Kai Strauss – Wailin’ In Vienna
Kai Strauss – Wailin’ In Vienna
Format: CD
Label: Continental Record Services – Continental Blue Heaven
Release: 2024
Release date: December, 2024
Notes by Klaus Kilian:
Kai Strauss has the touch. After 30 years of professional blues guitar playing he has long mastered the sound and the intricacies of his blues guitar heroes, and has distilled his skills into a readily recognizable own six-string style. Most importantly, he has the feel to shift his notes into exciting places within the groove, and to create suspense with his phrasing. Along the way, especially after going solo with his own band in 2011, he has also developed into a strong, expressive singer, and an excellent songwriter with a command of the blues language that enables him to make meaningful statements on native-speaker level.
With his Electric Blues All-Stars, Kai Strauss has made a name for himself all over Europe with dynamic, driving live shows and award-winning CDs, featuring an individual style that’s based on the urban blues tradition, but taking in big chunks of soulful and funky grooves. And this band knows how to rock the house!
For ‘Wailin’ In Vienna,’ Kai has realized his long-standing plan to record an old-school blues album, going back to his roots and beyond. And the results are nothing short of spectacular, with 15 self-composed songs that cover a lot of traditional ground: swinging R&B, 50’s Chicago blues, instrumental shuffles, even some bluesy jazz, a minor-key cha-cha and a tribute to Bill Doggett and his guitarist Billy Butler. Although the shadows of T-Bone, the three Kings and lesser-known guitar giants loom large over the proceedings, Kai Strauss never fails being his own man, playing his own songs that sound like they could have been spun on a U.S. jukebox 70 or more years ago.
Of course it helps when you can realize such a project with a team comprising some of the best players in this style: Dani Gugolz and Peter Müller have been a much sought-after, steadily swinging rhythm team for 35 years, with countless blues, R&B and jazz sessions and gigs under their belt. Pianists Dave Ruosch and Andreas Sobczyk combine tasteful chordal work with cascading treble runs. Sax Gordon has been a first-call R&B horn man for decades.
Gerry Lülik’s full-bodied tone and extensive repertoire of classic licks have made him one of Austria’s foremost bluesharp players. Pianist Christian Dozzler, who came up in Vienna but has long made his home in Texas, can be heard with the likes of Anson Funderburgh when not doing his own thing.
Finally, the two guitar greats heard alongside Kai hardly need much introduction: Rusty Zinn and Alex Schultz have been among the top tier of traditional blues string-benders since the 1990’s. Here, they are mostly heard in a supporting role for their friend and colleague, but ready to step out in style when called upon.
Kai and the gang serve up a feast of swingin’, bluesin’ & wailin’ sounds – dig in and enjoy! – Klaus Kilian
Website: https://www.kaistrauss.com/
