Blues
Reviews
Aug/Sept 2017
VARIOUS
ARTISTS
Rock And Roll Music: The Songs Of Chuck Berry
Ace CD 1491www.acerecords.com
Recently departed rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry, with
his enduring guitar licks, cheeky cockiness and catchy, often brashly
attitudinal songs about cars, girls and sweet sixteen dance parties, had
an instinct for what the kids wanted to hear before they did and gave
it to them on 45 after 45 in the mid-1950s. His initial recording, “Maybellene,”
was issued in May, 1955 and sold a million in a matter of weeks and was
followed by other gems like the anthemic “Roll Over Beethoven,”
the genre-defining “Rock And Roll Music,” the watching-the-clock
“School Day,” “Almost Grown,” “Thirty Days”
and “Carol.” Significantly, however, the flip-side of that
first single, “Maybelline,” was the slow-paced, reflective
“Wee Wee Hours” that revealed Berry’s deep blues roots
along with traces of rockabilly and the then just-developing rhythm ‘n’
blues. This 24 title compilation shows what a wide-ranging influence Berry
had with, often tepid, covers by the likes of Don Covay, the Beach Boys,
John Hammond, the Swinging Blue Jeans, MC5, Marty Robbins, John Prine,
Jay & The Americans and the Hollies. More laudatory efforts are offered
by Buddy Holly (“Brown Eyed Handsome Man”), Elvis Presley
(“Too Much Monkey Business”), Jerry Lee Lewis (“Little
Queenie”), Sleepy LaBeef (“You Can’t Catch Me”)
and Dave Edmunds, with his arousing “The Promised Land.” As
the last paragraph in the New York Times obituary notes: “Mr. Berry’s
music has remained on tour extraterrestrially—”Johnny B. Goode”
is on golden records within the Voyager I and II spacecraft, launched
in 1977 and awaiting discovery.” Indeed.—Gary von Tersch
Martin
Lang
Ain’t No Notion
Random Chance Records
www.randomchancerecords.com
www.martinlangbluesharp.com
There’s a new generation of Chicago blues today and Martin Lang
is cruising the forefront of this wave. Martin is mainly a harp man and
with his third CD “Ain’t No Notion” he’s telling
it the way it is. He ain’t a singer who’s picked up a harmonica,
this is serious business and his sound proves it. This album has all the
usual Chicago suspects, Oscar Wilson of the Cash Box Kings on most vocals,
Billy Flynn and the California Kid Rusty Zinn on guitar, Dave Waldman
piano, Jimmy ‘Upstairs’ Murphy or Illinois Slim on bass and
Dean Haas drums. These guys pull off a classic Chicago sound that could
have been recorded in the Chess Studio by Little Walter and the Aces.
Filling this “Notion” with an even mix of covers and originals,
vocals and instrumentals, Martin is getting his Lang thang on.
Lang takes the vocal on the mellow groove of Frank Frost’s “Backscratcher”
and plays his harp through a Leslie speaker on this laid back swampy classic.
From here Oscar Wilson takes the vocals on two Little Walter tunes, “Blues
With A Feeling” and “Can’t Hold Out Much Longer”
emulating these classics both on harp and Wilson’s vocal tone. Another
classic, Junior Wells’ “Come On In This House” here
Wilson’s vocal allows the harp to lead the entire song rather than
just between verses. The loping gait of Jimmy Rogers’ “Walking
By Myself” has the harp front and center as Flynn follows his lines
on guitar then Billy’s own tune, “Blues Today” takes
a darker tone as his guitar stands out above the fray. With five instrumentals
that range from a mid register harp jaunt of “The Hard Ten”
with the guitars trading licks before stepping out on a solo to the “10:30
Blues” where the piano leads the rhythm as guitars run around the
straightforward harp lines. Herbie Hancock’s classic “Watermelon
Man” has Zinn’s guitar running through a Leslie speaker, churning
the rhythm as Lang blows the melody and everyone solos. The “Chromando”
title fits as Lang’s deeper chromatic tone is pitted against Flynn
on mandolin rockin’ like Johnny Shines and Zinn flashing on guitar
then mellowing to the “Mile High Blues” reminiscent of Little
Walter’s “Sad Hours.” Lang returns to vocals on Jimmy
Rogers’ “You’re The One” doing an impressively
soulful rendition and finishes with a greasy original “Hip Twist,”
his vocals have a slight quiver to match his harp.
