Vince Agwada - Light Of Day (2019)

Fun fact: Did you know that the words “monster” and “demonstrate” come from the same root? Monsters show us what we’re afraid of – hence the connection. Vince Agwada, who cut his teeth in the blues clubs of Chicago’s South Side, is the Godzilla of guitar monsters. No one can play faster, louder, and with more incendiary energy than he. His new album, Light of Day, might as well have been called Sunburn. The only thing listeners have to fear is that their delirious party mood might wane before the 78 minutes of this CD are over. Sixteen original songs run the gamut from celebratory (“Two Tons of Fun”) to heartwarming (“Friend”) to tongue-in-cheek (“Credit Card”). Vocally, Vince is clear and concise. Above all, his shredder sings, screams, rages, roars, and reveals what lyrics alone cannot. It’s his instrumental alter-ego.

On his website, Agwada reminisces about his formative years in the blues: “That was a magical period in my life; on any given night you might find the likes of Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Magic Slim, Son Seals, Otis Rush, Little Milton, Hubert Sumlin, Sammy Lawhorn, Lefty Dizz and just a slew of other greats all in the same room, drinking, playing cards, taking turns on stage; it was an incredible time for me, and I learned more about music from these giants than any college ever could have taught me. As I got better, I eventually wound up having the privilege of being in the house bands of both Theresa’s and the Checkerboard simultaneously—not many people living today can say that!”

Joining Vince (guitar, bass, vocals) are drummers/percussionists Brian Jones, Brady Williams, Steven Gillis, Billy Blaylock, Kwame Steve Cobb, Clyde Davis, and Terence Higgins. On bass are Andre Howard, Orlando Wright, John C. Hall Jr., Bill Dickens, and Jim Spears. On keyboards, piano and organ are Roosevelt Purifoy, Tim Gant, Joe Munroe, and Lionel Haas. Terri Lane and Neda Homayoon provide background vocals. The Game Changer Horns and sax soloist Edwin Daugherty round out the list of stellar co-musicians.

The following song is one to which anyone who’s ever used a certain piece of plastic can relate.

Track 14: “Credit Card” – With a terrific bassline by Vince and crisp drums by Steven Gillis, this tale is a familiar one. When “two fine women with uptown taste” get a hold of our narrator, so does the instrument of his demise. At the end, he issues a warning to anyone and everyone who will listen: “Minimum payments, just take your time. You’ll still be paying when you’re ninety-nine. Slave to the money, you sure can bet – you’ll never get ahead once the hook gets set.”

Other blues artists play the guitar. Vince Agwada IS the guitar on Light of Day! ~Rainey Wetnight