Cyril Neville
Brand New Blues
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This is Cyril Neville’s, the youngest of the Neville Brothers, first solo album since about 2000, which is not to say he has been inactive as he is a staunch advocate for protecting the Wetlands to prevent disasters like Katrina from happening again, and a forthright activist for Amnesty International on Human Rights. This disc is filled with references, particularly to the latter cause, as he is not a man to separate art and his personal beliefs.
This disc is made with strong assistance from Brian J who produced, helped co-write 5 of the songs and played guitar, bass, and percussion (except where noted) and contributed some vocals to this effort. And there is strong contribution from his family; brother Art and cousins Ivan and Ian as well as his friends Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone, Tab Benoit, and Waylon Thibodeaux.
The music is just as the title says Blues and as music is constantly evolving as are we it new as different influences and sounds from his travels and the airwaves effect the way he places the blues. There are influences and traces of Jazz, Reggae, Hip-Hop, and just the total sonic landscape of his travels since Katrina and stays in places like Austin, TX, and the people he has played with as diverse as Edie Brickell, Jimmy Buffett, Daniel Lanois, and Willie Nelson. His voice has grown richer and more expressive with the passage of time, listen to the caring and empathy in a song such as “I’ll Take Care of You,” and the rage that can creep into his voice when he talks of people being mistreated or worse. He has grown and this is disc is an reflection of his growth.