Martin Lang may be the new blood in Chicago blues but his newest CD “Ain’t
No Notion” proves he’s here to carry on that sound and bring
it back to the energy level it was created in.—Roger & Margaret
White
Various
Artists
Swamp Pop By The Bayou: Let’s Get Together Tonight
Ace CD 1499
This is the third volume in Ace’s ongoing Swamp Pop By The Bayou
series and, like its predecessors, features nearly thirty tracks that
oscillate with the irriguous heat of the bayou and indubitably filled
the local Gulf Coast dance floors “where couples could enjoy a bit
of buckle polishing on the slow numbers with skirts swirling while the
tempo increases” as liners author Ian Sadler colorfully puts it.
Picks include all four numbers by still-active swamp pop pioneer Warren
Storm (particularly “Jailhouse Blues” and “If You Don’t
Want Me”) along with a lively instrumental titled “Crazie
Babie” by Texas Guitar Slim AKA Johnny Winter, “I Know It’s
A Sin” by rockabilly singer Rocket Morgan (with Katie Webster on
lusty piano) and “Go On, Go On,” a rocker featuring the also
still-active South Louisiana and SE Texas legend, Jivin’ Gene. Early
swamp popper Rod “This Should Go On Forever” Bernard also
delivers the goods on probably his finest Mercury single “Let’s
Get Together Tonight” from 1959 as well as Doug Ardoin and his fellow
cajun Boogie Kings on the downbeat “Lost Love.” Little-knowns
Amery Lynn, Charles Page, Ken Lindsey, Gabe Dean and Louisiana Hayride
performer Charlotte Hunter also impress, especially Lindsey with his full-steam-ahead
rendition of Peppermint Harris’ classic “I Got Loaded.”
Let the good times roll!—Gary von Tersch
Jim
Allchin
Decisions
Sandy Key Music www.jimallchin.com
Jim Allchin has made many decisions that shaped his life; you could say
Allchin has been leading up to his new CD, “Decisions,” his
whole life. Raised on a farm in a tin-roof home built by his father in
rural Florida, his interest in fixing farm equipment led to his decision
to study engineering at the University of Florida. He supported his studies
by playing guitar in bands, graduating with a degree in Computer Science
from Stanford. He helped develop computers as we know them today before
retiring as a senior designer and executive from Microsoft. After all
that what could he do but return to the passion that made it all possible,
his guitar? With this third self-produced release as songwriter, singer
and guitarist he’s enlisted Tom Hambridge as drummer and producer,
Reese Wynans on keyboards, Michael Rhoades on bass, Bill Bergman’s
sax with Pat Buchannan and Bob McNelley on additional guitars. Using all
tube amps, vintage guitars and the Heart Attack Horns he’s made
all the right “Decisions.”
Taking off with the loping swing of guitar fuzz and B3 organ blasts, Allchin
sings the blues of the daily grind of an “Artifical Life.”
The guitar tips a hat to Texas-style Freddie King, Jim’s vocals
toughen with authority as the horns drive like a freight train against
the insidious rat race he found at “The Mexican End,” then
with power chords like the MC5 wailing Jim rushes into “Bad Decisions”
before falling back to his heartfelt lyrics and bluesy guitar to “Blew
Me Away.” A crisp ringing guitar that sings like a lap steel and
the Hammond B3 as Allchin trades verses with Keb Mo and Wendy Moten’s
backing vocals giving “Healing Ground” an almost spiritual
resolve before returning to the more earthly desires of “She Is
It” with light piano and quivering organ but Allchin’s vocals
are the main feature. Dueling rapid arpeggios rise and fall through “Don’t
Care” while “Stop Hurting Me” might have Jim’s
strongest vocal with the piano and horns punching it up as the guitar
wails the finale. A rousing instrumental, “Just Plain Sick”
has a blazing rockabilly swing of boogie piano with Allchin’s guitar
emulating Bill Haley’s guitarist, Franny Beecher, and T-Bone Walker
hitting some of the fastest, wildest licks you’ll hear. Two bright
spots of pure guitar artistry are instrumentals featuring a different
band with Kenny Greenberg on guitar, Steve Mackey’s bass and James
Wallace playing keyboards. “After Hours” reminds me of Jeff
Beck with his guitar faintly crying like whale songs and “Destiny”
could give a nod to Roy Buchannan.
