Who said blues doesn't come in all colors? It does here on The Jim Campilongo Electric Trio's release of "American Hips." Jim, joined by of Dan Rieser (Marcy Playground, Norah Jones) on drums and Tim Luntzel (Jesse Harris) on upright bass create a sound unlike anything I have heard in recent years. Jim Campilongo has a voice of his own, and ironically -- he doesn't sing one note on the CD (it consists of mostly instrumental tracks). His voice is his guitar, and it is yearning to be heard!

From the haunting erie guitar stylings of "Watchin You Drown In A Mud Puddle" to the country-meets-jazz ringings of "Bought Some Swampland In Florida," and the surf rock feel of the CD"s title track, "American Hips" runs a cross spectrum of genres, fusiung blues / country / jazz / and rock in a way delicate enough to make fans of any of these genres feel like they are getting their full money's worth! The CD's standout track is the Blues number "Roy Buchanan's Cousin" -- which cries out a heartfelt tribute to the late blues great!

From start to finish, this CD is nothing short of pure brilliance. For those wondering, there are two non-instrumental tracks on "American Hips." The country standard "Sweet Dreams" and the Campilongo original "Stella" are both elegantly voiced by grammy award winning Norah Jones. The reason I saved this note for later in the review, is because, although these songs are both amazing, Campilongo deserves to stand out on his own as a viable artist, and should be noticed for his talents, not for who guests on the CD.

For those of you who want to hear more of Jim Campilongo, you can each and every week! If you live near New York City, you can hear his amazing talents LIVE, every Monday Night at the Living Room (154 Ludlow St.) from 11pm to 1:30 am.

Although this reviewer works overnights during the week, "American Hips" drives me to take some vacation time in order to see this amazing artist live in person!

For More Information on The Living Room: CLICK HERE

For More Information on Jim Campilongo: CLICK HERE

-- Brian Cohen ("Are You Blues" Founder)

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