Album Review of
Long Hot Summer Days

Label: Black Hen Music

Genres: Rock, Blues, R&B

Styles: Roots Rock, Soul Blues, Soul


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Written by Duane Verh
November 26, 2017 - 12:00am EST
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Singer/guitarist Jim Byrnes serves up warm-hearted, brawny-voiced renditions of a wide range of covers, and, considering the highly distinctive and personalized nature of some of the original versions, the St. Louis-bred, Vancouver based Byrnes shows no small measure of nerve.  The laid-back shuffle beat with which he takes on The Band’s “The Shape I’m In” and the mid-tempo sway propelling Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” work surprisingly well.  Ditto for the country recasting of the 70’s Bobby Bland hit “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City’. An earthy male backup chorus and skillful fretboard work from producer Steve Dawson provide consistently appealing touches.