Blues Reviews
April/May 2019
Willie
Buck
Willie Buck Way
Delmark CD
www.delmark.com
Born in 1937 in Houston, Mississippi, singer/songwriter Willie Buck arrived
in Chicago as a teenager in 1953 smack-dab in the midst of the post-war
heyday of Chicago blues. A brother-in-law used to sneak him into clubs
like Smitty’s Corner and Pepper’s to hear Muddy Waters with
his classic band and within a year he was sitting in at those same venues
(even singing with Little Walter just before his untimely death) and in
the 70s began leading his own bands, that were abrim with top-shelf talent
like Eddie Taylor, Johnny “Big Moose” Walker and Magic Slim.
Willie Buck Way is the name of an honorary street named after Buck in
his adopted hometown as well as the title of his new Delmark recording
where he’s accompanied by some of the Windy City’s finest—acoustic/electric
guitarists Billy Flynn and Thaddeus Krolicki, harp aces Scott Dirks, Big
Spider Beck and Mervyn “Harmonica” Hinds, pianist Johnny “Fingers”
Iguana, bassist Bob Stroger and drummer Jimmy Mayes. In addition to forthrightly
fresh covers of a couple of Muddy’s songs (“Please Have Mercy”
and “How Deep Is The Ocean”) and a stark reappraisal of Leroy
Carr’s reflective “Blues Before Sunrise” Buck also delivers
a dozen poignantly vivid originals in that classic old-school style—favorites
are the cautionary “The Men Ought To Learn (To Treat The Women Right),”
the good-timey “Bottom Of The Hill,” a tough-toned “My
Mind Froze Up” and the robust “Heck Of A Time.” As liners
author Plastic Crimewave puts it: “Buck is still at the top of his
game and this new album is a showcase for his deep roots and raw yet smooth
vocal skills.” Recommended.—Gary von Tersch\
Mary
Lane
Travelin’ Women
Women Of The Blues CD
www.icanonlybemarylane.com
The debut project for the newly-launched Women Of The Blues label is a
must-hear affair featuring 83-year-old Clarendon, Arkansas-born singer/songwriter
Mary Lane, one of the last of the legendary blues trailblazers that made
the Great Migration from America’s South. By 1957 she was in Chicago
where she was taken under the wing by Checker and Vee-Jay recording artist
Morris Pejoe and was soon sharing South and West Side stages with a treasure
trove of Windy City immortals—Elmore James, Magic Sam and Howlin’
Wolf to cite a few. This ten song set (nine co-writes with deft, evocative
producer Jim Tullio) shines the spotlight on Lane’s expressive,
deep-soul steeped voice backed by a host of first-call musicians along
with special guests—including harmonica mavens Billy Branch (on
the easy-rocking “Ain’t Nobody Else”), Corky Siegel
(a resolute “Some People Say I’m Crazy”) and ex-Howlin’
Wolf sideman Eddie Shaw (on the downbeat, cried-all-night-long blues Ain’t
Gonna Cry No More”)—plus guitarists Dave Specter (on the bouncy
“Bad Luck And Trouble”) and Colin Linden (who adds some acoustic
slide dobro to the stark Robert Johnson-like “Make Up Your Mind)
and sax ace Gene “Daddy G” Barge—on Lane’s autobiographical
title song. Other picks begin with a great temperance blues called “Leave
That Wine Alone” and the gospel-rimmed blues ballad “Let Me
Into Your Heart.” As Buddy Guy attests: “Mary’s the
real deal.” P.S. A riveting film documentary about the West Side
chanteuse, titled I Can Only Be Mary Lane, will be available soon. —Gary
von Tersch
Harpdog
Brown
Travelin’ With the Blues
Dog House Records www.HarpdogBrown.com
Harpdog Brown may not be well known outside his native Canada but this
dog has been working the Vancouver blues scene as a singer, harp player
and band leader since 1982. Brown earned a solid reputation playing classic
electric blues and has won a Juno (Canadian Grammy) and numerous Maple
Leaf Awards, the Canadian equivalent of The Blues Music Awards. For “Travelin’
With the Blues” Brown crossed the border, recording at Big Jon Atkinson’s
Bigtone Studio in California, bringing his regular band Jordie Edmonds
on guitar and Pat Darcus, bass, filling it out with Jimmy Morello on drums,
Carl Sonny Leyland on piano with Kid Andersen, Rusty Zinn, Big Jon, producer
Little Victor on guitars and Charlie Musselwhite guesting on harp. This
dog growls and barks while crooning with the best of them, or as Charlie
Musselwhite says, “his singing is the real deal, old school blues
just like you want to hear it.”
