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Bobby Keyes
LADY LUCK
(Thrillionaire)
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Guitarist Bobby Keyes’s career has taken him through the bands of Jerry Lee Lewis, Sleepy LaBeef, Ben E. King, and Martha Reeves to the studios of Nashville, Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and, most recently, Los Angeles, where he wrote songs and played sessions for New Kids on the Block, Tommy Page, Jordan Knight, and Mya. A few years ago it led him back home to the Boston area, where Keyes has discreetly made his mark on the local six-string scene — first with his instrumental debut under the name Bobby Keyes and Lucky Stereo and now with this elegant sequel. This disc is less roots-oriented and more diverse than the first. And though ambiance and virtuosity are a crucial part of Keyes’s bag, these 10 songs, gifted with lush, seductive tones and relaxed tempos, are ultimately about the romance of the guitar. Numbers like the beautiful "When We’re Alone" recall the unadulterated innocence of Santo & Johnny, with delicate, vibrato-laden melodies. The title track uses crisp arpeggios and melody lines to conjure breathy gypsy swing, and the blend of warm bop-derived leads and bluesy wah-wah turns "Mr. Midnight" into a kind of ’70s noir soundtrack. The CD closes with Keyes’s take on Jackie Gleason’s "Melancholy Serenade," a sweet and sad composition that was also a signature of the late six-string hero Danny Gatton. Keyes plays it clean here, as he does on most of the disc, which is easy to listen to, but never becomes "easy listening."
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