There comes a time when you step away from a chosen path and follow your
heart. Jim Allchin has made some pretty good “Decisions” in
his lifetime, this new release is one of them.—Roger & Margaret
White
Paul
Butterfield
Live in New York 1970
RockBeat 2CD 3316
Born in Chicago in December, 1942, ill-fated Paul Butterfield was America’s
leading white blues harmonica stylist. Influenced by the likes of Little
Walter, James Cotton and Junior Wells, he honed his craft in the rough
and tumble South Side blues clubs and formed his first band in 1963 with
two members of Howlin’ Wolf’s touring combo (Jerome Arnold
and Sam Lay) along with guitarist Smokey Smothers. By 1965 both Elvin
Bishop (replacing Smothers), Columbia session guitarist Michael Bloomfield
and keyboardist Mark Naftalin had joined up and, after an electrifying
performance at that year’s Newport Folk Festival, Elektra Records
signed them up. By 1967, Bloomfield had quit the band to work with Bob
Dylan (and subsequently The Electric Flag) and with The Resurrection Of
Pigboy Crabshaw, Butterfield’s third Elektra album, a horn section
was added for the first time as the band was shifting direction. This
double disc set was recorded in December, 1970 and radio broadcast from
A&R Studios on WPLJ in New York City before a live audience. Joining
Butterfield was alto saxist David Sanborn, soprano saxist Gene Dinwiddie,
baritone saxist Trevor Lawrence, trumpeter Steve Madaio, bassist Rod Hicks,
drummer Dennis Whitted and guitarist Ralph Walsh as they achieved new
heights with a unique, hard-driving, blues-driven amalgam of rock, soul
and jazz. Highlights include a pair of Hicks compositions (“The
Boxer” and “So Far So Good”) along with extended recaps
of both Charles Brown’s “Driftin’ Blues” and Albert
King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” and a couple of concert
staples—”Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and the
strutting “Love March.” Great sound.—Gary von Tersch
Karen
Lovely
Fish Outta Water
Self 2017
There is not one strictly twelve bar song of the dozen on this new album
from Portland, OR-based chanteuse Karen Lovely, but it is indubitably
a blues album, and a glittering addition to her oeuvre.
Lovely, who indeed has a lovely voice, also has a knack for choosing outstanding
musician accompanists. On this release her rhythm section of Taras Prrodaniuk
on bass and Matt Tecu on drums is impeccable, establishing a sturdy foundation
without intruding on the spotlight. Alternating lead guitar duties are
Rick Holmstrom (formerly with the Mighty Flyers and Mavis Staples) and
Doug Pettibone; both are capable of scintillating invention, but instead
remain restrained in service of the songs: this album is a primer in how
great guitarists can make an ensemble better. A large cast of supporting
performers lends a rotating hand, with dobro, violin, cello, marimba,
sax, and cornet all occasionally appearing effectively.
The focus, and rightly so, is on Lovely, who vocals has never sounded
better. She is capable of power, a slight country twang, and an undeniable
eroticism. Oh, did I mention that she is pitch-perfect, with impressive
range? Justifiably nominated multiple times by the Blues Foundation for
a Blues Music Award as Contemporary Blues Female Artist, with this set
she stakes her claim to more accolades.
Although there are no danceable rockers, the twelve tracks afford ample
variety and consistently laudable music and lyrics. (Lovely was composer
or co-composer of five; most were written by producer and multi-instrumentalist
Eric Corne.) My usual practice is to place an asterisk beside a favorite
tune listing as I review an album; I deployed many. After opening with
three mid-tempo tunes distinguished by Holmstrom’s contributions,
“Waking Up the Dead” prods the tempo, augmented by David Rahlicke
on cornet and an insistent Tecu drumbeat. Holmstrom and Prodaniuk shine
on “Big Black Cadillac,” and “Everything Means Nothing”
hits a high point as Eric Ryland on slide guitar complements Holmstrom.
“Hades’ Bride” maintains the stellar quality, with violin
and cello emphasizing its country flavor.