Jumping right in, Harpdog’s vocals growl with lonesome howls, explains
he’s seen “Better Days” as the Kid and Jordie’s
guitars shuffle and scream against a spirited chromatic harp. Edmonds’
guitar goes old school on Otis Spann’s “Must Have Been The
Devil” as the Dog blows some fiery harp, a light piano tinkling
in the background then gives Willie Dixon’s standard “Bring
It On Home” an upbeat spin on harp, rhythm and vocals. Getting into
a fast shuffle the Dog’s harp squeals and rasps while his vocals,
melodically singing how she’ll never find “Another Fool Like
Me” by Jesse Thomas then takes on a rare 1940’s Muddy Waters
“Hard Days Blues” with a slap bass, high harp and lonesome
vocal. Slipping into a front porch-flavored original, “Cloud Full
Of Rain,” Jordie’s slide rings true as he and Harpdog are
reminiscent of Capt. Beefheart and Ry Cooder, then bringing a Wolf-like
“Evil” feel to “Facebook Mama,” asking why won’t
that Mama interface with him, then guitarist Zinn joins on “Home
Is Where The Harp Is.” With a slow steady snare, playful piano and
shimmering guitar from Big Jon, Harpdog adapts a Satchmo-like voice describing
a musician’s struggles on “Sacrifice,” blowing some
melancholy harp till the bright lights come on. Continuing in the ‘30’s-styled
“Fine Little Girl Rag,” his harp has a brassy cornet-like
sound as the band plays a syncopated rhythm with piano peeking in. Dog
blows some haunting chromatic and Zinn joins the band for a cool groove
playing under the growling narrative of “What’s Your Real
Name” the back story of his moniker. A rambunctious instrumental,
“Moose On The Loose,” features a fierce harp duel between
Harpdog and Charlie Musselwhite then still energized from the session
the band created the “Hayward Boogie” on the spot, Jordie’s
lopping guitar and a raw harp creating a tasty bonus track.
Harpdog Brown’s “Travelin’ With the Blues” shows
that this Dog carries his blues where ever he goes.—Roger &
Margaret White
Jim
McCarty
Talkin’ to Myself”
Self-produced 2018
Jim McCarty sports a lengthy and distinguished resume. A Detroit, Michigan-based
guitarist, he began his musical career playing with the popular rock band
Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels in the mid-1960s and has never stopped.
His discography is extensive, including stints with Detroit Blues Band
and Mystery Train. “Talkin’ to Myself” is the epitome
of a “solo release”: in addition to guitar, McCarty plays
the bass and drums as well.
Although no song credits are given, presumably the ten tunes are originals.
All are instrumentals, although a couple of tracks have some faint backing
vocals. The emphasis is on uptempo blues rock, McCarty’s forte,
with plenty of crunching chords interspersed with high end single note
forays. Jim’s bass and drum rhythm work is dependable, and on most
tracks establishes an insistent groove, but throughout guitar is king.
This recurring motif is exemplified by “Free Fall” and “Dexter
Digs In,” which barrel ahead to open the set. Next, “Late
Night Rain” starts with a few bars of slower, more lyrical guitar,
but soon morphs again into a rocker.
“Sidewinder” moderates the tempo, with brief slashing guitar
statements above the rhythm foundation, and the ensuing track, “Slidin’
Home,” shows that McCarty can deploy slide guitar handily.
Demonstrating that he is no one trick pony, McCarty demonstrates prowess
on the solo acoustic “Memphis Two Step,” which is followed
by “Blues for K.P.,” a slow twelve bar with some nice reverb
and with guitar ventures from low to high note registers. Then we get
the no-holds-barred “Entropy,” after which the set closes
with “Rosie’s Dream,” the longest track, with some of
the best guitar stylings of the album; and “Annie and Me,”
another slow blues with a beautiful, pensive vibe and a country music
inflection.
For those who appreciate guitar wizardry, this album will be a treat.—Steve
Daniels
The
Wildcat O’Halloran Band
New York City Chill
Dove Nest Records 2018
Bringing the blues to western Massachusetts and the surrounding region,
this rocking band is fronted by guitarist, singer, and songwriter William
(“Wildcat”) Halloran. In addition to Wildcat, the band is
composed of drummer Mark Chouinard, bassist Kathy Peterson, and saxophonist
Emily Duff. On a few numbers, David Bartley on keyboards and Wally Greaney
on harmonica sit in. The band has a notable resume: winner of several
regional awards, the band has opened for multiple big name performers
and backed blues legends James Cotton and Bo Diddley.
The set of twelve tunes rewards careful listening…because, more
than is true of many blues albums, its major appeal resides in the song
lyrics. Halloran is a witty and winsome lyricist, whether he is addressing
hoary blues tropes like thwarted or fraught love, the high cost of living,
or work travails. He also dares to be politically incorrect, as in the
song “Dumb”: “I hope you don’t think that I don’t
have a heart/but the trouble with some folks, they ain’t smart.”
His “Cookin’ Mama” is an amusing track which, defying
expectations of sexual double entendre, may actually be about a woman
who’s a great cook! (or not).
The longest track of the set is the title song, delineating the inherent
disruption “this country boy” encounters in heading to the
Big Apple. Some nice piano work is provided by Bartley, and there is a
really fine sax solo toward the end by Duff, whose contributions throughout,
with their clear tone, are stellar. On the track Greaney is tasty on harp,
and Halloran’s guitar fills and leads are some of his best of the
album.
