Lance & Donna
The Sun Will Shine
Dog & Bone Records
2005
(59'29")

Or a recording come back by the sympathetic couple from Nashville, Tennessee. What could be said about these blues troubadours that hadn't been said already ? And yet, these two manage to surprise us again. First by writing 15 of the 16 songs on this album. Just when you thought there were more into covers, today they are so impregnated by the original models that their own writing wins the challenge of being both original and sounding like the old guys' blues at the same time. With the difference that Lance & Donna benefit of today's studio possibilities, which has the effect of giving their instruments, most of them acoustic here, that crystal clear tone. Donna is still as discreet with her perfectly mixed rainstick, giving her companion the right pulse when necessary, and she also sings, sometimes doing background vocals on the chorus, other times sharing the lead vocals in a tasty dialog with Lance. As for him, is it just an impression ? It seems that he has added different new aspects to his singing, thus colouring the several sides of the album with different tones, more than he used to. As for his playing, be it on an acoustic guitar, on a resonator one, on a lapsteel or on a ukulele, we know the man can do it. In the end, this is a CD filled with freshness and tasty lyrics, one of those little happy moments only such modern hobos can provide.

Lance Harrison Band
No Rest For The Wicked
Dog & Bone Records
2005
(57'43")

In France there's a saying that goes :"un bonheur ne vient jamais seul", which means litteraly "one happiness never comes alone" : Lance & Donna confirm by sharing the pleasure of their electric band, with a new album to add to the caddy. They took Paco Saval on keyboards, Manju B on bass, Ralph Schlaeger on drums, invited Ralf Grottian on harmonica on 3 sides, all of them excellent musicians, and there you go, here's the Lance Harrison Band ! As usual, Lance's inspiration as a songwriter, sometimes alone, sometimes with Donna's help, on 13 numbers out of 14, are American roots musics : some blues of course, but also ragtime, country, an inch of folk-rock, and here's about one hour of excellent music, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, but sometimes very tender too, always right on the spot. The experiment is a success : Lance & Donna in electric band mode ? "I'm down fo'it" ! Of course, it is still Lance & Donna, their trademark is right there, the CD is filled with their own musical personality, but with a different tone, a different groove. As pleasant as the duo, but it may also be Lance's chance to express himself in a context that allows him to explore new domains, things maybe more difficult to do by just the two of them in acoustic. Whatever the case may be, this is a perfectly cooked album, a musical main course that should satisfy the most hungry for authentic musics amateurs.

Get yourself both from : www.lance-n-donna.com

René Malines