Further proof that the old saw that there are no second acts in American lives is a bunch of malarkey: since returning to action with
the Savages in 2011,
Barrence Whitfield has been kicking out a steady stream of recordings that rank with his stellar sides of the '80s for sheer howling R&B mania.
Whitfield has long been a man who doesn't care much for the distinctions between rock & roll and rhythm & blues, and that hasn't changed a bit on 2018's
Soul Flowers of Titan, though this time out, he seems to be digging a bit deeper into straightforward blues territory than he has on his past few sessions. That said,
Whitfield and his band haven't eased up on their gale-force impact even when they slow things down on numbers like "Tingling" and "I'll Be Home Someday," and if anything,
Barrence is belting it out harder and heavier than he ever has before. Exactly how
Whitfield's instrument has withstood this sort of treatment over several decades is a mystery, but his celebration of the wild side of vintage sounds is vital and joyous, and his band evokes the call of the roadhouse with the sweaty swagger of a long, hot Saturday night show.
Peter Greenberg's no-frills guitar work,
Tom Quartulli's hard-honking sax, and
Brian Olive's soulful keyboards give
Whitfield just as good as he gets, and the production sounds as live and direct as it should be. And if you can't dig "Tall Black and Bitter," "Edie Please," or "Let's Go to Mars," you are suggested to turn in your rock & roll shoes and return home at once.
Soul Flowers of Titan is a rollicking rhythm session from one of the greatest living practitioners of the form, and if anyone deserves
Rufus Thomas' old title of The World's Oldest Teenager, it's
Barrence Whitfield. Give this a spin and find out why.