University of Virginia Library

Record Review

Allman, Zephyr:
Blues From A To Z

By Gordon Hogg

Blam. The first cut on their
album shows you that the Allman
Bros. Band knows how to handle
their music. They soar through an
old Spencer Davis Instrumental
"Don't Want You No More," then
case into a tasty slow blues number,
"It Ain't My Cross To Bear." An
original composition by the band, it
epitomizes their mature treatment
and execution of hard blues. The
gutsy vocal tone is punctuated with
well-placed, hard-biting (but occasionally
"haven't I heard that
before?") guitar licks by Duane
Allman, who moves along with and
around the powerful rhythm section
that typifies the Allman sound.

In addition to the usual weapons
of blues-rock Latin percussion instruments
are deftly inserted into
the rhythm line, but sometimes
with sort of unfantastic results.
Toward the end of the slamming,
rocking "Black-Hearted Woman,"
there pops up an unimaginative
percussion break which takes off
for a minute or so, then clads the
band headlong into a frenzied
fade-out. Aside from the soloist
shortcomings, the dual percussionists
are excellent are responsible for
much of the heavy force behind the
instrumental and vocal lines.

At this point, turn the record
over.

Rhythm And Feeling

Okay, "Every Hungry Woman"
is kicked off by some good slide
guitar, then the group pulsates
through it with remarkable unity -
the rhythm guitar takes up a
complex and "raunchy" line, over
which Duane Allman and Dick
Betts play some really precise lead
workings. Greg Allman's vocals and
organ work are typically excellent.

As interpreters of good hardplayin'b
blues, the Allman Bros.
Band are nonpareil. They have a
fantastic sense for rhythm and a
unified feeling for improvisation
that is rarely heard, and their
musical execution of the whole
shebang literally leaves me weak.
Buy it. Listen hard to it. Maybe
even both?

Zephyr:
Fresh Breeze

Zephyr is indeed what the name
implies - a fresh breeze in the
popular music world, bringing with
it a tight-knit blues group with a
chick singer who can croon, wail,
sob and shriek her stuff with
undeniable class.

Candy Ginens can purr in your
ear through a song, then suddenly
knock you flat with a gut-stabbing
scream that is gone almost as
quickly as it came on. She has
remarkable control over her versatile
voice, and as if that isn't
enough, she plays one hell of a
good harmonica, as well.

Fine Musicians

Playing behind and with her are
the fine other musicians who make
up the rest of Zephyr. Their clear,
tight blues interpretations slide and
swing along with case, accented by
good, confident bass and sharp,
imaginative guitar leads.

Songs on this album which
particularly stick in my memory are
the updated versions of Dee Clark's
"Raindrops" (remember?) and the
all-time blues favorite "St. James
Infirmary." Candy Ginens weaves
her way through the tailored
instrumental ensemble, occasionally
picking vocal or harp fights with
the lead guitar and sometimes
getting carried away with her
ability to shriek melodically. As a
raw emotional exponent in
Zephyr's music, she is all-important,
and in their album she and the
group bring it all together and show
you that they are confident that
they have something to offer - I
think so.