Kenny Neal: What You Got

Kenny Neal once again proves to be a triple threat on What You Got (Telarc Blues 83467; 51:50). A great singer, guitarist and harmonica player, the son of Baton Rouge bluesman Raful Neal sounds seasoned and soulful on the relaxed shuffle “Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right,” the hard-hitting funk of “I Smell Smoke” and the quintessentially Louisiana-flavored “Little Brother (Make a Way).” He rocks hard on the super-charged instrumental shuffle “Neal and Pray” and delivers the title track, a moving Southern R&B ballad, with authenticity. Neal pulls out the blues harp on “Deja Vu” and “Loving on Borrowed Time,” then gets nasty with slide guitar on the humorous “I’m the Man Your Mama Told You About.” And his take on a slow blues, “Never Thought About Growing Old,” shows more depth and maturity than ever before. An excellent follow-up to Homesick For the Road, his collaboration with fellow guitarist-songwriters Debbie Davies and Tab Benoit.

Originally Published June 1, 2000