Dark Night (album)

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Dark Night
Dark Night (album).jpg
Studio album by
James Armstrong
Released1998
Genre Blues
Label HighTone
James Armstrong chronology
Sleeping with a Stranger
(1995)		Dark Night
(1998)		Got It Goin' On
(2000)

Dark Night is an album by the American musician James Armstrong, released in 1998. [1] [2] Armstrong supported the album with a North American tour. [3]

Contents

Production

Armstrong recorded the album after recuperating from a home invasion and serious stabbing, which is referenced in the title track. [4] [5] Armstrong lost feeling in his fingers and had to relearn how to play guitar; he also learned slide guitar during his recovery. [6] [7] "Lil' James" is about Armstrong's son, who was also injured in the attack. [8] Michael Ross played lead guitar on the majority of the tracks; Joe Louis Walker and Doug MacLeod played lead guitar on a few tracks. [9] [10] "Bank of Love" is about falling in love with a bank teller. [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]

Jazziz wrote that Armstrong's "vocals and songs are vulnerable, brooding, and brimming with resignation... His hoarse, laconic delivery and falsetto on 'Too Many Misses' and 'Dark Night' are soul-piercing." [14] The Toronto Star called the album "a dozen soulful tunes with a light, appealing but emotionally edgy voice a la Otis Redding." [15] The Calgary Herald said that Armstrong's "blues riffs are clean and bold and his singing reveals his deep blues roots." [16]

The Record concluded: "Serviceable on his debut, Armstrong's vocals take on a new soulful fiber on Dark Night." [17] The Ottawa Citizen deemed Dark Night "a mixture of anger and depression leavened with the ray of hope that marks all of the best blues music." [18] The Daily Advertiser labeled it "a smooth, understated exercise in tasteful West Coast blues." [19] The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that Armstrong "wins you over with the undeniable honesty of his performances." [13]

AllMusic wrote that Michael Ross's "silky leads blend with Armstrong's still very potent singing voice quite sympathetically." [9]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Dark Night" 
2."Too Many Misses for Me" 
3."Slender Man Blues" 
4."Trouble on the Home Front" 
5."Lil' James" 
6."Can't Get Off Your Love (Heaven Help Me)" 
7."Bank of Love" 
8."What I Would Do (For Your Love)" 
9."Witchin' Moon" 
10."Here for the Music" 
11."Standing in Your Way" 
12."Just in Case" 

References

  1. ↑ Hildebrand, Lee (October 4, 1998). "Armstrong Lives the Blues". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 44.
  2. ↑ Guarino, Mark (March 19, 1999). "Tyrone Davis, Otis Clay join for night of R&B soul". Time Out. Daily Herald. Arlington Heights. p. 4.
  3. ↑ Wolgamott, L. Kent (March 5, 1999). "Lincoln's got the blues". Ground Zero. Lincoln Journal Star. p. 3.
  4. ↑ "James Armstrong Biography by Richard Skelly". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  5. ↑ Trapp, Roger (December 19, 1998). "Jazz & Blues". The Independent. p. 41.
  6. ↑ Marymont, Mark (March 20, 1999). "'Dark Night' shows change in blues artist's music". Springfield News-Leader. p. B8.
  7. ↑ Kassulke, Natasha (August 5, 1999). "Spotlight: James Armstrong". Rhythm. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 7.
  8. ↑ Moton, Tony (February 28, 1999). "Dark Night Finds Healing". Omaha World-Herald. p. 1E.
  9. 1 2 3 "Dark Night Review by Cub Koda". AllMusic. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ Wallace, Bob (July 30, 1999). "Surviving Attack Adds Impact to True Blues Man". The Morning Call. p. D1.
  11. ↑ North, Peter (November 17, 2000). "Armstrong picks up the pace after lethargic opening". Edmonton Journal. p. E3.
  12. ↑ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. pp. 14, 15.
  13. 1 2 Cristiano, Nick (January 10, 1999). "Blues". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F10.
  14. ↑ Palmer, Don (February 1999). "Answering a Need". Jazziz. Vol. 16, no. 2. p. 32.
  15. ↑ Chapman, Geoff (March 11, 2000). "Blues Reviews". Entertainment. Toronto Star. p. 1.
  16. ↑ Watson, Blair S. (March 29, 2000). "Armstrong plays on, despite attack". Calgary Herald. p. B12.
  17. ↑ McGuinness, Jim (April 21, 2000). "Back from the Brink and Singing About It". Previews. The Record. p. 14.
  18. ↑ Provencher, Norman (February 13, 2001). "A lighter mood of blues". Ottawa Citizen. p. C8.
  19. ↑ Pierce, Walter (October 23, 1998). "Blues". The Daily Advertiser. p. 15.
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