Sugar Blue - Threshold - Beeble Music 2010

He picked up the harp at age ten, was sharing the stage with legends in his teens, and can be heard playing harmonica on a trio of Rolling Stones records. (Some Girls, Emotional Rescue, and Tattoo You) Those iconic harmonica riffs in "Miss You"? Yep, this is the man behind them.

In addition, Sugar Blue has released five albums previous, and now, Threshold is set to hit stores and online retailers on January 26, 2010. Special thanks to Bob Putignano for the advance copy of Threshold for review and airplay.

The album begins with "Living Your Love," filled with unique guitar and organ instrumentation and some signature Sugar Blue harp solos. I like Whiting's voice, having discovered Sugar Blue through a track from 2007's Code Blue album. I've always been drawn to one of a kind vocals, and Sugar Blue definitely fits that category. It's hard to describe, but it's enjoyable, nonetheless.

Threshold contains 11 songs, as well as an interview track at the end as an added bonus (More on that later.) Whiting shares co-writing credits on 8 of the album's songs, and also wrote the harp solo "Ramblin." There's two covers on the disc, as well. (The classic Junior Wells tune "Messin With the Kid" and Leiber & Stoller's "Trouble")

"Average Guy" has kind of a Latin feel, especially with Motoaki Makino's classical guitar playing, and conatins lyrics that are filled with social commentary. It's a trait that is seen a lot throughout Threshold, and it provides the listener with a more mature Blues than the old standby "My baby left me," etc.

"Noel News" fits that vein as well. It's a tribute to the spirit of the people of New Orleans, who continue to rebuild their lives years after those disastrous hurricanes destroyed so many. Ivano Ghidoni's sousaphone toward the end of the song provides a street parade feel as the solos take the song home.

That's followed up with the sonic flood of "Stop the War," beginning with the sounds of the forest suddenly shaken by guns, jets, and explosions. The song is an ambitious cry for us to take notice of all the ills of the world's fighting. Sugar Blue and company deliver a great anti-war anthem, featuring the refrain of "Stop the War, Kill No More!" and lyrics like "One moment of silence for a lifetime of pain. Hope left unanswered. A promising future unclaimed." Amongst all of this is the breakdown in the middle featuring sound clips from various wars, as well as the 9/11 terror attacks. This song rocks it's message effectively.

"Cotton Tree" is a jazzy tribute to "Mr. Super Harp," James Cotton. "Messin With the Kid" is Sugar Blue's arranement of the Junior Wells classic, and he absolutely goes off on harp here. Good stuff. "Tonight" is a smokey and spacey, mid-tempo love song featuring lots of effects on guitar and keys.

The disc closes out with an interview that Sugar Blue conducted with a foreign journalist. It's a pretty good interview, and his a few insights. It's certainly different to include such a feature, but it's not a bad addition. It does cover nearly 20 minutes of the disc, though, meaning the album's music clocks in at about 51 minutes total. The best part of the interview is the chance to get a glimpse of Sugar Blue's personality. He truly comes across as a genuine person who loves what he's doing, and that's all anyone can ask for in this life. The interview does have a few edits in it, especially toward the end, as pieces have been cut out.

Threshold is a great example of an artist unafraid to show his convictions and emotions openly, and do so with great music. Sugar Blue's vocals are unique, as I said before, and his harmonica playing is mind-blowing. It's unlike anything else in my music collection, and definitely an album worth checking out.

Standout Tracks: "Stop the War," "Noel News," and "Messin' With the Kid"

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