Lil’ Red & The Rooster - Keep ON!

LIL’ RED & THE ROOSTER - KEEP ON!

LABEL: BLUE HEART RECORDS

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2022

DISTRIBUTION: CPI/ORCHARD 

Lil’ Red’s approach to life and music: “mix what’s pissing you off with some bounce and swing, sprinkle a pinch of blue notes, and bend it all together on six strings for guaranteed feel-good satisfaction.”

 Poised to pick the mantle as the coolest guitar slinging duo since Les Paul and Mary Ford ruled the airwaves, Lil’ Red & The Rooster are ready for international attention with their sophomore release Keep On! To aid them on this journey the duo of Lil’ Red (Jennifer Milligan) & The Rooster (Pascal Fouquet), who split time between the USA and Europe, recruited engineer Blaise Barton of JoyRide Studio along with Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums and Felton Crews on bass, now their USA combo, to record the new album in Chicago. They also invited Grammy nominee, Billy Branch, to make a guest appearance on the title track and baritone saxophonist, Jean-Marc Labbé, appears on several tracks. 

 The ten new originals and one classic cover, a collection the duo describe as “Retro Modern Blues

Sound,” comprise their second album and first since making the finals of the 2019 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and signing with Blue Heart records. The sizzling album, although packed with hot licks and swinging numbers, isn’t all fun and games as the pair deliver messages on the power of love, freedom, and social consciousness.

 The time shifting swinger “Cool Trap Boogie” opens the set with the evocative layering of bari sax and guitar on alluring rhythmic figures and smooth vocals from Lil’ Red. “Beedy Eyes” Smith brings us in with a slinky rhumba groove for the smoldering love song “Whiskey Sip Of Time.” The duet with Billy Branch “Keep On Lovin You,” is full of inspiration as the pair trade vocals and mutual affection over an easygoing country blues shuffle that has the sound of a lazy afternoon. Lil’ Red recounts a meeting with Father Joe, who gave her simple advice on the Vaudeville number “Love The Hell Right Out Of Ya.”

 

The surf rock rumble “Shakin’ Em Up,” the first of two instrumental cuts, finds The Rooster hanging hard on his whammy bar and Labbé doing his best Boots Randolph on bari sax for a fun joy ride. The acoustic driven tango “Bootstraps Break,” examines the great disparity between “The Haves and the Have Nots,” with stark colors and tones. The traditional Delta hymn “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” is set to a rollicking beat and uplifting guitar and vocal lines drawing a sharp contrast between its story of spiritual struggles on the path to salvation. 

 Lil’ Red and the crew pay homage to Rosa Parks and encourage us to follow in her footsteps, “Yes We Can,” on the swinging “Back Of The Bus,” with Rooster and Labbé trading fine solos. “American Made” is a complex show piece that mixes elements of R&B, hip hop, blues, and gospel in a theatrical narrative on the effects of slavery and systemic racism that ends with hopes for a better future. Built on a grooving riff in the style of Freddie King, “Little Girl,” is a title nine anthem of girl power encouragement for women of all ages. Rooster and the U.S combo let it rip on the instrumental album closer “Step It Up,” a hot Chicago Blues. This fine effort, Keep On!, from Lil’ Red & The Rooster, covers a lot of ground and will turn a lot of heads.  Rick J Bowen 

B I O 

2019 International Blues Challenge Finalists Jennifer Milligan & Pascal Fouquet (aka Lil Red and the Rooster) journeyed to Chicago and put together a Grammy-winning dream team including Engineer Blaise Barton of JoyRide Studio, Kenny “BeedyEyes” Smith on drums and Felton Crews on bass. The ensuing album, Keep On!, presents Lil’ Red’s message of the power of love served respectfully traditional and contemplatively retro, while The Rooster crows crisp and clean; creating a savory blues reduction drizzled smooth and cool. The sensuous title track, "Keep on Lovin’ You" features Blues Hall of Famer Billy Branch on vocals and harmonica.

WEBLINKS

OS: www.lilredandtherooster.com

FB: www.facebook.com/lilredandtherooster

TW: www.twitter.com/LilRednRooster

IG: www.instagram.com/lilredandtherooster

 Betsie Brown, Blind Raccoon, betsie@blindraccoon.com