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Robert Burton Hubele is a kool kat whose sound can best be described as a Starbucks
Chai Tea Latte with a side of coffee cake; its a great way to cure your hunger and
thirst for something sweet and refreshing.
"I Get Lonely" is the title track to Robert's 10 song CD, and an absolute treasure. These
songs are the perfect blend of blues and jazz, and Hubele's voice is right in the pocket,
filling every void that exists on the track. This is the only song I know of that makes
being lonely sound so cool.
Another great song is "Red Wine" because Robert showcases his vocal savvy on top
of some of the snazziest jazz music on the market today. The lyrical content is very
clever and the musicianship is brilliant. The organ and saxophone solos are the two
key elements that bring out the best in this tune. Hubele and his band capture the true
essence of jazz music here, and they deserve a great deal of credit for it.
Other notable songs on this particular CD are "Too Many Kisses", "He Thought She
Looked Pretty", and "My Baby's Tears".
Overall, Robert Hubele has put together a solid album that anyone who appreciates
jazz and blues music will enjoy. No drawbacks here, just a seasoned band and artist
who deserve your support.
Review by: Senseisional
also
All the album tracks have been written by Robert Burton Hubele, an artist who comes from Vancouver, Canada. The cd includes ten songs that move between jazz and blues, where Robert himself plays guitar, slide and dobro, as well as all vocal parts. He has done it together with his good friend Brad Steckel, who plays percussion, keyboards, bass and lead guitar, besides being sound engineer. Robert B. Hubele is a deep fan of Albert King, BB King, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, and Freddie King, among many other blues musicians. Regarding jazz and swing, Robert has always followed closely the music of Mose Allison, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway and Louis Jordan. As for his favorite singers he mentions Dean Martin, Bing Crosby and Jim Morrison. On this album Robert fuses and investigate all mentioned styles, accurately flirting with them with good taste and great experience. The result is an exciting elegant work, played with honesty and very good taste. ***GREAT! ***
Robert Burton Hubele "I Get Lonely". Self Production 2011. Todos los temas del álbum han sido escritos por Robert Burton Hubele, originario de Vancouver, Canada. El disco contiene diez canciones que se mueven entre el jazz y el blues, y en los que el propio Robert se encarga de tocar la guitarra, la slide y el dobro, además de poner la voz. Todo ello lo hace en compañía de su buen amigo Brad Steckel, que se encarga de la percusión, los teclados, el bajo y la guitarra solista, además de ser el ingeniero de sonido. Robert B. Hubele es un auténtico apasionado de Albert King, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Wille Dixon, Muddy Waters, Freddie King y otros muchos músicos de blues. Por lo que se refiere al jazz y al swing, Robert ha seguido siempre muy de cerca la música de Chuck Tracy, Mose Allison, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway y Louis Jordan. En cuanto a sus vocalistas preferidos son Dean Martin, Bing Crosby y Jim Morrison. En este disco nuestro amigo fusiona e investiga todos los estilos mencionados anteriormente, flirteando con ellos con mucho acierto, buen gusto y pericia. El resultado es un trabajo excitante y a la vez muy elegante, interpretado con honestidad y buenas maneras. MUY BUENO.
**************
April
2011
Life is strange, we
all know it. Life in the world of music is as strange as life in
the normal world: every music lover with at least a little grey
hair, will tell you ! These two rather philosophical thoughts were
mine, when i was playing this new, seventh CD, sent to us by Canadian
Blues-poet Robert Burton Hubele. The next question that came to
mind was: “why doesn't he get the recognition some less-talented
musicians do get?” It's all quite unfair: listening to these
ten songs and discovering the quality, makes you notice this is
as good as the best J.J. Cale or Hans Theessink, two guys I really
do admire. Why, for heaven's sake, doesn't one single radio programmer
pick this up? This music deserves to be heard and there's an explanation
for that: Robert Burton Hubele has reached a point in his life,
that allows him to distinguish important things from not-so-important
ones. Reaching that point, gives him the ability to write songs
about the simple things in life: Hubele doesn't have to prove to
anyone how well he can play the guitar, nor does he feel the need
to show any “look Mom, no Hands”-tricks. He doesn't
even need a lot of imagination: simply observing people, things
and situations allows him to write a beautiful, jazzy bluessong
about it. His voice and his singing make him sound very credible
throughout the record: when he sings how “She Brings Him (Coffee)”,
one can see the scene for himself. When he tells the story about
a guy who's sitting at the bar and wants to get to know the woman
who's sitting on the other side (“She Won't Talk To Me”),
one can feel the unpleasant situation.
