 By
East Side Slim
 Bud
Summers – Golden
Self Released, 2008
Mr. Summers is a St. Louis-area
guy, most likely from the East Side. There’s
sure nothing wrong there! His personal web site
describes Bud having a very nice music pedigree,
including a B.A. in music performance-classical
guitar from SIU-Edwardsville.
This CD was a tough one for
East Side Slim to review, as far as blues, or even
bluesy content, is concerned. Bud just isn’t
a bluesman. The majority of the songs fall into
Adult-AOR, soft jazz and progressive rock. Bud isn’t
a particularly strong singer, with his voice becoming
obtrusive on some of the songs – especially
the prettier ones. Most of the tracks on this CD
feature acoustic guitar work over a synthesizer-produced
bed. A few tracks do utilize a band format featuring
live (real) drums and bass. For purposes of the
STLBlues.net fans, I’m going to review only
the songs with at least a somewhat bluesy feel.
The
Songs ---
Freeway Ride: This tune is an acoustic
guitar-driven blues rock song
Now
You’re Gone: This song is basically
a hard rock tune with a bit of a bluesy edge.
Mail
Man: Blooze rock (yep, the “oo”’s
apply). This one is acoustic guitar-driven, with
a synthesizer solo?!?!
Don’t
Bother: This is a nice little blues rock
tune, which contains some electric slide work –
not the “dance”, but guitar work. Bud
was on to something here, and I would really enjoy
hearing him play more tunes in this vein.
The
Verdict: Mr. Summers is an accomplished
guitarist, and if your musical tastes veer more
toward soft jazz or prog rock, you will likely enjoy
many of the songs on this CD. Unfortunately for
blues fans, there just isn’t a lot of soul,
or grit in these tunes. If you’re a fan of
blues and soul music, “Golden” just
isn’t the disc for you. STLBluesometer rating
= 2.0, due to very little bluesy content on this
recording.
Lee Howland,
aka "East
Side Slim"
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