Swing Dancing To a Plant-Based Beat

Translucent Blues is the product of a collaboration between Ray Manzarek, keyboard player and co-founder of The Doors, and Roy Rogers, Johnny Lee Hooker’s Coast to Coast Band and producer of 4 of Hooker’s recordings, and it will not disappoint a fan of either of these guys or the blues. From the first note of “Hurricane”, Manzarek’s signature sound is evident. Heavy on the bass beat, signature work on the keyboards and those unique deep vocals. His arrangement adds to some nice lyrical work about surviving a hurricane, which for many folks on the east coast, hearkens back to the days spent preparing and then riding out a vicious monster of a storm. Throughout the album Ray’s keyboard work is very evident, which I find pleasant and complements the solo playing of most any additional instruments. Good examples can be heard on “Game of Skill”, “Fives and Ones” and “An Organ, a Guitar and a Chicken Wing”. The liner notes thank the poets who made the words available to be put to music b...