LA VIE EN BLEU – PAUL JAMES

Lick’n’Stick Records © 2003

CD Review by Diane Wells

Even though Paul James has been a 25-year disciple of the Church of Rockin’ Blues (as opposed to being a psychologist or hair dresser), you’d still have to look closely for signs of ageing in this perpetual “rock and roll juvenile”.  Unlike some of his peers, Juno winner James has admirably stayed true to his love for “blackboard jungle” roots-rock.

Just as his third CD’s title seems to parallel Edith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose, Paul covers many songs that have immortalized female names like Carol, Gloria, (Sweet) Virginia and Caledonia, while “sliding” in his “Hey Now, Rosie”, following an earlier tribute entitled “Mary Ann”.  The latter is a foot-stompin’, hand-clapper along the lines of “Rollin’ and a-Tumblin’”, with Paul playing slide guitar that is neither lame nor overblown – a perfectly produced CD (and engineered by award-winning Alec Fraser).

With slightly gruff vocals that fall somewhere between Bruce Springsteen, Wolfman Jack and Fats Domino, Mr. James is adequately suited to sing either blues or rock.  His obvious affection for Bob Dylan and his music is displayed in refreshingly transfused versions of “Highway 61 Revisited”, “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and “Like a Rolling Stone”, which band is given a second nod on the closing “Satisfaction”.

Richard Berry’s classic “Louie, Louie” follows “The Last Clean Shirt” (pronounced “Shoit”), written by Leiber & Stoller.  Unlike with “Hound Dog”, L & S gave co-writing credit to Johnny Otis on this rockin’ blues shuffle.  An outrageously spooky but amusing version of Willie Dixon’s “Red Rooster” is performed about midway through the CD.

“Red Hot Mama” is an innovative original merging brassy r&b with a slide guitar, and the laid-back funk of “Take It Easy” features Alec Fraser on bass, Sarah McElcheran on trumpet, Jim Bish on sax and Gary Gray, who thrills on keys throughout the CD.  The horns, arranged by Sarah, also stand out on “Caledonia”.  On the Bo Diddley-influenced “Gotta Gimme Some of It”, Alec gives a bit too much on bass, if only in volume level.

Bassist/background vocalist Brian Kipping and drummer/percussionist Adrian Vecchiola consistently keep the grooves in place, with nary a “skip” in the beat, except when those necessary “spaces” in traditional rhythm and blues call for it.  That being said, Mr. James puts the “rock” back into “rhythm and blues”, where it squarely belongs.