Chris Nole’s originality as an artist continues to escalate with his latest release and first vocal record Little Rum Boogie (Sound Works Music Group, Inc., 2006). Little Rum Boogie is Nole’s music on an entirely new level that will not leave you disappointed. I was instantly drawn to Nole’s ruggedly incomparable vocal sound that is integrated with a distinctive blend of blues, jazz, soul, and ballads that define the style of this record. This combined with the right songwriting ingredients cook up the red-hot result of Little Rum Boogie. The music takes you on a journey through life’s ups and downs, and the record is structured the same way. The tracks are arranged to bring to light universal changes in one’s life, alternating from songs that bring to mind that it is okay not to take life so seriously (“Little Rum Boogie,” “Down Home Time,” “Foo Foo Food,” “Can’t Take It With You When You Go”) to those that give you the freedom to feel the bumps in the road (“Slow Road,” “Tears Tell on You,” “Saint Christopher and Me”). The songs have a deep simplicity that take you through the growth and progress of what life is about with the honest sentiment you are both on the same ride. It is exciting to hear Nole venture beyond his instrumental recordings to confirm what he can do as a songwriter. He is definitely one to pay attention to.