This Is Us Lee O'Nell Blues Gang

• 1 Come What May 04:04
• 2 As If It Was Enough 04:27
• 3 Be a Man 04:18
• 4 Don't Hate Me Because I'm Happy 05:13
• 5 Boogie Woogie Broke Down Love 04:13
• 6 When You Were a Child 04:23
• 7 Kiss Me Again 04:27
• 8 Let the Good Times Roll 05:47
• 9 Remember 03:40
• 10 The Man in the Corner 03:52
• 11 Of Course 04:24
• 12 On the Road 03:37
• 13 You Don't Know Who I Am 06:09
• 14 Just Need a Prayer 05:07
• Total Runtime 01:03:41

Info for This Is Us

They already impressed us two years ago with their excellent first album. You don't change a winning team, since in addition to the leading couple that constitute, on stage as well as in town, the guitar slinger Lionel Wernert and the distinguished vocalist Gipsy Bacuet, you'll find at their side the bassist Phil Dandrimont and the keyboardist François Barisaut. The only change to the initial line-up is that Pierre-Alain Delaunoy takes over the drum stool this time, but the support team that presided over the recording of "Different Shades Of Love" is still there. And if this new delivery is once again produced by authors, it's still the jewel of the Dixiefrog team that lends it its guarantee: first of all the great Fred Chapellier, Lionel's childhood friend, but also Alain "Leadfoot" Rivet (historical co-founder of the label), and the no less valorous Texan guitarist Neal Black (the latter two contribute to the lyrics of Gipsy, while Lionel signs all the music). And from the fatalistic but thundering "Come What May", we recognize the obvious assets of the combo: a rhythmic of a funk as precise as implacable, at the service of a singer with an unbridled sensuality, soon relayed by the inflammable six strings of her Pygmalion. Not content with providing the lead vocals, she also provides the backing vocals, as she has acquired the know-how through long practice with other artists. Her man persists in setting fire to every solo, as he does on the monolithic shuffle "As If It Was Enough", the jazzy "Be A Man" and "Boogie Woogie Broke Down Love", or the Tarantine-like "Kiss Me Again" and "The Man In The Corner". Barisaux's organ provides a judicious counterpoint from start to finish, fleshing out the arrangements in a way that reminds us of the one that linked Jon Lord to Ritchie Blackmore, or Chick Churchill to Alvin Lee, and the band's sound is well anchored in the golden age of the early-seventies, when the Anglo-Saxon blues hardened up after the passage of the tornadoes of Cream, Hendrix, Cactus and Mountain. However, the band knows how to ease up when their muse softens, as on the moving "When You Were A Child", "Of Course" and "Just Need A Prayer". On this occasion, Lionel and his henchmen show what sensitivity they are also capable of. The godfathers Rivet and Chapellier have a juicy cameo on the ragtime "Let The Good Times Roll", where François Barisaux shows on the piano that he's got his Fats Waller down to a tee, while friend Fredo takes a solo to which his posse Lionel can't help but respond with complicity, and the matte Leadfoot duets languidly with Gipsy. You don't necessarily need three guitars to play Southern rock, as the valiant "Remember" and the Texan boogie "You Don't Know Who I Am" show (even if a solid rhythm section remains the first condition), nor do you need to fear your man like Tina Turner did to deliver her own "Nutbush City Limits" (here, it's called "On The Road" and it shakes just as much). In short, the always tricky test of a second album is passed with flying colours: this record surpasses in diversity and conviction the promises of its predecessor.

Lee O'Nell Blues Gang

Lee O'Nell Blues Gang
Lionel is, as they say, "a child of rock". Self-taught, it is with surprising ease that he takes you into his universe. And he's got plenty of material to take on the genre! We find the mythical bands that influenced his adolescence: Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Rainbow, Thin Lizzy ... . The connoisseurs will also recognize the masters of the Blues; those who brought the foundations: Peter Green, Albert King Eric Clapton among others. As far as the playing is concerned, we are talking about fluidity, dexterity, a velvety sound when needed. A clever mix between vintage and modernity, the right balance between catchy riffs and punchy solos that a flawless technique serves with delight.

A perfect mix to accompany and enhance Gipsy's personality and voice. She left classical piano lessons at the age of 11 at the Troyes Conservatory, but returned 10 years later to join the jazz class led by Ludovic de Pressac. From her many and varied musical experiences, she has a soulful, warm and powerful voice. Gipsy also knows her instrument, and knows how to be soft, sensual, sometimes fragile and delicate, but also powerful and rocky.

In 2012, after having played together and separately in many bands and accompanied various artists (all styles), Lionel and Gipsy decided to work as a duo on a Blues repertoire paying tribute to those they particularly like: Gary Moore, BB. King, Fred Chapellier, Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart, Etta James... February 2019 : Lionel and Gipsy are invited by Fred Chapellier to share a stage with him in order to play some of his own songs together.

For the record, Lionel and Fred Chapellier are childhood friends! Lionel was only 4 years old when Fred, at the age of 7, took him under his wing and since then has considered him as his little brother. They grew up together, listened to the same vinyls, worked on the guitar side by side and unfortunately lost sight of each other for too many years because life decided it... And then, they met again in 2017 and for once time has not done its work for the two "brothers", it is as if they had never left each other.

It is thus on stage with Fred (as before, but 30 years later!) that the desire to form a new group quickly germinates in Lionel's creative and overflowing mind. He then gathered the best musicians of the region to form the Lee O'Nell Blues Gang ...

Philippe DANDRIMONT (Bass) is self-taught and has been accompanying many bluesmen on various European stages since 1984: Gerry Joe Weise, Fred Chapelier, Lorenzo Sanchez, Chris Bergson, Ellis Hooks, Mike Greene...

Jonathan THILLOT ( Drums), 1st prize from the CNR of Metz, is assisted by André Charlier, Olivier Baldissera or Umberto Pagnini. Curious about all styles, he has shared the stage with Carla Bley and Steve Swallow's Big Band Jazz.

François BARISAUX (keyboards), graduate of the Conservatoire de Reims, he composes for various media at an international level. He creates various shows (Jim Morisson, Billy Holiday) and is also an accompanist for silent films. His album " A tribute do Deep Purple " that he recorded with Air Jazz Quartet obtained the recognition of Roger Glover.

This album contains no booklet.