Reese Wynans and Friends - Sweet Release

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'Sweet Release' is all about the fame game

World renowned Nashville keyboardist Reese Wynans is a Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame member, and has a career that has spanned over fifty year. But 'Sweet Release' is Reese Wynans first solo album, the question is why has it taken him so long to produce it... and is it any good. On his first record, Reese Wynans has got a little help from his friends. Which includes over sixteen famous faces, in the World of Rock / Country and Blues. Including Sam Moore / Kenny Wayne Shepherd / Chris Layton / Tommy Shannon / Noah Hunt / Warren Haynes / Vince Gill / Keb'Mo / Doyle Bramhall II (An artist we reviewed recently and really loved) / Bonnie Bramlett / Jimmy Hall / Mike Farris / Josh Smith / Paulie Cerra / Jack Pearson / Joe Bonamassa and many more... (That took me ages to type, what a great line-up of musicians).

Reese Wynans is best known for his work with Stevie Ray Vaughan, he was his keyboardist for years. So this is a very exciting release, that I think a lot of people have been waiting for. I am not the biggest fan of Blues Rock, but I like a few artists and can respect what artists like this do and their musicianship. I love Classic Rock like Alice Cooper / Def Leppard and Pink Floyd, and have been getting way more into Country recently. So my mind is always open, to new artists and getting more into Blues Rock. Their are so many guests on this, that the press company had to send me an A4 sheet with all the guests for each track listed on the back. I have never had this before, so it shows how respected Reese Waynans is in the music industry. 

Check Out! a Video of Reese Wynans in the studio Below...

The lead single and opening track for the album 'Crossfire', features Sam Moore / Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Double Trouble. It starts up really well, with impressive opening beats and a killer drum beat... with a killer 60's rhythm, keyboards and trumpets and really strong Blues vocals. This is a great an opening to an album, and if you like traditional Blues and Rock... a track you will instantly like. But it is the killer guitar work by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, that really stands out on this track... you can tell when he plays a lick... is style rings out. Sam Moore really has a strong Blues voice on this song, to back up Kenny's guitar playing and this is why it's one of the stand out tracks on the album.

I think 'Say What!' is a Stevie Ray Vaughan track, that he did with 'Double Trouble'. I think Kenny Wayne Shepherd is taking Stevie's part on guitar, and this is a nice second track. To be honest I don't want to bore you with a track by track, telling you about each guest. Because 'Sweet Release' is an album you have to listen to yourself. Because it does what it's supposed to, is a slice of 'Rock 'n' Roll and Classic Blues. So I will tell you about the stand out tracks and moments on the record for me. But this is an album, that I think you should all listen to in it's entirity.

Highlights for me on the album is the title track of the record 'Sweet Release', which features Vince Gill who brings a flavour of Country to the record. And Kenny Wayne Shephed's singing and playing on 'Shape I'm In' and not to mention the edition of Joe Bonamassa on 'Take the Time', which I think might be a future single from the album. I do think this is an album for people that are really into, Blues and Rock 'n' Roll. But tracks like 'Take the Time' might break into the mainstream. I wouldn't really recommend this album, to new listeners in this genre. But it's nice to see Reese Wynans doing an album on the centre stage, I think he really deserves it.

Review by Dan Devour

Check Out! the Video for 'Crossfire' Feat. Sam Moore / Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Double Trouble Below...