JANUARY 2010 ONLINE EDITORIALS

Chris Daniels and The BMaster – We’ll Meet Again!

album cover

By Erik Myers

In their 25 years of playing music, Chris Daniels and his horn band, The Kings, have polished their horns-based blues-rock sound to absolute familiarity. There’s nothing out-of-place or unexpected. When the guitars drop, the brass pops. The good times keep on rolling, despite the heartaches and common frustrations.
On the other side of the Atlantic is The BMaster, a similarly boppy blues band from Holland, who Daniels leads for European tours. We’ll Meet Again! is the recorded product of the two, a testament to better times and great oldies. But it’s hard to come to decision on whether or not it’s good. I’ll put this way; if you liked Bruce Springsteen’s new album, then We’ll Meet Again! will be a sweet ride. If not, then it won’t.
It is completely fair to use this judgment in evaluating this album, because much like The Boss, Daniels and The BMaster keep to the routine. The musicianship is superb, make no doubt about it: For a live recording, one might be amazed at how nicely each instrumental swells together. Daniels has a voice capable of hawking chili, but leading a brass and blues group, he sounds indisputably in place. “Don’t Change Horses (In The Middle Of A Stream)” is the peak moment when all elements fall into place. It stands on its own as a live recording: the sound is stunning, and the between-song chit-chat rounds out the album.
Problem is, the CD goes stagnant by “American Tragedy,” a corny Vietnam tearjerker with every Bryan Adams cliché imaginable.
www.chrisdaniels.com