
James Armstrong
Dark Night
Hightone
James Armstrong experienced a night of terror last year when he
was stabbed by an intruder and his young son thrown from the balcony of their apartment.
Fortunately, everyone survived the attack, with the main physical casualty being
Armstrong's inability to play the guitar like before. But it's unlikely that the mental
and emotional scars will heal as quickly. That's why the title cut to Dark Night
is one of the most stirring, emotional songs I've heard in a while. Armstrong sings of the
kind of terror he must have encountered that night --- "...bad boys shoot their
guns, there goes another brother, there goes another son..." Yet through it all,
this song also presents a ray of hope --- "it's a dark night, but I can still see
the light..."
So how do you follow a song like "Dark Night?" The rest of the
album is lighter, with the usual blues themes of lost love as on the catchy tune "Too
Many Misses For Me." While his guitar playing isn't back to where it was before the
accident, relying more on the accompaniment of bandmember Michael Ross, Armstrong's smooth
voice sounds better than ever.
A fun original is "Slender Man Blues," Armstrong's plea to women
that a smaller man shouldn't be overlooked. --- "...I want to do something good
to you, baby, that none of those big men can..."
Armstrong also offers a loving tribute to his son on the funky "Lil'
James." Again, very touching with plenty of emotion as the singer celebrates the life
that was nearly taken away.
His originality in songwriting is displayed on "Bank Of Love,"
an uptempo blues shuffle about finding love sitting behind the teller's window --- "....no
more ATM, customer service looks good..."
The best guitar work here, which I assume comes from Ross, is heard on the
slow contemporary blues "Standing In Your Way."
Mr. Armstrong, we're glad that you and Lil' James are still with us.
Thanks for pouring out your heart to us.
- Bill Mitchell |