Listening to Victor “Piana” Wainwright sing, you might guess that he is a big man. But you would probably be surprised to learn that he is relatively young to be roaring the blues like he does. From the first verse of the opener to the title track that closes the record, the “20-something” soulman’s vocals are front and center and he sings them like he’s lived every word. While he can wail about the fate of “Planet Earth” and bemoan the lack of progress on civil rights to the irresistible groove of “Long Way to Go,” he also croons sweetly about loss and heartbreak on songs like “Blues in the Rain” and “Not Afraid.” The Memphis (by way of Savannah) musician is equally impressive on the keys, where he can spin romantic fantasies as light as air like he does on “Mighty Man” or pound with conviction to punctuate heavier emotions. 

With the exception of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say,” all the tracks were written or co-written by bassist Stephen “Cat Daddy” Dees, the record’s producer who, with drummer Brian “Machine Gunn” Kelly, also provides its strong heartbeat. The WildRoots are a tight band and they respectfully showcase Dees’ songs, but they are playful by nature (evidenced by their cover art and nicknames, among other things) and when given the chance to show off, they do. “WildRoot Jam,” a signature romp, lets them each stretch out a bit, especially Dees and extended Roots member Ray Guiser on saxophone. Guitarist Greg “Six String” Gumpel has a stinging touch that he applies to his unique and lyrical solos, notably on the lovely “Sweet Louise.” They jazz it up on “Square,” and enumerate their musical influences in “School of Hard Knocks.” (“B.B. and Muddy/ set down the rules/Get your education/ coming from the school of hard knocks.”) The rollicking “Beale Street to the Bayou” is sort of a biographical piece, charting the band’s journey from its origins in Memphis to New Orleans where they have become crowd favorites. It’s a cool and funky ride.
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VICTOR WAINWRIGHT : Voila un nouveau nom en provenance de Memphis Tennessee sur lequel il faudra désormais compter !

Né à Savannah en Georgie, le jeune Victor vient de publier son 2° CD "From Beale Street to the Bayou" un joyeux Gumbo de blues et de rock pimenté par une grosse poignée funky et un groove Soul que n'aurait pas renié Marvin Gaye en personne.


Fan de Ray Charles, de James Brown et de Jerry Lee Lewis, Wainwright s'en donne à coeur joie et enflamme son piano pour enjoliver tour à tour des histoires d'amour perdues et des sujets plus graves tels que la défense de notre belle Planète.


Excellent pianiste, superbe chanteur, Wainwright à parfaitement soudé son groupe The Wildroots pour attaquer la route qui relie le point de départ sur Beale Street à Memphis pour terminer sa course folle dans les Bayous du Golfe du Mexique.


From Beale Street to Bayou est sans aucun doute un des Grands Albums de cette année 2009, qui plus est, révélateur d'une des futures Etoiles du Blues...
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Finally a blues CD I want to play over and over again.  “Mighty Man” opens “Beale Street to the Bayou” to reveal the mighty voice of Victor Wainwright.  The bass line that slides into track 2 is evidence that this record is given it’s strength by an amazing performance on bass by Stephen Dees.  Listening to these tracks reminded me of all the blues bands that made music that I had to have. I really enjoyed the chord progression on “What you Want” because it gave a fresh approach to the usual pattern.  A big surprise is the range of vocal dynamics displayed by Victor especially on “Not Afraid” and his duet with Patricia Dees on “Square”.  The recording quality of this production is top notch, nods to Stephen Dees, Bryan Bassett and Rick Bailey.  The fun thing about this CD is that you’re going to be treated to so many great blues styles, which is why it’s a great CD to keep letting it play in my car and iPod.  This is one purchase that is paying big dividends in smiles and happy ears.
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These tracks are just as pleasing to the ear as they are to your spirit. Mature and thoughtful piano, guitar, and lyrics that beg your attention. Victor's voice rumbles through your ears and into your soul. More importantly, it is yet another creative stretch for this lyricist, turning from Piana from Savannah boogie woogie, to Blues Rain blues ballad. This is one of those albums you play at your house during a party just to see peoples heads turn. This isn't your daddies blues, this is young man's blues, and a another departure from the plastic music that makes it onto modern airwaves. Watch your step while listening to this, because it can very easily knock you onto your butt.
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