SAM MORRISON BAND
Dig it Or Don't (2011)

Musicians:

Sam Morrison - guitar & vocals
Steven Cenker - guitar
David Kurtz - guitar & keyboards
Karl Sanger - saxophone
Greg Kasparian - bass
Bart Robley - drums
Doreen Novotny - background vocals
Mandy Burke - background vocals

Titles :

01 - Rattlesnake Stew
02 - Dig It Or Don't
03 - Celebrate Whiskey
04 - Gunsmoke
05 - Almost Home
06 - Say Your Prayers
07 - Somebody's Daughter
08 - You Bet It Gotta Ride
09 - Peacekeepers
10 - Amazing Grace

The Sam Morrison Band's Californians draw again attention to themselves after an quiet punchy album released in 2002 that incorporated as feat in battle one of the best versions of the Marshall Tucker's « Can’t You See » played with a lot of pugnacity, then an opus tribute band to Bob Seger, one of this band's speciality that allows now and then to bring home the bacon. Sam Morrison comes back to us still with his partner Steven Cenker to let their two bloody guitars wail in a booming way in this year 2011, full of true southern essentials on this « Dig It or Don’t ». We have to notice that two of the twelve tunes of this l’album already appeared on the first album : the Hatchet-like southern boogie « I Gotta Ride » and the light-hearted « Peacekeepers ». However the production has this time a Champagne taste, much more than in 2002. From the beginning, we are dazzled with « Rattlesnake Stew » in a Justice new Hatchet style, and we can retain the title of the album « Dig It Or Don't », the very Skynyrd/Van Zant Bros « Whiskey », the feeling catalysts « Celebrate » and « Almost Home ». Then the hand Morrison Band acts up on a sharp « Say Your Prayers » where we find some plans of the Charlie Daniels Band's « Caballo Diablo » and « The Devil Went On To Georgia ». We border on the Henry Paul Band's side on the admirable « Somebody's Daughter » where we can notice that Sam is a damned good vocalist... He also gives an obvious example of that at the end of the album on the traditionnal « Amazing Grace ». Don't let you disgust by the deadly cover with a skull and crossbones, move on, dead people are still alive in the southern rock, land the proof is that the Sam Morrison Band rises them from the dead.

Jacques Dersigny

Sam Morrison is a very respected character in the Southern Rock's world probably because he represents it loyally for years. Paradoxically he also tours with another band called ''Turn The Page", a Bob Seger tribute band where we can't deny the quality of the interprétation. The Sam Morrisson Band's main influences are uneventfully Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers, but when listening to it, we mainly feel musical markers close to Molly Hatchet, the hard side of the Southern Rock ! Having already released several remarkables albums, Sam Morrisson does it again with this new very finely crafted album ! This new story begins with "Rattlesnake Stew" a tune worthy of the best ''Hard Drivin' '' rocks that the Southern Rock can propose, and the bluesy "Dig it or Don't" don't let fall the fever (far from it !). With "Whiskey", we are completely in the ''South'' atmospheres (laid back tempo, topical chords and slide). We can notice that the Sam Morrisson Band is a quiet complete band as, in addition to a keyboards players and a saxophone player, the band can rely upon the background vocals of two pretty backup singers (Mandy Burke and Doreen Novotny). Another superb southern ballad with "Almost Home", a tune that remains me a little the band Copperhead (the one of the 90's), shortly... The ''Amazing Grace'' beautiful version that closes the album encourages inévitably to let the full record play, and it gives a real pleasure...

As information, on some sites we introduce Sam Morrisson Band with this expression : « 100 % proof Southern Rock-Dripping with Jack Daniels and BBQ Sauce ». I imagine that it talks to you !

John Molet





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