There’s lots more. “Next Time” is a nod to future hopes,
with Phil Parlapiano (apt name) providing delicious tinkly fill on the
88s, and “Nice and Easy,” the longest track at almost five
minutes, displays Lovely at her sultry best in her lament at being the
second choice of a lover.—”Fish Outta Water” is on my
list of best albums of 2017! —Steve Daniels
Carl
Perkins
Whole Lotta Shakin’/King of Rock/Carl Perkins’ Greatest Hits/On
Top
BGO 2CD 1288
Like his fellow Sun Records recording artists Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee
Lewis and Johnny Cash, the progenitor of rockabilly guitar and one of
my favorite songwriters, Carl Perkins, was born near obscure Tiptonville,
Tennessee to destitute cotton sharecroppers in 1932 and, save for an unfortunate,
near-tragic, career-altering car wreck outside of Wilmington, Delaware
in March, 1956, would have performed his composition “Blue Suede
Shoes” on the nationally broadcast Perry Como Show in New York City
(instead of his stand-in label-mate Elvis Presley) and who knows what
would have happened? The rest, as they say, is history. Following in Cash’s
footsteps, in January 1958, the popular Perkins signed with Nashville’s
Columbia Records. This two disc project collects all four albums that
the country boy recorded for the much more mainstream concern—the
first, Whole Lotta Shakin’, is one of my favorite LPs—but
all four personify the on-the-edge rockabilly style that some folks swear
he invented and, more importantly, never changed. After all, he was touted
as the King of Rockabilly as he was inducted into the Rock & Roll
Hall of Fame. And no less an authority than Paul McCartney averred that
“If there were no Carl Perkins there would be no Beatles.”
After Shakin’, throw on Carl Perkins’ Greatest Hits, where,
with an expanded band behind him, he marvelously and slyly updates most
of his legendary, self-composed Sun hits. Drop the beam anywhere you want
on the other two albums—they each feature inventive originals alongside
well-chosen covers. And for you Dylan fans (a long time Perkins admirer)
there’s a co-write titled “Champaign, Illinois.” Worth
the search.-Gary von Tersch
Brad
Stivers
Took You Long Enough
Vizztone 2017
He’s young, he’s good, and his second album represents a meaningful
entry into the blues rock and rockabilly world.
A finalist with his band at the 2014 International Blues Challenge, Brad
Stivers now resides in Austin, TX. This set of ten tunes showcases Stivers’s
deft facility on guitar; he also produced the CD, and composed half of
the songs. On all tracks he is accompanied by dynamic drummer Nico Leophonte,
who is adept at a laid-back groove as well as nimble syncopation and gyration.
Bass is held down on most tracks by Odis Hill, with Bobby Perkins stepping
in for a trio of cuts. Keyboards, sax, and backing vocals by Emily Gimble
and Malford Milligan appear sparingly; Stivers is the cynosure.
The pithy, upbeat “2000 Miles” kicks things off; it’s
a brief rocker with Leophonte and Stivers meshing nicely. The ensuing
rocker, “You’re Just About to Lose Your Clown,” benefits
from Mark Wilson’s fluid sax and Bukka Allen’s swirling organ.
Stivers’ original “Put It Down” with its rockabilly
flavor maintains the brisk pace, and it’s followed by the funked-up
title tune. The tempo then slows as Gimble tickles the ivories and harmonizes
with Stivers on “Here We Go Again.”
“Nickel and a Nail,” a lament of impoverishment, is again
buttressed by Allen on B3 as Brad launches into a soul vocal. The subsequent
cover of “One Night of Sin” reminded me of a 1950s Elvis Presley
song, as did its successor, the Stivers original “Can’t Wait.”
The penultimate “Save Me” is a slow and somewhat ponderous
plea redeemed by greasy guitar work, and a nifty drum riff introduces
the final track, a funky instrumental.
This sophomore album from a maturing bluesman is worth a listen for its
adept guitar playing, snazzy drumming, and Perkins’ bass.—Steve
Daniels
The
Bob Lanza Blues Band
Time to Let Go
Connor Ray Music 2016
Since its well-received 2015 release, “From Hero to Zero,”
the New Jersey-based Bob Lanza Blues Band has introduced new drummer Vin
Mott and bassist Sandy Joren, while retaining Randy Wall on keyboards.
Previous harmonica player Steve Krase appears on two tunes, augmented
by a further set of harmonicats, another keyboard adept, and an ensemble
of horns and backing vocalists. The result is a high-energy set of eleven
tracks.
No composition credits are given, so the presumption is that Lanza is
the sole songwriter, as well as reigning guitarist and singer. As in most
satisfying albums, there is a range of tempos, including at least three
mid-tempo shuffles; the one that really grabbed me was “Follow Your
Heart,” with sequential nice solos by mouth harp maestro Don Erdman,
Wall on piano, and Lanza dishing it out on guitar. Wall also stands out
on “You’re Not in Texas,” and Arne Wendt assumes the
keyboard chair on “Love Me or Leave Me” as he and Lanza engage
in some fine instrumental interplay.
You want to rock? The opening track, “Mind Your Own Business,”
has already provided four solid minutes of danceable blues rock, and before
we’re done we also have “Johnny Smith,” introduced by
Lanza’s crunching chords then joined by Krase on harp and Mott on
driving drums; it’s Chuck Berry by the Lanza Band, with echoes of
the Rolling Stones.
