By Frank Alkyer | Published November 2016
Sometimes the soul just needs the blues, and along comes Hammond B–3 bomber Raphael Wressnig with a kick–ass set of smooth, soulful music that sinks in and stays in your gut. Wressnig is a 37–year–old Austrian keyboardist with a global approach to the blues who sounds like he’s been playing on the South Side of Chicago for the past 30 years—and this two–disc set proves it. First, we have a studio album, The Soul Connection, recorded in São Paulo, Brazil, where he teams with Brazilian blues ambassador Igor Prado on guitar. Prado and Wressnig have both been bathed and blessed by the blues. They have great chemistry together. If that weren’t enough, add in the sweet soul vocals of Willie Walker and a killer horn and rhythm section. The group runs through a set that includes “Trying To Live My Life Without You,” “Suffering With The Blues,” “Turnip Greens” and more. On the second disc, Captured Live, we get a much better sense of Wressnig’s depth and groove on the B–3. It’s a dance–marathon of a record packed with tight arrangements, including a killer guest appearance by Chicago’s Deitra Farr on “All That I’ve Got.” But my favorite track of this concert set is an instrumental version of “Wichita Lineman.” It showcases Wressnig as a master of his instrument who stretches and entertains in a way that translates anywhere on the planet.
