Unfortunately, Canadian born Jeff Healey ended his life, in the same way it began, blighted by Cancer. What the singer-songwriter left behind however is a musical legacy that his friends, family, fans, and contemporaries in the music business,will remember for many years to come. For those, like me, who haven’t heard of the Jeff Healey Band before, the release of this album is a chance to gain an insight into the world of blues-rock music, and the blind musician that made his name through it.
Although some sources suggest this release was never authorised by Jeff Healey’s family, it’s still an interesting tribute to him and his band. The 3 C.D.set includes a series of unreleased live performances, a singles collection, and a documentary.
The documentary gives you a chance to see and hear first-hand, how unique his performances and guitar playing style are. Jeff Healey can still put in an energetic performance, despite being blind, and this is shown through various music video’s and T.V performances. There are also interviews with Jeff and his other band members that help to chart the band’s career, and how they became famous. Look out for some famous faces in amongst the T.V clips too.
The music on the other two C.D’s is a mix of classic Jazz, Blues, Funk, Rock and Roll, and a hint of country. There’s not always a large amount of lyrics in the songs, but the content is generally good and somewhat emotive. Full Circle and Angel Eyes are two tracks that stand out lyrically. ‘Angel Eyes’ makes me think of an ‘end of the night’ song, while the up-tempo numbers, such as ‘See The Light’ have very powerful instrumental sections, and would start off any party well. Although I didn’t really enjoy the cover of ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’, the rest of the songs are a good mix of tempo’ and styles, and create quite a strong atmosphere. I think everyone will have a new-found respect for the guitar playing after listening to Jeff Healey, and if it encourages more people to pick up the instrument, then I’d say a job well done!
Although I enjoyed this review project, I do think three C.D’s was a little too much, as I heard some of the songs quite a few times, which made it drag on a little. That said, The Jeff Healey band should still remain in the public psyche, as one of the best examples of American Blues/Rock. Let the legacy live on!