Throughout, Lanza provides very good guitar leads, and his tenor vocals
do the job even when not pitch-perfect. Joren’s bass is low in the
mix but steady throughout, and Wall is excellent, particularly playing
the B3 organ on the instrumental “Rush’n the Blues.”
Other than one track, “When the Sun Comes Up,” in which both
he and Lanza seem to have imbibed too much caffeine, Mott pounds the skins
more than effectively.
In summation, a worthy effort from this East Coast group.—Steve
Daniels
Rory
Block
Keepin’ Outta Trouble
Stony Plain 2016
As with the best tribute albums, this sixth of Rory Block’s Mentor
series will induce you to go back and seek out the oeuvre of legendary
country bluesman Bukka White…while fully enjoying Block’s
own effort of appreciation.
Less renowned both during his life and posthumously than Son House and
Mississippi John Hurt, B.B. King’s cousin Booker T. Washington (Bukka)
White weathered the vicissitudes of fortune to produce lasting music.
Schooled in fiddle by his father and guitar by Charley Patton, among others,
he was a guitar-playing itinerant performer by his mid-teens. The ensuing
years featured stints as a boxer and professional baseball player, some
recording in the early 1930s, and a three-year stint in infamous Parchman
Farm prison for a shooting, where he was recorded by musicologists John
and Alan Lomax. After two subsequent decades of obscurity as a Memphis
factory worker, he was rediscovered in the early 1960s and had a successful
late career until his death in 1977.
Rory Block was fortunate to meet White in New York City when she was only
fifteen, and she soaked up his ferocious acoustic blues and compelling
personality. This is the sixth album of her Mentor series, which comprises
tributes to country bluesmen she knew and revered; it follows odes to
House, Hurt, Fred McDowell, Rev. Gary Davis, and Skip James.
Deservedly one of our most honored contemporary country blues artists
for the last four decades, Block really hits her stride on this release.
I have long treasured her masterful guitar playing and her sultry and
evocative vocals, but wondered if she had lost some depth and emotion
in her recent singing forays. No worry: it’s here again. Her voice
conveys a heady combination of lust and lyricism. Whether she is delivering
a talking blues, ranging into falsetto, overdubbing her own vocals…her
singing is mesmerizing. As for her fingerpicking and slide guitar stylings…fuggedaboudit!
They’re superb.
Of the ten songs on the set, Block penned six, fashioning a folklore of
White’s life. (She cautions that she used his biography as a starting
point, not literally.) The opening title tune and its successor, “Bukka’s
Day,” are especially tasty. The remaining covers include White’s
two probably most famous numbers, “Aberdeen Mississippi Blues”
and “Fixin’ to Die Blues.” Not to be missed also is
her version of “Panama Limited,” previously covered beautifully
by Tom Rush and Doug MacLeod. Block switches the protagonist’s gender
from male to female and puts her own indelible stamp on the rendition.
If Rory Block has any more tributes to country blues performers in her
plans, all I can say is, Bring it on!—Steve Daniels
Mr.
Sipp
Knock a Hole in It
Malaco 2017
Several contemporary blues performers have their own unique catchphrase.
For Charlie Musselwhite, it’s “I ain’t lyin’.”
For Super Chikan, it’s “Shake that thang!”
Now add “Knock a hole in it,” the title tune, album title,
and frequently evoked phrase of Castro Coleman’s new release.
Coleman, who performs as Mr. Sipp, morphed into a bluesman several years
ago after decades in the gospel genre. He has been warmly received, and
deservedly so, being a talented singer, guitarist, songwriter, and producer.
On this record he is a virtual one-man band, handling guitar and its overdubs,
bass, and percussion, and arranging a punchy horn section. The result
is a baker’s dozen of high energy tracks.
The set commences with the title song, telegraphing what’s to come.
Even if this CD is played at low volume -not recommended - its aura is
loud and insistent. Gospel rhythm and groove are omnipresent, emphasized
by the ubiquitous swirling organ furnished by Carroll McLaughlin. Stanley
Dixon and Murph Caicedo deliver relentless percussion, and especially
deserving plaudits are the bass contributions of Jeffrey Flanagan (who
also provides backing vocals) and Mr. Sipp himself. (The liner notes do
not reveal which musicians play on individual tracks.)
Understandably the focus is Coleman, whose debt to famed guitarist predecessors
Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix is evident in his propensity for long solos,
wah wah pedal augmentation, and strings of single notes in the high register.
