Blues Buddha is New York City blues singer Tommy Dudley, a tough sounding vocalist with many American roots music influences who plays out nightly in major venues.
On his latest Stoopid Daddy Records CD I Like It A Lot, the singer turns up the heat with some driving blues-rockers and he also mellow out here and there with soulful ballads. Each song he does plays out with a smooth style he has honed over the years. I Like It A Lot also gives his band numerous chances to show what they too are made of and they help Dudley bring this music to startling life.
“Like I Do” opens the disc with rock and roll guitar and drums and a faux barrelhouse piano roll. An undeniable festive spirit is created and harnessed by the talent involved. “Break M Heart” is a bopping, joyful jaunt through a cool barrage of organ swirls and greasy guitar phrases. Dudley has a friendly color in his timbre when he puts these songs across with a wide but self-restrained range.
“Better At Hello” has a fine guitar phrase topping off this song. But it’s the way Dudley holds his vocal notes that can knock you down like a gust of heavy wind. “Buddha Boogie” is speedy shuffle with guitar zig zagging in with a lot of cool and a persistent piano bop that keeps the fingers tapping. It’s just fun, fun, fun. Aside from his singing chops, the Blues Buddha is also a good entertainer. You can hear it in his presentation, even if you haven’t seen him live. He has a sort of circus barker showmanship to his presentation that only contributes to the party vibe in his smooth, pro, well-crafted music.
“Don’t Worry” wraps everything around a nimble bass line from the skillful Jeff Ganz The rest of Buddha’s band percolates on top of Ganz’s four string hot plate. The other players, of course, are marked by the same snappy musicianship found throughout this disc.
“Give And Take” chills out a bit with an even paced beat. The tune lays some fun rhythmic piano and keyboard stuff over it. This song could be a give and take between the band and the listener. The band seems to be saying, in their vibe, give us a chance to show what we can do down tempo and we’ll lift your mood with our spirited performance. And they do.
“Morning Song” continues the mid-tempo, boppy groove. Dudley finesses the vocal melody with his silky smooth way of sliding his voice beyond everything else going on and in this space he creates he makes himself sound larger than life. “Trouble” features nifty ragtime influenced piano, the kind that makes you picture the lone musician in the corner of a speakeasy mid-prohibition. These piano notes from Scott Staton resonate with something deep and historical, and the jovial, old-fashioned mood set by this piano makes this easy going song a winner.
Title track “I Like It A Lot” has more of rock and roll a feel. The beat is driving, in an oldies 1950s kind of way. It makes you want to move your feet to the speedy drumming of Alan Childs, and that kind of motivational force is what rock and roll is all about.
Closing out the CD, “Low Cotton” begins with a Chuck Berry style guitar riff but swiftly transform into a dirty, thick, swampy blues crawl. Guitarists Ronnie Mirro and Matt Rae know how to make their instruments talk to the listener. Spiraling harmonica from Hank Logan and barrelhouse piano from Scott Staton are extra gravy over the meat and potatoes. This song is such a mix of deeply felt blues guitar licks, breezy piano tinkling, and see-sawing harp that you wish you could find a big wooden spatula to scoop up as much of it as you can.
