Ricky Z. has spent 25 years as one of LA’s most in-demand session guitarists, with credits running through Steven Tyler, John Fogerty, Josh Groban, Alan Parsons, and a Latin Grammy for his work on Juan Gabriel’s Album of the Year-winning Los Dúos. Back to the Truth is his sophomore solo record, and after a career spent supporting other people’s visions, it plays like a genuine return to his own roots in Blues, Rock and Roll, Cajun, Gospel and Jazz, backed by an equally credentialed cast of session players including drummer Chad Cromwell and bassist Jimmy Earl.
The title track is an incredible jam, carrying a great bluesy, swinging rhythm section that’s genuinely addictive, with great tones from everyone involved and plenty of melodic solo guitar work driving it forward. It’s the clearest showcase on the record for exactly the kind of playing that’s made Ricky Z. such an in-demand player for so long, soloing with real taste rather than just technical flash. “Congo Square” pairs well with it, a rip-roaring blues rocker built around American music history that closes on a genuinely smoking solo.
“Lay My Body Low” stands out for how the vocals harmonize with and mimic the slide guitar, a timeless blues tradition executed very well here, especially in the song’s first half when the arrangement is stripped down to just those two layers before the full band joins and the sound opens up considerably. The Louisiana-inflected “We Make a Good Gumbo,” featuring accordionist Teddy Andreadis of Guns N’ Roses, leans hard into the bayou influences running through the record.
The cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is very soulful, with tones that are incredibly warm and an execution that carries real depth and nuance, a genuinely worthy addition to an already crowded canon of covers. “God Has Smiled On Me” carries even more weight, an expression of gratitude for God’s blessings delivered entirely through lead guitar melody and supporting harmony with no lyrics at all, and the fact that it communicates that clearly without a single word sung is a real testament to the playing, expressive in a way that recalls John Mayer at his most emotive.
Back to the Truth is exactly what its title promises: a player known for decades of supporting other artists finally stepping fully into his own voice, and the record backs that ambition up with genuinely strong songwriting and playing across the board.