When he isn't playing guitar and acting as musical director for Aloe Blacc's backing band, The Grand Scheme, Joel Van Dijk can be found in the studio, cooking up his own unique blend of soul, funk and rock music. He already has one album under his belt, 2010's Truthseeker, and now he has unleashed his sophomore effort A Kind Of Blues, a 14-track take on, you guessed it, contemporary blues. The album features 11 original compositions alongside two interesting covers, a downbeat reading of Aloe Blacc's "I Need A Dollar" and his take on Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," which features Aloe on lead vocals. The song that stuck out for me though was "Road Again," in particular the live studio version, which you can see below. This track oozes funk thanks to Joel's considerable guitar skills, and a surprise appearance by former Platinum Pied Pipers affiliate Karma Stewart (where did she disappear?) on BV's sweetens the deal. You can check out the entire album over on Joel's Bandcamp page.
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