Description
Release Year: 2014
Label: Independent
Track List
- What I Came Here To Do
- Her Promised Land
- Louisiana, Hold My Baby
- Last Train (Solo)
- Too Much
- It Doesn’t Matter Now
- I Got Mine
- Just For Today We’ll Stay
- Walk Around With Me
- Payment Down
- What I Came Here To Do (Solo)
Personnel
- Marty Christian – Guitar and Vocals
- Frank Kincel – Drums
- Lee Zeno – Bass
Notes
Marty Christian’s latest CD of original songs draws on Chicago Blues, New Orleans R&B, Memphis Soul Singers, Americana and French Cajun, Zydeco and Swamp Pop sounds that pump from the Acadiana area and the city he has adopted as his new home: Lafayette, Louisiana for inspiration.
Since arriving in Louisiana in 2003 (via France and Austin, TX), the native Clevelander has honed his musical skills through many performances and recordings with some of Louisiana’s greatest Blues and Zydeco musicians including: Thomas “Big Heat” Fields, the legendary Blues pianist, Henry Gray (from Howlin’ Wolf’s band) and Soul diva, Carol Fran.
As a songwriter, Christian’s music all comes from the deep well of the Blues – but doesn’t limit himself to any one genre. His 2014 release, “What I Came Here To Do” adds to three well-received CDs of his own original material with a fourth CD that combines his soulful acoustic style with the well-seasoned electric band from Rue Boogaloo with Frank Kincel and Lee Zeno. “What I Came Here To Do” is the latest chapter in a life of songs that invite the listener to dance to the Blues and share the soul of a traveling songwriter that wants to take you further.
Reviewed In OffBeat
Dan Willging (February 2015 Issue)
Marty Christian originally intended this as a solo project since his songs really didn’t fit his band Rue Boogaloo’s funky-bluesy grooves.
At least that’s what he thought until monster bassist Lee Allen Zeno (Buckwheat Zydeco) and jazz drummer Frank Kincel heard ’em. They wanted in and essentially shaped Christian’s solo affair with a Boogaloo foundation on most tracks.
Christian achieves an artistic milestone with a handful of songs that were written from a third-person perspective.
It’s something he has rarely done but through various encounters, the experiences of others were transformed sonically, such as the offshore worker yearning for reconciliation (“Louisiana, Hold My Baby”) and the ex-con trying to live clean (“Payment Down”).
On “Her Promised Land,” a young mother attempts to battle her way through insurmountable obstacles. The title song sports two versions, an electric and a heartfelt acoustic version.
Despite Christian’s folkie sensibility, he also defies strict categorization. His vocals occasionally border on soul-ish and he dives into blues, swamp pop and infections, Zeno-powered funk at the drop of a hat.
Additionally, he’s an impressive finger picker—witness the ripping jazz-tinged romp “Too Much.” Christian may not be easy to pigeonhole but he’s nobody’s remora either.