However, where Guy and Hendrix often soared into the stratosphere with
solos that could be both brilliant and self-indulgent, Sipp generally
exhibits more restraint but no less gusto.
The tracks are generally mid-tempo, including a couple featuring the Jackson
Horns in Memphis soul mode, unsurprising on the Malaco label. Coleman’s
flexible vocals vary from rap talking to soulful crooning to forceful
rasping; especially notable is his impassioned crooning on “Love
Don’t Live Here Anymore,” one of the few slower numbers. A
similar downshift in tempo on “Sea of Love” allows McLaughlin
to switch from organ to piano with fine effect.
Credits indicate that all the tunes were penned by Mr. Sipp, but the closing
number, Hendrix’s “Little Wing,” the only instrumental,
was covered years ago by Eric Clapton with Derek and the Dominos, and
Stevie Ray Vaughan among others. We’ll forgive the oversight, since
Mr. Sipp and cohorts do it well.—Steve Daniels
Lil’
Shaky and the Tremors
Aftershock
Independent release
Lil’ Shakey and the Tremors is a quartet from the East Coast that
specializes in soulful and sometimes swinging blues. Not surprising, as
it is a project of Roomful of Blues’ guitar slinger, Chris Vachon.
Vocalist and bassist Ed Wright, keyboardist/percussionist Jeff Ceasrine,
and drummer Larr Anderson are all seasoned players who bring a wheelbarrow
full of chops to this impressive 10-song program.
O.V. Wrights’ I’d Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy (“than
to let you break my heart all over again”) leads the program off
in rousing fashion. Backed by a crisp and slick horn section dubbed the
Naked Horns – Jaime Rodrigues (baritone), Robert DeCurtis (tenor),
Mark Legault (alto), Steve DeCurtis (trumpet) and Josh Kane (trombone),
it also benefits from the backing vocals of DD Bastos and Brenda Bennett.
You’re The Kind of Trouble has a Delany and Bonnie feel, full and
fat. Wright and Bennett have that kind of chemistry. They sing of his
passing through and of his straight laced life. “Don’t drink
much/never smoked/Ain’t too many rules I broke/Keep to myself/Have
a real quiet life/don’t even stay out late at night/They say I ain’t
a wild boy/If they only knew…”
Bobby Charles’ classic Why Are People Like That is given a straight
ahead reading with Mike Rand’s harp and Vachon’s guitar standing
out. Vachon’s guitar is gorgeous on Bill Withers’ Grandma’s
Hands. The backing vocals of the Gospel Love Tones, Walter and Steven
Cooper and Kenny Haywood enhance the medium tempo piece. This is followed
by the band’s rollicking take on Willie Dixon’s I Love the
Life I Live. Their take has a dangerous vibe, enhanced by the guitar and
harp. Volume does the tune well. Slipped Tripped and Fell In Love showcases
Wright’s powerful and soulful vocals. Bastos and Bennett add just
the right amount of oohs and ahs and na-na-nas. The groove is very 70s
soul and infectious.
I Wouldn’t Treat a Dog (The Way You Treated Me) has a Southern sound,
reminiscent of the Malaco stable of singers. You’re Welcome, Stop
On By, with a somewhat disjointed tenor saxophone courtesy of Mike Antunes,
starts with a spoken intro and breaks into perhaps the best vocals on
the set. Wright seems to get better as the song develops.
Bobby Womack’s It’s All Over Now is given one of the best
readings I’ve heard, thanks in large part to the presence of Gospel
Love Tones, but fleshed out nicely by the band members. Bearing little
resemblance to the Rolling Stones version that most folks recognize, this
is more compact, minus any twang. If the Holmes Brothers had sung it,
it would sound something like this.
