Josh Boyd and the VIP Band
(Self-titled)

A long-time devotee of Albert Collins, Toledo, Ohio, guitar virtuoso Josh Boyd confesses that you can hear the master’s licks in his playing. And you can. But you hear a whole lot more as well - and it’s all good.

Only in his twenties, Boyd’s mastery of the guitar belies his age. While his playing may seem derivative at first listen, you soon realize that this is the sound of a serious guitarist coming into his own, paying tribute to the forebears who inspired him, but20making his own way in the world.
This is not strictly a blues album, a fact that Boyd freely admits. “Few need 90 minutes of straight blues, so we push the envelope…(with a) fusion of styles, funk and rock…” he is quoted about the bands live sets in his press kit.

That said, this is still a great album for fans of the guitar. Backed by Toledo-area sidemen Junior Springs (vocals/bass), and Charles Gaston (drums), Josh kicks into the first of the CD’s ten cuts, “Free,” with a display of craftsmanship which, although more rock than blues, showcases his virtuosity.

The next cut, “Can’t Stop Your Love,” is one of my favorites. I know how artists hate to be compared to other artists, but indulge me if I say it is sort of Santana-ish. Not that it sounds like Santana, exactly. It’s just sort of -ish. And maybe it’s my bent for a particular kind of music, but I could definitely see this cut and the soulful, “I Don’t Wanta Think About It,” getting airplay in a variety of radio formats.

A lot of artists have covered, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” but unlike artists like Kenny Rankin, Boyd doesn’t treat the song with jazz-oriented kid gloves. Instead, he delivers a harder-edged interpretation that plays tribute to the original but treats it rough. I wasn’t sure I cared for it on my first time through, but once I got rid of my pre-conceived notions about how it should sound , the quality of the work won me over.

Perhaps the most personal song on the disc is Boyd’s autobiographical, “Down On The East Side.” A musical chronicle of Josh’s musical milestones from the time he first picked up a guitar at age 3, to his blues epiphany at a BB King/Koko Taylor concert when he was 12, etc., the song is great musically, and something every music lover - player or not - can identify with.

If you like the guitar (and who doesn’t), and you don’t mind your blues mixed (skilfully), with other genres, you should give Josh Boyd and the VIP Band a listen. It’s the sound of somebody on his way up.

-Pat Jennings - The Wichita Blues Society