"Excellent and enjoyable CD and we've placed it on our very exclusive TOP 100 Blues CDs Chart"
Note: REAL BLUES Top 100 List all have been graded as ‘Highly Recommended Purchases’ and all selections are based solely on Artistic/Spiritual Merit. Selections have already been reviewed or will be within the next issue. This list is a ‘Bribery-free’ listing so you can ‘take-it-to-the-bank’.
- Real Blues Magazine, April 2009
"This release reflects a muse, which is heartfelt and all encompassing. Jim's ability to write, produce, sing together with his guitar performance on this CD is simply amazing. The pop sensibility, with a touch of rock, blues, and country, keep the listener intrigued with great arrangements and toe tapping grooves."
- Jay Roberts, Guitarist, educator, founder Roberts Music Institute (winner Jimi Hendrix guitarist competition)
"I heard some great mixes of rock and blues on this album. One of the best displays of guitar and soaring and emotive vocals is “I’m Your Man”. The acoustic and electric guitar parts are superb on this track and by this time, you are realizing just what a special project that Allchin has produced. You can tell he came from the heart with his lyrics and the music makes his vocals dance all over this album. I liked the transition to the country blues rocker “Rockin’ Chair”. It has a 50s Chuck Berry feel to it and I can see the old soda fountain with the jukebox up against the wall in my mind’s eye as I listen right now. This is what good music is supposed to do. Again, Allchin’s guitar playing is excellent, he cuts loose on some runs and sounds like his playing is just on fire! “Killer Shuffle” is another barnburner with some licks that cut like a knife, all accentuated by a funky organ in the background. The curtain closes the same way as it opened with an exciting six-string manifesto that would make anyone dreaming about become a guitar hero jealous - a fitting way to end the album.
Being the techy that he is, Jim uses Dumble and Line 6 amps and records straight into a computer using Sonar. This sheds light on his talent as a musician and technician and luckily, for all of us listeners we get the end result, Enigma, one hell of an album. Who is that company you worked for again Jim?"
Rating: 4 ½ / 5 Stars
- Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck, March 2, 2009; ©MuzikReviews.com
"We got this at the radio station last week and the one sheet piqued my interest. A former microsoft honcho coming out with a guitar record? Honestly, I was expecting a awful record. To my surprise what I heard was some incredible guitar playing. I don’t use that term lightly. I’m talking you walk into a bar, hear this cat playing and get blown away."
- dj at kdhx in st louis
