WeatheredMan

Inspired by the great pairings in rock and jazz history, C-30 Duets Vol. 1 presents five smooth cosmopolitan duets. The project is spearheaded by Simon Bradshaw aka WeatheredMan, the frontman and singer/songwriter with mariachi legends Roja. Aside from the occasional Spanish flare, Bradshaw doesn't let too much of his Roja personality bleed into C-30, instead playing on laid-back grooves, jazzy chords, and classy brass. For this album, Bradshaw culled his collaborators from across the spectrum. A boy band icon, an RnB crooner, a dance music hook pro, an indie starlet and a straight up rocker tossed in for good measure. C-30 is a great album to sit back and sip a cocktail to leading up to the midnight hour.

The opener 'Hand in My Pocket' comes crashing in with a big band brashness before settling into a slinky shuffle. Bradshaw and pop star Aaron Paul channel their best Jack White with snappy vocals oft left dangling off a cliff by the band before they're caught again by the next downbeat. Bradshaw's playing is ripping and fuzzy, also lending itself to White's brand of alt-rock. For his duet with Atlanta songstress Danii Roundtree, Bradshaw makes her feel welcome with a track with more than a few nods to her hometown's signature sound including some old-school Outkast horns. Roundtree and Bradshaw's chemistry is probably the strongest on the album. Their voices feel like two branches from the same tree swaying together in the breeze with one drawn up and one drawn down by the various drafts of the wind. Bradshaw lifts this chilled-out number into the clouds with a hyped up guitar solo. His collaboration with indie singer LeeSun also hits the mark, living up to its title 'Salty Dish'.

C-30 Duets Vol. 1 showcases some talented vocalists and slick music by its originator. Like a cook well versed in many cuisines, Bradshaw takes the spices of the genre of his partners and peppers them in creating a diverse yet also cohesive mix. Grab a cocktail and get loose.