Steve Azar
"Delta Soul / Volume One"
Ride Records
By Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro © November 2011

"Delta Soul", by Steve Azar, could very well be the most genre defying disc this listener's ever heard. If I were the distributor I'd place a note inside each shipment instructing the record store clerk to just place a few discs in every bin and be done with it. Yes, the stories being told - as well as the lyrics that are telling them - are certainly born from the blues, yet some of them could easily be hits on the rock, soul, pop and country charts. I guess it's no coincidence that Steve has already had smash hits on the country charts...amongst some other incredible credentials.

Being someone who prefers to discuss what my ears hear on the CD versus what my eyes read in the attachments, I tend to stay away from biographical commentary...until I read one like this. Songs and videos reaching the tops of the country charts, songs being used for network news programs in a Memorial Day special featuring President Bush, touring with Bob Seger, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, and Tim McGraw (just to name a few) and having Ronnie Musgrove - the former Governor of Mississippi - declare March 13 as Steve Azar Day are just a few of his achievements. There are more, and you should read about them, but now it's time for me to tell you something about his songs, his music and the great band he's assembled for this project.

"Delta Soul", features Steve Azar on lead & background vocals, acoustic & electric guitars and mandolin. Joining him are: Jason Young on background vocals, harmonica, percussion and lead vocal; Mark Easterling on electric & slide guitar; Chad Cromwell and Rudy Miller on drums; John Wallum on piano, Hammond B3 and clavinet; A. J. Masters on acoustic guitar and bass; James House on acoustic guitar and background vocals; Kenny Greenberg and Mike Solle' on electric guitar; Kevin Grant and Tom D'Angelo on bass; Phil Madeira on Hammond B3; Gary Morse on steel guitar and Weissenborn; Tim Lauer on piano and Hammond B3, and Jonathan Yudkin on strings. The disc contains all original music which Steve describes as "a style of music born in the people from the Mississippi Delta".

The opening track is highlighted by the absolutely magnificent, yet very relaxed sounds produced from the melding of several acoustic, electric and slide guitars. Just like you'd expect to hear along "Highway 61". Steve, James, Mark and Kenny nail this one.

As Steve explains it, a "Mississippi Minute" is about an hours worth of New York minutes. Apparently, in a "Mississippi Minute" you can take your sweet time and you're never running behind. Now that's my kind of a time zone. However, I'm thinking A. J., Jason, Chad and Phil might just be New Yorkers....the rhythm and percussion on this rocker are as quick as a New York minute.

Great vocal and musical contrast make "Bluestune" quite an interesting track. On one side you've got Tom, Rudy and John pounding out a deep, somewhat funky rhythm, on the other side Steve and Jason are swapping tenor and bass leads on a vocal duet, and in the middle of all this, Jason's wailing on the high end of the harp. A completely masterful musical mess, if you will.

"Doin' It Right" has one of those catchy sing-a-long chorus lines that popularize these types of songs. There's no doubt that this will be the song of choice at most radio stations. It also features Chad producing some of the disc's best drum work.

"Goin' To Beat The Devil" is a song about interstate trips that Steve would make to see a lady in Louisiana. That explains the beat. This is one of those songs that as soon as you hear it your right hand reaches for the volume knob while your right foot simultaneously steps down hard on the gas pedal. Smokin' guitar, smoking rhythm, smokin' harp and smokin' tires. Disc's best right here.

Other tracks on "Delta Soul / Volume One" include: "Flatlands", "Gonna Be Good Lovin' U", "Indianola" and "The River's Workin'".

Inasmuch as I loved everything about this disc, it's part of the title that has me most excited..."Volume One". That tell me there's lots more to come.

This is the part where I tell you to go to www.steveazar.com, buy the disc and tell him the Blewzzman sent ya. However, if you do nothing but watch the "Soldier Song" video we'll ALL feel good.