July/August 2000

Darrell Nulisch
I Like It That Way
Severn Records

By Bill Milkowski

Darrell Nulisch, a strong harp man, blends generous doses of soulful horn-oriented R&B with the blues on his own I Like It That Way (Severn Records 0007; 43:46). The former frontman for Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets and also for Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters also distinguishes himself as an accomplished tunesmith here, working in tandem with writing partner and bassist Steve Gomes on six affecting originals, including the smoldering, Al Green-inspired "Love Changes Things" and the very churchy 3/4 offering "Where My Baby Is." Elsewhere, Nulisch wraps his warm, warbling pipes around B.B. King's "Worried Dream," Lee Shot Williams' ebullient "I Like Your Style," an organ-fueled shuffle rendition of Otis Rush's "Mean Old World" and a bold, brassy, funky rendition of Otis Redding's "Trick or Treat." A great follow-up to his solid Severn debut, The Whole Truth.