The Mighty Soul Drivers - I'll Carry You Home (2022)

A special promotion by Onurblues & Blue Dragon

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Mighty groovy

The album starts, the music begins to flow, “I Can't Get Next To You" sings a soulful voice, the groove takes hold of you, you imagine you're in a club on Beale Street in Memphis or in Muscle Shoals. All wrong ! The Mighty Soul Drivers are from... Connecticut  ! And all wrong again, they really can get next to us with this very appealing album. Soul (especially Memphis sound), rhythm & blues, soul blues…, these guys aren't beginners and master their stuff like full-time professionals.

The band is tight around the beat. Bassist Tony Delisio and drummer Peter “River City Slim” Rost put out a powerful funky groove. Larry Willey, Bob Orsi and guests Paul Gabriel and Michael St. George deliver swinging rhythm guitar and great solos. Steve Donovan does a really fine job on keyboards with some churchy organ parts. John Smayda (saxes) and Neil Tint (trumpet) bring that Memphis/ Muscle Shoals sound along with a female background gospel-like choir. And the energetic Bob Orsi tops the whole pastry with his soulful vocals. What else do you need to get up and dance ?

The band was founded in 2012 and “I'll Carry You Home” is their second album, following “Qualified” released in  2014. The seven excellent originals, mainly penned by Rost and Orsi, can advantageously compare with the four covers ("I Can't Get Next To You", "Cry To Me", "I Wouldn't Treat A Dog" and "Tell Daddy").

I love the groovy funk of Peter Rost's outstanding "Party By The Tower", my personal favorite. I love the long and rich Bob Orsi-signed "A Little Bit Of That", enlightened by fine organ, nice horns work and exciting rhythm guitar, and his "Cold, Cold Night" with nice guitar solo by Paul Gabriel. I love the horn riffs and funky rhythm guitar on the excellent "Tell Daddy". I love "Parking Lot Blues". I love the groove of "Dressed To Kill". I love… well, I love the whole album even if I have a soft spot for the most rhythmic numbers.

I must confess that I'm not generally a soul fan but this album knocked me somewhere. It's well played, well produced, well recorded, well mixed and mastered. It's a pleasure for the ears and for the feet that can't help stomping the ground. This album makes you happy, that's all I can say.  Happy tenth birthday guys and may you carry on like that for as long as you can and as many nice albums as this one ! ■

The Mighty Soul Drivers live videos
…featuring live perf. of some of the album's titles...

● “I Wouldn't Treat A Dog”, 2022 : https://youtu.be/loIlyRRUA5I
● “Hold On I'm Coming”,  Springfield, Massachusetts, 2022 : https://youtu.be/AI6GbvrZABQ
● The Brass Horse, Barkhamsted, Connecticut, 2021 : https://youtu.be/ivtEwtqU_bw
● Black-Eyed & Blues Fest., 2021 :
→ https://youtu.be/XeG7Yi_IQFs
→ https://youtu.be/fyld1HiYSLA

● “I Just Want To Dance”, Black-Eyed Sally's, 2020 : https://youtu.be/vHwVj39i4pY
● The Brass Horse, Barkhamsted, Connecticut, 2020 :
→ “I Just Want To Dance” : https://youtu.be/AlLMd4eG-gY
→ “Good Time Charlie” : https://youtu.be/C1yzwkgeqSM
● “Party By The Tower”, 2020 : https://youtu.be/6gDwe7fykpk
● New England Blues Summit, 2018 : https://youtu.be/0uP1MenG36w
● "Tell Daddy", Maple Tree Cafe, Simsbury, Connecticut, 2017 : https://youtu.be/fseO2lB4bSQ
● Two Left Feet Blues Festival, Connecticut, 2016 : https://youtu.be/ZLkB-_e2Rm0

● “Turning Point”, 2016 : https://youtu.be/oiN3wYBoJyw
● Unknown title/location, 2015 : https://youtu.be/E7P-VqPNuhw
● Wining perf. at the Connecticut Blues Society's Blues Challenge finals, 2015 : https://youtu.be/AIYVNjQj-IQ
● Bridge Street Live, Collinsville, Connecticut, 2015 :
→ “A Little Bit Of That” : https://youtu.be/HQYREVxpVVU
→ “Cry To Me” : https://youtu.be/BYtuSuHoFDs
→ “Blind, Crippled & Crazy” with Dave Keller : https://youtu.be/fMwXCm9pOdo
→ “Stronger Than You Need To Be” : https://youtu.be/jS-Y6AW6wCY
→ “Can I Get A Witness” : https://youtu.be/Tw6EnZqIM1Y
→ “Tell Daddy” : https://youtu.be/7uUEqANxkGE
→ “Slip Away” : https://youtu.be/5Jbo6pFuiPQ

● West Hartford, Connecticut, 2013 :
→ “Nickel And A Nail” : https://youtu.be/ha2xH5WTpN8
→ “Take Time To Know Her” : https://youtu.be/SBdBTUDVfYw
→ “Rained All Night” : https://youtu.be/NZLUDXfDExc
→ “Shake And Fingerpop” : https://youtu.be/xOYS0jD0gU8
→ “I Just Want To Dance” : https://youtu.be/Tk1GPq9tDew
→ “Tell Daddy” : https://youtu.be/i9qgjKCJNjc
→ “You Were Never Mine” : https://youtu.be/v6x2SM-YWhs
→ “Slip Away” : https://youtu.be/JEnGegFh_CA
● Spaceland Ballroom, Hamden, Connecticut, 2013 :
→ https://youtu.be/Hu8jMgX1w4g
→ https://youtu.be/x8z1VhDqUEo

Peter Rost aka River City Slim

Steve Donovan

Tony Delisio

Bob Orsi

                                              

Neil Tint

John Smayda

Larry Willey