Halloran’s creative songwriting is complemented by covers of several
songs. One is a rendition of “More Than You Ever Know,” written
by Al Kooper and part of the classic Blood, Sweat & Tears classic
soul blues album of 1968, “The Child Is Father to the Man.”
Here again Wildcat’s plaintive guitar lead intertwines nicely with
more beautiful sax renderings from Duff. Toward the end of the set O’Halloran
covers Willie Dixon’s “Don’t Go No Further” by
himself, demonstrating some deft acoustic finger-picking.
The Wildcat O’Halloran Band deserves kudos for its longevity, for
helping to keep the blues thriving in New England, and Halloran for his
risible and pithy lyrics.—Steve Daniels
L&M
Rhythm Kings
The Lower Level
Self-produced 2018
This album could have been entitled “We Can Prove the Groove,”
because that’s what this veteran quartet does. The group has been
together for over a decade, and its principals have played together in
various permutations for more than thirty years. Mark Longo on keyboards
and Larry Lusignan on guitar share lead vocals, with sturdy rhythm support
from bassist Michael Rush and drummer Glenn Rogers. The set is produced
by Chris Vachon, guitarist for the last couple of decades of the venerable
band Roomful of Blues, and further connection to that ensemble is revealed
by the appearance on two tracks by one of its illustrious former guitarists,
Ronnie Earl.
The set clocks in at exactly one hour, and it’s sixty minutes of
continuously intuitive collaboration and craft. Each of the eleven songs
is an original, and they range from straight twelve-bar blues to a few
jazzy instrumentals, with the uptempo “Smoke” even sporting
a Latin inflection. There are no brief knock-offs here; each tune is well
over four minutes long, suggesting that the band was having a good time
and didn’t want to quit.
That’s to the listener’s benefit. For example, “Inside
Out,” the longest track at over seven minutes, is a slow talking
blues with Vachon sitting in on second guitar; both six-stringers comport
themselves adeptly and interplay well, steadied by the clearly heard bass
and drums. Witty lyrics, also. Another standout is “Big Wheeled
Bonneville,” a lament about a departed lover, buttressed by sublime
guitar fills by Earl, whose piercing, plaintive high single notes are
full of emotion. Slow blues is one of the band’s fortes, but far
from the only one; check out “Meadow Lounge,” the opening
track, an infectious mid-tempo shuffle, and “The Same 50,”
which perfectly epitomizes the band’s ability to grab and maintain
an uptempo groove.
Longo on alternating piano and organ excels throughout, whether providing
tinkly jazzy fills or sonorous blues undertones. Lusignan’s guitar
playing is consistently impressive; refreshingly, in contrast to many
guitarists, he spends almost as much time playing his leads in the low
register of the instrument as in the high range. He deals out a minimum
of flashy cascades of notes, showing devotion to the song, not the player.
Likewise Rush and Rogers, who mesh seamlessly without flaunting their
proficiency. (Rush does have a few nice bass solos.) Meshing equally well
are the vocal harmonies of Longo, Lusignan, and Rush, who croon together
on several tracks of this excellent set.— Steve Daniels
Chad
Pope & Julia Magness
TLAXICA + POPE
Julias_blues@yahoo.com
@Tlaxica on Facebook and Instagram
ChadbPope@gmail.com
@chadbpope on Facebook
and Instagram
Julia Magness is originally from Austin, Texas, competed in the International
Blues Challenge 2011 but has since mainly concentrated on gospel music.
Her move to Memphis in 2016 seems to have brought another shift for Ms
Magness; resurrecting her Native American roots and inspiring her to use
her given first name Tlaxica, which is pronounced Tuh-La-Sheeka. In this
current incarnation she’s joined by fellow Austin to Memphis transplant
Chad Pope. Pope is a third generation musician raised in the Pentecostal
church and the Fort Worth blues scene. They are calling this project TLAXICA
+ POPE, describing its gritty mix of blues/gospel as Pentecostal Swamp
Blues and won the Memphis Blues Society battle for the Solo/duo category
in the International Blues Challenge 2019. From that high the duo traveled
to Royal Studios of Memphis TN to record this disc, produced by Grammy-winner
Lawrence ‘Boo’ Mitchell, the son of legendary producer and
Royal Studios owner Willie Mitchell. Royal Studios features vintage recording
consoles, reel-to-reel tape machines and is still owned and run by the
Mitchell family. Magness and Pope share the vocal duties and write two
songs each with Pope on guitar, Cody Dickinson on bass, drums and keyboards,
Uriah Mitchell supplying beats, Art Edmaiston, horns. Though this is just
a five song EP the sounds did make me perk up.
