Dave Fields’ bluesy guitar channels Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix. But when he opens his mouth to sing in a clear, youthful voice, the internationally acclaimed New Yorker sounds like pure rock ’n’ roll. While his third album, Detonation, explodes in blues-rock bursts, it also incorporates reggae (“Bad Hair Day,” featuring organist/rapper Delmar Brown), pop (the sparse ballad “Same Old Me”) and something Bon Jovi could have recorded yesterday (“You Will Remember Me”).
At his core, Fields remains a bluesman, though, proving it on “Doin’ Hard Time,” a blazing duet with Joe Louis Walker, and with stunning, soulful solos on “Better Be Good to Yourself” and “Pocket Full of Dust,” which echo Buddy Guy. Detonation won’t please blues purists, but this album isn’t intended for them, anyway.
