'If I May…' album review by Blues Blast Magazine, USA, October 2023

"Two-time Blues Blast Music Award nominee, Little G Weevil continues to produce highly enjoyable traditional blues music. His latest release, If I May, contains ten original compositions, which run the gamut of blues, swing, ragtime and jazz.

The opening one-chord stomp “Yoga Girl (Hold Me Close)” sets out the album’s stall nicely: a tight groove, a sharp band, a well-written song in a classic blues style but with a modern lyrical perspective just one notch off normal.  Likewise, the New Orleans style  romp of “Spy Balloon Blues” offers a wry view of the satellites that dominate the modern world and features some superb piano from Mr. Jambalaya.

Indeed, the entire band is top class. Weevil handles guitars and lead vocals, ably supported by  Jambalaya on piano and backing vocals, K.C. Brown on harmonica and backing vocals, Csaba Pengo on upright bass and backing vocals and Tom Kiss on drums. Gabor Vastag also provides backing vocals on two tracks.

The jazzy “One Last Time” sees Weevil lay down a fine guitar solo while the traditional Chicago blues of “Scam Me, Scam Me Not” is another example of Weevil’s ability to write songs that have a traditional feel but very contemporary lyrics.

'If I May…' was recorded, mixed and mastered by Gabor Vastag at Sounday Studio in Budapest, Hungary and he caught an excellent sound. On a track like the upbeat “Doctor Hay”, Weevil’s guitar fair leaps out of the speakers.  On the throbbing “Tribal Affairs”, Kiss’s drum patterns perfectly match one of the more intriguing lyrics on the album, particularly sitting next to the mid-paced rhumba of “Gold Mine”, explicitly bemoaning the plight of African workers working for little reward for the precious gems that we wear as jewellery.  Half-way through this track, Mr Jambalaya suddenly leads the band in a wholly unexpected direction.

Both “Tingalingaling (Everybody’s Qualified)” (which also contains a belting solo from K.C. Brown) and the slow blues of “We Don’t Learn Much” amusingly skewer modern educational standards and expectations, while the album closer, “I Know Many Ways To Prove My Love” nods to Willie Dixon’s “29 Ways” as Weevil lists various ways he can prove his love. It’s a great way to finish a very enjoyable album.

Little G Weevil is a serious talent. And If I May, which by the way is beautifully packaged in a gatefold sleeve with an essay by Larry Eaglin and all the lyrics, is another worthy addition to his oeuvre."

"If I May…" album review by Living Blues Magazine, USA, November 2023

"’If I May…’ marks a significant juncture in singer, guitarist, composer, and producer Little G Weevil’s career. It’s his tenth album to date and the culmination of a series of accomplishments that include wins at the International Blues Challenge, a Blues Music Award, a pair of Blues Blast Music Awards, various nominations for Independent Blues Award and recognition as an Honorary Lifetime Member Recipient in the Atlanta Blues Society. Born in Budapest, Hungary during the Soviet occupation, he absorbed the sounds of Western music once the Iron Curtain came down in 1989 and 1990. Ultimately it was the blues that captured his attention overall. Picking up the guitar at the age of 17, he brought that interest to bear by performing in Budapest blues jams, in the process, he earned the nickname ’Little G Weevil’ because, it was said, he appeared to pop up everywhere. He formed his first band in 1998 and began touring Europe prior to relocating to the American South in 2004. After taking a string of menial jobs in his efforts to find work, he got a steady gig on Beale Street, gaining him experience and a solid reputation. Once he recorded his first album the aptly titled ’Southern Experience’ in 2008 his notoriety increased in significant measure, winning him awards, the ability to tour internationally, and the opportunity to open shows for Aaron Neville, Johnny Winter, Denise LaSalle, C. J. Chenier, Otis Taylor, Lurrie Bell, Lightnin’ Malcolm, Tinsley Ellis, and a number of others. 

With ’If I May…’ notches a further accomplishment, courtesy of an album that finds him exploring all facets of the blues, and in the process, demonstrating both his verve and veracity. With a band that includes K. C. Brown (blues harp, backing vocals), Csaba Pengo (upright bass, backing vocals), Mr Jambalaya (piano, backing vocals), and Tom Kiss (drums), he shares a series of engaging and effusive grooves from the rousing revelry of Yoga Girl (Hold Me Close) and Doctor Hay, to the playful panache of Tingalingaling (Everybody’s Qualified), the loping rhythm of Scam Me, Scam Me Not, and the whiplash refrain that underscores Trible Affairs. 

That said, the musicians venture out even further, courtesy of the brassy Spy Balloon Blues with its barrelhouse piano playing and horn infused flourishes, and Gold Mine which finds slide, harp, and keys providing the song with a steady stride. 

All in all, ’If I May…’ suggests that Little G Weevil is in fact capable of doing whatever he may please as far as painting different hues of the blues. It leaves, in turn, little doubt that listeners will agree." 

More reviews and quotes

"...Live Acoustic Session is a collection of 17 generous songs, 12 of which are strong originals...With plenty of guitar picking prowess and confident delivery, he carries thunderous rhythm and funky grit, musically cruising the Delta blues up to the Mississippi Hill Country style. He sings with a raspy, growling baritone...From an instrumental standpoint, this album is superb. He can hold his own among the best. He delivers some excellent songs, enough to earn him all-around accolades...This album demonstrates that Little G Weevil can play superbly. He's got the chops and the passion. He's got it all going, with interesting stories and swift instrumentation. Live Acoustic Session is a fine album and a feather in his cap." 

- Living Blues Magazine, 2021