Sean Chambers - That's What I'm Talkin' About (A Tribute To Hubert Sumlin)

18-10-2021

Sean Chambers is an American blues rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His main guitar playing influences are the work of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and his early professional music experience was gained while touring for four years backing Hubert Sumlin. Chambers has worked with a variety of blues musicians, who include Derek Trucks, Gregg Allman, Kim Simmonds, Tab Benoit, Jeff Healey, Leslie West, Rick Derringer, Pat Travers, Kim Wilson, Bobby Bland, Walter Trout, Big Bill Morganfield, Koko Taylor, Ike Turner, and Robert Cray. His latest album, "That's What I'm Talkin' About", was released on July 9, 2021 this time on Quarto Valley Records, and is a tribute to his friend and mentor Hubert Sumlin. The album consists of nine tracks that were frequently performed when Chambers was backing Sumlin in the late 1990s, and one original song written by Chambers. "Thats What I'm Talkin About" is the new album by Sean Chambers and the guitarist from Florida treats us to a beautiful tribute to his teacher, Hubert Sumlin. Chambers has been around since the early nineties in which he was the frontman of an SRV tribute band, but his influences also consist of the three Kings, Clapton and Johnny Winter, not bad names to look at you would say. In 1998 his first album is released, but at the same time he receives an invitation to join Hubert Sumlin's backing band for a blues festival in Memphis. The collaboration is so good on both sides that Chambers serves as guitarist / bandleader at Sumlin for the next four years. Sumlin's album "About Them Shoes" released in 2004 also featured a guest appearance from Sean Chambers. He often worked with other guitarists from the profession, including Walter Trout, Robert Cray, Tab Benoit, Derek Trucks and many others, but with none there was such a click and understanding as with Sumlin. Sumlin in turn, of course, worked for the great men of the blues of the last century...Muddy Waters and The Howlin' Wolf. They call it Household Names in America. In early 2020, it was time for Chambers to record a tribute to his old friend, and so the American Showplace Studio in Dover, New Jersey, was booked to start work from March 1-8. Producer and Engineer on duty for these sessions was Benn Elliot who also has names like Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Mick Taylor on his record as producer. The band members on the record are Rick Curran on keyboards, Todd Cook on bass guitar, Andrei Koribanics as percussionist and of course Sean Chambers on guitar and vocals. Among the songs that appeared on the album, we find absolute classics such as Howlin' For My Darling , Rockin' Daddy , Going Down Slow and really just other well-known songs. Except for 1 song, 'Hubert's Song'... a nice song on which Chambers explains how Sumlin played and what he meant. The album is a feast of recognition from start to finish, with musical sparks flying from it and it is a shame that producer Ben Elliot was not allowed to experience that anymore because he died a month after the sessions, his passing has meanwhile also come to an end. at the American Showplace Studios, due to the confusing time surrounding the pandemic, the album unexpectedly stayed on the shelf longer. Fortunately, the record saw the light of day at the beginning of July this year. Recorded In March 2020 Just Before The Coronavirus Shut Everything Down, The Florida-Based Sean Chambers Went Into Showplace Studios In Dover, New Jersey, For The Sessions Of His 8th Album. "That's What I'm Talkin About" Was Engineered And Produced By Showplace Owner Ben Elliott, Who Suddenly Passed Away Shortly After The Album Was Recorded. In Addition To Sean Chambers (Guitar, Vocals) And Members Of His Band, 'That's What I'm Talkin About' Also Features Guest Appearances From Lauded Keyboardists Bruce Katz And John Ginty. The 11 Tracks On The New Disc Include 10 Songs Sean Regularly Performed On The Road As A Member Of Hubert Sumlin's Touring Band, As Well As "Hubert's Song," A Chambers Original Saluting Sumlin. The Music Showcases A Tour De Force Of Sean's Blazing Guitar Pyrotechnics. During Sean's Tenure With Sumlin, Guitarist Magazine (Britain) Named Chambers As "One Of The Top 50 Blues Guitarists Of The Last Century." Active since 1998, Florida-born American blues rocker, Americana and country rock musician Sean Chambers will release his eighth album in 2021. "That's What I'm Talkin About" is the follow-up to 2018's "Welcome To My Blues." It will be released on CD on Quarto Valley Records, Proper / Bertus Musikvertrieb GmbH. Growing up with the music of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, also Johnny Winter, Freddie King or B. B. King are among the musicians he admires. Chambers has worked with greats such as Johnny Winter, Freddie King as well as Albert King, Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck. He honed his musical chops early in his career when he toured for more than four years with blues veteran Hubert Sumlin. Sumlin, born in 1931, died in 2011. It may sound like swearing in church to the blues purists, but "That's what I'm Talking About, A tribute to Hubert Sumlin" didn't ring a bell. At such a moment Wikipedia always offers a solution, and the 6000 Blues CDs that my niece once gave me as a gift and so I was offered two and three blues artists on a silver platter, Sean Chambers, Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin. Hubert Sumlin was one of the founders of the Chicago blues as the guitarist for Howlin' Wolf. Sean Chambers uses a firmer sound, which, according to Wikipedia, is compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan. I feel more for the British side of the blues rock spectrum. Not surprisingly, the British Guitarist Magazine counts him as "one of the top 50 blues guitarists of the last century". Sean Chambers's relationship with Hubert Sumlin lies in the fact that he served as a bandleader for Hubert for years, building a close relationship with him. The songs on this album are all by Howlin' Wolf and since this was way before my time I'm happy with this CD and the way Sean Chambers has put these songs in a nice raw blues rock jacket. In the eleven songs Sean lavishly sprinkles with numerous solos and nice grooves, assisted in a sublime way by John Ginty (including Allman Betts band) with his Hammond and Bruce Katz (including Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters) with gossamer piano playing. In addition, should a movie ever be made about the life of Gary Moore, take a look at this Sean Chambers for lead actor, I see a clear resemblance. Back to the album, it opens with "Howling for my Darling", a nice entry that immediately sets the tone of the album. This is followed by "Sitting on top of the world" the regular show closing of Howlin' Wolf. Songs that stand out in terms of interplay between Sean Chambers and John Ginty are "Going down slow" and "Taildragger", the dynamics that the two show are great. This Tribute CD is definitely a calling card for Sean Chambers and he rightly shows that he belongs to the top 50. As an aptitude test he shows this in "Do the Do" where the entire bag of tricks opens, he pulls almost everything out of his guitar. The choice of Howlin' Wolf track is diverse, the nice and smooth tracks like "Hidden Charms" and "Rocking Daddy". Also surprising is the instrumental "Chunky", the tune sounds familiar and John Ginty and Sean Chambers once again show that they enjoy jamming this together. Personally I think "Louise" is a nice song because I know it from a performance by Nick Moss, "Louise someone is fishing in your pond", is a phrase that I often sing myself when I see my colleague Louise passing by. "Louise" is a nice blues, trigger mid-tempo and full of dazzling solos. The CD closes with Sean Chambers' genuine tribute to Hubert Sumlin in Hubert Song. While singing, Sean tells about his years with Hubert Sumlin and what he meant to him and he brings a beautiful ode. This CD gives me many new insights; the discovery of Sean Chambers and the introduction to Howlin' Wolf and Hubert Sumlin.

1 Chunky

2 Do The Do

3 Rockin' Daddy

4 Goin' Down Slow

5 Hidden Charms

6 Forty-Four

7 Taildragger

8 Hubert's Song

9 Sitting On Top Of The World

10 Howlin' For My Darling

11 Louise

Bass Guitar - Antar Goodwin