D’Mar & Gill - Real Good Friend

10 Tracks 40:05

Self produced

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dmargill

Derrick Martin And Chris Gill have a history. Gill is the former leader of The Sole Shakers, and percussionist Derrick “D’Mar” Martin spent 15 years as drummer with Little Richard and has a mass of session credits to his name. The pair were Semi-Finalists in the 2011 International Blues Challenge. I’m not surprised.

This music is new, but at its roots, oh, so old. This is what acoustic blues is meant to sound like.
All the songs save one, are originals, the exception is a nice re-working of Little Walter’s, My Baby. Maybe Baby, is a terrific piece, with Martin providing a seriously African rhythm – with a fife added it would sound remarkably like the fife and drum music of Othar Turner and his family.

Harmony Street comes with some jazzy chording by Mr Gill whilst Tore Down is a smooth minor key blues, evocative of the sometimes called Bentonia, Mississippi, sound.

Chris Gill has a fine, smoky voice sounding at times like a mix between Eric Bibb and Jerry McCain. His acoustic work is excellent too. Without being intrusive he manages to provide a thoughtful backing to all the tracks, with some nice slide work here and there, no better than on the closer the instrumental International Blues Stomp. Some seriously African sounding drumming here too, with a nice little drum solo from D’Mar with Mr Gill vamping in the background.

All in all a nice little outing for this pair; their styles mix wonderfully well. I for one, look forward to their next outing, perhaps with a harp player – but no more instrumentation. Not needed!