Texas guitar man and long time member of George Thorogood’s Destroyers, Jim Suhler explores all the musical regions the lone Star state has to offer on him new solo release Panther Burn.
The fourteen track collection kicks off with the slow burning swamp rocker title track featuring mean resonator slide guitar on a classic tale of returning to the mythical delta town.
Kim Wilson joins Suhler and his Monkey Beat crew on an easy going barrelhouse shuffle ‘I Declare,’ he then slips in some Tex-Mex on the Los Lobos styled ‘Across the Brazos.’ Some hot horn spice up the swinging ‘Leave My Blues Behind,’ while the albums lone cover song is the miniature vignette ‘Remember Mama’ from the soundtrack of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird, artfully played by Suhler on slide with sparse accompaniment from Tim Alexander.
The playful country blues ‘Texassippi,’ paints a vivid picture of the gulf coast, and Suhler gives us some hot chicken pickin’ over a classic train beat for the country tale ‘Sky’s Full of Crows.’ Guitarist Jason Elmore joins in on ‘Between Midnight and Day,” and the pair tear the roof off with some heavy Texas rock. Poking fun at “Texas Tea” aka… big oil Suhler challenges us all to stop getting drunk on ‘Dinosaur Wine.’
We are then taken out to the revival tent to sing with the congregation and witness the gospel during ‘All God’s Children get the Blues Sometimes,’ with the marvelous voice of Carolyn Wonderland leading the choir.
Tim Alexander adds accordion to ‘Jump Up Sister,’ giving it a Cajun flair and the album closes with some straight ahead blues rock for ‘Worldwide Hoodoo,’ tossing a nod to the Texas guitar slingers who have come before.
http://www.jimsuhler.com
Rick J Bowen
