An interesting if low key release that’s worth checking out.

There must be something in the air at the minute with the baby boomer generation of musicians travelling back to the past: there’s Bruce Springsteen and his odes to Woody Guthrie, Neil Young and his recent collection of folk songs ‘Americana’ and Elton John with his Leon Russell collaboration.

English guitarist Alvin Lee was at Woodstock with his band Ten Years After but in 1972 he released a collection of Americana inspired tunes with an album titled ‘On The Road To Freedom’. Obviously he never found freedom because over thirty years later he’s released a new album called ‘Still On The Road To Freedom’. More than anything it is a tribute to his musical roots having been inspired by his Dad’s collection of jazz and blues records. Although the album was recorded in Spain the album drips with American influences. The bluesy ‘Save My Stuff’ is evidently Lee’s homage to American blues musicians like Big Brown Broonzy and BB King. There are touches of country-folk with ‘Walk On, Walk Tall’ and slow, eerie blues with ‘Nice And Easy’. There’s funk with ‘Rock You’ and R&B with ‘Look Like A Man 2’, and sixties rock ’n’ roll with ‘I Hear You Knocking’.

Lee has recorded a sumptuous collection of songs that reflects his passion for American music, and like a lot of his peers he has nothing but respect and love for his influences ranging from Muddy Waters to Chuck Berry. Lee loves the blues but he also adores rock ’n’ roll, funk, jazz, folk and country. There’s a little bit of everything in this album. Lee is a fine guitar player and an underrated one actually; really only known to aficionados of music.

‘Still On The Road Freedom’ is an interesting if low key release that’s worth checking out.

Neil Daniels