Stress Relief (self-released)
When local harp player Mr. Stress suffered a minor stroke at the end of last year, local bluesman Colin Dussault rallied some of the best players on the Cleveland scene to contribute to a benefit project. Dussault received such overwhelming response, he had to put the tunes on four discs. The collection opens with a couple of Mr. Stress tracks, including “Help Me,” a moody collaboration with Dussault. The collection also includes raucous barroom rock (The Alan Greene Band’s “Little Black Mark”), tender balladry (“Becky Boyd’s “Teach Me”) and laid-back reggae (I-Tal’s “Nights in White Satin”). And that’s just on the first disc alone. The set also includes a 20-page booklet that includes some very touching liner notes penned by Dussault and photos of stress that date back to the ’60s. It’s a terrific compilation.
This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2014.
…..all that music for a minimum donation of $30 (plus shipping) on Colin Dussault’s website. All proceeds from the sale assist Mr. Stress — The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock And Roll, indeed.