David Egan

From Wasser-Prawda, Germany 'His songs have been recorded by Joe Cocker, John Mayall, Irma Thomas and Percy Sledge. His piano sounds like the South, like Louisiana and smoky cellar bars. His self-titled third album presents the songwriter and pianist as a jazz and blues singer-songwriter in the tradition of Mose Allison and Al Basile. For years, David Egan played in the Cajun band File' in Louisiana dance halls. But if you're expecting an album of traditional dance numbers, waltzes, two-steps, you'll be surprised when 'That's a Big Ol' Hurt' starts in with piano, saxophone and vocals in the tradition of Charles Brown, Mose Allison or soul crooners as Percy Sledge. Egan's vocals are sensitive and unobtrusive, but always with the power and confidence of a dancehall tempered performer. Even if he and the band go heavily behind songs like 'Dance to the Blues' or 'Funky Dreams,' he never just let's loose. At the center of it all are the songs. They tell of life in the South and the longing for distant New York, the shattering of dreams, attaining them - and the sadness of those goals turning out to be not as dazzling as hoped. At times, he will ('Outta Mississippi') even sound like an angry preacher, pounding the piano while Buddy Flett's otherwise bright guitar distortedly screams and the saxophone makes cynnical commentary. You breathe relief when the irresistable piece of more than five minutes has finally reached it's conclusion. You cannot listen to this album casually. If you do, nevertheless, you'll miss the real beauty of the work which lifts it out from the sea of new releases.' 'Egan's music is three-dimensional' -- Offbeat Magazine.