Kirk Fletcher

Hold On

Salutary blues with fire, sincerity and poise Kirk Fletcher has been waiting in the wings of the bigtime for some time, but his debut solo album, aptly named Hold

On, is eminently worth the wait. As a vocalist, Kirk is dignified and sincere, and in fact taste and judicious musicianship are the keynotes of the album. Witness the locomotive shuffle of Sad Sad Day: Kirk’s playing is beautifully phrased, always a delicious tad behind the beat as he fires off phrase after classy phrase. But it’s the poignant power of slow blues The Answer that really shows off his star potential – a slow-burn blues that ignites into a blaze of passionate intensity. There’s a fine moment where Kirk seems to be veering off, in full flight, into ‘outside’ playing only for the chords to shift underneath the developing phrase and everything to resolve unexpectedly and beautifully. [JD] Standout track: The Answer For fans of: Robert Cray, BB King, Boz Scaggs