DOYLE BRAMHALL

"Fitchburg Street"

Yep Roc Records

Doyle Bramhall grew up on Fitchburg Street in West Dallas, Texas, the son of a musical family in a hard working, blue-collar neighborhood. It was in that very neighborhood where a young Bramhall absorbed a wide variety of music and forged his own musical style, blending the influences of Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, and Howlin' Wolf into his own thoughts and musical ideas. When his supportive parents made the sacrifice and bought young Doyle a drum set, he put his talents to good use. Bramhall would constantly jam with his twin brother Dale and the neighborhood gang, and would later become the most significant vocal influence and musical collaborator on a young guitar prodigy by the name of Stevie Ray Vaughan. The rest, as they say, is history.

Although Bramhall has kept himself busy as a producer for a number of up and coming blues artists, it's been a while since he's been heard from musically. So it refreshing to listen to "Fitchburg Street", Bramhall's latest recording effort on Yep Roc Records and his first since his debut "Bird Nest on the Ground" was released over nine years ago. With a soulful vocal style reminiscent of early Steve Winwood, the veteran singer-songwriter-vocalist offers 10 tracks on "Fitchburg Street" (9 covers plus Bramhall's 1992 original version of "Life By The Drop", an uptempo shuffle version as compared to Vaughan's better-known acoustic rendition). All of which are sure to please blues music fans. Stevie Ray's vocal style can be heard throughout, especially evident on Bramhall's rendition of Gary U.S. Bonds' "It Ain't No Use" or John Lee Hooker's bluesy shuffle "Maudie". The resemblance is almost haunting at times. Particularly appealing are Bramhall's hard-driving cover of Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me To Do" and his soulful rendition of Roosevelt Jamieson's "That's How String My Love Is". Son Doyle II also lends a hand of four tracks, hilighted by the opening number "Dimples" and a gritty version of Buddy Miles' "Changes".

Doyle Bramhall references his good fortune of having great musicians join him in recording "Fitchburg Street" and how much fun they and recording it. Bramhall's music on "Fitchburg Street" sounds honest and natural, as he offers a blueprint of the music that he grew up listening to and playing. Now we have the opportunity to share it too.

- Don Sikorski

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