straight-forward
are watchwords to adhere to, and with that being
said, modern blues does not get any better than
this. Kirk "Eli" Fletcher has been making
a name for himself for a few years now, either
running across the country and globe with Kim
Wilson or Charlie Musselwhite, as well as roaming
up and down the West Coast with friends. One thing
perhaps not open to discussion when talking about
Kirk is his knowledge of tone and respect for
tradition. As a guitar player, he knows less is
more and realizes that tone coloration adds much
more to a project than flash or pyrotechnic ability.
There's little doubt that Fletcher could carve
up almost any taker in a cutting duel, but that
comes from knowing what to play, where to play
it, and how to place it for maximum effect. With
Kim Wilson, Finis Tasby, and Janiva Magness aboard
offering staggering vocals to the set, Fletcher
turns in the perfect sideman performance with
his guitar. Eddie Taylor's Bad Boy features Wilson's
harp and gripping vocals as does My Home Is A
Prison, an Excello favorite sounding like it was
recorded in an open cellblock of a maximum security
facility. Wilson also hands in Country Girl and
Stranded, a Junior Parker gem. Finis Tasby delivers
a storming Welfare Blues, Down Home Woman, and
a delectable The River's Invitation, while Janiva
Magness handles Willie Dixon's Don't Go No Further,
Little By Little (perhaps best known by Junior
Wells) and That's Why I'm Cryin' from Magic Sam's
catalog. Although this might be a CD under Fletcher's
name, he's not here to solo incessantly. He marks
his maturity by making incredible statements to
the songs. Whether slow blues, shuffles, or the
Chicago stomp of Club Zanzibar with Wilson's harp,
Kirk Fletcher knows what it means to lay back
and simmer, but make no mistake about it... when
it comes time to step forward, he carries a razor
and strop and knows how to use them. Lord have
mercy! |
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