Buckshot Blues

The esteemed guitarist Steve Kovalcheck is joined by Jon Hamar and Jeff Hamilton for these 13 primarily originals that aren't short on expressiveness and soulfulness.

The scrappy mood of "Happy Train" opens with Hamilton's frisky drums alongside Kovalcheck's radiant guitar lines, and "What's New" follows with a slower pace that welcomes grooves to the bluesy spirit.

Close to the middle, "Donald's Juke Joint" benefits much from Hamar's meticulous bass via the melodic gestures, while "Daydance" pairs animated guitar playing with crisp drumming and energetic bass plucking.

Near the end, "Bright Child" pays respect to the organist Akiko Tsuruga and flows with plenty of harmonics and dynamic chemistry, and "I've Been Everywhere" exits with the Geoff Mack tune turned into a charming and really unique, jazz/blues fueled interpretation.

An album full of spontaneity and timelessness, Kovalcheck and his pals pay tribute to mentors and friends that embraces tradition while still being quite adventurous.