John Blues Boyd - In My Blood (Album Review)

John Blues Boyd has a backstory. And rather than going into detail about it in print, you can actually listen to it on his new album from Gulf Coast Records entitled "In My Blood". The album's title track lyrically sets the stage, "the blues is in my DNA". Born in the 1940's, Boyd has lived the blues in a way that is not a celebration of all that is right with American life. These are struggles that most of us gloss over. Boyd uses it as "inspiration" for these real life memories that are made into authentic, soulful and heartfelt music.

"What My Eyes Have Seen" is a swampy history lesson of struggle and injustice. Boyd preaches like an Old Testament prophet calling out from the wilderness. The arrangements are tastefully assembled. There are soulful horns and a bluesy tribal beat. The guitar work throughout is stellar and complimentary. Kid Andersen and Guy Hale help write, arrange and produce. Their attention to detail and reverence for Boyd himself makes for a contemporary blues album with a traditional feel to it. The keyboards on "I Hear The Blues Somewhere" add a 60's rock dimension to a pure blues composition. Mix in some fine lead guitar work and the appropriate amount of harmonica, and you've got a blues radio classic.

"On The Run" is a re-tell of actual events relating to the civil rights movement of the 1960's. The lyrics will jolt you into a reality that few of us have experienced. The story being juxtaposed by a perky blues arrangement peppered with horns and guitars. Boyd's simple storytelling swagger is a gift for both historians and lovers of old soul. "Her Name Was Dona Mae" is a delightful story about Boyd's wife. Throughout the record there are short interludes called "My Memory, Pt. 1,2,3 and 4". Boyd tells a brief story over some church organ sounds and what might be cricket sound effects. Much like snapshots at various times in John's life.

"Oh California!" is joyful tune about a refugee from Mississippi who escaped the insipid racism that drove him away. "The Singing Roofer" is a swinging autobiographical track that glorifies swinging the hammer in the hot sun. Kid Andersen's arrangements elevate these working class anthems to higher musical terrain. "Forty Nine Years" is a showcase for all the musicians involved, clocking in at over 6 minutes. It's a closing time jazz-infused torch burner. "I Got To Leave My Mark" is blues radio ready. A mid-tempo bouncer featuring some sweet guitar lines and the perfect amount of horns.

Boyd closes the album singing about the hard life that makes this recording a cathartic experience. These aren't just lyrics, they are things that are stuck in Boyd's head. And his willingness to share them with us all makes this more than just a blues album. This is a dark and sometimes joyful history lesson of America's ongoing evolution from injustice to awareness. It's a process that hasn't been fully realized yet.

Album rating 9.4