Bywater Call - Sunshine (Live in 2024) (2025)

I first started listening seriously to music back in the late sixties and my early listening included bands such as Blood Sweat & Tears, Cold Blood, Chicago Transit Authority, Mothers of Invention and the Grateful Dead. The excitement I felt listening to the bands stretching out and playing long funky jams coloured my tastes ever since.

Bywater Call are one of the few current bands who strike that particular nerve with some of the most heart-lifting and utterly exciting music I’ve heard in ages. I’ve particularly wanted to see them live which hasn’t happened yet and grabbed hold of this as, hopefully, the next best thing.

From the very first moments of ‘Sunshine’ – Meghan Parnell’s soulful vocals over the twin horns of Julian Nalli (sax), and Stephen Dyte (trumpet) and the rolling keyboards of John Kervin – it is loud, proud and funky as hell. The rhythm section of Mike Meusel (bass), Bruce McCarthy (drums) creates a massive driving force and Dave Barnes (guitar, slide) hits the riffs with aplomb. It’s a blast all through.

‘As If’ continues the funkiness, really showing the bands chops with a number that is both loose and fresh and tight as a drumskin too. Mike Meusel’s bass line is dark and smoky, Barnes choppy riff is an instant foot tapper and Parnell’s vocals are the nearest thing I’ve heard to Lydia Pense at her best.

I absolutely adore their extended version of Steven Stills classic ‘Love The One You’re With’ – one of the numbers that first turned me on to West Coast music – taking that great song and moving it to New Orleans with a terrifically funky back line. Mehghan Parnell wailing for all she is worth and the band cooking a great gumbo behind her.

It is a terrific live album. Full of musical heights and the sound of a band playing together and for each other – the very essence of a live album.