Eddie 9V (from the album Capricorn

Eddie 9V (from the album Capricorn

Eddie 9V (from the album Capricorn available on Ruf Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
Eddie 9V — or 9-Volt to be specific — could be considered a knowing young prodigy. He initiated his career at age 15 when, after deciding his destiny resided in making music as opposed to pursuing any academic possibilities, he embarked on a career that found him gaining his initial apprenticeship within the club circuit of his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia before eventually recording his debut album, Left My Soul in Memphis, at the still-tender age of 21.

Those events set him on a prodigious journey which now finds its culmination in Capricorn, an album named for the legendary studios in Macon Georgia that birthed albums by the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, Wet Willie, Bonnie Bramlett, Percy Sledge, and many other artists that laid the groundwork for a distinctly southern style of Rhythm & Blues. It was an apt locale for recording the new album, given the fact that at the age of 25, he fully encapsulates that storied musical heritage both in his stirring, soulful vocals and through an instrumental acumen that finds him proficient on guitar, bass, and drums. Any number of songs sound like they were sourced from the vintage sounds of the ‘60s and ‘70s, with “Beg Borrow and Steal”, “Are We Through?”, “Missouri”, and “How Long” bringing to mind such soul staples as Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, Joe Simon, Wilson Pickett, and other brethren that established the standard for vintage examples of pure R&B.
That said, Eddie’s affinity for the Blues is also evident, especially in such songs as “Tryin’ To Get By”, “I’m Lonely”, and “Yella Alligator” in particular. Each provides an adroit expression of energy and enthusiasm along with a riveting and robust display of attitude and aptitude in equal measure. A take on Bob Dylan’s “Down Along the Cove”, one of the album’s only two non-original compositions, is especially intriguing, given the way it totally transforms the meditative mood of the original and substitutes instead a sound that’s both punchy and purposeful.  So too, the Gospel-like sheen of “Mary Don’t You Weep” further affirms this young man’s unequivocal ties to timeless tradition.
Ultimately, Capricorn ranks as a milestone in a career which is, for practical purposes, still in its formative stages. It’s one that finds lessons and legacy tightly intertwined. (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Listen and buy the music of Eddie 9V on AMAZON
 
For more information head on over to the Eddie 9V website