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(Pat Boyack: Voices From The Street
By A Grigg
Real Blues Magazine)

But, still, Doc Blues scores very high for dedication, goals and finished product and I hope to see/hear dozens more Texas Blues CDs on this label. Given the power/strength of "Voices From The Street" we will probably see that happen as it will appeal to both modern Blues fans and hardcore traditional Blues and Soul fans and that¹s not an easy thing to accomplish. Thanks to an incredible lineup choice, you couldn¹t really expect anything else. The sheer magnitute of exceptional talent put together certainly creates an environment where fantastic sounds have to emerge.

Put W.C. Clark, the patriarch of Austin Blues, Ruthie Foster one of the brightest young Blues stars on the scene today, the hip-and-nasty Sweatpea Atkinson (control yourselves ladies!), Larry Fulcher (surprise!), longtime Austin bassist who can sing up a storm, and Texas piano star Marcia Ball as the five vocalists and back them with Pat Boyack on guitar, the legenary Riley Osborn (organ/piano), the great Frosty Smith on drums (remember Lee Michaels?), Tony Braunagel on drums, Kaz Kazanoff on saxes plus Gary Slechta, Nick Connolly, Stuart Sullivan and Randy Zimmerman (all long time veterans and killer players) and you have a matchless Texas ensemble. Boyack is emerging as a superb young Texas guitar king and he adds hot, biting and inventive picking to every track.

Too bad AM/FM radio (except for the Carolins's Shag stations) has been totally taken over by the big multinational record labels (who dictate playlists) because we certainly have 3 or 4 potential hits here. Who knows, people say they can smell a music revolution coming...let¹s hope "Chance At Love", the always politically relevent"Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?" (Larry Fulcher has a superb voice!) Arlester "Dyke" Christian's classic "Shotgun Slim" and Boyack's own "Ain't That A Shame (Help Me Now) sung by the lethal Sweatpea Atkinson all get the space they deserve on the airwaves.

W.C. Clark¹s vocals on "First Comes The Grievin'" prove once again that he¹s the biggest voice in Texas and Ruthie Foster¹s "Feel Like Goin' On" is a down and out Gospel stomper which proves everything that¹s been said about Foster¹s prowess. "Sexy Coffeepot" gives Boyack and The Texas Horns a chance to strut in funky fashion. Wonderful collection of tunes (Boyack¹s a fine tunesmith) exceptional performances by a killer crew of talents and stellar production combine to make this disc a must have¹ with mucho muscle. Doc Blues should have a Big seller on their hands and we must award this heavyweight Texas Blues celebration 6 big bottles. You gotta have it. Boyack, Foster and Fulcher will probably find their careers moving into higher gear thanks to this excellent disc. Texas Rules!

Pat Boyack's - Voices From The Street