JACKIE PAYNE STEVE EDMONSON BAND "OVERNIGHT SENSATION" Source:Retro Music Date: 07/2008 Writer: Michael Macomber

Jackie Payne Steve Edmonson Band - Overnight Sensation (Delta Groove; DGPCD 123)
reviewed by Michael Macomber

With a combined 60 years of experience playing soul and blues all around the world, Jackie Payne and Steve Edmonson are uniquely qualified to produce music that sounds both utterly fresh and undeniably nostalgic. In an era when music in general seems to have lost its soul, these two veterans have released an album infused with true passion and a timeless groove.

Payne’s smoky vocal will recall the best of Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. He’s bold, brash, and full of heart. Whether detailing his long path to success on the album’s title track, swinging smoothly on the super jazzy “Uptown Woman Downtown Man,” or laying down the law on “Your Good Thing (Is About To Come To An End),” he is sincerity defined. He pours his entire soul into every line.

Guitarist Steve Edmonson is a funky monster on “Can I Hit It Again” and a head-bobbin’ blues master on “I Got A Mind To Go To Chicago.” His solo on the latter is electrifying. The bright flavor he adds to “Take A Chance On Me” is absolutely delightful. The badass irony he laces through “Mother-In-Law Blues” is brilliant.

Of course, the greatness of any soulful blues outfit goes far beyond the talent up front. The proof is in the skills of the entire group. Luckily, this band boasts a killer horn section, amazing rhythm players, and top notch piano and organ work. The Sweet Meet Horns (Carl Green on sax and Lech Wierzynski on trumpet), along with Jeff Turmes on baritone sax, deserve special mention. They give this disc its truly old school feel, harkening back to the glory days of the ’60s and ’70s.