Blues CD Reviews Oct/Nov 2014
Dr.
John
Ske-Dat-De-Dat...The Spirit Of Satch
Concord/Proper CD 3518702
www.concordmusicgroup.com
What’s left to say about the freewheeling musical genius Mac “Dr.
John The Night Tripper” Rebennack, who is not only a R&R Hall
Of Fame member but a six-time Grammy-winner as well as New Orleans’
most noteworthy living musical icon? His latest, star-studded musical
project hearkens back to the turn of the last century and the very origins
of jazz as he pays a heartfelt, thirteen song tribute to fellow Crescent
City legend Louie Armstrong—whose own myriad musical cutting-edge
permutations formed much of the template for 20th century jazz. Rebennack
daringly leads affairs off with killer arrangements of a couple of Armstrong
classics—”What A Wonderful World” and “Mack The
Knife”—with Nicholas Payton and the Blind Boys of Alabama
helping out on the former and trumpeter Terence Blanchard hauntingly subbing
for Louie on the latter. Other timeless-sounding covers include vivid
recalls of a couple of traditional numbers (“Sometimes I Feel Like
A Motherless Child” features vocalist Anthony Hamilton with the
good doctor on piano and RMI keyboard while “Nobody Knows The Trouble
I’ve Seen” is lent a gospel framework by Ledisi and the McCray
Sisters) along with an engaging take on the standard “I’ve
Got The World On A String” (add Bonnie Raitt on vocals), an ultra-dynamic
“When You’re Smiling The Whole World Smiles With You”
(add New Orleans’ legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band) and a playful
recasting of “Sweet Hunk O’ Trash,” with Chicago’s
Shemekia Copeland trading ultra-sly vocals with the still active Rebennack.
Job well done—Doc Pomus is smiling somewhere!—Gary von Tersch
Linsey
Alexander
Come Back Baby
Delmark CD 838 www.delmark.com
Chicago blues musician and North Side club regular since the 1990’s,
Linsey “Hoochie Man” Alexander’s debut 2012 Delmark
album, Been There Done That, served as a powerful calling card with the
septuagenarian’s grainy vocal chops, emotionally arresting, rivetingly
slashing guitar work and top-notch, craftily witty and wily songwriting
skills (11 of the 13 titles on this sophomore project are his) to the
fore. He recently toured throughout Europe and South America on its strength.
As on Been There, Alexander and his brilliant working band were recorded
live in the studio with harmonica whiz Billy Branch dropping by for three
tracks (check out his high-flying solo on the harrowingly hammering “Can’t
Drink, Can’t Sleep, Can’t Eat” for starters) with rhythm
guitarist Breezy Rodio contributing the majority of the super-tight musical
arrangements and Alexander’s regular three man horn section, fortified
by legendary Windy City trombonist Billy McFarland, frequently jump-starting
or alertly accenting affairs. Favorites by the Holly Springs, Mississippi
born bluesman encompass the after-hours shuffle “Booze And Blues,”
a sardonic “Call My Wife” (with Branch again shining), the
salaciously descriptive “Booty Call,” a melancholy, reflective
“Too Old To Be A New Fool” (with Branch again), the drive-all-night,
exclamatory title song and the autobiographical-sounding romper “Snowing
In Chicago.” High strutting urban blues of the highest order. And
did I mention the great Pooky Styx on drums? More please!—Gary von
Tersch
Mud
Morganfield & Kim Wilson
For Pops (A Tribute To Muddy Waters)
Severn CD 64 www.severnrecords.com
Mud’s legendary father, Muddy Waters, has been gone more than thirty
years but his globally influential, tough, no-nonsense, amplified Chicago
blues atmospherics lives on—and is channeled no finer than on this
sophomore Mud Morganfield tribute project, once again for the enterprising
Severn label, that also features the gregarious vocalist (he does sound,
remarkably, like Muddy!) ably accompanied by a first-call crew of inspired
Windy City stalwarts—highlighted by cover-boy Kim Wilson and his
intrinsically organic harmonica playing, uncompromising guitarists Rusty
Zinn and Billy Flynn and the absolutely aptly-monikered Barrelhouse Chuck
on the 88’s. The songs are a mix of old favorites like “I
Live The Life I Live, I Live The Life I Love,” “Nineteen Years
Old” and “I Just Want To Make Love To You” along with
some relative obscurities on the order of “Gone To Main Street,”
“Blow Wind Blow” and “My Dog Can’t Bark.”
