Although we’ve certainly been tempted enough over the decades, we’ve resisted crossing over into the jazzier side of things much on these pages, in part to keep things focused squarely on the blues, since — even during this blog’s heyday — we’ve only ever been able to cover a fraction of all of the good things happening within the blues genre. But it probably won’t come as much of a surprise to you that we’ve also long appreciated the sounds of jazz, so the latest release from second-generation bluesman Lurrie Bell — who we’ve discussed often here, probably most recently in regards to him being a part of this family tribute album to harmonica-playing father Carey Bell — gives us a perfect excuse to, well, jazz things up a bit, with the talented, gritty-vocaled blues guitarist Bell this time teaming with renowned Chicago saxophonist Frank Catalano to offer some jazzy takes on familiar classics such as “Everyday I Have the Blues,” “The Sky is Crying,” “I’m Ready,” “Georgia On My Mind” and “At Last” as well as some terrific originals.
After kicking things off with a jaunty “Everyday I Have the Blues” that nicely sets the tone for the album with solos from both Bell and Catalano along with some sprightly piano from Tom Vaitsas, the masters and their band (also including Aaron Mitter on bass and Kurt Lubbe on drums) then move to a quiet, creeping version of “The Sky is Crying,” picking up the tempo again on the groovy title track with its “Messin’ with the Kid”-like horn lines. From there, they keep things swinging with “Shakin’,” the first of three terrific groove-filled instrumentals included here, along with the spicy “Tuna Town” and a “Kicking” that is exactly that.
A smoky “Georgia on My Mind” and measured “I’m Ready” help round out the album, along with the closing “At Last” — on which one might at first wonder if Bell’s hoarse, nasally vocals could possibly work, considering the smoothness of Etta James’ vocals with which we’re all familiar, but soon discover that they very much do.
Vibrant and jazzy, everything about Bell and Catalano’s Set Me Free feels good, coming across like a fuller, more contemporary version of the great T-Bone Walker (albeit with rougher, slightly deeper vocals)! If you’re looking for one more holiday or New Year’s gift for either that jazz or blues music lover on your list (or yourself), Set Me Free is a surefire way to go!