It's not new, but you hear it more often, a combination of blues and soul. Renowned bands and artists have distinguished themselves in it. One of those artists is singer D.A. Foster. He has mastered this style and shines there with "The Real Thing" in from. Because if someone The Real Thing is, he certainly is. He was the heart of 'The Shaboo' a local club with 1000 seats in Connecticut and this from 1971 to 1982, which at that time were almost 3,000 concerts with often unknown bands, but also big names like Aerosmith, AC / DC, Journey , Cheap Trick and The Police passed here in review. But also a lot of great blues bands did their appearance here, as John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy, and probably a few hundred more. Because of the growing disco era at the time when the club had to close its doors and the case was also destroyed a few months later in a fire. But the story does not end, because a little later DA begins a production company and started his own band in 1979 with celebrities like Matt "Guitar" Murphy and Harvey Brooks. In the past 35 years, many artists with him on the podium, including not least, as Keith Richards, Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters.

The years have been merciful to him, it seems. Anno 2015, D.A. has released a great album, "The Real Thing". Supported by The Phantom Blues Band, including Mike Finnigan (Big Brother and the Holding Company) on the keys, Tony Braunagel (Robert Cray) on drums, Larry Fulcher on bass and Bonnie Raitt's Johnny Lee Schell on guitar, Foster has compiled twelve tracks and gathered that the warmer southern States make calls in the sixties in mind. There is occasionally fine assisted by the other members Phantom, Darrell Leonard (trumpet), Joe Sublett (sax), and Lenny Castro (percussion). Braunagle and Finnigan took care of the production and yes it has become a polished album.

The twelve tracks spanning classic rhythm & blues, covers of renowned musicians like Eddie Hinton, Brook Benton and Bill Withers, as well as a few lesser known covers, starting with Dave Stone's "Good Man Bad Thing." A funky R & B number, also the first meeting with Foster's soulful voice, backed by the excellent B-3 work Finnigan, the backing vocals of Julie Delgado and Nita Whitaker, and not to mention the sophisticated bladder work are starting certainly do not miss. Not surprisingly, there are also a few songs of Don D. Roby, for he was surely one of the most productive R & B writers of the 50s and 60s "Is not Doing Too Bad" put the horns in the limelight, and Schell brings a bit more funk to this party with his guitar work, which also includes a rocking solo. In the other Roby contribution "This Time I'm Gone for Good", it is more Foster who excels with his impressive vocal range. Eddie Hinton's "Super Lover" has it all, nice text, offbeat percussion (courtesy of Lenny Castro), nice brass arrangements, backing vocals and seductive.

Another line-up was used for three songs, with the versatile Grammy winner Josh Sklair on guitar and hardworking veteran David Garfield on piano. They provide the subtle "We All Fall Down" for a more jazzy rocking end and Bill Withers ballad from 1985 "You Just Can not Smile It Away," Garfield's piano playing is more forward, and guest artist Lee Thornberg the chance to shine in a beautiful muted trumpet solo. And secondly, it is so often retreaded "Gee Baby Is not I Good to You" offers more space for Finnigan at Hammond, making it sometimes gives a gospel feel. The album too quickly closes with George Henry Jackson's "Down Home Blues", perhaps the most vicious and most traditional blues track on this album. D.A. his raspy voice is as it were a nice contrast brought with backing vocals by Delgado and Whitaker. Braunagel and Fulcher remember this song very tight, which makes this issue even more firmly. D.A. Foster in "The Real Thing" but put 12 songs had my feeling that best may be more. Because when you're in that soul and blues intoxication is you surely want to stay as long as possible in that daze. But yeah, all good things come to an end.