Maybe for some of you, these songs will sound a little too “laidback”.
All i can say is: be patient, and go and listen a couple times:
you'll soon find out that really everything on this record fits!
Hubele's vocals, his guitar playing, buddy Brad Steckel's guitars,
the sparse arrangements, the sequencing of the songs. Even if I
would, I just couldn't say one negative word about this record!
Why don't you just go and give it a spin? It's oh so much recommended!
Dani
Heyvaert
*****
Robert Hubele was born and raised as the eldest of eight children, the prairies of southern Alberta, Canada. Meanwhile, he lives with his wife in Vancouver, close to the beautiful Stanley Park. At fourteen he had his first job (in a steel plant) and at 21 he wrote his first song. In 1984 he won the Canadian Songwriting Contest with the cassette "That man". The man is self-taught and with "I Get Lonely" to his seventh CD since 1988, all filled with original songs. Robert plays guitar and slide dobro and takes all the vocals on his behalf, the only other person on the CD is co-producer, recording engineer, guitarist, bassist, percussionist and keyboard player Brad Steckel. The music is a mixture of blues and jazz, in a soft version. No violent situations, but simple "down to earth lyrics. Consider the observation story in "Betty & Eddy's blues:" Eddy was ready for a better life. Work at the mill, then it's home to the wife. Looking for answers ... all he knows something not right with the path he chose. (CHORUS) ... .. Eddy Eddy was ready was ready for a little change. Betty was ready for a better life. Raised the kids, the perfect wife leg. Stood by her man in the hardest of times, but now Eddy's acting strange and she wakes up cryin '. (CHORUS) Betty was ready ... .. Betty was ready for a little change. (BRIDGE) It's so easy to fall in love. Eddy needs Betty, Betty and Ed needs. When they're mad but Sometimes They just child or forget ". A sort of blues every day, so. And other texts have the same impact.
"I Get Lonely" is a sympathetic and very accessible CD of a nice bluesy singer-songwriter. Not revolutionaries, these Hubele Robert Burton, but his music is pleasant enough to listen with pleasure. (Fred Schmale)
I Get Lonely ...
Robert Burton Hubele
- With Brad Steckel
Robert Burton Hubele makes his very own unique version of the blues. During the opening number, also title track from his CD 'I Get Lonely', I thought I was listening to a drunken parody of Frank Sinatra , but after two or three songs it became clear that the somewhat sloppy way of singing is simply Hubele, and the guitars of Hubele and Brad Steckel somehow make the singing fit in a curious way, so you are still a fascinated listener. Hubele and his fellow musician and producer Brad Steckel played fantastic, always at the cutting edge yet relaxed. And then the light drifting voice of Hubele.
As a listener you're sometimes not quite sure if you get it, but the playing and singing are great. It therefore remains a very exciting picture.
Holly Moor
Robert Burton Hubele with Brad Steckel - I Get Lonely
**********
"Robert Burton
Hubele lays down some blues-real blues, and builds on it with some
rock, jazz and a touch of country. At times he sounds like a huskier
Neil Diamond, at others like a more melodious Bob Dylan.He doesn't
lie when he says his musical influences were the slide guitar of
Bonnie Raitt and the songwriting of Tom Waits. Tying up the package
is a kind of hypnotic electrified drone that Hubele achieves with
fellow musician and CD co-producer Brad Steckel."
