Bryan Lee

Item: Six String Therapy
Author: Mark Thompson

Six String Therapy

(2002)

Reviewed by Mark Thompson

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Label Justin Time RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2003

blues blues rock r&b

This one comes jumpin' out of the speakers and never lets up!!! Producer Duke Robillard has Lee as focused as I have ever heard him. Lee's vocals are fine and the guitar work is top-notch. Lee is joined by the sax section of Sax Gordon and Doug James, who punctuate the entire disc with outstanding horn charts. Bruce Katz supplies the keyboard magic, especially the overdubbed piano and organ on "Little Prince", a title dedicated to Lee's godson. Robillard sticks to playing rhythm guitar, saving the spotlight for Lee.

The disc mixes several Lee originals with covers of tunes by New Orleans legends Dave Bartholomew and Paul Gayten as well as other songs by B.B. King and Jody Williams. The superb arrangements frame each cut, leaving this disc sounding like a New Orleans street party. This shouldn't surprise anyone as Lee has been a fixture on Bourbon Street in New Orleans for years, playing up to six sets a night, six nights a week. His blues have mixed with NO's rhythm & blues heritage to create a funky, stompin' style that will have you smiling in no time.

The highlight is the title tune, a 10-minute tribute to Lee's guitar and the relief it brings from life's trials and tribulations. Other exceptional tracks are Bartholomew's "Go On Fool," with Lee exclaiming "..Ah shucks, We've got a street parade going on.." and then providing the perfect accompaniment for just such an event. His version of "I Got A Woman" is so good that I found myself wondering why more people haven't played and recorded this great tune. Louis Jordan's "Three Handed Woman" is a classic that never fails to bring a smile to my face. Lee trades leads with the horns, while telling the story of the woman who is "...right-handed, left-handed and underhanded too!"

Actually, this recording is one highlight after another. Lee, with Robillard's help, has released a career-defining recording, combining the blues with the NO rhythm & blues for a highly recommended disc don't miss it!!