Vu Jah De' Review by Peter Hund - goodnewmusic.comFans of Allman Brothers Band instrumentals are guaranteed
to love this tastefully executed instrumental electric guitar album
with plenty of slide. But besides the southern-rock vibe,
Pennsylvania-based Roth impressively channels jazz masters such as
Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour and, to a lesser extent but just as
effectively, funk greats like Steve Cropper and Leo Nocentelli.
Southern rock is foremost among Roth’s influences, as evidenced on
kick-off track “Lakota,” a blues-jazz number featuring interplay
between guitar and keyboards along the lines of Dickey Betts and Chuck
Leavell circa “Brothers and Sisters.”
On the jazzier side, the title track fuses smooth-jazz sounds with
reggae for an effect akin to Steely Dan’s “Haitian Divorce.” “Funki
Taki” is all the name implies, with more Leavell-sounding piano and
some nice Takamine EF261s acoustic/electric fretwork (Roth uses a 1956
Les Paul on the rest of the CD), recalling both Sea Level and SD.
The rocking “Machu Picchu” and bluesy “Slow Burn” contain that Hammond
B-3 sound Gregg Allman is so famous for. On the former, it’s paired
note for note with guitar, like on the classic ABB instrumental “In
Memory of Elizabeth Reed” but with a rolling bass line added. ”North
Delta Heat” also is a highlight, with nods to multiple ABB songs
including “Revival,” “Dreams” and “Jessica.”
For his sophomore effort, Roth again produces, engineers and mixes and
plays all the instruments — with the exception of drums on the title
track and “North Delta Heat,” which are provided by his brother Barry. Peter Hund - goodnewmusic.com (Apr 10, 2009)
by: Robert Silverstein
The CD cover of the new Johnny Roth CD Vu Jah De is some pretty hairy stuff, but the the music inside is easy as pie to dig into. Roth made instrumental rock guitar enthusiasts happy with his 2003 album, Still Not Talkin’ and five years later, Vu Jah De carries his guitar sound forward. Roth cites Carlton and Ritenour as big guitar influences yet one can also detect shades of Cropper and Betts amid the all instrumental fare on Vu Jah De. Once again producing, engineering, mixing and playing all the instruments, Roth does receive a bit of help on the title track and “North Delta Heat” from his brother, drummer Barry Roth. Even with his scaled down budget, Roth proves masterful with plenty of chompin’ at the bit guitar instros on the boards.
Robert Silverstein - MusicWeb Express 3000 (May 9, 2009)