Blues Matters - Review by Tom Walker

The following Review featured in the February / March 2016 Issue, # 88.

ANDY BROAD : EVERY PENNY OF THE DEAL

This is my first time of hearing Andy Broad, despite his having had a career that most musicians would give their eye teeth for, with its longevity. You really don't stay the course of over a quarter of a century musically without ability, and this guy has more than his fair share of that.

His guitar playing is reminiscent of such luminaries as Robert Johnson with some overtones of Howling Wolf and even BB King. The opening track, Woman I'm Loving is as good a Delta representation as you're likely to get from someone this side of the pond.

The delicacy of his guitar playing hints at least six fingers on each hand as opposed to the standard five, such is the quality of his playing.

This is particularly so on track five Holding These Feelings, where his Gibson is featured in all its glory and he has support from Sandy Walker on the organ.

Lyrically these are all his own work too, with Sally Strawberry providing them on track eight Shake.

Track eleven Mosquito Hunt is an absolute cracker with the slide guitar work sounding exactly like the title, and having worked in Africa and India I know what a mosquito sounds like.

All the tracks on this, his third solo album, are clear, precise productions of Blues with a hint of Jazz and while his work probably won't make the top ten charts where anodyne pop bilge with boy bands predominate, it will appeal to the discerning listeners of the blues.

Tom Walker - Blues Matters Magazine