Eddie Turner Change In Me 7-14 Records

A new release from Eddie Turner is way overdue. The singer/songwriter/guitarist’s last studio effort was Miracles & Demons in 2010, with a fine live release, Naked In Your Face, coming in 2016. A strong singer, interesting songwriter and innovative guitarist (some see a strong Hendrix resemblance, but that’s only really scratching the surface), Turner’s albums always make for compelling listening. His latest, Change In Me, is no exception, with seven Turner originals (one co-written with co-producer Kenny Passarelli), and three impressive covers from as diverse a set of artists as you’ll hear.

The title track opens the disc, a smooth and mellow blues-soul ballad with Turner’s somber vocals meshing well with Jessie Lee Thetford’s. This song and the next, the mid-tempo rocker “Dignify Me,” both address social issues pertinent to these times, and they do it quite effectively. Next is the album’s first cover, a deep cut from Jimi Hendrix’s catalog, “My Friend.” It’s an intriguing choice, not the usual Hendrix cover fare but Turner really captures that Hendrix feel, also making his own mark on the song by giving it a bit of a jazz and blues touch. Very nicely done. “This Is Your Night” is a moody foray into blues and soul with rich lyrics powerfully sung.

Turner also offers a most impressive mash-up of two decidedly different artists, combining Lou Reed’s “I’m Waiting For The Man’ with Taj Mahal’s “She Caught The Katy.” Turner re-imagines the songs as a slow, deep, funky blues. Speaking of funk, Passarelli’s thumping bass and Neal Evan’s B3 drive the stark “Standing On The Front Line.” The haunting “Another Sign Of Weakness” is a thoroughly modern slow blues, and “Whoa Whoa Whoa” is a reflective track with Turner singing/speaking the lyric backed by jazzy keyboards and Thetford and Passarelli’s accompanying vocals.

“Soul Run Free” is a mid-tempo ballad with one of Turner’s stronger vocals, reflecting on his independence backed by his soaring guitar and a trumpet wafting in the background.

The album closer is another cover, Willie Dixon’s “Hoochie Koochie Man,” though Turner’s version is not your usual version, as he presents it in a funky, almost hip-hop version with a funky rap vocal delivery. It’s an out-of-the-ordinary conclusion to a disc that fits the description of “contemporary blues” as closely as I’ve heard in a long time.

Change In Me was a little over five years in the making. Turner likes to take his time and work at his own pace. Listening to the results, I would say he can take all the time he wants if the end product is as good as this. This album captures Eddie Turner at his best as a guitarist, songwriter, and singer.

--- Graham Clarke