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Gulf Coast Records recording artist Tony Campanella has just released a strong new blues and blues-rock album, “Taking It To The Streets.” Fans of the Three Kings (Freddie, Albert and B.B.) will appreciate the diverse guitar work throughout.
Campanella, from St. Louis, had “Taking It To The Street” produced by the acclaimed bluesman Mike Zito, on Zito’s Gulf Coast Records label, recorded at MARZ Studios in Nederland, Texas. Zito has known Campanella for 30 years, and felt it was time that an audience larger than St. Louis knew about the hot licks being served up for the past 25-plus years.
From the thick, swampy stomp of “Texas Chainsaw,” the rocked-up cover of “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” to the “Boogie Man”- like Chicago-style riffage of “Finger On The Trigger,” Tony Campanella delivers a very strong, high-level, consistent combination of sharp humbucker phrasing, along with vocal personality reminiscent of Doyle Bramhall II. Campanella really scratches on all the blues itches – soul, blues/rock, slow blues, shuffles, traditional covers, and all are executed well. The production from Zito’s team at MARZ Studios put just enough fairy dust on the mixes to make them shine, but it’s far from slick.
My favorite track is the spacey jam of “One Foot In The Blues.” Get David Gilmour on the phone! Great tone, excellent feel, and the rhythm section is right on point. Reminds me a little of the minor blues intensity of Mick Taylor’s rendition of “Blind Willie McTell.”
In summary, Tony Campanella is throwing heaters on guitar from start to finish. I recommend this album for blues listeners, definitively. Very, very solid performances throughout.
— Jon Siembieda
- Tony Campanella
‘Taking It To The Street’
Released: April 19, 2019
Label: Gulf Coast Records