SUNJAY – Black & Blues (own label SLCD01501)

Black & BluesIt’s a testament to the appeal of these songs that a young man such as Sunjay Brayne finds his spiritual, or at least musical, home amongst them.

Black & Blues is Sunjay’s fourth album, this one recorded completely solo in one day by Eddy Morton. Much of the material will be familiar although the energetic opener, ‘Drop Down Mama’, was new to me and I haven’t heard ‘You Don’t Learn That In School’ that often despite its history with Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole. The familiarity is part of the charm, of course. ‘Duncan & Brady’ is a classic tale of murder that never tires and ‘Pallet On The Floor’ is one of those easy-going blues songs in which the singer seems oddly content with his lot.

‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’ is another old song that enjoys periodic revivals. Big Joe Williams first laid claim to it and since then it has been recorded by everyone from The Orioles to Them and AC/DC. Sunjay takes it back to basics but he can’t resist adding a second guitar part which echoes the song’s later incarnation as a rock classic.

Sunjay is a young man with a young man’s voice yet to acquire the gruffness and world-weariness of someone who has been there, done that but could never afford the T-shirt. His dynamism and enthusiasm for the music together with his technical skill as a guitarist more than compensates.

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: www.sunjay.tv

Sunjay’s Introducing session:

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