John Németh — Blues Live (2012) @@@+ / Soul Live (2012) @@@@

[concert_goer]

John lived in San Francisco between 2004 and 2013 and played a lot of concerts around the area. These two CDs were recorded during shows at Biscuits & Blues, the city's premier blues venue, Poor House Bistro in San Jose, and Point Arena Theater in Point Arena, up north in Mendocino County, in February 2012.

Németh is joined on the recordings by members of his touring band, including A.C. Myles on guitar and Tommy Folen on bass, along with his former drummer Nick Fishman. The performances also feature the acclaimed guitarists Kid Andersen and Bob Welsh, and John Lee Sanders on keyboards.

The first disc, as the title suggests, leans more toward blues, while the second one highlights the soul side of Németh's music. In total, there are twenty-five tracks running about two hours, with most of the songs taken from John's three albums released on the Blind Pig label between 2007 and 2010.

The blues part is quite interesting — both Németh's harmonica and the guitar work are a real pleasure to hear. The performances are top-notch, although the disc feels a bit drawn out, and the live atmosphere doesn't always come through as vividly as it could.

I found the second collection more enjoyable — it has a solid groove and funky soul, and John's vocals really suit that style.

That said, both discs are easy to return to and listen to again and again.