I reckon that Toronto-based singer/songwriter must be one of Canada's best kept secrets. Although this country/blues singer and guitar player has been a performer for more many years, having played his first gig as far back as 1971, it was only in 2013 that he got around to releasing his debut long player, 'One Take : Live at Canterbury'. This received positive reviews, and as a result, Lee has produced a very strong follow up, '60 Clicks'.
This album was recorded live in the studio, alongside the One Take Players, and has Lee on all vocals and acoustic guitar, Al Cross on percussion, Alec Fraser on upright bass, Elmer Ferrer on acoustic and Spanish guitars, Roly Platt on harmonica, Burke Carroll on slide guitar, Wendell Fergusson on guitar on a few tracks, and Neil Donnell on backing vocals.
The album features ten tracks which vary between country and country blues, and for me, one of the most appealing features of this album is its laid-back attitude. This album is so relaxed, it's practically horizontal. Lee and the band play some excellent music without appearing to even break their stride or break into a sweat.
The opening track 'Do What I Does' is a laid back blues with some excellent 'growing up' lyrics which charts Lee's journey: -
“When I was a kid, I did what I done (x 2)/ I kept the wind in my back, my head in the clouds, always on the run/ I got a long way to go, to get where I was (x 2)/ Going to be who I am, love what I do, do what I does”.
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On the more country based songs such as the wonderful
'Sometimes', Roly Platt's harmonica work comes across almost as a cowboy campfire tune, however, this is no criticism, it suits the mood of this song perfectly, and with some simple lyrics which manage to hit the nail on the head, Lee has another winner: -
“Sometimes love finds you, sometimes it can't/Sometimes you find love, it can be as simple as that/ If you keep your heart and your eyes wide open."
My favourite track on the album is 'Fighting The Blues' a slow harmonica blues somewhat in the Chicago style, that is a real foot tapper, and with lyrics that are steeped in the blues tradition, this makes for a fabulous listen: - “I'm fighting the blues, mornin' to mornin'/I'm fighting the blues, hit me without warnin'/ I'm fighting the blues, it's fighting me back...”
With '60 Clicks', Lee has cemented his place as one of Canada's finest exponents of the country/country blues genre, and this album has to be worth investing in.
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