John Bunzow
Darkness and Light
Sideburn 1007
Released - 2002
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also available on Amazon
This roots rocker shows his influences without being held back by them. This guitar driven disc at times displays the wide variety of influences, from Albert King to Dylan, early Carl Perkins to Jerry Reed, sometimes in one song. A melting pot of eclecticism as far as the songwriting and guitar playing is concerned. His tunes carry much of that twang that is associated with Hillbilly Rock and Roll. But as it comes across through a filter of the 60s/70s-music scene that was percolating just under the horizon of FM music. He wrote or co-wrote all the tunes on this disc and each one is a good fit. He has the nasally vocals and the jangly guitars that sell each song as part of the whole.
He has a variety of tunes from the rocker that opens the disc, Love Is The Only Rescue, through the funky Muddy Water Under The Bridge, and there are some heartbreak pieces, and a few that just won’t fit any category. He also has some great help on this disc, including Allison Moorer, Richard Bennett, and Jimmy Hall. This is a strong disc that rips into each new song with a strong ferocity that brings the song home. You should hear more from John Bunzow in the future.