Mojo Review

Blues Revue 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.

Jeff Calvin
Blues Review