The set begins with Pope’s “Steady Walking” as his slide
glides in long strides punctuated by the blare of baritone sax and the
steady tat-tat-tat of a snare going at more than a walk and his vocals
are as if through an old PA loud speaker, encouraging us to keep walking
and get out of his way. The gentle strum of acoustic guitar powers “Angel”
as Pope’s voice sounds akin to Gregg Allman with a slightly hollow
echoing vibe and on the chorus he’s momentarily overwhelmed by the
heavenly wail of Magness and the Tennessee Mass Choir, which she is a
member of, while a gentle slide guitar takes a brief mid-song solo. Ms
Tlaxica Magness takes over on “Down For The Last Time,” her
vocals have a similar vibe to Pope but she is so powerful it’s bigger
and bolder than the bullhorn she’s singing through. Backed by the
clap of wood blocks and a deep drone till the high whine of guitar slithers
in, winding around each line, Julie steps right up for “Wasted Woman,”
her voice clear and bright over the clopping rhythm of drums and highlighted
by the bell-like rings of guitar. The finale, Bessie Smith’s “Revival
Day,” brings out Julia’s Gospel training, her voice echoes
as if through a large room, as this sermon fills her soul and the Tennessee
Mass Choir swoops in, filling that space.
The duo of TLAXICA + POPE keep it short but the sounds they’ve presented
make you eager for more.—Roger & Margaret White
Little
Freddie King
Absolutely the Best
MadeWright Records 2019
His promotional material says that he plays Mississippi Delta blues, but
he doesn’t. His real name isn’t even King. So what? His latest
release confirms that New Orleans bluesman Fread Martin is as authentic
as Nawlins gumbo.
Billing himself as “Dr. Blues to da Bone,” Little Freddie
actually plays Mississippi hill country blues, which differs from Delta
blues because of its emphasis on rhythm and repetition. Eschewing melody
and complexity, hill country blues traces its origin back to the polyrhythms
and percussion instruments of its African progenitors. Some of its legendary
purveyors included Fred McDowell (“I don’t play no rock-and-roll”),
Junior Kimbrough, Jessie Mae Hemphill, and R.L. Burnside, and Freddie’s
living colleagues in the genre include the North Mississippi All-Stars
and Cedric Burnside. The music is mesmerizing and eminently danceable.
The thirteen songs in this set were all written by Little Freddie with
his long-time drummer and producer, “Wacko” Wade Wright, whose
new bass partner on this album is Scott Craver. Bobby diTullio Jr. on
harmonica rounds out the quartet, but unsurprisingly the center of attention
is King, whose raspy vocals fit perfectly with the primal vibe of hill
country style. Regarding his lead guitar efforts: also suited well to
the genre, with nasty, insistent chords alternating with stinging single
note forays.
All thirteen tracks represent a re-visitation to previously recorded numbers.
For a prime example, check out “Walking with Freddie,” which
sounds like John Lee Hooker meeting Chuck Berry. “Kingshead Shuffle”
amps up the percussion even more, with a talking vocal refrain. “Chicken
Dance” provides interplay between diTullio’s harmonica and
King’s guitar, with some amusing six-string “chicken talk”
reminiscent of the 1950s innovative guitar renderings of Slim Harpo’s
guitarist James Johnson and the delivery of today’s Super Chikan.
We even get “Great Great Bamboozle,” which sounds much like
the classic 1960s instrumental “Tequila.”
By the way, Little Freddie can handle a slow blues adeptly, and did so
on several tracks of previous albums. However, the only song of this set
with a reduced tempo is “Messin’ Around tha House.”
Enjoy it; enjoy them all. Hill country blues is made for back porch juke
joint partying, booze flowing. As King advises on track 11: “Do
Da Duck - Quack Quack.” I’m with him.—Steve Daniels
Doug
Deming & The Jewel Tones
Complicated Mess
Eller Soul Records dougdeming.com
Doug Deming has always been one of the swingingest cats around and as
a blues man he’s the complete package: sharp suits or tropical shirt
now that he’s living in Florida, great songs and vocals, cool guitar
riffs, a tight band and man, do they know how to play! Deming’s
honed his skills backing some of the best veteran blues men as well as
up and comers and with his youthful appearance it’s a surprise to
realize he’s been gigging well over twenty years. The new release,
“Complicated Mess,” covers a lot of ground stylistically with
Doug Deming on vocals and guitar, his longtime bassist Andrew Gohman playing
upright and Fender, drummer Marty Dodson, with Sam Farmer sitting in on
one track, Bob Welsh, piano, Chris Codish, organ and horns from Sax Gordon
on tenor and Tino Barker, baritone. In addition a few friends like Little
Charlie Baty, Kim Wilson and Madison Slim sit in on half of the dozen
tunes that Doug’s mostly written and produced himself.
