Soul Flowers of Titan

by Barrence Whitfield, Barrence Whitfield & the Savages

Overview

Further proof that the old saw that there are no second acts in American lives is a bunch of malarkey: since returning to action with the Savages in 2011, Barrence Whitfield has been kicking out a steady stream of recordings that rank with his stellar sides of the '80s for sheer howling R&B mania. Whitfield has long been a man who doesn't care much for the distinctions between rock & roll and rhythm & blues, and that hasn't changed a bit on 2018's Soul Flowers of Titan, though this time out, he seems to be digging a bit deeper into straightforward blues territory than he has on his past few sessions. That said, Whitfield and his band haven't eased up on their gale-force impact even when they slow things down on numbers like "Tingling" and "I'll Be Home Someday," and if anything, Barrence is belting it out harder and heavier than he ever has before. Exactly how Whitfield's instrument has withstood this sort of treatment over several decades is a mystery, but his celebration of the wild side of vintage sounds is vital and joyous, and his band evokes the call of the roadhouse with the sweaty swagger of a long, hot Saturday night show. Peter Greenberg's no-frills guitar work, Tom Quartulli's hard-honking sax, and Brian Olive's soulful keyboards give Whitfield just as good as he gets, and the production sounds as live and direct as it should be. And if you can't dig "Tall Black and Bitter," "Edie Please," or "Let's Go to Mars," you are suggested to turn in your rock & roll shoes and return home at once. Soul Flowers of Titan is a rollicking rhythm session from one of the greatest living practitioners of the form, and if anyone deserves Rufus Thomas' old title of The World's Oldest Teenager, it's Barrence Whitfield. Give this a spin and find out why. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	03/02/2018
Label:	Bloodshot
UPC:	0744302025810
Rank:	147959

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Barrence Whitfield   Primary Artist,Vocals
Barrence Whitfield & the Savages   Primary Artist
Brian Olive   Keyboards,Saxophone
Phil Lenker   Bass
Peter Greenberg   Guitar
Beth Harris   Vocals (Background)
Andy Jody   Drums
Michael "Maddog" Mavridoglou   Trumpet

Technical Credits

Brian Olive   Composer,Group Member
Robert Johnson   Composer
Calvin Harris   Composer
Phil Lenker   Composer,Group Member
Peter Greenberg   Composer,Producer,Group Member
Danny Bryant   Composer
Scott Beseler   Band Photo
Andrew Jody   Composer
Andy Jody   Group Member
Brian Niesz   Mixing,Engineer
Dave Davis   Mastering
Katherine Coffey   Cover Design
Sammy Faggitt   Composer
Blu Cantrell   Composer
Barrence Whitfield   Group Member
Hank Ballard   Composer
Jesse Anderson   Composer
Cal Green   Composer