DISC SPOTLIGHT- the cd

by Dwight L. Quinn
OLIVER JOHNSON &; NITE TRAIN -Oliver Johnson & Nite Train ( QR 061202-1, 2012)
Lu v n' Thing; Lu v n'Thing,Come Back Baby,Hello Time, Do You Love Me Not, Scheming Me,Lied For The First Time, Drink To Much,If You Repay Evil For Good,Take Me Baby, Drink To Much Instrumental.


It was this time last year, that I first en-lighted on a track from this cd and said at the time; this album is so filled with good dance, story-telling lyrics and strong Ballard that any one track could have been pulled off to go under the spotlight. Although it was intimated that a full look may well follow, such a quick return was not fully on the cards until the tally of individual tracks was pulled together and proved to be something of a " Soul mix, with over 50% going in that direction. Consequently, it seemed fitting  to look at a group for the spotlight and where better..?  'Nite Train' may well be Oliver Johnson, whose name is prominent on the album as lead vocalist and band leader, along side Nephew Davis-bassist, Oswald Peters-lead guitar, Mike Bell-drums,Oliver Johnson-trumpet,keyboard and Dwight Quinn-background vocals. The album was produced and arranged by Dwight L. Quinn.

The proceeding start with"Luv n' Thing', rocking , soulful trot that commonly associated with Soul music, heavy bass licks infusing something of the 'Funk' and indeed, once the song gets under way, the use of Nephews thumping bass licks to support the vibrancy of Oliver Johnson's lead voice invokes a hot soul party. Cloaking-in at under four minutes - the longest track on album is 6:14 - it's over all to soon. 'Come Back Baby ' was originally written for Lil Aaron Mosby who passed away before completing his second album  on  the Quinn Records TM label, is up beat urban blues rocker filled with a crazy piano part that reminiscence of the great-late,Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Johnson, a style that has been missing in newer blues music. Oliver Johnson did a magnificent job in laying down the piano part that makes 'Come Back Baby ', sensational. Talking dialog intro by Oliver Johnson, trumpet instrumentation, background vocal is joined by percussion to get,' Hello Time', off the starting blocks. 
Well placed trumpet solo, the insistent rhythm and the rapport between the lead vocalist and background singers makes this irresistible. Although this is a 2009 set, the next two songs were written by Dwight at the start of the decade, in fact there is something in the blues-ballad, 
'Do You Love Me Not', that sounds even earlier - maybe it's the use of the organ. It's a tale of incompatibility in a relationship as the storyteller reflects on the difference in the word...' Some people are made for each other, they stay together- til death do 'em part. See they got love and understanding-they can stop a wind storm before it start. But now me and my baby, our love is like house built up on a rock,-you see everybody scared to move-cause if we do-our house is going drop...'
Mid way of the album Oliver Johnson & Nite Train, and despite its moody sound, under the surface once again the lyrics have their serious side.

Down middle ways of the album, 'Scheming Me', reflects Dwight's time with first relationships that gone bad. Wondering along life way thinking that everything is all well when in fact that it's not. Here again, Oliver lays down what I think is the best trumpet solo part in the whole entire album. You'll probably, like myself while to this track multiple times just to hear this hot trump works. Not quite a complete 'slam-dump' but certainly a few center court free throws, 'Lied For The First Time', is an atmospheric r&b-ballad performed principally as a choral effort and,surprisingly, complemented by a  slow-jam guitar that takes over the song three-quarters through and on to the fade. 'Drink To Much', keeps the tempo up and again Dwight Quinn lyric's have to be commented... 'If You Repay Evil For Good', making the most of Rock music... It's one of those Studio fill jobs, that in this case worked. You can have fun with the track...'Take Me', is a big effort, maybe a little out of place within the whole, as it has a distinctly ' 70' pop flavor and seems undecided whether it should that a" more power to the people pop road. No such problem with the instrumental version soulful,"Drink To Much'.. Once again Oliver Johnson is given full rein to rock his way through the climax and take things out on a higher-playing field.