Charlie Wooton, the accomplished New Orleans bass player formerly with Royal Southern Brotherhood and The New Orleans Suspects, has released a new album. With his Charlie Wooton Project, the Blue Basso album is a collection of tracks that feature Wooton’s funky bass lines joined by a solid lineup of musicians.
Wooton’s Project has Daniel Groover on guitar, Keiko Komaki on keys and Jermal Watson on drums. Vocalist Arsène DeLay adds her sultry style to the mix. Wooton also brought in an eclectic, talented guest list for a few songs. Slide guitar maestro Sonny Landreth joins the band for two of the tunes. Guitarists Anders Osborne, Eric McFadden and Damon Fowler join in on one each. Living Colour’s Doug Wimbish joins Wooton on “Jaceaux,” the album’s first track. The instrumental is a subtle tribute to Jaco Pastorius and the track’s title is a play on a nickname attributed to Wooton, “the Cajun Jaco.”
Wooton’s funky bass lines are prominent throughout the recording and for the songs with vocals, Arséne DeLay adds a soulful, texture to the tracks. There is a funky, lap steel riff from Damon Fowler on “I Don’t Know” and the song closes out with a sweet bass solo. “Come On Come Over” is a Jaco Pastorius cover originally sung by Sam & Dave. Arsène DeLay’s vocals are fed through an effects pedal to create a deeper pitch to her voice and the entire song is slowed down slightly from the original.
Daniel Groover’s guitar melody on “Dime Note” has a strong jazz-fusion vibe. Anders Osborne makes his guest appearance on “One Night,” a song perfect for slow dancing. Osborne contributes lead guitar licks that supplement DeLay’s vocals and he fills in with a sizzling solo. “Fulton Alley” is another instrumental track with just Wooton, Groover and Watson jamming.
Sonny Landreth contributes his scorching guitar on “Tell Me A Story,” an up-tempo romp with one of his distinctive slide solos. The outro features Wooton’s fast bass line overlaid with Landreth’s slide. “Front Porch” is a slow, swampy, tune with just Landreth’s slide guitar accompanied by bass and drums. As you listen to it, you can picture the band playing somewhere in the rural South on a humid afternoon from a well-worn porch.
Eric McFadden steps in on guitar for “Miss You,” the last track of the album. The Rolling Stones cover is slightly sped up from the original and given a New Orleans vibe. McFadden’s lead guitar and Wooton’s thumping bass line dominate the track. The Charlie Wooton Project has delivered a funky, deeply melodic collection of tracks that keeps groove-oriented listeners on their toes.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Wooten Project/Devon Willams
