Reviewed by:Jeff Calvin - The Blues Review
Mojo Stu’s Good Gravy, recorded in Springfield, Pa., is an intimate collection of acoustic blues served up hot and savory. Singer and guitarist Stuart Bryant works from a warehouse of licks on this solo recording full of expressive slide work, nifty picking and a soulful feel. Bryant’s touch is deft, always melodic, and short on wasted notes.
You can feel it from the start, in the strutting “Workin’ With My Baby,” a traditional blues that highlights Bryant’s slide work. He swoops like an eagle and dives like a duck, navigating twists nimbly and smoothly. Anyone can understand the difficulty of being a one-man band: If you aren’t prepared, there’s no hiding place. Bryant has done his homework, as his brisk, confident playing shows.
Bryant authored most of the tunes, which lean on tried-and-true blues themes: We meet both a “Poor Lonely Man” and a “Bad Luck Woman” here. This can be a plus in a live setting, where familiar themes are a valuable tool in winning over an audience, but it would be nice to hear him dig a little deeper. Bryant’s singing can overpower his playing; he has a strong, emotional voice, but his songs work best when he tones it down to match his subtle guitar work.
The instrumental cuts are highlights. The leisurely meander through the traditional “Philly Rag” feels just right. “Good Gravy” is taken at an unhurried pace, and it’s Bryant at his best, full of melody and longing. Closer “Mudbone Waltz” is stark and beautiful as Bryant winds his way through five minutes of eloquent slide work punctuated by tough but tender fingerpicking.
The music here fits plenty of occasions. Mojo Stu Bryant’s passion for blues makes for a fine record, and some Good Gravy indeed.
Reviewed by:David Dupont - CADENCE
The Review of Jazz & Blues: Creative Improvised Music
Moj
o Stu, Good Gravy, Mudbone 2001
Stuart Bryant, a.k.a. Mojo Stu, wears the mantle of traditional bluesman easily. He’s got an appropriately gruff baritone that he employs on songs, mostly of his own concoction., that stick to both the musical and lyric tradition of the Delta blues. Conversational melodies support the lyrics about women who, in true blues fashion, when they are good they are very, very good and when they are bad they are even better.
He also happens to be a superb guitar player whose gritty, resonant lines compliment his vocals. The closing “Mudbone Waltz” is the best thing here, and nothing here is bad.
Leaves me thinking, I’d hang out in a bar with this guy. What more can you say?
Reviewed by:Keith Hannaleck - MuzikMan's Sound Script
http://www.muzikman.com/home.htm June 04, 2000
Just look at the smile on Mojo's face on the cover of this CD. Now, does this look like a man in his element? His music certainly is a good indication of his sincerity, whether it brings a smile or a tear. The first thing I noticed about the sound on this recording was that it sounded like it was recorded live. It's not unusual for an artist to cut projects live in the studio. The first cut is the real deal, and a wrap.
This is basic, acoustic, get down to business blues. The man, his guitar, and his fire and ice vocalizations will tell you stories that have a way of inviting you in to partake in the unfolding of each chapter. Blues is all about the singers life. The best way to convey feelings and one's life, is through the music, the grand communicator. This guy sounds like he was born on the Mississippi Delta and grew up listening to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.
With a deep and guttural voice, Mojo makes you believe that he's a black blues legend reincarnated. His gravy is damned good, with or without anything to put it on. I can see all the blues legends in heaven smiling upon Mojo Stu right now. He does the genre and it's legacy justice and he pays respect to the art form in beautiful way.
Got your mojo workin'? If it isn't after listening to this honey child you had better check the obituaries to see if you’re listed. Yes indeed, this is da blues like it was meant to be played.