With a heartrending wail Doug tries to make sense of a “Complicated
Mess” even though “he’s just tried to do his best”
then slipping in a bewitching rhythm and haunting chromatic of Kim Wilson
on “Sweet Poison,” it won’t let go. Pandemonium breaks
out as Doug croons through Lazy Lester’s “Blues Stop Knockin”
as Wilson blows Lester’s riffs then gliding in with a sashaying
rhythm Doug’s neighbor Madison Slim’s harp hums while Doug
pleads I “Need My Baby.” Doug ponders his decisions on “Deep
Blue Sea” the piano goes low, the guitar hits the upper register
as the feel-good love song “Hold On” tells a lot about Doug
personally and shows his keen finesse of the guitar. Doug’s vocal
really swings on this cover of the Louis Armstrong and Jordan “You
Rascal You” as Little Charlie takes the leads and stays on for “Captain’s
Quarters” a quiet getaway of an instrumental with Doug and Charlie
trading licks, digging themselves a gentle groove. “Just A Moment
Of Your Time” is a Tex-Mex stroll with horns moaning then they give
Fats Domino’s “I’m Walkin’” an up beat jazzy
twist as the baritone punctuates the lines and Sax Gordon is let loose
for a wild solo. A sax hits the rhythm of “Someday Pretty Baby”
while Doug’s vocals sway, the guitar bites out sharp leads with
that sax blaring. “Rat Killin’” is an old school instrumental
letting the drums and baritone set the pace till they drop back to let
the guitar cut loose followed by each band member. When Doug’s not
on the road his regular Sunday gig at Cortez Kitchen is immortalized on
“Cookin’ At The Kitchen” with another regular, Madison
Slim, joining in as well.
Simply put, “Complicated Mess” while not really complicated
is like two lines of that song “he’s just tried to do his
best” and he’s “better than the rest.”—Roger
& Margaret White
Nick
Schnebelen
Crazy All by Myself
Vizztone 2019
The acclaimed band Trampled Under Foot, comprised of siblings Danielle,
Kris, and Nick Schnebelen, is apparently defunct, but the siblings are
thriving. Nick’s website cites this as his first solo album, a claim
belied by his isolated name on 2016’s “Live in Kansas City.”
In that same year, the Nick Schnebelen Band released “Live at Knucklehead’s.”
No point in splitting hairs, though; first or second solo release, “Crazy
All by Myself” is another set of scorching blues rock, spiced with
some rockabilly and soul blues.
Nick, winner of the 2008 Albert King guitarist award at the 2008 International
Blues Challenge, is supported by the core of the top-of-the-line Phantom
Blues Band: Johnny Lee Schell on rhythm guitar, Mike Finnigan on keyboards,
and drummer and producer Tony Braunagel. Bass chores are handled by Hutch
Hutchinson, and an array of notables make brief appearances as Schnebelen
sails through thirteen songs, mainly originals with a few covers.
The first track, “Lil’ Death,” sports an insistent mid-tempo
beat (and somewhat ambiguous lyrics; is it about cars, orgasms, both…?)
and the surprising but welcome addition of violins plied by Lionel Young
and Ada Pasternak. Nick’s stinging guitar leads carry “It
Ain’t Me,” and then the band kicks into overdrive with the
rocking “Ain’t Got Time for the Blues,” Finnigan switching
from organ to piano to goose the song along.
The title track, a slow blues, challenges the limits of Nick’s strong
vocal, but affords him room to stretch on guitar, with a few bars evoking
memories of Albert King, Michael Burks, and even Jimi Hendrix. The following
full-speed rocker, “Altar of Love,” and then another slow
track, “Bad Disposition with the Blues,” feature respectively
the harmonica stylings of Jason Ricci and Dustin Arbuckle. Shortly after,
we get to appreciate Nick’s ability to croon on the aptly titled
“Soul Magic” and then he hits a high mark on “I Leaned
My Heart on You,” the set’s longest track, another slow blues
with pensive organ by Finnigan and evocative lead guitar.
“Monkey Around,” a shuffle, and the slow blues “Holding
On” complete the nearly hour-long set. On this outing Nick Schnebelen’s
songwriting and singing continue to mature and his guitar mastery remains
premier. He isn’t crazy, he’s not by himself, and he continues
to shine.—Steve Daniels
Watermelon
Slim
Church of the Blues
Northern Blues 2019
Grit, grease, gumption, giggles, and…intelligence! The arrival of
a new Watermelon Slim album is always cause for celebration, and “Church
of the Blues” is no exception.
Bill Homans taught himself guitar on improvised instruments while recuperating
from injury in a military hospital during the Vietnam War. He has since
honed his slide guitar skills and become an adept harmonica player and
compelling singer with the Oklahoma drawl of his adopted home state. After
over three decades plying various trades, including watermelon farming,
and obtaining advanced academic degrees- check his website for his fascinating
personal history - in the mid-2000s he commenced what has become a startlingly
successful blues career, replete with eighteen Blues Music Award nominations
with two wins, multiple other awards, and a devoted fan base.
Purveying his bountiful talent, Slim delivers a full hour composed of
fourteen tunes, half covers and half originals, all of them imbued with
skilled musicianship. Along for the ride with this former truck driver
(one of the many jobs in Slim’s highly eclectic resume) are drummer
Brian Wells and bassist John Allouise.
Abetting that core trio is a glittering cast of guests, including vocalists
Sherman Holmes and John Nemeth and expert guitarists Bob Margolin, Joe
Louis Walker, Nick Schnebelen, and Albert Castiglia.