Jan Degrass-CoastReporter
- Sunshine Coast, Canada
September,2004
*******
"This guy could
sing the phone book and make it sound delicious.Outside of his obvious
songwriting talents,Hubele has an engaging sense of humour that
peeks through on some of the cuts..... Yes, Canada should
be proud of her rowdy bad boy!"
Independent Songwriter
Magazine
*******
"He's written
some of the best songs ever to come out of Alberta. What comes
through in his music is the honesty and hard work he seems to put
into every song, the sort of blue-collar ethic that made Bruce Springsteen
into a legend.
"Key of "A"
CBC Radio One
********
"I'm fascinated by this Canadian's
Halfway To Everywhere CD, but I have no idea what "format"
it is. Some tracks are dobro/steel acoustic. This one has a mesmerizing
electric-guitar drone and spooky background vocals. But whatever
the musical context, Hubele's hoarse, gripping, whiskey-soaked voice
demands a listen. Check him out."
MUSIC ROW, by Robert K. Oermann
*******
"Hubele's fourth recording
(someone please send me the other three) is a richly textured album
that blends country, jazz, blues, and folk into engaging songs.
A real winner!" RECORD TO WATCH, ROBERT BURTON HUBELE,
Gavin Americana, The Other Country,
"Americana Inroads" by Chris Marino
*******
"Stirring, imaginative, passionate,
invigorating. His songs are totally original and defy categorization.
His lyrics are simple and his music is like a caress to the soul."
1998 Independent Songwriter
Hall of Fame, Independent songwriter Web Magazine, June '98.
*******
"Great listener response to
'Halfway To Everywhere'! Of the many 'Americana" recordings
I receive-this recording makes its way to the top..(I'll) give it
heavy rotation."
Danny Lubovich, Music Director-Jazz/Americana,KURE
- Ames, Iowa.
*******
Canadian
Folk Music Bulletin - Fall 2003 - Vol. 37.3 - ISSN 0829-5344
"I'm
taking it for granted that everyone has heard something about Robert
Burton Hubele. Maybe you heard his music in a movie or on
a television show. You might have heard him in one of the
many honkytonks across western Canada. But have you heard
his latest CD, The Human Heart? This is a live recording
done in Cochrane, Alberta, with a very accomplished guitarist, Brad
Steckel. Robert and Brad do quite well together on these 19
tracks (some are preamble).
Hubele
has a sound of his own, sometimes folky, sometimes jazzy and other
times bluesy. He is one of the best storytellers around, as
you will hear when listening to this CD. He does not just
intro his songs, he takes you along and brings you inside.
Hubele is a working person's man. One can feel this in the
way he presents himself in his music and how he talks to the audience.
Hubele has great voice and can bring a smile ear to ear and then
can make you reach for the kleenex as he takes you through life's
ups and downs. All the songs are written by Robert, who is
a truly fine writer. I found this new CD to be leaning more
to the blues, although a couple of numbers have a country swing
to them.
The
Human Heart is on Robert's own label. If you can't get
out there to see him live, well, this is the next best thing.
I can assure you an evening listening to Hubele is an evening well
spent."
Terry
St. James, Montreal, Quebec
*******
Vincente Zumel, "La
Hora del Blues" Barcelona, Spain.
English Translation:
A huge vocal suppleness
and spicy guitar solos from and artist with a great sensibility
who combines with imagination and quality blues and jazz together
with pop influences, which gives as a result a relaxed bright and
colorful music. Robert abilities can be appreciated not only on
his performing but also on his natural gift as song writer with
so suggestive tunes like ‘The Only One’, Your Baby’s
Tears’ or ‘The Human Heart’. Robert Burton Hubele
unpretentioulsy tells us from his own experience different stories
about love and human conditon. always giving a positive message
full of love, understanding and hope. VERY GOOD