Album Review of
God Bless The USA

Written by Duane Verh
June 15, 2025 - 6:46pm EDT
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To be clear, there are no Lee Greenwood covers present here.  The title track on Aki Kumar’s current offering skews in a decidedly different direction.  That said, the Mumbai-bred, Bay Area vocalist and harmonica player does serve up some good-timey blues and interesting variations.  While playing it straight, blues-wise, on his reading of The Clash’s “Should I Stay” and his own “Jarvos Woman”, compelling percussive cross-pollination makes for a unique take on Willie Dixon’s “I Just Want To Make Love”. The Meters’ “Desi Strut” gets a tasty treatment as well.