David Rotundo Band : So Much Trouble

David Rotundo Band

So Much Trouble

Dreams We Share Records

Getting the chance to work with a hero and a mentor is certainly the dream of most artists, for Toronto singer/songwriter and harmonica virtuoso David Rotundo connecting with Lee Oskar was kismet. The pair performed together in 2019 at the Annual Blues Festival in Puerto Escondido, and “Blues on the Beach” in Huatulco. In Mexico and signed as a featured artist with Lee Oskar Harmonicas later that year. The like minded souls have now joined forces with Oskar producing  Rotundo’s  latest album: “So Much Trouble” for his Dreams We Share Productions.   

The twelve new tracks feature an all star cast of musicians from Canada and the Pacific Northwest including on a breadth of material from juke joint Blues ,hard driving Soul and introspective anthems, with Rotundo’s gravelly tenor and emotive Blues harp at the center of each arrangement. Under Oskar’s sage direction the sessions captured each track in live off the floor single takes to maximize use of the energy and interaction from the players. 

A driving train beat from award winning drummer Andrew Cloutier propels the roadhouse boogie “She’s Dynamite,” opening the set with dance floor filling zeal. He get emotional on the bumping slow Blues “I Must Be Crazy,” straining his emotions and his vocal cords, bolstered by dramatic solo from Ron Weinstein on B3 and Milky Burgess on lead guitar. Rotundo plays is cool on the slow burning “Funky Side of Town,” with his picture of life on the street given a cinematic musical backdrop that includes strings and choral underpinnings.

He further demonstrates his songwriter depth with the reflections on our current global struggles in the Delta Blues testimony “Hard Times Coming,” and the expansive title track reminiscent of a Pink Floyd anthem ”So Much Trouble,” with its theatrical arrangement and pointed lyrics that will surprise and challenge casual Blue fans. Rotundo trades vocal lines with Annie Jantzer and Harmonica leads with Oskar on the sultry swinging “Too Blue.” More hot Hammond B3 from Ron Weinstein and Salty sax from Darian Asplund spice up the comic relief in the barrelhouse shuffle “Drinking Overtime.” He reveals the inner workings of a man’s heart during the moody blues “That Thing Called Love,” and shares trials and tribulations of his journey through life on the gritty rocker “Trying To Find It.” The delicate piano ballad “Foolish Love,” is a hymn to al matters of the heart. A marvelous mixture of instruments including a world percussion ensemble, Dobro, strings, and chants  are brought together for the global beat travelogue trance Blues “Long Road,” that covers continents and a global musical message of peace and love. Roundo closes the set on an intimate solo reading of the vaudeville classic from 1924 “Trouble In Mind,” just a man ,his guitar and harp singing the Blues.

This album is the epitome of achievement like-minded creatives can accomplish and a milestone in careers of both Rotundo as an emerging recording artist and Oskar as a producer who shared a common dream.

Rick J Bowen       

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