Kenny Acosta Band
It’s All Good
Self Released
Peter “Blewzzman” Lauro © Nov. ’24
Prelude
A few weeks ago, I got a FB private message from an old friend of mine – and I do mean old (his words, not mine). Apparently, he read one of my latest reviews posted on FB and reached out to me with these words: “Hey Pete, glad to see you are still kicking. We are some old dogs. But I have a new CD out at 75 yrs old. Would love to have you review it”; to which I replied: “Glad to hear from you. I’ll be 76 in about 76 days”. Now that I think about it, the old guy was right – we are some old dogs.
That said, it was really special hearing from Kenny again. Back in the day – some twenty years or so ago – when there were lots of blues clubs in South Florida, Kenny Acosta (as a solo act or with the House Reckers) would roll through the area on a very regular basis. It was at one of those shows where this long-time friendship with him and his darling wife Susan began. I remember knowing he was coming to town and asking him to bring me some original boudin sausage fresh from Louisiana. During those years I’ve also had the pleasure of writing about all of his other releases, and Kenny (as a duet with Kenny Neal) also had a song on Volume Seven of the nine compilation CD series that Mary Roby and I produced called “Mary4Music Presents: Keeping The Blues Alive”. It’s a song about when Kenny was a kid playing in the woods in Jackson Louisiana crossing paths with an escapee from the asylum for the criminally insane. Should you like to hear it, here ya go –
https://www.mary4music.com/01%20Justice%20Blues.mp3
Review
The Kenny Acosta Band consists of Kenny on guitar and vocals; Lester “Pic” Delmore on drums; Johny Willis on bass, key and vocals; Jay Simon on keys and vocals; Clyde Thompson on fiddle; Bob Heym on percussion; and Russ Bryant on saxophone. The eleven original tracks on It’s All Good are – as Kenny says – “Some down-home blues, mixed with New Orleans street beat and Caribbean rhythms, sauteed in a funky mixture of growl”. In other words, good ol’ Cajun swamp music.
“The way she stands by me, the whole world can see…
And when she takes my hand, ooooh man, man, man…
There ain’t nothin’ in the world I wouldn’t do for my girl…
She’s one of a kind, thank God she’s mine…”
Are just a few of many reasons for Kenny to sincerely and soulfully let us know that “It’s All Good”. Musically, with Lester, Johny and Bob laying down a surreal rhythm groove, it’s the fiddling around that Clyde’s doing that highlights it all.
So, when things are bad enough to have to file a “Restraining Order” against an evil mate, only to be told “File what you wanna, you can’t get rid of me that easily” and “That’s just a piece a paper, I’m still our wife”, you certainly have a case of the blues and the thrill is indeed gone. On an original of Johny’s, he and Kenny release their inner B.B. King. It’s a great slow blues number with Johny kinda talking the song as B.B. so famously did, and Kenny slammin’ out some B.B. style blues licks on the guitar. Additionally, along with Lester on the drums, Johny – on the bass and organ, is a big part of the tracks perfectly done slow blues rhythm groove.
If you want to hear what superb swamp soul sounds like, you’ll find out right here on “Rescue Me”. On a song he wrote, with the band in a very danceable island groove going on behind him, Jay’s as smooth as silk on the vocals.
Similar to the compliments Kenny paid his lady on the title track, he’s at it again. This time however, he’s focusing on her other attributes. Going with the ‘it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it’ theory, ya only gotta hear Kenny say she’s a “Hot Dog” one time and you’ll know exactly what he means. Of course, when songs of this type include a saxophone, the addition of that sultry vibe is always a plus, and on his first appearance, Jay brings it.
Speaking of saxophones, this swingin’ dance floor filler once again features the instrument being highlighted, but this time it’s Russ doin’ the blowin’ on some jumpin’ and smokin’ kinda stuff. It’s another of Johny’s songs and it’s humorously (I think) titled “Pant’s Up”. With a chorus line of….”Come out with your pants up; come out with your pants up;Come out with your pants up, I’m gonna run you outta town”….It makes you wonder just what the heck is goin’ on in there.
From the time I sailed up the Mississippi River – from Norfolk, VA to New Orleans, LA – on the USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7) in 1967, to the several air boat rides I’ve taken through the Louisiana bayous over the years, because of the alligators, snakes and six inch ‘attack’ grass hoppers – never did this city slicker once think of those waters as a place to go “Tubin”. On the other hand, from the sounds of this original instrumental of Kenny’s there must be more accommodating areas to do so. The laid-back Island vibe created by Kenny’s soft guitar chords; Clyde’s finessed fiddling; and Bob’s perfectly suited percussion; are the consummate accompaniment for chillin’ while tubin’.
Other tracks on It’s All Good include: “Pot 2 P In” and “Sexy Lady”, two more of Johny’s originals; “Time Bomb” and “Shake That Thing”, two more of Kenny’s originals; and “Arms Of Love”, another, of Jay’s originals.
Should like to find out more about Kenny Acosta and the band just go to – www.kennyacosta.com. Remember, when you contact Susan or Kenny, please tell them their ‘old’ friend the Blewzzman sent you.
“The Blues Is My Passion And Therapy”
Peter “Blewzzman” Lauro
Blues Editor @ www.Mary4Music.com
2011 “Keeping The Blues Alive” Award Recipient
