Bridges, CurleyMr. Rock 'N' Soul2001Electro-Fi RecordsElectro-Fi 3369

Bridges, Curley - Mr. Rock 'N' Soul - 2001 - Electro-Fi Records - Electro-Fi 3369

Written by Tim Holek

Curley Bridges' second Electro-Fi release is a return to the glory years of early rock and roll and R&B.

Born just outside Raleigh, North Carolina in 1934, Curley's career has spanned the blues, R&B, and the dawning of rock 'n' roll. Exposed to boogie-woogie piano during a stint in the army, Bridges set out to master the instrument. By 1953, he helped Frank Motley Jr. create the Motley Crew. Bridges performed with the band for the next 13 years as a lead vocalist and pianist. In 1966, the band moved to Toronto where Bridges quit in pursuit of his own spotlight. Presently, he resides north of Toronto in Barrie, Ontario.

Producer, and label president Andrew Galloway does a fantastic job of giving this disc a 1950s sound and feel. It's a sound similar to what made Sam Phillips a household name. Only one original exists amongst 12 tracks which last 50 minutes. The covers are all choice cuts from the likes of Willie Dixon and Fats Domino.

The CD jump-starts with the title track in which guitarist Chris Whiteley lays down a 1950s rock and blues solo. There are plenty of Curley's barrelhouse rockin' keys on Nobody Seems To Want Me. On his piano solo, he practically makes contact with all the ebonies and ivories. Meanwhile, the pulsating horns of Whiteley (trumpet) and Pat Carey (sax) lay a solid foundation.

Whitely plays scintillating harp on Little Red Rooster while Bridges makes his 88s twinkle brighter than a Christmas tree. Only someone as suave and debonair as Mr. Bridges could competently deliver You're The One in the 21st century. By definition, What Am I Living For is a classic. Look for it to appear in Webster's newest dictionary. Things conclude with a brilliant version of Mo-Jo Re:Worked. You will recognize the words but the arrangement is completely different.

Bridges proves himself a titan on this CD and his backing musicians including Bucky Berger (drums), Victor Bateman (acoustic bass) and Chris' eldest son Dan Whiteley (guitar) also demonstrate their expertise. Bridges' stompin' piano work is matched throughout by Chris Whiteley's triple threat. In fact, this disc might do as much for Chris Whiteley's career as as it does for Bridges'.

Somehow, the brilliance of Bridges has long been overlooked. Thanks to this dazzling release, he will forever be known as "Mr. Rock 'n' Soul".

This CD will not have to wait 20 years to be considered a classic. It achieved that status on the very day it was released!

Copyright 2001. Review by Tim Holek, and previoulsy published by Blues Bytes at: www.bluenight.com/bluesbytes. All rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without permission. Used with permission.

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