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Dark Night
Studio album by
James Armstrong
Released1998
Genre Blues
Label HighTone
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

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

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

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

  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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