Amos Lee
Last Days of the Lodge
Bluenote/EMI
by Al Kaufman
Those who say music has no color have a new poster child in Amos Lee. Lee, who admits he has no idea what his ethnicity is, has the uncanny ability to encompass various syles of music, both black and white, effortlessly and seamlessly.
For this, his third CD, Lee called in the talents of producer Don Was. Known for working with pop acts such as the B-52s and Barenaked Ladies, Was has also brought mainstream success to blues artists Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, Solomon Burke, and Al Green. Like Lee, his musical tastes know no borders.
Lee can go from funk and soul to pop and folk in ways that John Mayer can only wet dream of. His crooning on "Won’t Let Me Go" recalls none other than Sam Cooke. While the gentle finger picking and lyrics of "Baby I Want You" and "Ease Back" sound like a more talented Jack Johnson. And let’s not forget the funk of the opening "Listen." It demands your attention from the get go, and Lee keeps it through all eleven tracks. Acquiring the likes of veterans Doyle Bramhall Jr (guitar), Spooner Oldham (keyboards) and Pino Palladino (bass) only adds to the full sound of the disc.
Although about a doomed relationship rather than a political situation, his "What Has Been Going On" is similar in more ways than just the title to Marvin Gaye’s "What’s Going On." Both songs offer a sweet soulfullness, as well as earnest questions from a man less naive than he first appears. When Lee does offer political commentary, such as on "Jails and Bombs," his rich, sensuous voice and open tuned guitar keep it just on this side of pedantic. This is music for everyone; black, white, or green.
Amos Lee plays Variety Playhouse (Dayna Kurtz opens) on Tuesday, August 5, 8 pm. $25/$27.50 door.
