CD Review Sugar Ray

Sweet & Swingin’ is the debut CD from former Roomful of Blues frontman, Sugar Ray Norcia. Sugar Ray has recorded, in his first solo outing, what all of us musicians hope to accomplish but usually fall short, a CD of his favorite songs. One might ask what kind of CD is Sweet & Swingin"? Is it traditional blues, country, down-home Chicago blues, or that "swing thing" that’s so popular these days? The answer in a word is "Yes!".

For the listener whose taste leans toward traditional blues forms and textures, songs like "Need My Baby" by Big Walter, "Love, Life and Money, No Good Woman" (my favorite song title), and "Money, Marbles and Chalk" by Jimmy Rogers (representing the Chicago style), are for you.

Sugar Ray satisfies the "happy days" generation with "Tomorrow Night", a blues influenced by the piano styling of the Fifties. The Jordanaires add background vocals that contribute to this journey back in time. "You Better Move On" is in the same vain, another Fifties pop selection with a rhumba feel, reminiscent of "Under the Boardwalk". "My Sweet Love Ain’t Around" will light up the country fan. Sugar Ray covers the Hank Williams classic like "Junior" should follow his name.

Swing is alive from the get go. "Jack She’s On The Ball", my personal favorite, is the perfect showcase of Sugar Pay’s voice. However, it begs for a horn section that only presents itself on three cuts: "Lost Mind", "It’s A Lowdown Dirty Shame", and "You Better Change Your Way of Living", by Jimmy Witherspoon. The latter brings it all home with a Kansas City style blues evoking memories of Bennie Moten. This is typified by a Doug James bari-sax solo.

Next time you have a gathering of fans of the blues, there is no need to fill the five CD-changer with a variety of blues recordings. Just drop in Sugar Ray’s Sweet & Swinging’ and you will have all the bases covered.

Tom Quinlan (Uptown Rulers trumpet player)

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Last Modified 16 August '98