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A five-song EP recorded in a quick two-day session in Nashville, Testifyin\u2019<\/i> is the seventh studio release from this Milwaukee-based quintet. Produced by award-winning Tom Hambridge, the new set showcases the band\u2019s tight, soulful and spirited approach to the blues.<\/p>\n
All five of the disc\u2019s tracks are band originals, composed by guitarist Jeff Schroedl; one, the playful “Whiskey Got Me Married” is a co-write with the band\u2019s keyboardist Steve Huebler.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t Tell Me I Can\u2019t\u201d kicks off with a knotty guitar figure, quickly joined by beefy horn blasts and some tasty overdubbed lead guitar licks from Schroedl. The song\u2019s lyric is a sassy, defiant and forthright statement of purpose, belted out with gusto by lead singer Jeff Taylor. Schroedl\u2019s verse-long lead guitar solo is clear and sharp, and after a breakdown, he peppers the remainder of the tune with licks here and there, in answer to Taylor\u2019s vocals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhiskey Got Me Married\u201d digs into a heavier blues groove, showcasing some searing harp work from guest player Jason Ricci. The tune\u2019s simmering arrangement gives space for Huebler\u2019s electric piano runs; the rhythm section of Alan Arber (drums) and bassist Mark Solveson provides ace support as Schroedl spins out another powerful solo.<\/p>\n
An electric take on country blues, \u201cBrand New Bone\u201d opens in spare fashion, with some Johnny Winter-styled guitar backing Taylor. As the arrangement fills out, Ricci gets another opportunity to display his skills. Huebler\u2019s sparkling piano runs are the track\u2019s centerpiece.<\/p>\n
The laid-back \u201cI\u2019ve Got the Scars to Prove It\u201d demonstrates the Altered Five Blues Band\u2019s dexterity at holding back to make a musical mark. Simmering organ licks and a smoky rhythm section are joined by (yet again) Ricci\u2019s soulful harp, and Schroedl leans into an emotion-laden solo full of shade and light.<\/p>\n
Huebler\u2019s Wurlitzer electric piano provides a delicious musical bed for \u201cYou Can\u2019t Win (If it Ain\u2019t Within).\u201d With some deep-groove percussion helping to move the track along, it\u2019s all-in for the band on the EP\u2019s closing track. Huebler overdubs bits of organ, the rhythm section chugs along in solid support, and Schroedl tears off another memorable solo.<\/p>\n
At under 20 minutes, Testifyin\u2019<\/i> may leave listeners wanting more, but that approach is a time-tested method of winning over an audience. For those who want to continue digging the Altered Five Blues Band, there\u2019s always the repeat button, plus a dive into the group\u2019s back catalog. They\u2019ve been at it for more than two decades now, winning awards and accolades all along the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A five-song EP recorded in a quick two-day session in Nashville, Testifyin\u2019 is the seventh studio release from this Milwaukee-based quintet. Produced by award-winning Tom Hambridge, the new set showcases […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27797,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,49,65],"tags":[4664],"class_list":["post-27796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blues","category-new-release","category-review","tag-altered-five-blues-band","cat-9-id","cat-49-id","cat-65-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27796"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27799,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27796\/revisions\/27799"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}