Tommy Keys - The Man In The Moon - LPF Records 2010

Keys has only been recording for a handful of years, releasing his first solo effort in 2004 (2 Left Hands.) In between that album and 2007's Side Street Boogie Keys was a finalist in the Solo/Duo category of the International Blues Challenge. It's safe to say that Keys is more than a weekend player.

The Man In The Moon starts with the New Orleans influenced "Man In The Moon." A little bouncy, filled with layers of piano and organ over a moaning saxophone from Peter Danforth. "No Money" is a fun tune that's subject matter isn't too hard to figure out. It's cleverly written and features some awesome slide guitar by Kerry Kearney.

"Rock A Boogie Woogie" may be Keys best all-around effort on The Man In The Moon. The combination of playing, tounge-tying lyrics, and Keys singing on this song are absolutely killer. "You Can't Live On Love" is based on some advice from Keys' father, and the message in the lyrics is interesting, because it flies in the face of what other songs like have always led people to believe. ("All You Need Is Love," anybody?) Cool tune.

Keys salutes some of his biggest influences on the second half of this album. There's a great, stripped down version of Memphis Slim's slow burning "Born With the Blues," and boogies down with the Profesor Longhair's fun "Hadacol Bounce," a song that features two seperate saxophone solos from Rich Cannata and Danforth, as well as a nice guitar solo from John Whelan.

There's also a cover of Floyd Dixon's "My Wish;" and in addition, Tommy Keys recorded an original tribute to Big Joe Duskin for The Man In The Moon. "Big Joe the Boogie Man" is one of the standouts on this record, providing some amazing playing from Keys, as well as some biographical lyrics.

Sandwiched amongst all of the tributes and cover tunes is Keys' final original cut on The Man In The Moon, "Troubled Life Blues." Described in the CD packaging as a song "about the fears and hard times people face everyday." On several of Keys songs, the lyrics aren't necessarily simple,there just aren't many of them. That's alright, because Keys songwriting is real. However, I feel like the songwriting is secondary to the playing on The Man In The Moon, and there ain't nothin' wrong with that.

There's ten songs in all on The Man In The Moon, clocking in around 48 minutes in total, with the shortest tune being just over four minutes long. The album, as I said earlier, is a great showcase of Tommy Keys and company's playing, but has several moments where Keys songwriting and singing skills do shine brightly.

Standout Tracks: "Big Joe the Boogie Man," "Rock A Boogie Woogie," and "The Hadacol Bounce"

Click Here To Preview and Purchase Tommy Keys' New Album, The Man In The Moon

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