Bernard Allison: Loving You Review
Imagine what it would be like, as a youngster, to have a father who was a living legend in the blues music world and, through that father, to be able to meet blues greats like Muddy Waters, Hound Dog Taylor, Albert King, Willie Dixon, Freddie King, and many others. Not only did you meet those greats, but you also received personalized playing tips from Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter.
Well, Bernard Allison, son of the legendary bluesman Luther Allison, can tell us all about those experiences. He’s lived them.
Born the youngest of nine children, Bernard Allison became a self-taught guitarist at around age ten. He began recording with his father at age thirteen, with his dad buying him a Fender “Strat” to use. Along with the “Strat” came instructions from Luther Allison to his son that he should complete his education before exploring a musical career, which Bernard Allison did. After graduating from high school, he joined Koko Taylor’s band, and the rest is blues music history.
Now based in France, Bernard Allison has more than three decades invested in the blues music profession, and he has a catalog of more than twenty previously released albums, with the last being Chills & Thrills in 2025. He and Ruf Records would now like to announce his brand-new recording, Loving You.
Loving You kicks off with “Left Me With My Guitar,” a great tune about the love of your life abandoning you and leaving you with your guitar. It’s lighthearted when Allison sings, “She left me with my guitar. I’m gonna make this guitar sing”. You just know that he is going to be fine as long as he has his guitar to hold close.
Speaking of fine, there’s some mighty fine picking on this cut. Most genuine guitar players can live without a lot of things in this life, but their guitar is not one of those things. This is a great way to lay the foundation for this album.
“4 O’clock In The Morning” features some great keyboard work by Victor Wainwright, along with some complementing vocals. “Yeah, it’s 4’oclock in the morning, sitting here waiting on you. Say you’re going out dancing, but the dance hall closes at two.” That sounds a little “sus” to me. How about you?
The song continues with, “I can see you having fun, Lord I don’t know what to do”. I can just visualize this song being performed live in a packed juke joint anywhere in the world. Writing credits for this song go to B.B. King and Ferdinand Washington. Of course, there is plenty of Bernard Allison’s hot guitar playing, too.
“Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo” is track five on Loving You, and it immediately transported me back in time to the early 1970s and Johnny Winter and Rick Derringer (this great tune’s writer). “Rock and roll hoochie koo, lordy mama light my fuse. Rock and roll hoochie koo. Truck on out and spread the news.”
Is there anyone who hasn’t been driving down the road with that song playing wide open while keeping time on the steering wheel? Well, Bernard Allison and crew do such a bang-up job with this classic that I believe Rick Derringer and Johnny Winter would both be pleased.
Let me pause for a second to acknowledge the great musicianship and vocal support on this album. Those folks are George Moye (bass), Sam Butts Jr. (drums), Eric Roberts (keyboards), Stephen Johnson (guitar/vocals), Jasper Allison (background vocals), Lyndsey Allison (background vocals), and Larry “Doc” Watkins (handclaps). There are also guest appearances from Larry McCray, Devon Allman, Matthew Curry, Victor Wainwright, Heather Hardy, and Matthew Mwangi.
Track seven is the title cut, “Loving You,” and Allison is joined by Devon Allman for this one. “Feeling sad and lonely, got your picture by my bed. The scent of your perfume, where I Iie my head.” Allison continues with, “Ain’t nothing gonna keep me from loving you.”
There is some first-class handclapping going on here, too, credited to and provided by Larry “Doc” Watkins. This number is funky and soulful, with some guitar that sounds like it’s crying out to be heard, just like this new album release.
Bernard Allison is quoted as saying, “The blues is my roots. Regardless of how far outside of the blues I reach for tones, I can’t ever leave the blues”.
B.B. King was quoted as giving this great advice to Allison: “Play along side the person you are sharing the stage with, rather than trying to outdo or intimidate them.” Those are such great words that every musician could adhere to.
If you’re looking to find more of Bernard Allison’s music, there is a huge collection online, including this album. You can catch him live on his European tour in February and March (some dates are with Devon Allman Blues Summit). For more information, consult his social media page.
It is great to see and hear someone keeping the blues alive with innovative modern twists and turns in their music, and that is what Bernard Allison is doing with Loving You. By the way, he is doing a superb job of it, too.
The Review: 9/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Left Me With My Guitar
– 4’Oclock In The Morning
– Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo
– Loving You
The Big Hit
– Left Me With My Guitar