It’s good to see Vachon step outside of his role as leader of Roomful
of Blues. This side project is a solid winner.—Mark E. Gallo
Mississippi
John Hurt
Live At Oberlin College 4-15-65
RockBeat CD 3387
“Mississippi” John Hurt was born in the early 1890’s
in tiny Teoc, Mississippi, raised in nearby Avalon and playing guitar
for a living by the time he was a teenager. Working during the week as
a sharecropper, on the weekend he quickly became a “first call”
for local barn dances and parties, singing with a richly gentle yet raw
voice alongside some remarkably flowing, brilliantly slide-work embellished
guitar lines. By 1928, Okeh Records was in town recording him and on the
heels of his decades later “rediscovery” in the early sixties,
he was one of the hits at the illustrious 1963 Newport Folk Festival—leading
the way for other “discoveries” such as Son House (with whom
Hurt shared the bill on this Oberlin date), Skip James, Bukka White, Robert
Pete Williams and more. Among the hymns and traditional songs here are
“The Angels Laid Him Away,” “Here I Am , Oh Lord, Sing
Me,” “Casey Jones,” “Candy Man,” and “Make
Me A Pallet On The Floor.” Complementing these are a slew of folk/blues
staples such as “Salty Dog Blues,” “Shake That Thing,”
“Frankie And Albert” and “Hard Times In The Old Town
Tonight.” Great sound and Hurt at his best.—Gary von Tersch
Sharon
Lewis And Texas Fire
Grown Ass Woman
Delmark Records 4121 North Rockwell, Chicago IL 60618 www.delmark.com
Sharon Lewis may be the new face of real Chicago blues. She first hit
the stage at Buddy Guy’s Legends May of 1993 and has been honing
her sound ever since. Sharon Lewis is a vocalist with rough power like
a young Koko Taylor and her band, Texas Fire, features Stephen Bramer
on guitar, Roosevelt Purifoy - keyboards, Andre Howard - bass, Tony Dale
on drums and the horns of Kenny Anderson - trumpet, Hank Ford - tenor
sax and Jerry DiMuzio on baritone sax. Filling out the sound on a few
cuts is the harp of Sugar Blue and Chicago guitar slinger Joanna Connor.
With a dozen original songs split evenly between Miss Lewis and guitarist
Stephen Bramer it seems almost an afterthought to add two covers at the
end.
Sugar Blue’s harp leads into Miss Lewis’ rousing theme “Can’t
Do It Like We Do” for this modern testimonial to Chicago blues and
to double down adds some horns to proclaim “Hell Yeah” she’s
got the party started. The blazing guitar of Joanna Connor burns throughout
“Chicago Woman” as these ladies lay out what they’re
all about. Chilling to a country piano, Sharon’s voice sweetens
to a lovelorn lament on “They’re Lying” as the horns
punctuate her lines. As the drummer steps up the beat Steve Bell plays
some furious harp and Sharon forcefully states that she’d rather
be an “Old Man’s Baby” than a young man’s fool,
if you want to live a wonderful life. “Grown Ass Woman” is
Lewis’ ultimate declaration that she’s the real deal and has
everything she needs, on stage or off. The second half of this CD’s
songs are written by Stephen Bramer but Sharon is still in charge as the
guitar follows her lines on “Don’t Try To Judge Me.”
The easy stroll of “Walk With Me” has the baritone purring
as the guitar and piano brighten to near smooth jazz but Sharon’s
strong, assured vocals keep it centered. “Call Home” has the
light breezy touch of a top 40 R&B from the ‘60’s, the
airy horns and guitar counterpoint Sharon’s vocals. Bramer’s
guitar is showcased on the classic-sounding “Home Free Blues”
and Joanna Connor’s guitar rings the siren calls to “Freedom”
because you’re not free till we’re all free. Sugar Blue closes
the originals as Sharon says she’s a full-grown woman and won’t
stand for no “High Road” excuses. Finishing with two covers,
“Why I Sing The Blues” really showcases how good Lewis and
her band are by pitting them against B. B. King and Warren Haynes’
“Soul Shine,” bringing forth another side of Sharon to shine.
