Once upon a time, there was music without frontiers: Elvis Presley would rock hard, go “wild in the Country” and serve Dylan and Blues in the process. Paul McCartney would record a frantic “I´m Down” and a string-driven, lush “Yesterday” on the same session. So when Blue Alley decided that Rhythm & Blues was their thing, they knew that the field was wide, and that they would claim all of it: 12-bar melancholy is sure fine, but listen to their “Blue Alley Ways” from the album. But that´s by no means the whole range of this remarkable German quintet. Guitarist Norbert Fuhrmann, always a dab hand at melodic arrangements, hearty riffing and some authentic slide work, wrote the up-tempo, driving “Always in Motion”. Katja Spier, Blue Alley´s front lady with that special voice you hear once and just can´t ever forget, comes up with romantic, slow gems like “Carousel of Thoughts”. And when the mood takes her, she can speed up the process for an adrenalin-soaked celebration of love: “Say Yeah”. Together with Norbert, how about a light boogie arrangement for the dance-friendly “Testemony”.
But Rhythm & Blues, initially for Southern States audiences, has also spelt Soul for a long time indeed. This is where Blue Alley´s long time bass player Detlef Kasper comes in. He´s the friendly but fierce funk freak in the band whenever he wants to – listen to his trademark “No Return” attack on BLUE ALLEY WAYS. Needless to say, he can make those lines flow “somewhere down deep” with ease to, for instance when Katja moves into jazz swing mode in “Another Day”. Detlef´s partner in crime for the rhythmic “engine room” is Jo Niggemeier, the man who hits his tubs hard, or caresses them softly, whatever the mood asks for. Blues, Jazz, Southern Rock, Soul, all this is where Blue Alley´s special weapon Markus Jung comes in: a true pro on the keyboards with the assured touch of a guy who has played everything, and still decided that Americana in the widest sense is exactly what he loves.
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