Review: Clayton Doley – Desperate Times

Clayton Doley – Desperate Times (Hi-Fi-Doley-T)

Australian Clayton Doley is a respected Hammond organist, with a résumé that’s impressive and long. As a session musician he’s played on, produced or written songs for hundreds of albums. As a sideman, he tours regularly with Harry Manx and Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges, and previously he’s hit the road with Cropper and Dunn, A Camp, Silverchair, Divinyls, etc. He works on a number of TV shows as musical director, and provides the same service for various special events, award shows and their ilk. He also finds the time to play with his own bands, the Organ Donors, and latterly, the Organ Experience. In 2018 he’s having a day off, whether he needs it or not.

In 2011 Doley headed out to Toronto, primarily to record and tour with Harry Manx, but he quickly found a whole other group to play with. “Desperate Times” is the first fruit of their labour, a nine-track collection of new tracks and tasteful covers that showcase Doley’s prowess with his chosen instrument, and as a bandleader. Blues and jazz provide the musical core of the material, but lyrically there are a host of subjects touched upon. On “Dealing With the Devil” green issues are the theme, the title track covers the perennial blues topic of luck, and the lack of it, and “Permanent Holiday” extols the virtues of getting away from it all. Hardly surprising given his workload. There’s great playing throughout, and if the Acid Jazz roster gives you as much pleasure as it does me, I suggest you check out Clayton Doley – before he has that day off and never comes back.

www.claytondoley.com

Rob F.