The covers get regal treatment. “Gypsy Woman,” penned by Muddy
Waters, benefits from the guitar contribution of Waters Band alumnus Bob
Margolin, with Slim delivering a powerful vocal and blowing forceful harp.
Allen Toussaint’s “Get Out of My Life Woman,” also covered
on the classic Butterfield Blues Band album “East-West” of
1966, is distinguished by zesty interplay between Slim and Margolin on
guitars and the vocal harmonizing of Slim, Holmes, and Nemeth. On Howlin’
Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightining” Chris Hardwick adds electric
guitar to produce a relentless driving rendition. No guest guitarist is
needed on the cover of Fred McDowell’s “61 Highway Blues,”
which optimally displays Homans’s vocal prowess.
For those who want some intelligent commentary on contemporary life, spiced
with wit, there is satisfaction aplenty in the original tracks. “Tax
Man Blues” utilizes the familiar blues trope of financial woe, but
with insight into the particular political scene in which we live. Similarly,
“Too Much Alcohol” repeats a familiar lament, with dazzling
slide guitar work in tandem with Castiglia on second six-string. Ecological
and environmental awareness, not the usual subject matter of a blues song,
is addressed in “Mni Wiconi - The Water Song,” this track
enjoying the participation of J. L. Walker. The ultimate track, “Charlottesville
(Blues for My Nation),” confirms that Homans is unafraid to address
fraught situations boldly and perceptively.
This is a blues album to dance to, chuckle at, think about…and savor.
Crank up the award speeches.—Steve Daniels
Tiffany
Pollack & Eric Johanson
Blues In My Blood
Nola Blue Records www.
Nola-Blue.com
Growing up in New Orleans, Tiffany Pollack always knew she had music in
her. With a proclivity towards singing she joined Russell Batiste &
Friends in her youth before striking out on her own with Beaucoup Crasseux,
which translates to ‘very dirty’ and dealt with everyday life
studying mortuary science and starting a family. Knowing she’d been
adopted at birth it wasn’t until her twenties that she became aware
her birth mother played and sang in a jazz band and discovered that award-winning
singer/guitarist Eric Johanson was her cousin. Together they’ve
collaborated on “Blues In My Blood,” sharing vocals and songwriting
credits. Teaming up with them is multi-instrumentalist Jack Miele, who
also produced, engineered, mixed the tracks and helped write several songs.
Supporting them on this project are Phil Wang on bass, Brentt Arcement
on drums, organ, piano or percussion, John Gros on organ and piano with
Johnny Sansone’s harmonica and the 540 Horns stepping in for a few.
“Blues In My Blood” from this New Orleans family has a fresh
vibe with a soulful collection of seven originals and four choice covers.
Beginning with a pounding tempo and powerful vocals, Pollack’s revealing
lyrics of “Blues In My Blood” tell her personal story against
Eric’s ominous slide guitar. Then a wispy guitar intro leads to
a powerful beat and organ as Tiffany jumps into “Keep It Simple”
her vocals and lyrics holding nothing back as the band drives home the
point. With a funeral procession pace Pollack brings her mortuary memories
to life for “Michael,” only 19 years old lying on her table,
as Eric’s Resonator wails and the 540 Horns close it out as death
has won again. Eric’s hard rock grind drives his memories of wasted
days, he’s not a “Slave Of Tomorrow” he lives for today
and Johnny Sansone’s haunting harp gives a sense of foreboding as
Eric bares his soul declaring he keeps making “Memories To Forget”
and again Eric takes the lead with country rock on “Diamonds On
The Crown” displaying his guitar skills with Tiffany joining him
harmonizing. With Eric’s smooth soulful vocals you’re drawn
in to “Get Lost With Me” and can lose yourself in his deft
blues guitar lines as they build to a blazing climax. Tiffany takes on
two covers, with full-throated sultry vocals on a confidently restrained
version of Nina Simone’s “Do I Move You?” as the guitar
twists and shimmies, then she pays tribute to Joni Mitchell on “River.”
Showcasing the family’s vocal talents Eric sings lead with Tiffany,
adding sweet harmony on a cover of Jagger and Richards stoned country
“No Expectations” and finishing the disc a steady thump turns
soulful as they trade verses on Pete Seeger’s “If I Had A
Hammer.”
The title of the new Tiffany Pollack and Eric Johanson CD says it best,
they truly have “Blues In My Blood.” —Roger & Margaret
White
Reverend
Shawn Amos
Kitchen Table Blues Vol.1
Put Together Music
betsie@blindraccoon.com
Prior to becoming a self-described “blues preacher,” Shawn
Amos (son of cookie impresario Wally Amos) was an A&R executive at
both Rhino and Shout Factory!, producing multiple Grammy-nominated projects
for legacy artists like Quincy Jones and Heart along the way. This entrancing
first volume of Kitchen Table Blues is a savvy round-up of five songs
culled from his 2016-17 YouTube series of the same name. Actually recorded
live at his California kitchen table, Amos reinvents some of his favorite
songs in a unique, stripped-down, decidedly acoustic “joyful blues”
style, as he describes it. My top three picks, among the five efforts
on this EP, begins with a laid-back, lead-off cover of the Faces blues-rooted,
wistfully pensive “Ooh La La,” followed by a marvelously slowed-down
version of Richard Berry’s rhythm & blues classic “Have
Love, Will Travel” (ah, the 50s!) and a whisper-to-a-scream version
of Tom Waits’ gospel reflection “Jesus Gonna Be Here.”
