Val Starr & The Blues Rocket: “Lighter Side Of The Blues” (2020) CD Review

Val Starr & The Blues Rocket are a fun, energetic blues band based in the Sacramento area, performing original blues. Their new album, Lighter Side Of The Blues, features mostly original material, written by Val Starr (with just one exception), blues designed to lift our spirits. The band is made up of Val Starr on vocals and rhythm guitar, John Ellis on bass and slide guitar, Timothy Brisson on lead guitar, Frankie Munz on harmonica, and Paul Farman on drums. This release features some special guests, including saxophone players on a few tracks.

The disc kicks off with “Say Goodbye To The Blues (Like You Mean It),” an upbeat, fun, positive blues tune. I’m guessing we could all use something like this right now, and I’m hoping the country’s blues will be lifted after the next election. This track features some wonderful stuff on saxophone. Danny Sandoval and Saxophone Zot play sax on this track. Plus, there is some nice work on keys. This song is largely a jam, and a damn fine jam at that. It also includes an earnest vocal performance that makes me believe it’s possible to say goodbye to these blues. “Don’t waste today and tomorrow away.” Yeah, I need this sort of reminder, and this sort of optimism, particularly now when the country is falling to tyranny and morons are cheering the destruction of democracy. “Leave your troubles behind.” That’s followed by “Sactown Heat,” a playful tune, certainly on the lighter side, with lyrics about high temperatures, nothing too serious, and a groove that adds to its appeal. “My poor dog’s a-hiding, he won’t even go out and play.” Hmm, a song about high temperatures and traffic that isn’t about Los Angeles? Crazy. “I’m counting the days ‘til the end of September.” I like the guitar work during the instrumental sections.

“If She Can Get A Man (Anyone Can)” is a song about a flawed woman, told from the perspective of another woman who offers her own attributes as contrast. She begins, “I always try to treat my man with honor and respect/I let him think that he’s the boss and tell him he’s the best.” She then describes the other woman: “She’s never really happy, and mostly just unkind/She treats her man like dirt and gets away with hell/Her man still thinks she’s quite a catch.” It’s interesting, because it’s almost as if she is upset at herself for being good to her man when clearly it’s not necessary. Then “Lighter Side Of The Blues,” the album’s title track, is a seriously fun tune, with that great harmonica blowing right from the beginning. This song has a good groove, one designed to get you on your feet. Dance away those blues. It’s a song about not suffering for the blues, about a life that isn’t all that hard, pointedly quite a bit different from a lot of blues tunes. What is also cool is that the song seems to offer a hand to others who might not have it so easy. I really dig this track.

Val Starr And The Blues Rocket slow things down a bit with “All Or Nuthin’ Man.” “You want me to change, baby/But I’ve changed enough for you.” Those are the opening lines, and from those you might think here is a woman who has been wronged in some way by a man who doesn’t appreciate her for who she is. But then she sings, “You know, I’ve given up my evil ways and I’ve made you happy too,” an unexpected and interesting twist. This track features some nice work by Todd Morgan on keys, plus more good stuff by Frankie Munz on harmonica. Then “Can’t Get Sad Tonight” comes thumping in with a beat to keep you from slipping into despair. No one will get sad tonight if this tune is playing. “I can’t get sad tonight/The blues make me smile/I can’t get sad tonight/So won’t you stay awhile?” “Lift A Finger” has a heavier blues vibe with some delicious work on guitar. What I love most about this track is Val Starr’s vocal performance, which is just dripping cool from the moment she starts. Though it has a heavier sound, its subject is still light, about a woman tired of her man not helping out at home. “If you ever lift a finger/To help clean up at home/I’ll have to take a picture/And make damn sure it’s shown/Because, baby, I’m so tired/Of doing it on my own/Now won’t you be the man/That every woman wants to clone.”

“Mister Bassman” is a love song to bass players everywhere, and is certain to have a lot of appeal among that strange group of people. That’s followed by “Movin’ On,” which features some more excellent work on saxophone from special guest Danny Sandoval. This one has something of a 1960s pop vibe. In “24 Hours Blues,” Val Star sings about being a mess and being depressed, and sounds happy doing it. This is another tune you can move and dance to, and features some nice stuff on both guitar and keys. That’s followed by “Big Boss Man,” the one song on this album that is not original. However, Val Starr has added her own original lyrics to it: “Big boss man/Keep your big hands off of me/I’m so tired of all your groping/And your infidelity.” This is a song we can get dedicate to Donald Trump (except for the “big hands” bit), Harvey Weinstein and other assholes who use their positions of power and wealth to attack women and girls. Turn it up! I love that harmonica. Then “Shame On You” is a rocking and thumping blues number, a track I am seriously digging. The album then ends with “The Blues Doesn’t Pick Or Choose,” another lively tune featuring more great work on harmonica and guitar. Plus, Danny Sandoval contributes delicious stuff on saxophone.

CD Track List

1. Say Goodbye To The Blues (Like You Mean It)
2. Sactown Heat
3. If She Can Get A Man (Anyone Can)
4. Lighter Side Of The Blues
5. All Or Nuthin’ Man
6. Can’t Get Sad Tonight
7. Lift A Finger
8. Mister Bassman
9. Movin’ On
10. 24 Hour Blues
11. Big Boss Man (#MeToo)
12. Shame On You
13. The Blues Doesn’t Pick Or Choose 

Lighter Side Of The Blues was released on January 2, 2020.