Review of Jeff Golub’s 2013 Album Release Train Keeps a Rolling

On his latest release, Jeff Golub collaborated with keyboardist Brian Auger to create Train Keeps a Rolling, a collection of 11 original compositions and covers in the soul, jazz, blues and rock styles. Train Keeps a Rolling is due for release on August 13, 2013 through Entertainment One Music. It is his 12th record as a solo artist and his 3rd with Entertainment One Music.

Train Keeps A Rolling was co-produced by Golub and Bud Harner who has worked with the guitarist as co-producer on his last five records. In addition to Golub on guitar and Auger on rhodes an B-3, the album features the talents of Steve Ferrone on drums, Derek Frank on bass, Luis Conte on percussion, Mindi Abair on alto sax, Nick Lane on trombone, Dave Woodford on bari sax and flute, and Steve Madaio on trumpet. Vocalists Christopher Cross, David Pack and Alex Ligertwood also make guest appearances on the album.

The album opens with “The Cat,” a soul-jazz 60’s influenced tune with a bit of blues vibe. The song was written by Lalo Schifrin for the movie Joy House in 1964 and was recorded by organist Jimmy Smith that same year. Golub’s and Auger’s give the track a modern twist with Golub taking over the melody in the place of the organ.

Second on the album is a previously unreleased Brian Auger original entitled “Isola Natale” and it is followed by the title track, “Train Keeps a Rolling,” a composition from Jeff Golub and Chris Palmaro. Golub and Palmaro also collaborated on “J&B.”

The album also features a few tunes from Auger’s The Oblivion Express including “Happiness is Just Around the Bend,” and “Whenever You’re Read.” Auger also wrote a tune specifically for the project entitled “Shepherds Bush Market.”

In addition to the album’s original music, Golub and Auger make a few covers their own as part of this project. In addition to Lalo Schifrin’s aforementioned “The Cat,” are Willie Dixon’s “I Love the Life I Live,” Paul Carrack’s “How Long,” The Police’s “Walking on the Moon,” and the album’s first single, “Pusherman” by Curtis Mayfield.

Train Keeps a Rolling is certainly an interesting and diverse collaboration between Brian Auger and Jeff Golub, and although the guitarist steps into the “soul-jazz” genre, his blues roots are still apparent in the album’s arrangements and his playing.

Jeff Golub was born in Ohio, but launched his career in NYC during the early 80s. He has toured with musicians such as Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Vanessa Williams, and Gato Barbieri. He released his first album as a band leader in 1988 and has since released numerous chart topping albums both as Avenue Blue and as Jeff Golub.

Get Train Keeps a Rolling on Amazon

Title: Train Keeps a Rolling
Artist: Jeff Golub with Brian Auger
Date: August 13, 2013
Genre: Jazz, Blues
Label: Entertainment One

Tracks:

01 The Cat
02 Isola Natale
03 Train Keeps A Rolling
04 I Love The Life I Live
05 Pusherman
06 How Long
07 J&B
08 Happiness Is Just Around The Bend
09 Shepherds Bush Market
10 Whenever You’re Ready
11 Walking on the Moon

Get Train Keeps a Rolling on Amazon

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