Album Notes

Oreo Blue's two most recent releases were recorded live. I have always preferred concert to studio recordings mainly because I want to hear the band untouched by any studio effects and embellishments. "Live by Demand", recorded in 1996, has superb sound quality, especially considering that it was only Oreo Blue's second release overall and their first live recording . As good as their studio albums are, the group was meant to be heard in concert. This 2 CD set was recorded on their home turf in Arkansas and truly captures the band's energy and musical talent. Chris Payton, the band's original vocalist who is no longer a member due to health reasons, handles the vocal chores on the majority of tracks. Her voice, reminiscent of the best blues and soul female artists, soars above the band's tight playing. The CDs are more or less
divided into shorter tracks in the first half and extended performances (over 10 minutes) in the second half. The band's intensity, as well as their joy in performing, permeates the entire performance.
Brian Crowne (on sax and vocals) and Gary Hutchison (on guitar and vocals) share the soloing. Both display such a level of prowess on their respective instruments, that it is unusual to find a band with their individual equal, let alone a band that has the equal of both together. Although I enjoy all tracks, I have several favorites. "Milagro" is an instrumental that features Hutchison playing Santana style and competes well with anything that Carlos Santana has recorded. Just as the band has released a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, I would hope that they would consider a Santana tribute in the near future. "I'm Alright," clocking in at 12 minutes, is another Hutchison tour-de-force featuring a long (but always interesting) guitar solo replete with brief riffs from songs that you will recognize. "All Along the Watchtower" predates the version on the band's recent Hendrix tribute CD/DVD. Lasting over 11 minutes (and I was hoping it would go even longer), it is such an outstanding performance that it becomes clear why they decided to do a Hendrix tribute. The sax solo on this version is even more intense than on the Hendrix tribute CD and Hutchison's playing, while still excellent, manages to be different enough from the later version that you don't feel that it is at all redundant. Would it be heretical to state that I enjoy Oreo Blue's version better than Hendrix's?

"Live by Demand" belongs in your collection. It is available through the Oreo Blue website listed below. Although their site lists only the tracks from the first CD in the set, rest assured that there is a second CD which displays Oreo Blue's talent when they have room-to-move.

Al Kaplan