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NAWFEL
Nawfel
(Options/Universal)
Nawfel is a very young guitar genius, and he wastes no time in getting into the nitty gritty, opening with a guitar instrumental classic, that will have Steve Cropper sitting up and taking notice.

The track is 'Big Bird' and this was originally made famous by Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper and Booker. T. Jones. My favourite version of this track is on Jammed Together that features the 'Stax' session team.

'Why Can't We Live Together' was a song that Sade had a minor hit with a few years ago, and now Ivan Neville (Aaron's son) reintroduces it. You can hear the Ernie Isley/Jimi Hendrix guitar influences on 'Why Can't We Live Together'.

'Joke's On You' features Melanie Herrold on vocals, and was originally recorded by Chicago's 'Kinsey Report', and this version has got the heat turned way up.

Hendrix's 'May This Be Love (Waterfall)', like 'Little Wing' is one of those haunting classic's that keeps reappearing, and Ivan and Nawfel do a pretty damn good version of it. What has this kid been listening to?

Next up is the Stephen Still's 'Go Back Home', and again this is a great rendition. The original featured Eric Clapton on Stephen's 1970 debut album Stephen Stills.

The Queen (Aretha Franklin) of Soul's 'Rock Steady' is turned into an instrumental, that's quite a cool, funky jam.

Enter Sylvester Stewart's (Sly & The Family Stone) 'I Want To Take You Higher', and this is given all the vocal grit that this song deserves by Melanie and the Johnson Sisters. Melanie can sure as hell belt it out! She brings to mind a black Janis Joplin, or Maggie Bell.

Legendary keyboard player Barry Goldberg features on Nawfel, and his own composition 'Dream On' is included here, that is a delightful, melancholy instrumental, with Georgia influences.

'Mas Y Mas' is a Los Lobos composition from their album Colossal Head and Nawfel performs it with some real bite!

Ronnie Foster's 'Summer Song' is slow and lazy, and features a great jazzy-blues guitar solo from Nawfel. Again I ask, what has this kid been listening to? His playing is very advanced, and his tastes are also very mature.

'I Get Lifted' was written by Harold. W. Casey and Richard Finch, both from K.C. & The Sunshine Band. I love Nawfel's version, and it features Reggie McBride on bass. Totally hot!

'Hook Me Up' is a cooking instrumental, with Nawfel opening up all the chords, 'Hook Me Up' was co-written by Goldberg and Nawfel, and this was performed before a live audience in Hollywood.

Listener if Nawfel doesn't grab you straight away, then beware! It will suddenly grab you when you least expect it
Gazz

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Nawfel