December 2001

Sonny Rhodes
A Good Day to Sing and Play the Blues
Stony Plain

By Bill Milkowski

Turban-topped Texas lap-steel player Sonny Rhodes deals in old-school shuffles, funk and slow blues on A Good Day to Sing and Play the Blues (Stony Plain 1273; 45:37). A stinging guitarist and gritty vocalist as well as an expressive lap-steel player, Rhodes delivers down-home stories with a sense of humor and a lot of heart on his second Stony Plain release. Highlights include "She's Not Happy Unless She's Sad," "Honey Do Woman," "If the Blues Fits, Wear It" and "Good Day to Sing and Play the Blues," which is a touching account of losing all of his band equipment and personal possessions in a van fire on the way to a gig in Canada. And yet, it's also a song of thanks for those who rallied around this road warrior in his hour of need, making Rhodes' latest both a statement of affirmation and a celebration.