Gary Floyd
"Back Door Preacher Man"
(Innerstate)
Gary Floyd, who used to sing with a San Francisco band called Sister Double Happines has a great voice. On his solo debut, Floyd puts together and some original compositions with a batch of great old blues tunes. With his brawny, expressive vocal chords, Floyd does great justice to songs by people like Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. With a strong emphasis on acoustic material, Gary Floyd also reveals himself as an extremely sensitive songwriter. In some ways, Gary Floyd reminds me of a modern day Dave Van Ronk. That is, he effortlessly incorporates traditional material into his act and brings old songs to life. He makes classic songs like "Wayfaring Stranger," completely his own without ever relinquishing the original spirit of the composition. On James Moore's "King Bee" Floyd embraces the sweet country blues with wonderful results. He also does a brave, evocative cover version of Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground." On his version of Memphis Minnie's "World of Trouble," Floyd captures the weight of the world and puts it all into his incredible voice. A moving album from a tragically overlooked artist, "Back Door Preacher Man" is a perfect showcase of Gary Floyd as a modern bluesman and enigmatic troubadour.
by Mitch Myers
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