Have you been thrown too many types of blues lately? There is jump blues, rockin' blues, swing blues, contemporary blues, and even electrified world boogie. If you are wondering what happened to real blues, check out this CD by the Frank Ace Blues Band. Here you will find strong, straight ahead, down home blues - the kind that is defined in the dictionary. Ace has been playing music for most of his life. Now, the Arizona native has developed his own full-bodied, radiant sound. You can't help notice the Albert King, BB King and Son Seals influences in his guitar solos and melodies. He plays sharp, almost cutting, notes on his guitar and sings deep, rich vocals ala Lonnie Brooks on every tune. Frank wrote all the songs on this 50 minute, 11 track CD.

Frank Ace has put together a group of stellar K.C. musicians who are more than capable of providing the support he requires. Ace creates hard, vigorous notes that endure and magically flow thanks to the rhythm section of Rodney Cunningham (bass) and Greg Miller (drums). It's a delight to listen to the boogie'n shuffle, "I've Got Love", with Howard Collings' harp attack and Bobby Smith's mighty sax. Collings is equally gifted on keyboards. He dances across the 88s throughout but it's most obvious on "3 o'clock Blues". "I Gotta Wake Up" is a slow, passionate blues number about love gone wrong. It features Ace's recognizable signature ice pick sharp guitar. At times, it scratches and compliments his heavy voice which occasionally roars. His voice is so heartfelt on "Sick & Tired"; you know he is making a statement based on experience.

Oddly enough the CD begins and ends with the same 2 songs. However, they are different versions and have been included as bonus tracks. The first version of "Get On Line, Baby" begins like a runaway train that is rumbling and rolling down the track. Ace doesn't belt out the 'e-mail over the Internet' words with the same enthusiasm on the reprised version. However, the guitar solos are longer and better.

Throughout, Frank Ace delivers hefty vocals and piercing guitar solos. He is a gifted songwriter even if his influences are more than obvious on occasion. Thanks to Frank's top quality production, the sound is crystal clear resulting in a live feel to the disc. Ace is motivated to be more than a good band and he states, "Blues is a feeling; it comes from the inside". On this CD, he excels at both.
- Tim Holek

April 2001 Southwest Blues