Album Reviews
Posted on April 21, 2025 by Marty Gunther
An ensemble based out of the Midlands region of South Carolina who represented the Charlotte Blues Society in this year’s International Blues Challenge, The Pszenny Project are a blues-rock band with a hard-driving, unique sound. Despite keeping the heat on high, they incorporate slight elements of jazz, R&B and more throughout this edgy, all-original set. If you’re a fan of blues-rock, you’ll probably like this one. Buckle up before you give it a spin. It’s an unrelenting set that would have been served better with one more ballad along the way.
The Pszenny Project – Smokey Bourbon | Album Review – Blues Blast Magazine
“A power trio from the Midlands of South Carolina, The Pszenny Project builds on the blues and rock foundations of its frontman, singer and guitarist Mark Pszenny, and adds a few touches of funk and rhythm'n'blues to make their music both energetic and appealing to the audience. Completed by a solid rhythm section made up of Jay Ellington on bass and Jason Corley on drums, the trio will strive to take us on a journey with an initiatory feel for which they will occasionally enlist the services of Moses Andrew III on keyboards and it is from Chicago to Texas and from Memphis to Detroit that they will accompany us in a second album that smells of cold beer, warm tobacco and good food, a pure album of rough blues rock that has no other ambition than to proudly and simply wear well-dressed riffs to the nines to an audience that doesn't ask for more. Smokey Bourbon" is certainly one of those albums that deserves a place in an eclectic blues rock discotheque!” - Fred Delforge, ZICAZINE (Aug 24, 2024)
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This is good old-fashioned beer swillin’ blues/rock in the tradition of bands like Skynyrd, ZZ Top and Stevie Ray. Mark Pszenny, the band’s namesake, has a guff, rough-hewn voice well suited to the material, and his guitar playing- particularly the slide stuff- is supercharged with an almost reckless abandon that makes Smoky Bourbon a spirited listen. He sure comes up with some catchy riffs here too, “This band (including Jason Corely on drums and Moses Andrews III on keys and background vocals) really takes it up a notch” Pszenny says proudly of the new record. “The writing process for the new tracks shows a sense of confidence and maturity, yet a truthfulness to my musical heritage.” And that, kids, is what it’s all about.” - John Kereiff, The Rock Doctor (Jul 22, 2024)
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“Pszenny’s second studio ‘SMOKEY BOURBON’ was released this month. It is an album with 12 songs on the track list, seven of which, such as the opener “I Digress (You’re the Best)”, “Trouble with the Man” and the catchy “She’s Long Gone”, were taken from their debut album and “remastered” to improve the quality of the sound. With the title song, the atmosphere changes with the piano. The rocking riff of “Hoochie Mama” is familiar to us from their debut album, the swinging “Shake It” and “I Get Lost” (which reminds me strongly of “Shake Your Moneymaker”) are new songs. The ballad “Baby Cries” brings, after all the rockers, peace. After “Highway Jammin’” the curtain falls and you realize what silence means... (Translated from Danish)” - Eric Schuurmans, RootsTime.BE (Jul 29, 2024)
“Listeners can expect rich guitar riffs, soulful vocals, and dynamic rhythms that underscore the emotional depth of each track. The Pszenny Project has managed to capture lightning in a bottle with “Smokey Bourbon,” creating an album that resonates with both longtime fans and newcomers alike. As you immerse yourself in the melodies and captivating lyrics of “Smokey Bourbon,” you’ll find yourself drawn into a world where music becomes a journey of self-discovery and artistic expression. Whether you’re a fan of blues, rock & roll, or jazz, this album promises to deliver a unique listening experience that leaves a lasting impression. Experience “Smokey Bourbon” for yourself and discover why The Pszenny Project is a force to be reckoned with in today’s music scene.”- Zel, Blues Beats (Jul 19, 2024)
This is a good blues rock album featuring lots and lots of guitar. Each song gives Pszenny room to flex his guitar muscles, which he does. All in all, if you like rock that dabbles in the blues, then this is something you might want to give a spin. Lots of guitar licks and lots of rocking, driving original cuts make up this self-titled album with a dozen new songs. Hoochie Mama” gets the ball rolling. It’s a rocking number with lots of guitar and gravelly vocals. “Chronic” is a deep, slow blues with solid guitar and a great groove. Pszenny again growls out the vocals and some stinging guitar licks. “Trouble With The Man” follows is another driving cut with a rocking sound. Pszenny sings more naturally as he and the band lay out some cool sounds. Another big cut with lots of guitar solo is featured here.” - Marty Gunther, The Blues Blast Magazine (Mar 07, 2024)
Pszenny has a gritty and growling vocal delivery, with the guitar work sounding drenched in Hendrix as on “Up To You”, “What The Funk” and “I Tell You Why” . There are some chunky riffs on “Trouble With The Man” and slithering soloing for “Hoochie Mama”, with plenty of boogie-ing to go around on “Digress” and “Trouble With The Man”.” - George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly (Feb 29, 2024)
Mark is a strong, powerful singer, his guitar work merits the same description overall, and the band is tough. In other words, this is a listenable, unpretentious and very entertaining and enjoyable set.”- Norman Darwen, Blues in The South (Jan 10, 2024)
Along the whole album Mark Pszenny shows his guitar skills, he combines with a raw, personal and energetic voice which give an own flavor to the whole recording, making it different from similar bands and other groups you can nowadays find in the blues market.” - Unknown, LHDB (Jan 10, 2024)
“Here is some dirty, knuckle draggin’ blues out of South Carolina. The Pszenny Project is the first album for Mark Pszenny’s namesake band, formed in 2019, recalling the barroom energy of early George Thorogood & The Delaware Destroyers. The disc has a primitive, muscular appeal that is sure to find its share of fans.”- John Kereiff, The Rock Doctor Music Reviews (Dec 04, 2023)
The Pszenny Project presents us at the end of the year its first eponymous album in which we find twelve compositions that offer us a kind of initiatory journey in the places most marked by the blues, namely Chicago, Memphis, Detroit and Texas, playgrounds carrying so many styles that the quartet will use and even sometimes abuse to serve us a music that is both solid, thick and rough as we appreciate in juke joints”- Ecrit par Fred Delforge, ZICAZINE (Dec 13, 2023)
"Here are 12 original songs on the track list, which prove that the blues are far from extinct in 2023". The great and tight arrangements breathe a new direction for blues/rock/funk lovers. Although the title of the opener sounds familiar, 'Hoochie Mamma' is due to the very recognizable voice of the frontman, especially a typical Pszenny- song that floats on a rocking riff.”- Eric Schuurmans, Belgium Roots-time magazine. (Nov 15, 2023)
Mark Pszenny: Funky Blues-Rock Vision The Pszenny Project, hailing from the midlands of South Carolina, got their start in 2022 coming off the heels of a global pandemic that left much of the world starving for new music. Mark Pszenny, the band’s namesake, along with a few guys that were feeling the same itch to create, answered that call flawlessly! Pulling inspiration from favorites such as Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Albert King, Robert Johnson, and Freddie King, Mark found his own creativity deeply ingrained into these roots. Blending that with funk and styles of contemporary artists, they offer a soulful but edgy rock blues show that is unlike anything else you’ll hear! Pair that with energy and a fresh approach to tried and true music and you’ll be begging for more!” - Michael Limnios Blues Network, Blues Gr. (Dec 11, 2023)