PETER NOVELLI - ST AMANT SESSIONS Friends, these are some hard a** times in the music bizness. So many wanna-bes cloggin’ up the recording pipeline just because they have a Garage Band app, barely passable skills and a few hundred bucks to press up whatever they can get down on some digital tracks. But as sure as the sun will rise to shine down on us another day, the cream is always going to rise to the top. Peter Novelli is a player, writer, singer and all-around Blues guitar scholar. He can tell you all about the real deal players – leaders and sidemen – that represent the music at Ground Zero. How do I know? `Cuz I kicked it with him on a deserted beach in Sosua, Dominican Republic and got a passionate earful about it all between swigs from tall boys of Presidente. I’m not talkin’ `bout just the big world-renowned guns. Novelli namechecks dem players you have to get out a Thomas Guide and a compass to locate at the crossroads of Texas and Louisiana and all tributaries of raw divine connection. He knows these dudes, their singular styles and strengths, and how best to integrate their essence into what he does for the most fiery-authenticity possible. Novelli also played in a number of bands as a backup musician. In no way would he ever describe that time as “paying dues.” He relished the quality time of marinating in the all-natch’l roux that constitutes the real swamp funk, soppin’ up every drop of nocturne nuance. The CD you’re holding in your hands is not Novelli’s first go `round the racetrack. His self-titled Peter Novelli debut (2011) and its follow-up Louisiana Roots & Blues (2012) were both strong efforts revealing his heart and his mission. But Novelli stays steady `bout gettin’ things mo’ righteous. What was once a lil’ too clean he’s gettin’ dirty-dirty. What was once proficiently tight he’s gettin’ 3AM French Quarter-loosed. Novelli has kicked thangs up several notches on this new CD thanks to his dream drummer, Brian Brignac, who brought along bassist Chris Senac to form a power trio with Peter that sets and sustains the fi-ya. Then there’s the raw Louisiana studio voodoo harnessing the energy of the basic rhythm tracks and the Nashville crackle of Kevin McKendree’s keys. From the instrumentals to the vocals, Novelli has all the pots burnin’ for a set that locks you in from end to end. Listen at the lyrics of “(Write a Story) In Your Mind,” arguably some of the finest from his experiences that he has put from Bic to bar napkin yet. “Je Ne Sais Quoi” and “Thinkin or Drinkin’” feature Novelli’s old “boss” and Cajun accordionist, Sammy Naquin. Raised up in a French-speaking family so far southeast in Montegut, Louisiana that he practically grew up in the Gulf, Sammy blends the authentic cultural brew of his sound cut with hi-octane Bourbon Street. And check out the ingenious audio verité of “I-10 Boogie,” ol’ Pete takin’ you to school (as always) with a groove glossary of four distinct styles of music you’d hear cruisin’ through the I-10 Blues Junket from Houston to New Orleans. The great slide guitarist Sonny Landreth – a cat Novelli has been chasin’ since his first CD - sits in on the album-opener, “Louisiana Sunrise.”And Chubby Carrier, son of Novelli’s old friend - legendary Zydeco musician Roy Carrier - adds triple row accordion. Novelli is so humble he ain’t even pickin’ on the closer, “Zydeco Ride,” a mean insider’s peek of just frottoir (rub board), accordion and drums. That’s about as roots as it gets. I tell ya, the best thing for you to do right about now is to stop readin’ and start listenin’. Peter Novelli stays steady on The Path and will never steer ya wrong. Just hand over the keys, keep your ears open and your mouth shut…and kindly keep those ice cold beers and daiquiris comin’. “Yeah, you rite naw, bay-bee!” – A. Scott Galloway Los Angeles