AMBER WEEKES

TO OSCAR WITH LOVE

Amber Inn Records

Over the years, vocalist Amber Weekes has spent hours combing through the Oscar Brown Jr. song catalogue, choosing compositions to celebrate this great man’s talents. “Mister Kicks” was Oscar Brown Jr.’s theme song.  It tells the story of the devil and his ultimate mischievous path where people can follow him into his den of inequity.

Oscar Brown’s famed lyric to the Mongo Santamaria’s popular tune, “Afro Blue” follows. It is driven by the drums of Fritz Wise and the percussion of Kevin Ricard.

Amber Weekes touches my heart with her tender delivery of “Strong Man.”  This ballad is lush with the string arrangement of Mark Cargill. It should get lots of air play with Weekes telling her story expressing great sincerity. Paul Jackson Jr.’s guitar solo lifts the arrangement, as does the violin of Cargill.

A couple of the tunes are pulled from earlier recordings and feature some of our historic jazz players who are no longer with us. For example, on “Hazel’s Hips” Sherman Ferguson slaps the rhythm into place on drums, while Weekes sings a rendition of the song recorded years ago.

This is a thoughtful tribute to one of our unforgettable Arican American songwriters and entertainers whose music will live on through the ages. It sounds very much like a one-woman stage show, featuring short anecdotes and stories, as well as guest vocalists. It’s like an EP one would purchase after the musical theater stage performance.

AMBER WEEKES MUSICIANS: Amber Weekes, vocals; Mark Cargill, producer/conductor /string arranger/violin; Paul Jackson, Jr.,  & Cliff Brown, guitar; Peter Smith, Andy Langham, Danny Grissett & Tony Campodonico, piano; Trever Ware, Harvey Estrada, Carlos Puerto & Edwin Livingston, bass; Gregory Cook, key vibes/ Fender Rhodes/guitar; Fritz Wise, Keith Swan, David Jackson, Donald Barrett & Charles Ruggerio, drums; Kevin Ricard & Keith Swan, percussion; Curtis Taylor, Scotty Barnhart, & James Ford, trumpet; Keith Fiddmont, Tom Luer & Phillip Whack, saxophone; Scott Mayo, flute; Joseph Jackson, tuba; Chris Pierce, guitar/ Harmonica/vocal effects; Glen Berger, tenor saxophone. Horn arrangements by: Brian Swartz. GUEST VOCALISTS: David Jackson & Adam “Aejaye” Jackson. HAND CLAPS: Louis Van Taylor, Peter C. Ross, Amber Weekes, Sherman Ferguson, Danny Grissett, Trevor Ware.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

Subscribe to Our Newsletter