Cray inhabits a world where men worship and adore their ‘sweet baby’ until she ‘done me wrong’, at which point the hated lawyers will start rearing their ugly yet necessary heads… His lyrics are full of bravado and often hilarious. The comic timing of ‘The Grinder’ as he explains how she put his wedding ring through his nose gets me every time. And ‘So Many Women, So Little Time’ is a masculine anthem. These moments of frivolity are all the more convincing for the moments of heartache, tender love and dignity. Rarely has such a convincing personae been expressed in an album.

The music is played by a small, tight band. Nothing is wasted in the arrangements and Cray’s simple yet fiery guitar licks are as direct as his lyrics. His voice is a masterpiece of gritty blues sincerity and passionate soul pastiche and fits the subject matter perfectly.

If you’re a guy who’s had a hard time with women lately and like your blues with a soul/funk twist then this is the album that’ll get you to ‘March On’ as you begin to face the world once more.

My other favorite of Cray’s is ‘Strong Persuader’ – a somewhat slicker follow-up to ‘Bad Influence’. It’s not quite as raw & genuine but still a great listen.



It’s so strange coming back to this 15 years on. When I first heard Lewis’ sound (incredibly on the Chart Show – some marketing guy somewhere has a lot to answer for…) the layered harmonies and guitar chord progressions sounded like an impenetrable wall of complexity. It was a challenge that my ears could not resist. Somehow this white Londoner had managed to blend the vocals of Marvin Gaye with the harmonies of Brian Wilson, along with the music of a much darker Stevie Wonder – all backed by the sounds of Hendrix-esque guitars… Even that lot doesn’t really do it justice. There’s a Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew edge to the arrangements and in the lyrics he assumes the personae of an angsty love guru. In fact he put me in mind of a kind of post-modern Barry White!

Like I said, 15 years on, it sounds very different yet no less brilliant. The sense of mystery that surrounded that minimal album cover, single word song titles and eclectic sound has cleared. In 1996 it was hard to tell if Lewis was serious or having a laugh with some of his lyrics and soul vocal inflections. Subsequent recordings have confirmed that he often was joking around. However, on this album at least, he still sounds heartfelt all the while.

Perhaps back then, the limitations of the album’s production (incredibly all done on an 8 track by Lewis himself) hampered it’s progress. Those of us who could hear past that got utterly lost in the intricate beauty of it all. But I must admit that now, even more than back then, the synth lines and sequenced drums expose the limited resources that put the recording together. And yet, in a way, that’s part of it’s beauty. From a musical point of view, his songs sound so unique, precisely because of the limitations. Most of them involve a drum pattern that remains the same all the way through. Yet the complex arrangements are beautifully planned and then finished with guitar/vocal flourishes. This ensures it all sounds in-the-moment.

Both lyrically and musically, Lewis comes across as sensitive, yet masculine – a winning combination. I could quote some of the words here, but honestly they’ll just put you off listening! There’s little, if any, great poetry or new insight here in a lyrical sense. It’s how he sings it that will bring you peace from your failed or rocky love affair.

On a final note, if you like this album it’s worth digging around for the B-side ‘Waves’. I heard a rumour that it was meant for the album but was pulled by the label at the last moment in favor of the infinitely more accessible ‘Whoever’. Probably that was the right decision but ‘Waves’ is still one of the most remarkable pieces of music I’ve ever heard.

Lewis very much influenced my style in vocals, arranging and production. The harmonies in ‘Have I Told You’ – especially in the mid section – I owe to the many hours I spent listening to this wonderful album.

For those not familiar, Kirk was a blind Jazz Saxophonist with a career in the 60s and 70s. He was often mistaken for a man defined by his gimmicks. It’s true he could play three saxophones at once – thereby becoming his own (somewhat quirky) brass section. He also learnt how to play flute and sax simultaneously although that trick seemed more limited in scope. As if these crowd pleasers were not enough, his saxophone and flute voicings (the flute especially) were unmistakable. Just have a listen to ‘Funk Underneath’ on this album to see what I mean. Lastly he had an array of amazing whistle sound effects to punctuate solos…

You would think all this would leave him looking and sounding more like a circus act than a serious jazz musician. But in truth, they were simply the unique expression of a singular talent and personality. As I have found out in my own music (notably by making overdubbed recordings of brass sections with my own somewhat limited trumpet playing): the limitations incurred by doing everything yourself can often be more than outweighed by the gains of controlling the entire piece 100%. You also learn clever arranging tricks in order to comfortably live within those limits. Consequently, Kirk’s one-man-band brass section always had beautiful zero-fat arrangements and a togetherness that only one man (rather than 3) can bring to a part. Meanwhile, the whistles and distinctive sounds of his playing were an expression of his personality – lively, humorous, in-your-face – while the whole band seem to perform as a living, breathing extension of Kirk himself.

The album Kirk’s Work also notably features hammond organ legend Jack McDuff. His bluesy playing adds a depth to the sound unmatched in Kirks other recordings. Also, this one is noticeably tighter both in the playing and the arrangements than Kirk’s often ragged creations. The tunes are easily as well formed as the ever popular Miles Davis ‘Kind of Blue’ (and I don’t say that lightly). Where Kirk was often experimental and obtuse, this time he consolidates his discoveries and is beautifully accessible.

While I sometimes yearn for the improvised heights of ‘Sweet Fire’ or the angry passion of ‘The Inflated Tear’, I would always recommend ‘Kirk’s Work’ as an introduction to his genius. And it’s these songs – some of them Kirk’s own, some distinctive versions of standards, that ring in my head the most!

For more information, please contact: info@whoyacallinpigs.org

I get up every morning with a ‘to do’ list in my head. I hammer away at that ‘to do’ list until I’m too exhausted to continue. Then I slob around for a while until I fall into bed. I do this because I’m afraid that if I don’t then I’ll never have any of the things that I want and the things I love will be taken away from me.

The devil’s in the detail of course… …in the phrasing of the paragraph. What if it said this instead:

I get up each morning excited about all the things I want to do. I give my all to these tasks until I finally relax and enjoy the evening. I do this because I’ll only get to live this life once and I want to explore and appreciate it as much as I can!

Sometimes I just need to lighten up a bit!

My List is as follows:

Matthew Herbert: The guy is an awesome musician, as at home with a sampler as arranging a brass section. He’s got a great slant on ethics/politics too.

J. Michael Stracinsky: Created the Babylon 5 TV series and wrote most of it. The sort of dude who can juggle a story that large and deep in his head is someone I would like to meet.

Shakira: OK so she’s a babe but she seems nice too and I love her songs and her voice!

Noam Chomsky: I’m hoping he’s still alive… The man speaks the truth with insight and authority. I’d love to meet him.

Tonya Zavasta: She practices calorie restriction and eats 100% raw vegan. I’m getting there myself but am quite a few steps behind…

Funny how I really enjoyed putting that list together. I’m sure its members feel appropriately flattered!

Rob