Rating: NNNN
In spite of how cool a band’s angst-ridden, narcissistic frontman may appear at first glance, the bassist is often the soft-spoken fella you really wanna hang out with. This can create a small conundrum when a bass player steps into the limelight for his long-awaited solo turn. Thankfully, Downchild’s Gary Kendall steers clear of Gene Simmons territory, offering up 13 tracks of organic blues with the help of, ahem, 33 of his best friends. While Kendall sounds a lot like mellow 361 Ocean Blvd.-era Clapton here, the occasional funk-reggae groove keeps the enjoyment factor high in much the same way that Willie & The Hand Jive pepped up Slowhand’s recording. And he can break your heart, too, as on Lucky At Love, which features an impossibly good lead vocal by Judy Brown.
