17. Blood From A Stone — Eric Krasno — Feel Music Group / Round Hill Music

Blood From A Stone is a varied record of modern music — Soul, Rock, and psychedelic sounds prevail. Several songs also highlight Krasno’s bluesy guitar side, like the collaboration with Derek Trucks, “Curse Lifter,” an intoxicating instrumental. On this album he sings all the songs for the first time…and his singing voice sounds great too.

Krasno is one of the best Funk guitarists going these days, working hard, touring with Soulive & Lettuce, as well as producing marvelous music for a variety of artists.

Throughout his 20 years in the music industry, Eric Krasno has never fit into any single defined role. In addition to his guitar playing in Soulive & Lettuce, both of which he helped co-found, he’s established himself as an in-demand producer and songwriter.

He’s produced songs and/or records for a diverse list of artists including Norah Jones, 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, Justin Timberlake, Ledisi, Chaka Khan, Vieux Farka Toure, and Dave Matthews. In the past 2 years Eric has been on tour with Tedeschi Trucks Band (on Bass), Pretty Lights (also playing guitar & bass on the Grammy nominated album “Color Map of the Sun”) and was a part of the Hollywood Bowl tribute to James Brown featuring D’Angelo, Aloe Blacc and many others. Eric Krasno is a very busy man, also producing the amazing new Motet album.

These songs pay intimate tribute to the many classic rock and R&B sounds that influenced him before he became a new-breed Jazz-Funk icon. “Natalie” is a funky rocker, all strut and swagger with a mean clavinet and keyboard bass played by Neal Evans. And, all the songs are soulful, modern Rock at its best.

I’m glad I got to hear him live touring to support Blood From A Stone. They put on a fantastic show! On the album, Derek Trucks guests on “Curse Lifter,” the set’s lone instrumental. Interestingly, the song’s twinned leads, swelling organs, and rolling drum kit intentionally recall the jazzed-up blues groove of the Allman Brothers Band’s “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” Even without Trucks live, it was still the highlight of the show I saw, as it morphed back & forth with Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression.”