BRIAN CARPY

Rockin’ Bollocks

Bamboo Worldwide Inc.

9 tracks/46:52

by Mark Thompson

A relative newcomer to the Chicago scene, Brian Carpy left his home in Glasgow, Scotland to head to the city that epitomizes the blues. So strong was his love and dedication for the music, he spent two years working at a soup kitchen in a volunteer position.  Working a daytime shift allowed the guitarist to hit the Chicago blues clubs at night, furthering his Scottish education that started with Cream and Jimi Hendrix, progressing on to a variety of blues bands that played in pubs throughout Glasgow. This debut recording quickly makes it clear that Carpy will be a fixture around town for quite some time.

Listen to his smoldering rendition of Ronnie Earl’s “That’s When My Love Comes Down”. Chris Foreman sets the stage with magnificent organ work while Carpy coaxes a variety of tones out of his guitar, eschewing all effects pedals in favor of the instrument’s vibrato bar. Most guitarists would go out of their way to avoid any comparisons with Mr. Earl – but not our plucky Scotsman. He blazes his own trail, spinning out strong, fluid lines that never fail to hold your attention.  

On “Change in My Pocket”, Carpy navigates his way through Anson Funderburgh’s Texas shuffle with equal aplomb, ripping off a tasty solo that rides Marty Sammon’s lively piano playing.  “Man Needs His Loving All the Time” was written by the legendary New Orleans guitarist Earl King. It was the opening track for Funderburgh & the Rockets Sin album. Carpy does his best to equal Sam Myers’ vocal  but fares better when he is turning nimble single note picking into swinging melodic phrases.

Other covers include a spirited run-through of a Smokin’ Joe Kubek tune, “I Gotta Have It,” that starts the disc in fine fashion.  The veteran rhythm section of Marty Binder on drums and Ari Seder on bass sets up an infectious beat, allowing Carpy plenty of space to showcase his arsenal of guitar licks. On “Postman,” Carpy tastefully layers his seamless guitar work around an expressive vocal effort on a minor key Kim Wilson original. The limits of Carpy’s vocal range are exposed on “Dyin on the Vine”, written by Rick Estrin & Rusty Zinn; however his torturous guitar solo cries out of the depths of grief and pain. He offers more examples of his string-bending skills on “Bad Intentions,” a song originally done by Bobby “Blue” Bland.

The disc also includes two instrumentals that find Carpy sharing the spotlight with several guests. Organist Foreman is on both tracks, getting a chance to stretch out on “Hangin,” which builds on an infectious riff that Carpy turns inside out with his exuberant efforts.  “At Cha Mama Nims” adds Ron Sorin on harp to the mix. His hearty blowing is sandwiched between bold statements from Foreman and the leader, who once again creates dramatic tension in his solo by resisting the urge to fill all the space with notes.

      While you might hear touches of Magic Sam or Ronnie Earl in his playing, Brian Carpy has managed to craft a distinctive guitar style that generates plenty of heat and holds your interest through repeated listens. His singing remains a work in progress – the latest word is that some of his recent performances show a marked improvement in his vocals. But his refreshing approach to playing guitar, void of clichés and full of gripping passages, make this one well worth a listen. We will be hearing a lot more from Mr. Carpy!

For info or to buy the CD: http://carpydiem.com/

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/BrianCarpy