AMG Review of Honeydripper

Ron Wynn
All Music Guide

Roosevelt Sykes expertly fit his classic, down-home piano riffs and style into a fabric that also contained elements of soul, funk, and R&B. The nine-cut date, recently reissued by Original Blues Classics, included such laments as "I Hate to Be Alone," "Lonely Day," and "She Ain't for Nobody," as well as the poignant "Yes Lawd," and less weighty "Satellite Baby" and "Jailbait." Besides Sykes' alternately bemused, ironic, and inviting vocals, there's superb tenor sax support from King Curtis, Robert Banks' tasty organ, and steady, nimble bass and drum assistance by Leonard Gaskin and drummer Belton Evans.