The title of
Ronnie Baker Brooks'
Times Have Changed may refer to the decade gap between this 2017 album and its 2006 predecessor, The Torch. A lot has happened during those ten years, including the deaths of
Bobby "Blue" Bland and
Lonnie Brooks, artists who make cameos on this 11-track album, but that's not the only way the past is present on
Times Have Changed. With the assistance of producer Steve Jordan,
Ronnie Baker Brooks has created a tribute to the Southern soul of the '60s and the smooth funk of the '70s. Guests abound -- apart from the dearly departed,
Steve Cropper, "Big Head" Todd Mohr,
Angie Stone,
Felix Cavaliere,
Lee Roy Parnell, Eddie Willis, and
Al Kapone all make appearances -- and a few familiar old tunes, like
Joe Tex's Texas soul classic "Show Me" and
Eric Clapton's slow-burning "Old Love," sit alongside some fine new originals. All the guests and oldies help give the impression that
Brooks' old-fashioned blues is part of a tradition, but the reason why
Time Have Changed works as an album is that it doesn't feel hidebound to all the music that's come before.
Brooks' solos are refined and tasteful -- that is, whenever he's not grinding out great shards of house-rocking noise -- his voice is weathered and soulful, and the collected group keeps the grooves supple and warm. The attitude might be old-fashioned but the sly interaction between
Brooks, his band, and their guests illustrates that some traditions can still sound fresh due to execution and attitude. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine