VINCE AGWADA

Basic Blue

Rocketnoodle Music

By Liz Mandeville

One word comes to mind when considering Vince Agwada’s new disc, Basic Blue, and that word is HEAVY!  Agwada’s blues are deep, complex, and textural; the music blends the finest, seasoned Chicago players with Agwada’s great original songs all played with a deadly earnestness.  So impressive is this disc, it makes me wonder why Vince Agwada isn’t a world renowned superstar? Warren Haynes aside, why isn’t Agwada’s slide guitar gracing modern Allman Brothers Band records? Why isn’t he playing on Eric Clapton’s Crossroads concerts? Vince Agwada creates the kind of blues that Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer, Slash, and yes even Joe Bonamassa wish they were heavy enough to make.

From the first song, “Chi-Town State of Mind,” Basic Blue thunders through your speakers, unapologetic and smoking like a locomotive, thanks to the raging rhythm section of bassist Orlando Wright and drummer Clyde Davis, who assisted on the arrangements of four tracks from the CD’s 12 sides. Russ Green’s harp releases a fat chugging wail which adds to that traveling feel while Agwada slices the air with a muscular slide guitar track. His voice announces his intentions in an easy-to-listen- to baritone.  Agwada’s vocals start out mellow, yet at the song’s end, you can hear echoes of Chicago’s brilliant blues past when the Howling Wolf dominated the West Side with his masculine growl. The bar is set high with this opening track and it never comes down.

Things start getting funky on track 3, “President”, a blues braggadocio with Agwada claiming every title in the hierarchy of love, from Baron to Sultan, all employed in the pursuit of his latest target female. The Funk spills from the Stevie Wonder-esque chops of Roosevelt Purifoy on keys, the change-up rhythm section of Bill “the Buddha” Dickens (bass) and Brady Williams (drums). Brady, who makes three appearances on this disc, has an unerring sense of timing and taste that’s pleasing on stage and even more so in the studio where his clean, disciplined chops are put to their best use.  

The funk gets even deeper on “Big City Blues” with another rhythm section, this time it’s Steve Gillis pounding the skins and Andre “the Funky One” Howard on the bass. The feel of traveling is echoed in the song’s lyric that implies a man standing outside society, outside of love, yet still loving the city that wrecked his home. He cleverly refers to Chicago in the line:  “Big city blues, I stand on your shoulders, with a heart full of secrets and nothing to hide.”  With a vocal chorus and twinned guitars that bring to mind classic Derek and the Dominos, the song is both comfortably familiar and completely fresh.

Mike Jackson’s clean, sexy tenor sax dominates “Head Too Tight,” trading choruses conversationally with Vince’s precise guitar licks that speed, without shredding, right into a very tight head, indeed, while led by Purifoy’s slick keyboard horn track.

It just doesn’t get any deeper blue than the minor feel “Black Rain” where Agwada gives the guitar a workout that fairly drips sweat. “Storm clouds hide the sun by day / full moon no longer turns the tides / Black Rain falling down on me since my baby said good bye.” And his guitar weeps, but not gently.

This isn’t one of those cheap imitation horn discs as evidenced by track seven, “Shake It Up” that features the award-winning Chicago Fire Horns (Bill McFarland, trombone, Hank Ford, tenor, Kenny Anderson, trumpet) blowing like men in their prime. Although the lyric is designed to get you up on the dance floor, complete with Ray Charles-like references, the music is so heavy it put a hump in my back!  Right in the middle of the track, the unmistakable harp wail of none other than Grammy award winner Sugar Blue comes stinging out of your speakers, fitting perfectly with the solid rhythm backing. All of it is laid squarely on James Knowles’ arena rock drums and Joshua Scott’s organ joined by Purifoy on keyboards for a wall of sound that reminds me of later Peter Gabriel tracks. Perhaps if Mr. Gabriel would get Vince Agwada on a session he’d be back on the charts?

If you thought bass was just a sideman instrument think again. “Sirius Biz” gives two of Chicago’s top bass men a workout with a solid backing track from Andre Howard and finger poppin’ solos from Bill Dickens, trading licks with the muted trumpet of Kenny Anderson. One thinks if Miles were still alive, he might be making music like this -- fat, funky and as tasty as a dripping rib tip.

“Right On Time” marries blues with some of the best elements of Prince’s work, a strong guitar part, a falsetto vocal, a radio friendly beat, even some crazy spoken word love talk. Then an uncredited shot of Sugar Blue slips thru the speakers and you’re guaranteed to be humming this track for the rest of the week.

“Train” gives Agwada’s guitar free reign; do you miss Led Zeppelin? Just put this track on endless loop and you’ll be back in the air with the heaviest guitar track since D’yer Mak’er. I don’t know what he’s singing about, but I just want to get up and throw my hair and play air guitar along with this one!

The final track, “She Never Said..”, is a space-filled, haunting, instrumental -- the mellow calm of afterglow on a virtual, sweaty, love work-out of a CD. Looking for something to inspire your groove? This disc is a Saturday night that’s all undressed with somewhere to get to…and then “She Never Said…” comes over the air. Time to light the cigarette and enjoy what just happened.

Vince Agwada is not only a formidable guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer he’s deserving of every iota of recognition that might come his way via this powerful musical statement. He’s  paid his dues over the last several decades, not only as a first call sideman to whatever bandleader needed a solid professional in the guitar chair, but also serving in some of the top shelf recording studios in town. I’ve personally witnessed Vince pulling cables, setting up session rooms, mic-ing drums, singers, engineering and producing sessions. All that experience shows in this diverse Blues/Rock disc that fairly rages out of your speakers -- a controlled, crafted volcanic blast of sex-charged heat. Make no mistake, these are not the gelded, happy, kid friendly blues that corporate America is using to sell mac & cheese; this is mature, thoughtful, serious music for grown-ups. Two thumbs up!

To buy the CD visit: http://www.vinceagwada.com/index.html

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