Description
One of the longest enduring bands in blues history, Savoy Brown celebrates 50 years in the business with the release of The Devil To Pay, the 45th album in leader Kim Simmonds’ catalog, and it delivers a rock-solid collection of original material with a familiar feel.
A self-taught string-bender, Simmons formed the band in London as a teenager after a chance meeting with harp player John O’Leary in 1965. The original 6 piece quickly moved to the forefront of the British blues revival.
The band’s gone through dozens of revisions through the years, But the one constant has been lead singer/guitarist/harmonica player Simmonds. He’s joined here by bandmates Pat DeSalvo (bass) and Garnet Grimm (drums), who’ve worked behind him since 2009. Having availed himself of ample opportunity to improvise over the years, on stage and in the studio, Kim Simmonds has in turn taught himself the value of economy, Thus, The Devil to Pay contains thirteen tracks with a running time approximately two minutes shy of an hour, many cuts ending seemingly too soon for their own good. But the man simply refuses to engage in self-indulgence, making this record all the more entertaining because of the self-discipline it exhibits.
