Billy The Kid
She Got A Hold On Me
Jeree Records
☆☆☆☆
Hailing from Aliquippa, PA., Billy Evanochko -- a.k.a. -- Billy The Kid, offers up one-fine-release with, She Got A Hold On Me.
The Kid infuses his particular brand of blues, funk and soul to this superbly crafted debut release. His voice hits those perfect notes every singer hopes for, and are a perfect match for his unique style of attack on guitar. The well-placed tracks flow together, giving this recording a smooth, consistent feel from start to finish. The bluesy opening cut, "Nothing To Lose" quickly sets the tone for the CD, and establishes The Kid as a force to be reckoned with. It's fair to say, She Got A Hold On Me elevates the standard in this region and places Billy The Kid among the contenders for the title of, "King of the Blues" around this town.
"Say You Wanna Woman" is given added emotion by the harmonica work of Charlie Barath. The music bends and rolls around his harp lick-- definitely the nucleus of this great track. The re-working of this Albert King classic, really displays Evanochko's distinguished ability to take a song and totally give it his own signature sound. Tim Mabin's keyboards are also a major contribution to Billy The Kid's signature sound and funkadelia procuration. The way the guitar and keys are interwoven works extremely well, and solidify this song as one of the stand-out jams on the recording.
The title cut really gets down and dirty, vividly illustrating why it was the choice for the job of CD Title. Evanochko's creative mojo is impressive in itself, and his skills are built on solid foundations (The Kid learned from some of the regions best blues players-- Warren King and Glen Pavone (RIP) among them), allowing The Kid to create an album that is totally his own, and is a refreshing blast from the Pittsburgh Blues scene.
Another noteworthy performance on the album is turned in by bassist, Gary Ripper. He seems to be the gel that holds this blues infusion together. He's rolling bass thunder, to say the least, adding his phenomenal fretless bass work. Signature live jam "Free From Your Spell" is presented on the album in a fashion that's down and dirty with some lovely changes that make is as enjoyable to listen to as when played live.
Overall, Billy The Kid turns in one solid debut release with, She Got A Hold On Me, and will no doubt have people clamoring to the merchandise table after each set to pick up a piece of Pittsburgh blues history.
Gigz Giger
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