Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames

Slip Into A Dream

Delmark Records

13 tracks/65:45

by Mark Thompson

          Guitarist Dave Weld is one of the veteran artists that have been plying their trade for decades, often flying under the radar of casual blues fans. A product of long nights in small, tough clubs on Chicago's West Side, he has played with many of the city’s finest players, most notably his mentor, the slide master J.B. Hutto -- along with Hutto’s nephew, Lil’ Ed Williams. That education forged Weld's rough-and-tumble style built around the taut, barbed-wire tone of his slide guitar.

          On his second release for Delmark Records, Weld is supported by the Imperial Flames, featuring players that have stood side by side with him on hundreds of gigs over the last decade. Jeff Taylor mans the drum kit with Dave Kaye on bass guitar. Vocalist Monica Myhre wrote four songs in addition to collaborating with Weld on another half dozen. Keyboard contributions come from Harry Yaseen on piano while Graham Guest appears on five tracks switching between organ and piano. Very special guests include Bobby Rush on harmonica, Sax Gordon on saxophones, guitarist Greg Guy (Buddy’s son), along with The Heard Horns and The Chicago Horns.

          Opening with the title track, the band settles into a tight groove with Guest's organ tones swirling around in the background. Weld delivers an emphatic statement on the virtues of love with help from Myhre, wrapped around an incisive guitar solo. “Sweet Rockin' Soul” is an apt description of the next track that features a duet with the two vocalists over Yaseen's plunking piano licks. The funky horn section from The Heard – Parris Fleming on trumpet, Rajiv Halim on tenor sax, and Bryant Smith on trombone - bolster the driving sound on “Take Me Back,” which finds Weld reminiscing about the good old days. The band expertly navigates the slower pace on “Walk On Down” as Myhre bares her soul with considerable force, making this track one of the highlights of the disc.

          She is just as tough on her original, “Louise,” one of three tracks that feature Sax Gordon on tenor and baritone saxophones. He gives a hearty attempt to blow the house down on that cut, then adds some darker accents to the emotionally-charged run-through of Weld's original “Tremble”. Weld has his guitar spitting out tortured licks at every turn. Gordon lends support when drummer Taylor gets a chance to showcase his smooth, soulful voice on “Dorothy Mae,” a song he composed. “May Be Right, May Be Wrong” has a rollicking tempo complete with a strong vocal from Weld as well as another dose of his rowdy guitar playing.

          The legendary Bobby Rush plays harmonica on two cuts. “Lookin' For A Man” is Myhre's raucous entreaty for a man worth keeping around. On Hutto's “20% Alcohol,” Rush surrounds Weld's tough vocal with clean harp notes, expertly capturing the sound that used to fill the West Side clubs.  Listeners get to hear Myhre's tender side on “Sweet Love (Dulce Amor)”. The Chicago Horns – Kenny Anderson on trumpet, Hank Ford on tenor sax, and Bill McFarland on trombone – play a beautifully crafted chart. Another special guest, Greg Guy, adds some high-powered guitar on “Too Bad, Too Sad,” clearly showing his esteemed father's influence. 

          The disc ends with a brief instrumental reprise of the title track featuring a grungy guitar tone. It is the exclamation point on perhaps the best recording Weld and the band have done to date. The original material holds up over repeated listens with plenty of hooks that will stick in your memory. Producer Steve Wagner gets a nod for bringing all of the elements of this project together to create a recording that highlights the band's talent without sacrificing its hard edge. Definitely one to check out!

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