Review:

Them folks at Bonedog Records have done it again with another  Staxy Soul/Blues record- this time by Robert Peckman. “Stirrin’ Up Bees” (****) is Peckman’s first disc under his own name but his resume includes singing lead on the disco group Q’s LP “Dancin’ Man”, which had a Top 23 Pop hit with the title cut. Prior to this he sang for the groups Mike And Ike and Sparkz. “Bees” kicks off with a Funky slider called “Put It In The Pocket” featuring delicious horns by Don Donohoe & Robert Klein. Irresistible. The hilarious, thesaurus-raiding “Bamboozled” follows with some loose-jointed piano by Jimmy Britton. Still both these winners are trumped by the title cut which includes the uber-clever line describing a date that ended without a “payoff”: “It’s like stirrin’ up bees…and not getting any honey! Like robbing a bank and not getting any money/Like telling a joke that’s not even funny”. Sorry Robert, but good for her! Marry the girl first. I immediately recognized track 4, “A Man Must Stand For Something”. It was first covered by labelmate Billy Price but it’s equally strong here. As a bonus “Bees” features the return of former Stax artist Johnny Daye to sing on two cuts (“Let’s Talk It Over” & “Stop And Take A Look”) though Peckman is a perfectly capable singer on his own.This is gritty, earnest blues-eyed Soul/Blues music at it’s zenith.

copyright 2007 by Blues Critic/Dylann DeAnna