CHRIS BEARD - Who I Am and What I Do
We receive way more CDs than we can review here, but appreciate everyone sending. I try to do a select couple CDs. You may notice that I don't do negative reviews. It's not that I don't find CDs that I'm not wild about, there
are quite a few. I even get letters, e-mails and calls from promoters asking to review what they send. So, unless a CD comes out that demands I warn the general public to "avoid at all costs," I'll try to stay positive.
With all that being said, if you see a CD with my name on it, get it! That includes Chris Beard. There are a few performers out there with blues roots. Some are marginal and living on their relative’s names. However, Chris Beard, son of Beale St. bluesman Joe Beard, is a talented guitarist and writer. Some friends of Joe Beard, who play on "Hard Out Here" would hang around the house and give young Chris guitar lessons. The friends were Buddy Guy
and Matt "Guitar" Murphy. There are some great guitar licks throughout along with powerful vocals. I recognized a
couple tunes and heard some new ones that I loved. "Insecurities" has a pulsing beat featuring bass and drums. When the guitar comes into play, with some hot licks building up and increasing the tempo along with some horns, it becomes one great tune. I listened to this one over and over. When I checked who wrote it, I saw C. Beard /R. Baker Brooks. I love Ronnie Baker Brooks and when I looked farther, I saw two more songs co-written by Brooks/Beard and another Brooks wrote himself. Seems those two, both sons of bluesmen, are friends, along with Bernard Allison, who also wrote a tune on this CD. Wouldn't it be nice to see them play together?
Another song I just love is “Tied Up, Tied Down and Twisted." This was written by Alan Mirikitani. Being as this tune is simply kickin’, I'd like to know more about him. Anyone know about Alan Mirikitani? He has to have more tunes out there that I'd love hearing.
Chris also shows range. The title tune "Who I Am and What I Do” and "That's the Way Love Was Meant to Be" are old R&B style tunes. Give Chris Beard a listen.
~Don Vecchio
