ERIC SARDINAS
Eric Sardinas - Black Pearls (Favored Nations) 2004
1. "Flames of Love"
(3:43)
2. "Same 'Ol Way" (3:48)
3. "Bittersweet" (4:03)
4. "Ain't No Crime" (4:21)
5. "Big Red Line" (2:46)
6. "Liar's Dice Blues" (6:28)
7. "Black Pearls" (3:55)
8. "Sorrow's Kitchen" (4:22)
9. "Four Roses" (3:22)
10. "Old Smyrna Road" (4:02)
11. "Tenfold Trouble" (3:52)
12. "Wicked Ways" (3:27)
So who is Eric Sardinas? Up until I received this CD in the mail, I had absolutely no idea! A few things grabbed my attention immediately about this disc before I even popped it into the CD player. The first was that this CD is produced by veteran producer Eddie Kramer who is probably most noted for his work with Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Kiss. Second as the liner note that stated, "This CD was recorded live to analog tape without compromise." Sweet! I was already enthralled before I even heard a not. However, it didn't take long for me to discover that Eric is one darn fine musician. On my first listen to "Black Pearls" I thought to myself, this is Stevie Ray Vaughn resurrected from the dead. Seriously, it's not that Eric is a dead ringer stylistically to Stevie, but that emotion that Stevie gave out, is also present here. Of course the fact that "Black Pearls" is primarily based in the blues also made this comparison come to mind. Eric's dobro is an extension of who he is, and that certainly shows on these blues based songs. The live, acoustic nature of the recording certainly adds to the charm as well.