Review: Mel Booker ‘Royalty’

Mel Booker

By Mike O’Cull

Southern California guitar hero Mel Booker presents the world with a brief-but-mighty new EP titled Royalty that showcases his skills as a player and composer.

The new record dropped August 14th, 2022 and finds Booker putting down new, original music that pulls blues, rock, funk, and fusion influences into a deeply personal sound. Booker extends his reach well past the typical blues or rock player and builds significant compositions that act as ideal vehicles for his melodicism and well-phrased solos. He’s a sophisticated musician with his own approach to just about everything, which makes Royalty a fine listen and well worth your headphone time. It’s only four tracks in total but each one vibes hard.

Mel Booker has been rocking the SoCal music scene in one way or another since the late 1980s. He first came to prominence while playing in the group Seventh Seal. Health problems in his family came up and made touring seem less important, so Mel went into guitar teaching. He started out teaching in a store but eventually went out on his own as Mel Booker Music. Today, he employs over a dozen other instructors who work with some 200 students each week. Some of his students are Sean Henessy (Candlebox, Gracious Few), Eric Slater (Fine Winos), and Nikki Stevens (Fender).

All four cuts on Royalty feature Booker on guitar and Kris UlstaD on keyboards and programming. The opener “Prince Nelson” is Booker’s tribute to the late, great Prince, who pioneered the mixing of rock and funk. The track is based in a cool, mid-tempo pocket that supports Booker’s icy-clean rhythm guitar parts. His overdriven leads and harmonized passages are adventurous and musical and it’s fun to listen to Booker expressing the way he hears things.

“Royalty” is an homage to the unsung heroes of 70s R&B, an era that was formative to Booker’s development as a player. It’s a laid-back groove fest that gets powered up by Booker’s big tone and bold note choices.

Perhaps the top moment on Royalty is “Queen Franklin.” The track is Booker’s emotive salute to The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. Mel gets way down into his soul bag on this one, attacking the slow, dramatic cut with the spirit and frenzy of a gospel singer. His phrasing is spacious and wide, transmitting a message of love and respect to Aretha that cuts across all genres and boundaries. Add in a slick modern turnaround to remind you whose record this is and “Queen Franklin” wins the day.

The final track is the blues/fusion of “Guitar, Kings, and Ice.” Here, Booker goes from lowdown blues ripping to skyward-bound progressive melodies and back again. It’s a sweet way of showing that Mel honors B.B., Freddie, and Albert but also has his vision firmly set on his own future. Booker is a compelling player who has no trouble with smashing genres together to see what it gets him. He’s a musician’s musician, without a doubt, and his tone, taste, and touch practically demand you give him a spin.

Stream/Download Royalty Here

Listen “Prince Nelson”