You knew Jim Allchin would be back with plenty of furious fretwork to satisfy the legions of guitar heads and tone junkies out there, but his new album Q.E.D also has a few surprises in the mix of thirteen new tracks of blues, rock, salsa and jazzy soul. Allchin joined forces with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Ben Smith from Heart, tasking him as co-producer and drummer for the project. Smith takes the reins with gusto taking charge of the rhythm section by driving each track and kicking the New York Brass horn section with power. The album kicks off with the revved up boogie “Stop and Go,” then hits with the self deprecating tongue n cheek shuffle “Getting Old,” both featuring hot solos from Allchin and keyboardist Brooke Lizotte. While the time shifting instrumental “Chime Blues,” feels very Roben Ford like. Allchin then invites vocalist Mycle Wastman, who was recently a contestant on NBC”s “The Voice,” to strut his stuff on the horn driven blues “Trust Me,” doing his best Al Green. The calm piano guitar duet “Thinking of You,” offers a quiet respite in the albums center before returning to more house rockin’ blues. Allchin and Smith then take the ensemble southward stopping first in New Orleans to play some blues for Dixie on the swingin’ “Come on Home.” Then they head to Acapulco for the Latin rock instrumental “No Way Out,” dancing until the album’s frenetic flamenco finale.
Rick J Bowen
