Ray Allen – Rock, Jive & Stroll With Me!
Rhythm Bomb RBR 5822 (2015)
Belly Button Baby – Rocking Mama – Ruby Red Lips – Happy End – Hang Out – Baby Love – Heat Wave – Ole Gang Rock – I Like You, I Need You, I Want You – Beyond My Reach – I Love My Baby – Stay Away From Me – She’s Wild – A Kiss From You – Bubble Gum
This is Ray Allen’s fourth album recorded at Lightning Recorders in Germany. The title says it all,it’s a rock’n’roll album built to make you dance and tap your feet. To achieve that the band varies mood, tempos, instrumentations styles and arrangements. I especially like when they add backing vocals in the best Jordanaires tradition to emulate Elvis’ RCA sound. But there’s plenty more in it. It’s maybe a tad too long for me, I’d easily skip two or three songs but in the end it’s a very enjoyable experience as this style is finally not too often represented on the current scene and we need more artists like Ray Allen.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis