Tad Robinson - Soul in Blue

Release date: May 2, 2025

Delmark Records

By: Glenn Noble

photo: Jennifer Noble

Soul-blues singer Tad Robinson, although born and raised in Manhattan, studied at Indiana University school of music and eventually settled in Chicago, drawn by the rich blues heritage there. His apprenticeship in the Windy City as a harmonica player led him to the blues clubs and his pure soul-inflected voice kept him in demand fronting bands such as Dave Specter and the Bluebirds. Tad tours extensively in the U.S. and in Europe, and has collected a brace of W.C. Handy Award nominations plus eight Blues Music Award nominations over the years.

It’s been a while since fans of the singer and harmonicist have had something new to enjoy, so it is a special treat to hear that he is in fine form on his latest recording from Delmark, entitled “Soul in Blue”. There are 10 tracks of tasteful, soulful tunes, all but two written by Tad either solely or in collaboration with his bandmates, rounded out with a pair of covers from soul legends Wilson Pickett and Arthur Adams.

On listening, this would appear to be an album of two halves (or sides if you will!). Four of the tracks were recorded at Riverside Studio in Chicago, backed by the mighty Delmark All-Stars (Mike Wheeler, Roosevelt Purifoy Jr, Carlos Showers, Larry Williams, Pooky Styx, Dave Specter). The remaining six tracks were recorded at Tranquility Base studio in Indianapolis, Indiana, with some of Tad’s favourite collaborators including longtime associates Paul Holdman and Alex Schultz.

The Indiana side opens the album in a rhythmical upbeat way, with Keep It In The Vault, a song of love and gratitude, topped and tailed with Tad’s tasteful harp. The mood then flips with a souled-out breakup number, Out of Sight and Out of Mind, enriched by some glorious, lush backing vocals. There’s more than a hint of gospel influence on the next cut Somewhere There’s a Train - the train metaphor is deeply embedded in that genre - and Tad hits all the right notes on this variation of the theme, co-written by keyboard player Alberto Marsico.

The first performance from the Chicago sessions follows - which is also the first of the cover versions on the album -- a take on soul legend Wilson Pickett’s 1964 song Down To My Last Heartbreak. Tad’s version has a more restrained and elegaic feel than the rather dramatic original, supported by a muscular rhythm foundation from Larry Williams and Pooky Styx.

We are in deep soul-blues territory on the next track, Deeper Than You Think, a wistful melody carried along by a perfectly-matched brass duo (Mark Buselli trumpet, Rich Cohen tenor sax) and Hammond organ accompaniment, keys again from Alberto Marisco.  Sticking with the soul blues vibe, it’s the organ in the hands of All-Star Roosevelt Purifoy Jr. that shares the lead on It’s Private Tonight with Tad’s vocals, adding an extra emotional dimension to this cover of Arthur Adams’ 1972 original.

There’s a change in focus on the next pair of tracks, away from romantic concerns to the problems of getting by in a troubled world. In Keep Your Heart Open For Love, Tad pleads for human kindness in a world “about to explode.” Dave Specter’s biting guitar lines flash like lightning through the darkness, lighting the way through the song. In a similar vein, Up In The Air describes the struggles of the common man in a world “where the rules of the game have broken down”. Tad punctuates this cut with some incisive harp accents and a coruscating solo.

Forgive and Forget takes a relaxed, loping beat, cool keyboards and a sparkling guitar line to support Tad’s appeal for reconciliation and forgiveness from a former lover. A heart of stone would melt with such a heartfelt and musical plea! From a reconciliation with an old love to finding a new love, then, as the final track This Time paints a dreamy, sentimental picture of a budding romance in its first fine flower.

All in all, this is a very polished effort and a welcome return to the Delmark catalog by Tad after several years’ absence.  The production by Tad and Delmark wizard Elbio Barlilari is smooth, and the performances elegantly restrained. I’m sure fans of soulful blues will be happy to add this album to their collections.

For info, visit: https://delmark.com/

website: https://tadrobinson.com/