Lee Rocker
Racin’ the Devil
Alligator – 4907
visit Lee's website
and on myspace
also available on amazon
This powerhouse new disc has 12 songs, 9 of which are originals that Lee Rocker wrote, and they too display that strength that is throughout the disc. They reflect his roots, his first love of Rockabilly, think Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, and shot with a generous dose of the classic blues of early Muddy Waters. Think good greased back hair and ducktails of the late ‘40s and early 50s and the classic sound of someone like Eddie Cochrane or Carl Perkins, with the effervescence and unpredictability of Jerry Lee Lewis. On this disc he has a tight and solid supporting band: Jimmy Sage on drums and both Brophy Dale and Buzz Campbell on guitars and backing vocals. They have that tightness that only comes from the long road of touring.
This is perhaps the best disc that Rocker has done, including his work with the Stray Cats. His voice is good and he does not depend on speed of delivery to add emphasis to the songs. His bass playing has lost none of its muscular intensity but has added a new level to it. He still is has that
strength to make the audience stop and take notice because of his showmanship, however now he can also do it without the visuals of performance. He was playing classical cello at age 8 and comes from a very musical family, his father is a Grammy nominated clarinetist with the New York Philharmonic, and his mother a music teacher at Hofstra University. The disc is filled with strong songs and when Rocker settles into the song he has a power that makes the listener sit up and say, “yea!” Give a good listen to the latent power infused in his delivery of “The River Runs.”
Special mention of the artwork on the cover of the disc by Vince Ray fits the contents of the disc so well. Beautifully done and solid disc.