All recorded live over a Sunday breakfast in Van Nuys, CA in 2016. More
please.—Gary von Tersch
Bloodest
Saxophone/
Texas Queens 5
Self-titled
Vizztone/Dialtone CD
Put together by greasy tenor saxophonist Koda “Young Corn”
Shintaro in Tokyo, Japan, this youthful jump blues and swing band has
been performing old-school vintage sounds for the past twenty years. They
already have released 11 recordings of their own, toured internationally
and have spent studio time with both sax maven Big Jay McNeely and legendary
vocalist Jewel Brown. Enter imaginative Austin, Texas record man Eddie
Stout whose “big ears” led him to match up the retro sounds
of Shintaro’s quintet (also encompassing trombonist Coh “Colonel
Sanders,” baritone saxist Osikawa Yukimasa, guitarist Shuji “Apple
Juice,” upright bassist The Takeo “Little Tokyo” and
Kiminori “Dog Boy” on drums and congas) with, count ‘em,
five lusty, in-the groove, powerhouse vocalists that are the current cream
of the Texas R&B scene: Angela Miller, Diunna Greenleaf, Lauren Cervantes,
Jai Milano and native Louisianan Crystal. Powerhouse vocalists all, they
pretty much split up the lead chores between themselves and really impress
on their choice of cover songs—from Mac Rebennack’s “Losing
Battle” and Rufus Thomas’ “Walking The Dog” to
Louis Jordan’s period calypso chant “Run Joe” (my favorite)
and Mable John’s au courant/timely “Don’t Hit Me No
More.” To cap affairs off, there’s also a pair of soulfully
twisting instrumentals, with some sizzling solos by the band—Shintaro’s
“Pork Chop Chick” and a great cover of Lafayette Thomas’
“Cockroach Run.” All in all, a match-up made in heaven!—Gary
von Tersch
Michael
McDermott
Orphans
Pauper
Sky CD
Accomplished singer/songwriter Michael McDermott grew up on the Irish
Southside of Chicago and began performing at Windy City coffeehouses in
the early 1990s, dramatically blending elements of Irish music into an
American folk-rock sound. Orphans is just that—consisting mostly
of tracks that were recorded during the sessions for its pair of well-received
predecessors, Willow Springs and Out From Under, along with some earlier
recordings—songs “that wouldn’t go away,” as the
loquacious McDermott puts it. The combination of his immediately engaging
vocals, deeply personal, perceptively imagistic lyrics with a lo-fi backdrop
prove particularly effective (a la Steve Earle or Townes Van Zandt) on
numbers like “Los Angeles, A Lifetime Ago,” a detail-rich
snapshot of a dark period in his youth; the easy rocking opener “The
Tell Heart,” a blend of Edgar Allen Poe atmospherics with references
to Dorian Gray and IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands; a reminiscingly passionate
“Sometimes When It Rains In Memphis” and the reflectively
downbeat “What If Today Were My Last.” All in all, songs that
search to make a connection—a couple more picks would include a
couple about yearning for home—“Meadowlark” and the
echo-laden “Black Tree, Blue Sky.” Two thumbs up!—Gary
von Tersch
Ted
Drozdowski
Coyote Motel
Dolly Sez Woof Recording teddrozdowski.com
Ted Drozdowski is a renowned freelance journalist and musical historian.
He received the 1998 Blues Foundation’s Award for journalism and
is a singer and slide guitarist with the trio, Scissormen. His newest
project is a collection of storytelling blues with the feel of a psychedelic
juke joint. To make this Coyote howl Ted takes on vocals, guitar, lap
steel and diddley bow with Sean Zywick on bass and Kyra Curenton or Pete
Pulkrabek on drums and percussion with a little help from Luella aka Melissa
Mathes backing vocals. For a blues historian these nine originals provide
an alternative to the conventional blues rock we may be used to hearing,
but checking in to “Coyote Motel” you may find yourself wanting
to stay for the party.
