CELSO SALIM & DARRYL CARRIERE: About Time

About Time is the long-awaited CD debut of harmonica man Darryl Carriere and guitarist Celso Salim, who combine forces on ten original tracks and share lead vocal roles with ample rhythm section support from Mike Hightower on bass and David Kida on drums, produced by Hightower and Salim and recorded by Hightower at Wide Tracks Noho Studio in Los Angeles.

Move over Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan, Carriere and Salim are a musical force to be reckoned with as they tear through a wide variety of musical grooves with torrid improvisational flurries from Carriere’s harmonica and Salim’s electric and acoustic guitars.

The opening track, “BBQ,” sets the stage with Carriere’s soulful voice and clever lyrics leading the way. “Don’t drag me over the coals baby, I ain’t a piece of meat,” followed by “Sweet Thing,” a straight-ahead shuffle with Carriere and Salim trading slick Westside Chicago era licks back and forth.

“Please Stop” brings Salim front and center to the mic along with his burning electric slide guitar licks. “You know we’re right together, so why you doing me wrong,” followed by the slow-tempoed minor key gospel blues goodie, “In Your Arms,” once again spotlighting Carriere’s gritty vocal prowess. “In your arms is where I belong.”

The next two tracks, “Here with You” and “With My Friends,” switches gears into the Delta blues traditional format, with Salim’s spot-on acoustic slide guitar phrases bolstering his lead vocals on both.

“Get Along” brings the R&B funky groove back in the fold with Carriere’s lead vocal back in the pocket with he and Salim trading silky smooth blues phrases in perfect conversation back and forth. “You look at me, and I look at you, you seem so angry, what the heck did I do?” followed by the solid Austin shuffle groove “Love on a Shelf,” fueled by Carriere’s sweet cascades of blues-drenched harmonica phrases. “I thought we had a good thing going girl, so why do you act like I’m the one to blame?”

Next up is the rocker “Sadie,” augmented by Salim’s sultry electric guitar motifs, à la Duanne Allman, behind Carriere’s distinguished lead vocal backed powerfully by Hightower’s bass and Kido’s dynamic chops on the drums.

The album concludes in mellow fashion on the track, “Make You Mine,” a nod to the Delta styles of John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters, performed to perfection by Salim’s acoustic slide guitar tones and Carriere’s weeping harmonica blues phrases. “I wanna tell you, what is on my mind…you’re so special, yeah you’re one of a kind.”

This is one album you should make yours; it’s certainly a one-of-a-kind journey through myriad blues tributaries, executed brilliantly by blues masters Carriere and Salim.