Dark Night (album)

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Dark Night
Studio album by
James Armstrong
Released1998
GenreBlues
LabelHighTone
James Armstrong chronology
Sleeping with a Stranger
(1995) 		Dark Night
(1998) 		Got It Goin' On
(2000)

Dark Night is an album by the American musician James Armstrong, released in 1998.[1][2] Armstrong supported the album with a North American tour.[3]

Production[edit]

Armstrong recorded the album after recuperating from a home invasion and serious stabbing, which is referenced in the title track.[4][5] Armstrong lost feeling in his fingers and had to relearn how to play guitar; he also learned slide guitar during his recovery.[6][7] "Lil' James" is about Armstrong's son, who was also injured in the attack.[8] Michael Ross played lead guitar on the majority of the tracks; Joe Louis Walker and Doug MacLeod played lead guitar on a few tracks.[9][10] "Bank of Love" is about falling in love with a bank teller.[11]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings[12]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[13]

Jazziz wrote that Armstrong's "vocals and songs are vulnerable, brooding, and brimming with resignation... His hoarse, laconic delivery and falsetto on 'Too Many Misses' and 'Dark Night' are soul-piercing."[14] The Toronto Star called the album "a dozen soulful tunes with a light, appealing but emotionally edgy voice a la Otis Redding."[15] The Calgary Herald said that Armstrong's "blues riffs are clean and bold and his singing reveals his deep blues roots."[16]

The Record concluded: "Serviceable on his debut, Armstrong's vocals take on a new soulful fiber on Dark Night."[17] The Ottawa Citizen deemed Dark Night "a mixture of anger and depression leavened with the ray of hope that marks all of the best blues music."[18] The Daily Advertiser labeled it "a smooth, understated exercise in tasteful West Coast blues."[19] The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that Armstrong "wins you over with the undeniable honesty of his performances."[13]

AllMusic wrote that Michael Ross's "silky leads blend with Armstrong's still very potent singing voice quite sympathetically."[9]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Dark Night" 
2."Too Many Misses for Me" 
3."Slender Man Blues" 
4."Trouble on the Home Front" 
5."Lil' James" 
6."Can't Get Off Your Love (Heaven Help Me)" 
7."Bank of Love" 
8."What I Would Do (For Your Love)" 
9."Witchin' Moon" 
10."Here for the Music" 
11."Standing in Your Way" 
12."Just in Case" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hildebrand, Lee (4 Oct 1998). "Armstrong Lives the Blues". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 44.
  2. ^ Guarino, Mark (19 Mar 1999). "Tyrone Davis, Otis Clay join for night of R&B soul". Time Out. Daily Herald. Arlington Heights. p. 4.
  3. ^ Wolgamott, L. Kent (5 Mar 1999). "Lincoln's got the blues". Ground Zero. Lincoln Journal Star. p. 3.
  4. ^ "James Armstrong Biography by Richard Skelly". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  5. ^ Trapp, Roger (19 Dec 1998). "Jazz & Blues". The Independent. p. 41.
  6. ^ Marymont, Mark (20 Mar 1999). "'Dark Night' shows change in blues artist's music". Springfield News-Leader. p. B8.
  7. ^ Kassulke, Natasha (5 Aug 1999). "Spotlight: James Armstrong". Rhythm. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 7.
  8. ^ Moton, Tony (28 Feb 1999). "Dark Night Finds Healing". Omaha World-Herald. p. 1E.
  9. ^ a b c "Dark Night Review by Cub Koda". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  10. ^ Wallace, Bob (30 July 1999). "Surviving Attack Adds Impact to True Blues Man". The Morning Call. p. D1.
  11. ^ North, Peter (17 Nov 2000). "Armstrong picks up the pace after lethargic opening". Edmonton Journal. p. E3.
  12. ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. pp. 14, 15.
  13. ^ a b Cristiano, Nick (10 Jan 1999). "Blues". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. F10.
  14. ^ Palmer, Don (Feb 1999). "Answering a Need". Jazziz. Vol. 16, no. 2. p. 32.
  15. ^ Chapman, Geoff (11 Mar 2000). "Blues Reviews". Entertainment. Toronto Star. p. 1.
  16. ^ Watson, Blair S. (29 Mar 2000). "Armstrong plays on, despite attack". Calgary Herald. p. B12.
  17. ^ McGuinness, Jim (21 Apr 2000). "Back from the Brink and Singing About It". Previews. The Record. p. 14.
  18. ^ Provencher, Norman (13 Feb 2001). "A lighter mood of blues". Ottawa Citizen. p. C8.
  19. ^ Pierce, Walter (23 Oct 1998). "Blues". The Daily Advertiser. p. 15.
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