Simon RushworthSupersonic Blues Machine – Road Chronicles (Mascot)
It’s never been mainstream. It’s never been fashionable. It’s never been the go-to genre for guitar heroes and charismatic frontmen seeking the fastest route to fame and fortune. But blues has never been more relevant.
And those musicians bucking the trend and following their hearts are working harder than ever to remind the masses that when it comes to authentic guitar music this is where it all began.
Bands like Supersonic Blues Machine are both brilliant and necessary. This star-studded collective of supremely talented household names and journeymen pros are taking blues to dizzying new heights and exciting new places: proving there’s plenty if life left yet in a genre that simply refuses to die.
Road Chronicles is a red hot celebration of intuitive musicianship and unwavering ambition. Fabrizio Grossi’s fluid line-up featured rising star Kris Barras on lead vocal and guitar during a tantalising 10-date European tour last summer and a brave choice paid rich dividends – the Devonian singer songwriter proving the perfect pick.
Billy F Gibbons guested throughout the limited run of sold-out dates and his wealth of big stage experience added serious clout to an eye-catching line-up. La Grange and Dust My Broom are just two of the standout tracks featuring the ZZ Top legend and both showcase a band born to elevate blues.
Whether Grossi will revive this incarnation of SBM in the future remains to be seen. It’s his wont to refresh and reboot – providing the genre’s established greats and would-be flag bearers a welcome home for their shared vision. If gathering together this band of like-minded musical brothers was a wonderful one-off then Road Chronicles represents a stunning snapshot of blues at its most affecting best.
