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Reviews


Sheryl and Don Crow
Music City Bluesletter
August 2004



more reviews of John & the Sisters
 
Of Toronto bandleader Kevin Breit, it has been said that "there's nothing he can't do with six strings." He's played with many of the greats fo contemporary music, most notably Norah Jones, on her Grammy - monster "Come Away with Me." On this set, he turns up the blues heat, adding his string wizardry to his immensely-talented Sisters Euclid Band, who along with singer John Dickie, create quite a stew of original songs and sounds called John and the Sisters.

We likened this one to recent releases from the Blue-Eyed Devils and the Jimbo Malthus Knockdown Society. Kevin and the band take risks and bend geners (and strings to boot!). In fact, the liner notes refer to this one as "crazy cosmic burnin' blues from another planet!" Interspersed throughout this set are song snippets and spoken-word sound bites such as the spacy instrumental "
Treat Her Right," and "And We Touched," which add to the overall sonic wildness of this CD.

There are different variations on the blues theme herein, as well. The leadoff "
Too Damn Big", is an all-out foot-stomper, while "Gun", and "Faithful" are dominated by more sparse arrangements and instrumentation. List to the words of "Money Changes Everything," and see if you do not know someone like the lyrics speak of. We had two favorites, though. The opening wah-wah riffs of "L.A." sound as if you are smack in the middle of a John Holmes film festival, but it quickly morphs into a funky, Meters-type tale of life in California's largest city. And there's no one quite like the leopard-skin pants-wearin' "Pralene," the "trailer park queen!"

This truly is an "in-your-face," "no-holds-barred" blues record that we encourage all who want "a little somethin' different" to latch on to. Oh, and by the way, it works best when played LOUD!!!
 


"Of Toronto bandleader Kevin Breit, it has been said that there's nothing he can't do with six strings."