Re-Release: Bernard Allison - Chills & Thrills (CD & Vinyl)

Whenever Bernard Allison clicks on his Mesa Boogie rig, it’s strictly chills and thrills for the listener. He easily transforms the rawest of emotion into notes that speak to everyone. On Chills & Thrills, the magical 12th disc of his career, Bernard has perfected his sound. Instead of just using his guitar, Bernard has become mature the artist who uses the full palate of musical colors in his band to paint his stories. Just like his famous guitar totin’ father Luther Allison. “In order for anything to expand, you have to take a risk,” says Bernard. “Blues is about experimenting and getting your feelings across to someone else. And if you want to keep it going, people are going to have to give it all a chance because we’re losing all our creators. Because I’ve been taking risks on every album I’ve recorded, this record is just a logical progression from everything else I’ve done. Instead of playing rippin’ 12 bar blues guitar over and over, there are bluesy songs, soul, funk, R&B songs and a couple of rock things which shows the overall musicianship of Bernard Allison.”

If there ever was a CD for all occasions, this is it. It’s got the chill songs to curl up with on a rainy day, or the thrill music you’ll blast when you’re driving late at night. By adding the rhythm guitar of Bernard’s guitar soulmate Eric Gales, every song explodes into a guitar player’s head trip. There may be no finer string slashing then when Bernard and Eric trade outrageous headcuttin’ jabs on the Hendrix influenced “When I’m Gone.” And, like the master artist he is, just when you are ready for all the wah wah tension to be released, Bernard quietly paints “Missing Tyrone,” a picturesque tribute. The title cut opens the record with Bernard’s trademark funk meets blues sound. That signature sound permeates other tunes like “Compromising For Your Needs”, “Heart of St. Paul,” and “Groove With Me”, Bernard’s treatise on the modernesque blues he’ll continue to play around the world. But Bernard’s got so much more. On “So Devine” Bruce McCabe’s piano and Jose James’ alto sax steals the show. On “Just Me And My Guitar”, Bernard shows off the frantic slide techniques he learned in the 1980’s from Johnny Winter. For slow blues, Bernard and pianist Rusty Hall turn in a first rate guitar and piano performance on “That’s Why I’m Crying.” But any fan of Bernard Allison knows that every show or record comes with one of his father’s songs. “I always make a point to record one of my father’s songs. Though my pop’s gone, for me, he’s not gone anywhere. He’s looking down at me every minute. He knew where my heart was and what I wanted to do.” Here, Bernard reprises Luther’s 1980’s tune “Serious,” played with Bernard’s errie, Luther-like vocal attack. For those who can’t get enough, Bernard strips “Serious” down to just piano and guitar in his after-hours styled closer. This is the deep-seated commitment of an artist taking his art and commitment to the next level with heart and soul and Ruf Records is happy to re-release this remarkable album, which has originally been released in 2007.