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| Big City Rhythm & Blues August & September 2004 Issue |
| Featured: Lonnie Brooks and sons Ronnie Baker Brooks & Wayne Baker Brooks |
BluesWax.com
Blues For Dummies This Ain’t, (02/02/05)
This is a cracking good debut record!
It starts with a crisp, understated title track. A blend of
dense rhythms, elements of contemporary R&B, and
the slightest trace of Hip Hop. The catchy, Family
Stone-inflected Funk workout "Baby Stop" follows -
plenty of snap once again from drummer Matt Walker
and the rest of the crew. "Exiled," the third track on the
CD, is a confidently delivered, touching ballad. All
three bear the mark of a road-toughened pro that
knows what it takes to get a crowd moving.
Wayne Baker Brooks has the résumé. Son of veteran
Chicago Bluesman Lonnie Brooks and co-author of
the Blues entry in the popular For Dummies series of
reference books, Wayne and his brother Ronnie (who
handles rhythm guitar duties on Mystery) soaked up the
Blues at home and in Windy City nightclubs. Later, the
guitar-slinging siblings logged thousands of miles as
members of Lonnie's road band. The elder Brooks
turns up on Mystery, too, trading solos with his son on a
song called "It Don't Work Like That."
But this is Wayne's record. He wrote or co-wrote all
thirteen songs and it's an impressive batch. He writes
lean, modern urban Blues, liberally and boldly mixing
styles and technologies. There are DJ and
programming credits on Mystery, but they don't
overwhelm the music. "Ain't That Lovin' You" sits atop
a smooth wash of synthetic bass, with Brooks' edgy
vocal and Bluesy guitar hooks giving the song bite.
"She's Dangerous" sounds like Robert Palmer writing
for the Stones (a sort of Blues "Addicted To Love").
"Nu Kinda Blues" features the scratching of DJ Ajax,
the Blues harp of Ben Ruth, and hijacked ZZ Top riffs
over programmed rhythm and is aimed straight at the
kid with the baggy jeans who's never heard of the
Blues - referred to here as the hip-sounding "Chicago
Style."
After the rock 'em, sock 'em lead guitar duel with
Lonnie, a pair of great horn-driven songs breathe new
life into the album at a point where, generally, artists
begin to run out of ideas. The firecracker groove of
"You Make It Easy, Baby" is another highlight. Only
"Tell Me" has a throwaway feel to it and should have
landed on the cutting room floor - if only because it
pales next to the stronger material.
Mystery is almost guaranteed not to please purists.
Wayne Baker Brooks may have grown up close to the
mother lode, yet he's mining the musical regions most
Blues artists consider a no-go zone, and doing it well. I
suspect he'll get even better.
Vincent Abbate is a contributing editor at BluesWax
Blues For Dummies This Ain’t, (02/02/05)
This is a cracking good debut record!
It starts with a crisp, understated title track. A blend of
dense rhythms, elements of contemporary R&B, and
the slightest trace of Hip Hop. The catchy, Family
Stone-inflected Funk workout "Baby Stop" follows -
plenty of snap once again from drummer Matt Walker
and the rest of the crew. "Exiled," the third track on the
CD, is a confidently delivered, touching ballad. All
three bear the mark of a road-toughened pro that
knows what it takes to get a crowd moving.
Wayne Baker Brooks has the résumé. Son of veteran
Chicago Bluesman Lonnie Brooks and co-author of
the Blues entry in the popular For Dummies series of
reference books, Wayne and his brother Ronnie (who
handles rhythm guitar duties on Mystery) soaked up the
Blues at home and in Windy City nightclubs. Later, the
guitar-slinging siblings logged thousands of miles as
members of Lonnie's road band. The elder Brooks
turns up on Mystery, too, trading solos with his son on a
song called "It Don't Work Like That."
But this is Wayne's record. He wrote or co-wrote all
thirteen songs and it's an impressive batch. He writes
lean, modern urban Blues, liberally and boldly mixing
styles and technologies. There are DJ and
programming credits on Mystery, but they don't
overwhelm the music. "Ain't That Lovin' You" sits atop
a smooth wash of synthetic bass, with Brooks' edgy
vocal and Bluesy guitar hooks giving the song bite.
"She's Dangerous" sounds like Robert Palmer writing
for the Stones (a sort of Blues "Addicted To Love").
"Nu Kinda Blues" features the scratching of DJ Ajax,
the Blues harp of Ben Ruth, and hijacked ZZ Top riffs
over programmed rhythm and is aimed straight at the
kid with the baggy jeans who's never heard of the
Blues - referred to here as the hip-sounding "Chicago
Style."
After the rock 'em, sock 'em lead guitar duel with
Lonnie, a pair of great horn-driven songs breathe new
life into the album at a point where, generally, artists
begin to run out of ideas. The firecracker groove of
"You Make It Easy, Baby" is another highlight. Only
"Tell Me" has a throwaway feel to it and should have
landed on the cutting room floor - if only because it
pales next to the stronger material.
Mystery is almost guaranteed not to please purists.
Wayne Baker Brooks may have grown up close to the
mother lode, yet he's mining the musical regions most
Blues artists consider a no-go zone, and doing it well. I
suspect he'll get even better.
Vincent Abbate is a contributing editor at BluesWax
| Blues Revue Magazine The Following is the review of Wayne Baker Brooks' Debut CD "Mystery" as it appears in Blues Revue Magazine Aug/Sept issue: "Wayne Baker Brooks and his brother, Ronnie, picked up the family trade playing alongside their father, Lonnie Brooks. Wayne has earned stripes both in his father's band and on his own, and his debut album has been a long time coming, but it's well worth the wait: The guitarist and singer arrives a fully developed talent and a maverick whose distinct brand of blues incorporates elements of rock, R&B, funk, and even a trace of hip-hop. Mystery delivers mainstream appeal without betraying the family legacy. The midtempo title track establishes Brooks as someone not content to repeat the same old thing, and though purists might mistake the slick production as an attempt at being radio-friendly, what they'd be missing is a song with a memorable hook and a great, drama-building midsection. Brooks proves nearly as good a singer as he is a guitar player, full of grit and soul. It's hard to imagine rock fans not appreciating the ballad 'Exiled' or the techno-boogie of 'Nu Kinda Blues'. The latter track, fueled by guest harmonica player Ben Ruth, features a guitar riff that recalls ZZ Top's MTV years. ('Do the Muddy Waters and dance!' Brooks commands.) In case anyone doubts Brooks' commitment to his roots, he follows with the more traditional 'It Don't Work Like That', a tongue-in-cheek song about the school of hard knocks that features old-school solos from his father, Ronnie, who contributes rhythm guitar through most of the disc, joins the vocal chorus. The elder Brooks seems to have taught his sons not just how to play, sing and lead bands, but how to blaze their own trails. Listen to this Mystery unfold and reveal its secrets." Goto The Blues Revue Website |
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