When Bobby Whitlock and CoCo Carmel came together it was a meeting of two kindred spirits. Music is in their blood and their new album is a testament to their talent and creativity. As a teenager Bobby hung around Stax Studios in Memphis, watching and learning from such luminaries as Albert King, Sam and Dave, Booker T and the MG’s, to name a few. They became his friends and mentors. What a fantastic place to learn and develop your craft. Bobby was soon playing local clubs and building up his own fan base. He recorded his first single, but, although he had a record deal with Stax’s HIP label, he did not like the direction they wanted him to follow. Bobby did not see himself as a ‘pop’ singer, and wanted a more gospel, soulful direction with some good time rock ‘n’ roll thrown in. His buddy and MG’s bass player, Duck Dunn, brought Delaney and Bonnie to see him perform in a local Memphis club. They loved the sound of his voice and asked him if he would like to help them form a new band and come out to Los Angeles with them. He seized the chance to change direction, and became the first ‘Friend’. Delaney and Bonnie and Friends soon attracted some well-connected fans in the music business such as Gram Parsons, George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Eric was soon to play a huge role in Bobby’s future. When Bobby left the Friends in 1970 he headed off to the English countryside and stayed with Eric at his country home. Within weeks the two had struck a close friendship and creative partnership resulting in one of the greatest rock albums of all time, ‘Layla and Assorted Love Songs’. They called their band Derek and the Dominos and their first session was as George Harrison’s backing band for his first solo album, ‘All Things Must Pass’. Both of these seminal albums celebrated their 40th Anniversaries in 2010. By 1971 the Dominos sadly imploded, largely due to drug and ego issues, and Bobby spent the next decade recording a fine selection of solo albums, before taking a well earned rest from the rock and roll excesses, to spend time with his children. The year 2000, a New Millenium, and Bobby Whitlock was ready to start recording again. He released the fine, ‘It’s About Time’, and promoted the album by appearing with Eric Clapton on the Later with Jools Holland television show. The appearance of the two main players in Derek and the Dominos caused a lot of excitement in the music world. Their performance of the now classic “Bell Bottom Blues” that night, had many fans reminiscing. But Bobby was still not 100% ready to resume his solo career, as he was addicted to prescription drugs brought on my a serious ear ailment. By 2002 he was finally clean and felt freer than he had in decades. With his soul mate CoCo at his side, he knew he had his life back, and was ready to face the world again. Since then he has recorded several beautiful albums that have been critically acclaimed, as well as writing his autobiography of his life, which has been the number one best rated rock and roll biography at Amazon.com for over a year! I urge you to buy the book for the full story. I guarantee you will not be disappointed! CoCo Carmel is just as talented when it comes to producing fine music. She is a multi-talented musician playing both sax and guitar, and, she sings like an angel! CoCo released her first solo album, the intensely personal, ‘First Fruit’, in 2010. She also produced and recorded this new album, ‘Esoteric’. A true collaborative blend complementing each other at their creative best. The album was started early in 2011 when Bobby and CoCo had an outpouring of creativity, and new songs were being written and demoed at the rate of one a day. Bobby had spent around 18 months on his autobiography, so all those songs were just waiting for him to finish the book, he just did not realize it. There was an abundance of material from the two, and, for a while they thought of releasing a double album. Instead, it was decided to release a single cd and keep the remainder for future projects. Bobby is particularly happy with the work of Brannen Temple, who plays drums on the album. Bobby told me that, “he is by far the best drummer that I have worked with since Jim Gordon and Jim Keltner. He's kind of a cross between the two”. Praise indeed! I was privileged to hear these new numbers as they happened, and watched them grow into the songs you are now hearing. I hope you enjoy the results as much as I have! Marc Roberty