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TopCat Records is proud to announce the release of Texas blues veteran Edwin Holt’s debut CD “Second Time Around”. After an illustrious career primarily on the regional blues circuit, this Texas crooner throws his hat into the international blues ring with the effortless virtuosity of a seasoned artist. Holt first shook hands with the music at the tender age of six, thanks to an uncle who just happened to be a prison guard at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. Holt sat on the front row, surrounded by cigarette smoke
and prisoners chained together at the arms and legs, while Jerry Lee Lewis essentially destroyed the piano and brought the
house down. Twelve years later, after attending the Mississippi Delta Blues
Festival, the spark was rekindled.
Holt played the bars and juke joints in Memphis and learned at the feet of Delta blues legends James “Son” Thomas and Willie Foster. Al “T-N-T” Braggs dubbed Holt -”The original Blue Eyed Soul“ Holt describes his debut CD as “blues with funk on the side. Down and clean more than down and dirty.” But don't mistake that to mean that there is not nastiness. Edwin is hugely influenced by both Johnny Taylor and Ray Charles. Second Time Around certainly exhibits the same attitude and kinds of arrangements. Several tunes have a “big band” sound with horns and even a choir at one point, but are also seasoned in a Texas fashion with touches of nasty harmonica and resonator slide guitar.
A partial list of the personnel: David Burns-drums, Wes Stephenson-bass, Red Young-Hammond B-3 and piano, Pam Williams-piano, David
Brashier-guitar, Butch Bonner-guitar and much else, Benita Atteberry-background vocals and choir assembly and horns by Lee Charles, Malcom Robertson and Big Jack Williams.
Look for Edwin Holt at festivals this fall and winter!
TopCat Records CD Reviews
CD's - MP3 and Cover Art downloads are available below
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