Upsetter
The Ray Rich Band
The Ray Rich Band is a highly professional and dynamic six-piece band, able to cross over from jazz & soul to rock 'n' roll to blues, depending on the venue and the audience. This ability has made it one of the most sought after bands in the pub and club scene in London and elsewhere in the country. At least, that's what the insert of the CD tells us.
Their album 'Upsetter' is a collection of 12 cover versions of jazz, soul, rock 'n' roll and blues numbers which highlights their professional ability as musicians. Included as part of this collection are covers of such classics as Van Morrison's "Moondance" and Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island".
The band can adapt the music to their audience when playing live but they seem to have come unstuck when deciding what type of audience to play for on this album. They've chosen to play a little for everyone in a variety of styles and as a result the album lacks focus, sounding as if all 12 tracks were chosen at random.
Most of the tracks are played proficiently but fail to set the imagination on fire. Removed from the live circuit the music on this album is not strong enough to stand up to repeated listening. The exception is an instrumental version of "Moondance". "Cantaloupe Island" lacks punch, and a version of Otis Reading's "Hard to Handle" is unlistenable due to some dreadful singing.
This is music better heard live in a bar, background music to create an unobtrusive but genial atmosphere. But the album does hint at the band's ability to play at larger venues with the more up-tempo cuts of "Wild about you" and "Ubangi stomp".
If you have never heard of the Ray Rich band then this album is unlikely to turn you into their greatest fan.
Reviewed by Martyn Rees