Omar Coleman - Omar Coleman & Westside Soul (2016)

Personnel:
Vocals – Omar Coleman
Guitar – Pete Galanis
Bass Guitar – Ari Seder
Drums – Marty Binder
Organ [Hammond], Grand Piano [El Grando Piano], Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Neal O'Hara

Omar Coleman brings his band from the west side of Chicago to forge one of the best blues or soul resurrection albums in recent recollection, maybe longer. There is definitely a funkiness to the album, not an overproduced product of drum machines and industrial noises, but the sound of an ultra-tight band that demonstrates its capabilities through its wide range of music influences. However, a cohesive sound, the album delivers what albums used to deliver, a definitive sound for the band and its voice Omar Coleman.

This is the third album from Chicago blues vocalist and harp player Omar Coleman. The two prior releases are found on legendary Delmark Records and also features the same lineup. This album focuses on west side favorites and originals by Omar Coleman and his band leader Pete Galanis (guitar), who also serves as producer to the album. A fat layer of funk permeates the album throughout, with soul numbers and blues from opposing corners of the spectrum lay the blanket of American music across the room that is Westside Soul. The album starts off running with the funky upbeat number Sweet Little Woman , and immediately followed by an up-tempo rendition of the Ray Charles classic Lets Go Get Stoned. Let The Babies Live, a powerhouse groove number with some blistering guitar licks, provides social commentary on Chicago and National headlines, while Jody Got Your Girl and Gone brings back images of the early 1970s with that funk number. I Let A Good Girl Go is a dead-on cover of the Syl Johnson classic, while Good Provider proves Coleman is nothing short of a soul artist himself, who may be known more as a bluesman. Additional originals: Rotten Old Lady and Someones There When I m Not Home and Give Me the Green Light add the up-tempo funky soul and blues numbers to the pot of soul stew the band is cooking. The powerhouse blues number Going Down that was popularized by Freddie King, gives the original a run for its money, and may be the only cover of that song that has done so over the past 40+ years. Poignantly, the haunting Whisper to a Moan rounds out the album as the finale in this soon to be classic album. The Band:This marks the fourth release for the band, the third release with Omar Coleman on vocals ( Born and Raised , Omar Coleman Live ) both released on Delmark Records. Pete Galanis (Howard and the White Boys) contributes songwriting and a lyrical pen to a few songs, as well as production. Gifted grinder Neal O hara (The Heard) makes his mark on several tunes, playing Hammond organ and grand piano that give depth to the sound. Jazz guitar player turned blues bassist Ari Seder shows just how low can you go, keeping an anchor on this bunch with veteran blues drummer Marty Binder (Albert King, Albert Collins) keeping the rhythm section pumping. When not touring Europe, south America, or around the USA playing rhythm and blues festivals, the band in some shape or form can be heard playing live in Chicago, in particular, at Rosas Blues Lounge on the west side of Chicago.