With this new CD “Grown Ass Woman” Sharon Lewis proves she
ain’t no blues diva but a real down home blues chanteuse.—Roger
& Margaret White
BOOK
The Art Of The Blues
By Bill Dahl
University of Chicago Press
An absorbing, coffee-table sized visual assessment of black music’s
golden age relayed through music journalist Bill Dahl’s informative
commentary alongside a graphically marvelous array of posters, album covers
and assorted media advertisements that have artfully shaped the idiom’s
identity over the course of the past century. Beginning with colorful
sheet music folio covers from the early twenties, Dahl and alert “art
consultant” Chris James move on through always-vivid “race”
record media advertisements to eye-catching 78 rpm label designs for concerns
both big (Columbia, Victor, Vocalion, Bluebird, Okeh) and small (King,
Dootoo, Fire, Sears Roebuck’s Conqueror, Variety, Rhumboogie, Modern)
and a host of others. In addition, special attention is justifiably accorded
to William Alexander’s humorous label cartoons on many of Roy Milton’s
postwar Miltone offerings as well as to the arresting series of portrait
covers that the mysterious Fazzio created for the Crown budget LP label
and to celebrated Playboy magazine photographer Don Bronstein’s
work for Chess Records, where he “raised the bar” for blues
LP jackets with his penetrating head-shot cover of Little Walter for his
debut album, Sonny Boy Williamson’s skid-row Down and Out photo
shot and Howlin’ Wolf’s descriptive Moanin’ At Midnight
cover, among many others. Onto a large collection of concert and movie
posters—this is my favorite section with the likes of Bessie Smith,
Johnny Otis, Count Basie, Lena Horne, Otis Rush and on an on—all
lavishly reproduced. More than 350 color images in all. Well worth the
tab.—Gary von Tersch
DVD
Boogie Stomp
Bang Bang Video rib@baldorilaw.com
Blues has all kinds of Boogie, but when you’re talking ‘bout
Boogie Woogie you know it’s all about that fleet fingered piano
man with a heavy left hand knocking out the rhythm. Occasionally you’ll
find a band with a piano player that can play a song or two but the days
of boogie woogie masters filling a room with sound from a battered upright
box all night long and never playing the same song twice may be coming
to a close if not gone already. The DVD “Boogie Stomp” is
a last chance to capture that spark of primal improvisation while it’s
still here. The genesis behind this project was Bob Baldori, a musician
who started his career in the ‘60s playing in a rock n roll band,
having hits on the charts and becoming Chuck Berry’s band of choice
for his mid west tours, discovering Bob Seeley in his own home town. Baldori
had become an accomplished Boogie Woogie player but upon hearing Seeley
he knew he’d found a master. Bob Seeley had made a comfortable,
unassuming life for himself working thirty-three years playing nightly
to small but appreciative crowds in a piano bar inside an upscale seafood
restaurant, Charley’s Crab. But Seeley is literally the last living
link to Boogie Woogie originators like Mead Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons and
Pete Johnson, who he saw play, learned from and called friends in the
‘30’s and ‘40’s. With Seeley at 88 years like
the 88 keys he’s mastered, he likes to call himself the last man
standing in Boogie Woogie.
Bob Baldori wrote, directed and presented the historical narrative, interviewing
musical historians on the origins of jazz and its evolution of this barrel
house sound, photos of the originators of the music and footage of jitterbug
dancers give weight to this documentary but it’s the interactions
between these two lifelong musicians as they perform their dueling piano
stomp that’s the core of this disc. Together they traveled with
a film crew in tow holding concerts in Toronto, New York and then on to
Russia, performing to appreciative audiences in an attempt to revive interest
in this exciting art form. Disbursed among the great piano performances
they run into many obstacles along the way with behind the scene pressures
and frustrations between the dueling goals over success and fame and the
wall of frustration they encountered trying to convince agents and promoters
that age shouldn’t matter.—Roger & Margaret White
Movie
I Am the Blues
Eyesteelfilm
In 1979, when this film’s maker, Daniel Cross, came to meet a whole
host of blues characters touring in a Winnebago in his native Canada –
it had helped instill a love and respect for the art form and the artists.
Jump ahead 40-some odd years later and Mr. Cross, with The Ponderosa Stomp’s
Dr. Ike helping facilitate the proceedings as he did with that earlier
Canadian road trip, spends portions of three years being a fly on the
wall at various juke joints, clubs and halls to capture a small slice
of blues life in southern small towns when some of the Delta’s better
known native-born sons and daughters get together to play and reminisce.
For those who know some or all of these living (and now some sadly departed)
legends, this film will take you right to the environment that helped
shape their lives – the Louisiana and Mississippi towns that gave
birth to the blues as we know it and where you can still find authentic
practitioners of this, as the movie sadly points out, dying art form.
To the citified outsider, the gathering places chosen might not seem the
most appealing of locales to spend more than a day as a curiosity or as
part of a blues pilgrimage – yet it may also offer a glimpse into
how these environs may well have inspired a musician with career aspirations
to seek out greener pastures in Chicago, New Orleans – somewhere
other than ‘here.’ So for some this is a homecoming –
while for others, it’s opening their door for returning friends.
Watching the interaction between artists, both musical and conversational,
makes for a relaxing 1:46 – and if the film causes the uninitiated
to seek out the specific artists or the blues in general – or if
it lights a fire in the rest of us to head back down to where it all began
– then this fine little documentary will have done the world a service.
The film was released internationally in 2015 but is currently in its
American theatrical release – I caught its NYC premier at the Quad
Cinema where it will have a limited run, with other screenings set to
take place across the country - so please check out iamthebluesmovie.com
for details on how you too can enjoy this little Delta delight.–
Guy Powell
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