There is a purity of tone and feel good presence on Roly Platt’s debut cd Inside Out that just makes you want to play it time and time again.
Platt who has gigged and recorded with musicians as diverse as David Clayton Thomas and Matt Minglewood and also made numerous Jingles and Film/TV work is only recording his first cd.
Or as he jokes “Every 56 years I like to put out my own cd”
Maybe he should do it more often, listening to the strength of this recording.
Platt and the superb band led by Lance Anderson leave space and dynamics at every turn.
They can turn up the heat on the blues-rock of Mad River, bring the dynamics to a quiet storm halfway through Put It Where You Want It or blow your mind with an innovative instrumental take of Over The Rainbow.
There are four vocal tracks of the 11 songs on the cd led by the excellent Ocean of Tears featuring Steve Strongman.
The track has a distinct Paul Butterfield vibe and that can never be a bad thing.
Platt covers Ray Charles I Got A Woman, Georgia On My Mind both of course covered considerable times by numerous artists.
On each of these and indeed the whole cd drummer Al Cross shines on any style they tackle.
Unlike Paul Butterfield, Donnie Walsh or Charlie Musselwhite Platt is not the singer-bandleader type who makes multiple career recordings.
That said, the performances by Platt and this band on this album would sound very cool at any live gig.
JOHN EMMS is a veteran music journalist and Sun Media free lance contributor. John is also the songwriter/ vocalist with CANADIAN blues rockers THE SHAFTMEN
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