Teaser reviewed by Steve Jones

Teaser

Little G Weevil

Apic Records

www.littlegweevil.net

12 tracks

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Little G Weevil fell in love with the blues and heavy metal.  The blues won out and he moved to Birmingham and then Memphis to experience the blues.  He was successful in Europe, but wanted to feel the blues where they bubbled up from.  The results are on this, his second CD; 12 original cuts done is a very traditional and upbeat style.

Listening to Weevil, there is no evidence of an accent on his English- his delivery and vocals sound authentic.  If I had to compare his vocals to some other current US blues artists, it would be a mix of Studebaker John, Reverend Raven and Rick Estrin.  His guitar work is also hot and spicy.  He lays down some great stuff here and his band is also quite good in support.  Maurice Nazzaro adds some great harp work to the mix, and Bob Page’s piano and organ work is equally super.  Bill Burke (bass) and John V. McKnight (drums and percussion) add a solid backline to the music.

The tracks are all pretty good here; I liked his lyrics and stories and the music accompanying them was also quite good.  The title track is all about keeping it real in relationships.  Being fake won’t get you to the promise land, according to Weevil.  On “Back Porch” Weevil strips it down to just he and his acoustic guitar and delivers a strong performance, singing about hangovers from a fun night the evening before at a blues bar.  “Highway 78” is a song Weevil wrote about the road from Birmingham to Memphis that he knows like the back of his hand as he kept up with friends on both ends.  The groove is cool and the harp work is greasy and sweet.  “Apple Picker” features a lot of mean guitar licks. 

His former job cleaning a hotel is the motivation for “8.47”; it was his hourly wage as he slaved away 6 days a week for 10-11 hours a day.  He wails about how he “ain’t gonna do this no more.”  The need for an occasional good bottle of wine brings Little G to the “Liquor Store”. “She Used to Call Me Sugar” is some slow electric blues; the tinkle of the keys and wail of the guitar make this a pleasure to listen to. He closes with “Which Way Shall I Go” where Weevil tells us about getting kicked out by his ex with no notice.  A little bare slide and vocals; nicely done.

I have no complaints.  This is a solid CD of new songs done by a 34 year old who feels and lives his blues.  It just goes to show that the blues have no bounds and exist everywhere man toils and works.  From Hungary to the deep South, Weevil has taken to and lived on the road, worked at tasks to support his love of music and now performs full time.  He’s a solid young artist and worth a listen; you won’t regret locking and loading this CD up for a spin!

Reviewed by Steve Jones