Union Street Blues - By Any Means Necessary (2007)

Tracklist

01. Butter Your Biscuit
02. In A Situation
03. Depression Blues
04. Another Man
05. My Baby Gone
06. Well Enough Alone
07. Sinking Down
08. myspacedotcom
09. Sad Sad Day
10. I May Be Slow
11. Killing Me
12. So Comfortable


Buddy Cleveland, singer/songwriter/harp player, has assembled good 'ol blues playing musicians and a dozen 1/4/5 based tracks in the CD Union Street Blues, "By Any Means Necessary". The album is full of straight-ahead ensemble tunes that range from boogie-woogie in "Another Man", dark groove blues in "In a Situation", 12-bar love in "Sinking Down", to a 2-step speedster dedicated to secret workings on MySpace. The latter and track 8, "Myspacedotcom", spins a tale of deception by the guy's girl, 'she's posting sexy pictures, most of which that i have never seen, she's got a broad band connection and web cam too, now she's showing what she's got on myspace.com'. The opening track on the record begins with Cleveland's harp supported by a swinging big blues band. The lyrics explain the reality of working for the man and needing to "Butter Your Biscuit", 'when the boss man he says jump you need to ask him how high, it's what you've got to do if you want to get by'. The guitar work of Neil Taylor fills a solo space with licks that bridge blues-rock and rock-a-billy nicely. Cleveland takes on the chemical-imbalance-bi-polar diagnosis in "Depression Blues" in track 3. "I'm looking for something that will motivate, anything that will help me tolerate these Depression Blues". Most of the tracks here are six-minute exercises of musical freedom as between the sung/spoken sentiment of life's hardships by Cleveland are sometimes inspired soloing and instrumental breaks. "Well Enough Alone" is one such song where acoustic guitar and slower blues matched with an organic and live rhythm section keep the blues real and honest. Track 10, "I May Be Slow", is a contrast in tempo and title as the shuffle blues big band beauty is our favorite tone on the record. The intro with harp, walking bass line, and eventual bluesy horn stabs are infectious. The final track, "So Comfortable", leaves the listener with a living room jam, recorded with intimacy. Cleveland sings a slow thoughtful tribute to his woman, 'we've been together for so long, it's so comfortable, the way you treat me every day, it's unbelievable, now all i want to do is baby grow old with you'. Nice job and we look forward to more.

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