While Philip Sayce’s new album channels the ghost of Hendrix via Lenny Kravitz’s body, his touring partner, Marcus Bonfanti, has unleashed an album that is pure old school Blues, played with a style and panache often missing from contemporary records and utterly out of touch with the clean intricacies of the digital era. This is the sort of wonderful record best played on an old vinyl deck while sitting out on your porch sipping a fine whiskey and watching the sun go down – it’s just that sort of record.
Title track ‘will not play your game’ says it all really – a glorious, beautifully played blues stomp it could just as easily refer to the modern game of life as anything else as Bonfani plays with the skill and experience of someone twice his age and in the style of a bygone era. It’s refreshingly honest, gritty and open and it’s impossible not to be struck by the quality of both vocals and playing. This is year zero Blues (capital letter intended); musically adept and passionate and you can hear the love that Marcus has for his genre pouring out of every lick of his guitar. ‘Going down’ continues in the same vein (indeed the whole album does) but there’s an almighty swing to the music while Marcus has a pleasing Baritone that recalls Jim Morrison as much as it does Classic Bluesmen. Strangely the memorable chorus has a lot in common with the Blues Brothers rendition of ‘mo box car blues’ but as that band were actually damn fine in their own right that’s in no way a bad thing. More traditional sounding is the fast paced, beautifully paced guitar work of ‘messin’ round no more’ which has a gravelly vocal from the depressingly talented Bonfanti along with the by-now-expected intricate guitar work, but that’s as nothing to the amazing ‘Devil girl’ which is one of those tracks you just wish would play forever – with an insistent rhythm, excellent guitar throughout and a vocal line so memorable you’ll resort to a lobotomy to shift it, it is Marcus’ moment of sublime genius and while the album as a whole is excellent, this is one of its genuine shining lights and is my favourite moment on the disc.
What more is there to say? Well, we’re only four tracks into this excellent album and already I’m in thrall to the wonderful guitar and Marcus’ consistently excellent vocals. Track five – ‘don’t wanna come home’ is a slow, smoky number with Marcus singing uncannily like Chris Rea and the change of pace is more than welcome as it offers up a moment to reflect amidst the faster-paced music found elsewhere. Speaking of which, ‘Tweed blazer’ is pure, vintage rock and roll – a fast paced blast of energised blues that would have Chuck berry bouncing with glee at the sheer joy with which Bonfanti attacks his guitar, hammering out notes at the speed of light over a veritable tsunami of drums and bass. ‘Get behind me’ is another track which sees rock creeping into Marcus’ pure blues styling and again echoes of Chris Rea slip into through the cracks along with echoes of Pink Floyd in the extended outro which sees Marcus come on like David Gilmour over a backdrop of shimmering drums and keyboards. ‘What good am I to you (parts 1 & 2)’ sees Marcus reign himself in and return to basics, where he stays for the equally impressive ‘God only knows’ (no, not a Beach Boys cover). A particularly impressive track it sees Marcus and his Harmonica alone in the studio – a brave trick in a time when most musicians opt for a wall of sound to hide their deficiencies – and it’s bare bones approach works beautifully. ‘Give me your cash’ needs no review as I’ve added it to the post so you can witness first hand Marcus’ skill which leaves only the beautifully mellow ‘Bleecker street’ which strangely echoes the melody line of Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘mama, I’m coming home’ and the final muffle chords of ‘sweet Louise’ which ends this excellent album exactly as you’d like.
Marcus Bonfanti is a musician of remarkable talent and excellent song-writing skill that slips between pure blues traditionalism and highly energised rock-influenced tunes that move both body and soul. As a performer one can only imagine that Marcus is excellent, but as an album ‘what good am I to you’ proves its worth time and time again with wonderfully structured, brilliantly played tracks that captivated anyone who passed through while I was reviewing this. For those of you in doubt then check out the video at the foot of this post… and then buy the record. A warm, skillfully-played, often beautiful work that is worth its weight in gold.