Starting with an eerie mood, “Still Among The Living” oozes
in with a subtle drone as Ted’s vocals flow with a casual Leonard
Cohen-like quality over his barely perceived backing of Laurie Hoffma’s
keyboards and Luella till his guitar bursts forth with a scream. The remorse
and anguish over the loss of “My Friend” is conveyed through
a dreary halt time march as the guitar takes on a 1960’s San Francisco-styled
blues. An offbeat bouncing bass rhythm drags you on towards Judgment Day
as Jesus is calmly heading to “Los Alamos” to kick ass. With
a surf music splash and rush of Link Wray garage gusto guitar situated
between the “Hippy Hippy Shake” and “Batman” sliding
the slippery slope in to “Frog Alley,” alternating between
the pleasures and the evils of drug addition. The guitar sweeps around
like the scatter shot of a heavy metal flashback as you might envision
yourself riding a Harley through the North Mississippi Hill country of
“Down In Chulahoma” climbing and coiling like the invasive
kudzu weed mentioned in the track. Psychedelia meets the blues and finds
“Trouble” with a throbbing bass refrain reminiscent of Iggy
Pop’s “Lust For Life” and lyrics with a sense of foreboding
compounded by the screaming tension of Ted’s guitar. Blasting into
a two minute high-speed warning worthy of the Ramones, Ted tells you in
no uncertain terms, don’t mess with “Jimmy Brown” because
his righteous will rule. The bass slinks in with a “Fever”-like
pulse as the guitar moans gently in the back, Ted croons about “57
Flavors” of shit gone wrong “too damn many for one damn song.”
The finale takes a major detour down “Tin Pan Alley,” this
cover barely recognizable to the Stevie Ray hit, but Ted’s version
makes you believe it really is “the roughest place you ever been”
groggily looking for whiskey, wine and gin.
Ted Drozdowski’s newest musical foray “Coyote Motel”
may be under appreciated by blues purists but they didn’t understand
“Electric Mud” when it came out either.—Roger &
Margaret White
This Is The Night
Various Artists
Koko-Mojo CD
www.koko-mojo.com
Tore Up!
Various Artists
Koko-Mojo CD
www.koko-mojo.com
A couple more rewarding 28 track projects from the enterprising Koko-Mojo
label. Both are, as usual, invitingly packaged and expertly curated by
Little Victor aka “The Beale Street Blues Bopper” with mostly
esoteric blues, r&b and rock ‘n’ roll obscurities from
the fifties with a host of familiar names alongside a fascinating abundance
of competent yet total unknowns. This Is The Night, accurately sub-titled
“Lessons In Wild Saxophony” features an abundance of enervating,
honking instrumentals (with Noble Watts’ “cha, cha, cha”—ringing
“Hot Tamales,” The Passengers’ stop-start “Sand
In Your Eyes” and the Vibrators’ soulfully churning “Way
Out” leading the pack) alongside frenetic dance numbers (Jimmy Tolliver’s
“Hoochie Kootchie Koo”), sax-strutted jump blues, wayward
rock ‘n’ rollers and a variety of intriguingly greasy one-offs.
Particular picks include Mary Ann Fisher’s tough “Wild As
You Can Be,” Charlie Glass’ noir-ish “Screamin’
And Dyin” (after a gunshot, Glass laments “I left her screamin’
and a dyin’, rolling on the floor/ Well, I found my baby cheatin’,
but she won’t cheat me no more”), the bebopping Cacaos with
their finger-snapping “Flip Your Daddy,” William “Thunderbird”
Walker’s homage to his favorite nick-name-vehicle (in tempo with
his nagging girl-friend) and wild-man Joe Boots & His Band’s
apocalyptic rock ‘n roller “Well Allright.” Nary a clunker
in the bunch as far as these fifties-acclimated ears go. Or as Little
Victor accurately puts it—“Straight from the land of razz
ma tazz!”
Tore Up is basically more of the same with the accent on the harmonica
instead of the saxophone. As the be-turbaned Mister Victor puts it: “Dig
this mighty hep selection of some of my fave harp tunes. Some are pretty
“obscure” and some are “classics” but every number
here is simply fantastic. Hot Shot Love (with his rockingly fervid “Harmonica
Jam”), Papa Lightfoot (a characteristically chugging “Mean
Old Train”), Lazy Lester (“Sugar Coated Love”) and Dr.
Ross (with a whooping “Call The Doctor”)—every one of
these cats was a true harmonica boss.” I might also recommend Rockin’
Sidney’s swampy blueser “You Ain’t Nothin’ But
Fine,” Tommy Brown’s perceptive travelogue “Southern
Women,” an exhilarating “Madison Shuffle” from Little
Buster as well as Smokey Smothers’ inventive take-off on Hank Ballard’s
“Work With Me Annie” theme titled “Twist With Me Annie”
and Jerry McCain with his live-wire “She’s Tough.” I’m
also fond of Polka Dot Slim’s commentary on Louisiana’s mosquitoes
and Arizona’s rattlesnakes called “A Thing You Gotta Face,”
Judy Clay’s accusatory “Do You Think That’s Right,”
and the decidedly downbeat “Picking Cotton” from one Little
Red Walters. Needless to say, there’s a refreshingly wide variety
of harp styles on display from a similarly wide cross-section of labels
including Sun, Excello, Federal, United and Imperial among others. Pick
these up while you can—these won’t be available long—Gary
von Tersch
Home
/ Blues Blogs /
Artist Links / Blues
Links / Videos / Store
Subscribe / Advertise
/ Back Issues
/ Contact / Staff