Vernon Ray Harrington - West Side Blues (2009) [CD Rip]

Personnel:
Vernon Ray Harrington: guitar & vocals
Joe Harrington: bass
Tony Bagdy: guitar
Kevin Ford: organ
Matt Nischan: drums
Special guest: Billy Branch (harp on 1,4 & 7)

Vernon harrington is a name that you actually never hear, while it is a man who has more than earned his spurs in the Chicago Blues. I must honestly say that I did not know him yet, but at a certain point you also get a bit off track, because there are so many blues artists, or Side-men, that you only find out after a long time, if they themselves what to do. A man like Hubert Sumblin (the sideman of, among others, Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins and many others), was later allowed to do his own thing, and this Vernon is finally trying to do that.

Vernon's history goes back to 1953, when he was born in Chicago, and was soon confronted with blues music, because dear father Rev. Houston Harrington already had a sort of record label Atomic, where he recorded local Blues heroes in his church. Vernon also had very famous people around him. People like Eddie Clearwater, Lurrie Bell later became very big boys.

After a while Vernon came into contact with Magic Sam, and started doing a few things with it, and ended up as a side guitarist with all kinds of bands including Willie Kent, Johnny B. Moore and many others. In 2007, he formed his own band, when someone spontaneously asks him if there is an album of his for sale somewhere. that is the signal when this great person realizes that he has to do his own thing, the rest is History as they say.

Together with Joe Harrington-bass, Tony Bagdy-guitar, Kevin Ford-organ, Matt Nischan-drums, he forms his own band, which now results in 2009 in the new album “West Side Blues”. Pure Chicago sounds on this album, in which this man is glad that this man doesn't get it from a stranger, I can tell you. and in which the spirit of Magic Sam resounds. Besides some more famous songs, this album also contains a number of own tracks, all of which are worthwhile.

“You Did Me Wrong” is a track in the very best Chicago tradition, with excellent guitar work and vocals, as does Lottery Blues, a Chicago Blues of hell, and so it goes on throughout the album. Our veteran also gets support from specialist Billy Branch, of course on Bluesharp, and that of course gives this album that unmistakable sound.

Vernon proves with this disc that he can stand on his own two feet very well, and his voice may sound a bit higher and less dark, the album is more than worth the effort and certainly not only for Chicago Blues fans, so lay your ear just listen up, just great and this album is available at the stable that houses a lot of talent, namely CD-Baby ~Frank van Engelen