July 3–10, 1997

music|discquiks

rock/ pop

Ronnie Earl

The Colour of Love (Verve)

Ronnie Earl

It's been a long road for Boston-based blues guitarist, Ronnie Earl. He's spent years and years touring, supporting a string of critically acclaimed independent releases. But his patience for finding a broader audience paid off last year with Grateful Heart: Blues and Ballads., which will hopefully be his final indie release. That CD rocketed up blues and jazz charts, earned Earl two major awards on the Downbeat Critics Poll and landed him a major label contract at last.

This May, Earl won the coveted W.C. Handy Award as "Best Blues Guitarist," and has jumped into the big leagues with a top notch debut, The Colour of Love.

Earl and his band, the Broadcasters, deliver a blazing amalgam of blues, rock, R?, and jazz with a cast including musical greats such as alto saxman Hank Crawford, Greg Allman and Allman Brother band members Jaimoe and Mark Quinones.

Dedicated to guitarists Carlos Santana, Dickey Betts and Pat Martino, The Colour of Love continues Earl's tradition of mingling jump blues, juke joint grooves and Southern-fried harmonies. For a guy who didn't pick up guitar until he was in this early 20s, the 44-year-old Earl has made it to the front of the pack.

— Nicole Pensiero