Murray Kinsley & Wicked Grin

Eye Of The Storm

Phoenix Records

This Maple Blues Award-winning band is a stripped-down, hellaciously rockin’ trio with additional special guests. Murray Kinsley’s distinctive vocals and guitar work is abetted by the funky rhythm section of Laura Greenberg, bass and backing vocals; and Dave Tettmar, drums, percussion, keyboards, and backing vocals. Based in Ottawa, Canada, the band has delivered its innovative original blues to venues and festivals across the US, England, and Germany. Murray Kinsley & Wicked Grin have won the 2014 Maple Blues Award for New Artist/Group of the Year; while Greenberg is a two-time Maple Blues Award’s Bassist of the Year. At the 2019 International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, they were a semi-finalist. “Eye Of The Storm” is the band’s fifth recording. Earlier notable releases include 2015’s “Stormy Weather” and 2018’s “Murder Creek”. The band kindly thanks the city of Ottawa for their financial assistance.

“Eye Of The Storm” was recorded and mixed by Tettmar at the Railroad Recording Studio in Chesterville, Ontario, and mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel, Special guest is harmonica wizard Steve Marriner who plays on most tracks. The lead-off song “Snake Farm,” was written and first recorded by Ray Wylie Hubbard. The song is a narrative with the lyric “it’s a reptile house…come on down, it’s getting warmer”, as the song is completed by Greenberg’s bass while Kingsley plays a cigar box guitar.

“Dance With Me” is a Kinsley co-write about the healing power of music, once again with Marriner. “Put your red dress on, take my hand, come on and dance with me, put on your dancin’ shoes, they’re’s a place downtown, come on and dance with me”. “Dressed In Black” is a boogie, written by Kingsley, about love and the inequality between women and men, with more harp and Jesse O’Brien on keyboards. “I knew a lady dressed in black, she’s a one-way road”.

“Hold On” is a funky tune about the erosion of women’s rights, Zeek Gross adds the horn arrangement, “I got a feelin…can’t get it out of my head…I got a feelin’ they tore it apart, oh lord, you got to hold on”. On “Friday Blues” a funky Chicago styled blues love song, O’Brien plays piano, with more great bass and harmonica, “I love you, baby, fly with me baby to the sky, this ain’t no compromise, come with me, please take my heart, when push comes to shove, never will part come with me, thru wind and rain, you know I love you, take my hand”.

On the closer “Blues For Sorrow”, about the innocent victims of war and strife, Kingsley plays some great guitar, while he chants “I’ve seen the sorrow through the ruins at night…I’ve seen your darkness, all hope is gone…I’ve seen the terror in your eyes. I’ve seen the sorrow…we all have a road to walk, unforgiving…I’ve seen the scho of the years…why can I not get a reason”.

Murray Kingsley and Wicked Grin is a stripped down, hellaciously rockin trio. On “Eye Of The Storm” They perform with additional special guests. Although it’s a 6 song EP, the playing time is over thirty minutes. That’s enough time to thoroughly indulge your senses with the vocals and musicianship offered by this great ensemble. You too may find yourself, a wicked grin.

Richard Ludmerer

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