by Jim Kelly

Who: Stewart Hooey
What: country-soul with smarts
Where: Hamilton, ON
To Contact: 2357 Barclay Road, Burlington, ON (905) 681-0969

Stewart Hooey is making a move. He’s taken a leave of absence from his teaching job in Hamilton so he can pursue his fledgling music career. After listening to his second album, Daughters Of America, I think he’s doin’ the right thing. The record is rich in smart lyrics and soulful country craftsmanship, but the accent is as much on the ’soul’ as the ‘country,’ owing as much to Memphis as to Nashville. “I’m two-thirds coming from a soul, R&B, pop perspective, and maybe one third country,” he says, professing his love for ’60s soul as well as country coolios like Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakam and Lyle Lovett. Reflecting that eclecticism, the album’s lead-off track, “Incomparable”, begins with a gospel-flavoured intro, before kicking into gear as a rousing paean to the perfect woman. The superb “Radio Tower” is a tribute to the late night radio dial visitations from powerful southern US AM radio signals, bringing in exotic R&B, blues, country and soul music that has been the salvation of many a budding Canadian musician. “Famous Partners” is a drinkin’ buddy song with a twist that’s just screaming for a video, and the title track is a soulful plea to the gentler sex from a guy who’s just looking for a little mercy. All Stew Hooey’s looking for is to get some distribution for his record and hopefully parlay that into some radio play. If there’s any justice in this world, he won’t be going back to his teaching job any time soon.

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