Here is a CD that will take you to the crossroads ...not somewhere in the middle of the Mississippi Delta but downtown to some neon lit intersection on 42nd! It's time to join "The Shadow" who will put you in touch with some great urban vibes. Expecting a bit of Chicago Blues or some cool Bebop jazz perhaps? No way! What Allen Shadow (a.k.a. Allen Kovler) offers is some urban grunge that is a captivating mix of Garland Jefferies, Lou Read, Patti Smith and Tom Verlaine from his 70's Television days.

Tired of all the post 9/11 goings on? Join "The Shadow" and escape to a New York of a bygone era. Join the lonely nighthawks as they gather at Phillies all-night diner. This is Hopper's town ... where Shadow's Kerouac inspired prose echo through the alleyways and subways all the way down to Coney Island. This is Shadow's nostalgic serenade to New York. What's he uttering? Ask Ginsberg or some beatnik man ...'cause I've got no idea! All I know is the lyrics sound great and conjure up rich mindscape images. His snarled vocals are set to the raw and edgy ("Crazy Horse" like) electric guitar strains of John Jackson and the haunting tenor sax playing of Randy Leago. This is the sort of energy that Patti Smith generated on her classic "Horses" album. Love it!

Have a listen to " King Kong Serenade"online at http://www.allenshadow.com and you will be hooked ...I was.

...and what is a review of this sort of CD doing on the "SA Roots and Blues" site? ...well think of it as new "urban" roots ..."hybrid" blues from the crossroads downtown ...where the 50's beat generation poets mingle freely with the punk and grunge bands of the 70's.