Don't be fooled by the title. While
Ballads and Blues may sound like a mellow batch of tunes to listen to while strolling in the park, the ever-soulful
Joey DeFrancesco has something else in mind. The album takes off with "Get It All," a groovy piece of funk complete with
Paul Bollenback's zesty guitar and
Byron Landham's balanced backbeat. A steady, rocking groove also defines pieces like "Take the Coltrane" and "Jammin' in the Basement." The latter cut, in particular, emanates a good vibe, perhaps due to the presence of brother John DeFrancesco on guitar and
Papa John DeFrancesco on a second B-3. Other guests include
Pat Martino and saxophonist
Gary Bartz on two tracks each. At least two pieces, "Home on the Range" and "Mama Don't Allow No," suggest that
DeFrancesco has been hanging out with genre-bending guitarist
Bill Frisell. And while soul-jazz renditions of folk songs may sound like a strange mix, every cut flows together in a lovely mesh of organ, guitar, and drums.
DeFrancesco ends the album in a flourish by adding his smooth, rich vocals to "That's All." While his fans probably will not wait for a recommendation to pick up
Ballads and Blues, everyone else will find the album a good introduction to organ music for the new millennium. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.