One of Ace's Great CDs
ACE MORELAND
The Best Kept Secret In The Blues
Let me introduce you to the artistry, soul, and wide-ranging talent of Ace Moreland. It has been my pleasure to work with Ace on all four of his CDs. Sizzlin' Hot, I'm a Damn Good Time, Jealous Man Keepin' a Secret. He just Keeps getting better and better. His singing style has evolved into a perfect example of the Ozark sound, not surprising considering his Oklahoma roots. His guitar work is clean and full of soul. Best of all, he's still writing those great songs!
Ace was born in 1952 in Miami, Oklahoma. His father and grandfather were named Ace as well, and he is part Cherokee and all bluesman. After an apprenticeship on the Tulsa rock-blues scene, Ace and his left-handed guitar went to Macon, Georgia in the '70s. He hung on the fringes of the Capricorn-Allman Brothers scene for 3 years before returning to Oklahoma, where he gigged with local heroes like the Cate Brothers. When he came to Florida with the band Smoot Mahuti in 1987, I had the pleasure of meeting Ace and convincing him to record for King Snake. He has played with both his own band and the Midnight Creepers since then, appearing with most of the big names in the blues.
Ace's CD Keepin' a Secret is his most diverse, and I think it's his best. It runs the gamut from shuffles like Bring Out the Boogie, featuring Noble "Thin Man" Watts on tenor sax, to funk such as Don't Let the Devil Ride or Law of the Jungle to deep blues like Death Letter Blues, to ballads like Birds of a feather. And there's plenty of everything in between, laced with great horn charts by Bill Samuel and searing guitar solos.
This CD is great because Ace really put the time into this one, becoming a damn good recording engineer in the process. People, the time was well spent. Let's hope that Ace busts loose from being "the best kept secret in the blues". I know I can't keep the secret any more.
- Bob Greelee