Other rave-abouts begin with a great cover of St. Louis Jimmy’s
classic affirmation “She’s Got It,” the startlingly
expressive “I Want To Be Loved” and the declamatory “Still
A Fool.” An inspired followup to his debut Severn project from last
year, Son Of The 7th Son. Pops is smiling somewhere.—Gary von Tersch
Andre
Williams
Fortune Of Hits
Night Train CD 2011 www.tuffcity.com
The occasionally still active Detroit music legend Andre “Mr. Rhythm”
Williams’ Fortune label material is ground zero for exploring the
deep, sometimes risky rhythm and blues roots that engendered his legendary
“bad boy” persona. This long awaited two-CD, 37 song
project is the first time the entire body of his nascent, 1950s sides
have been available in one place and aurally delineates (in superb fidelity)
the often rocky, yet insistently inviting, road he traveled from rhythm
& blues to Black rock & roll. In some cities, with even crossover
success. Containing the sizzling dance record that put put him on the
map, a wild-ass classic aptly titled “Bacon Fat,” along with
all of his other early, equally rowdily salacious singles (some of the
best are “Going Down To Tijuana,” “Jail Bait,”
“The Greasy Chicken” and “Hey Country Girl”) Williams
and crew were pushing the envelope censor-wise from the beginning with
their rough-edged, Coasters and Midnighters-inspired songs. Other finger-popping
grin inducers (often with the likes of Joe Weaver, Gino Parks, The 5 Dollars
and The Don Juans in tow) include the jailhouse-themed “Pulling
Time” and “Jailhouse Blues,” numbers dedicated to the
distaff likes of Mozelle, Georgia Mae, and both Bobby and Mean Jean, and
sizzlers on the order of “Pass The Biscuits Please,” “It’s
All Over” and the risque “Doctor Baby.” For real enthusiasts,
a great 2007 documentary called Agile Mobile Hostile: A Year With Andre
Williams covers his Fortune years, his brief span at Motown and songwriting
success for Funkadelic as well as producing for Ike Turner. The 1960s
saw a downward spiral with drugs and alcohol at the core that eventually
left him homeless in Chicago but, surprisingly, he cleaned himself up
and returned to the stage and performing in 1995. I believe he still steps
up to the mic occasionally. Genius at work.—Gary von Tersch
Marcia
Ball
“The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man”
Alligator Records 2014
Born in Texas, raised in Louisiana, long based in Austin, Texas, singer
and pianist Marcia Ball for decades has carried the torch once ably represented
by the Swamp Boogie Queen, Katie Webster. (If you aren’t familiar
with Webster’s work, check it out!) Ball now returns with
her first new album in three years. On this endeavor she is supported
by her band from that last outing, “Roadside Attractions”:
Michael Schermer on guitar, Damien Llanes on drums, long-time comrade
Don Bennett on bass, and Thad Scott on tenor saxophone. As usual
on her albums, the core group is abetted by a slew of notable guest artists,
including (to name a few) Delbert McClinton on harmonica, Mark “Kaz”
Kazanoff on baritone sax, Terrance Simien on accordion, and Carolyn Wonderland
on harmony vocals.
With that kind of experience and expertise, it’s hard to go wrong,
and not much does. An even dozen songs are presented for our delectation,
all but one penned by Ball. The exception, a Hank Ballard tune,
is “He’s the One,” with a fine guitar solo by Schermer
— one of his many tasteful jazz-inflected fills — and some
nice sax by…well, either Scott or Kazanoff, the liner notes don’t
say.
As is typical of Ball’s albums, the tunes are brief, only two lasting
more than four minutes. Such concision befits the tenor of Ball’s
approach, which features a mixture of good-time New Orleans-style boogies
and slow ballads. There is no preening egotism from this band, whose
time together has produced a seamless synergy; the rhythm and horn sections
are solid, and solos are pithy and unpretentious. Ball’s piano
playing is high class, befitting her many previous Blues Foundation nominations
for Blues Music Award as piano player of the year. Her somewhat limited
vocal range is more than compensated for by the emotion of her delivery.
Several numbers stand out. “The Squeeze Is On” features
Simien on accordion, and the title represents a double entendre: Simien’s
squeeze box, and the economic pressures currently felt by many and delineated
in the lyrics. “Can’t Blame Nobody but Myself”
is a driving straight blues with McClinton wailing on harp, and “Lazy
Blues” is a slow tune with a 1920s aura and great solos by Ball
and Schermer. “Get You a Woman” is another infectious,
jaunty boogie. The closing song, “The Last to Know,”
is an atmospheric piano bar ballad reminiscent of the blues classic, “Nobody
Knows You When You’re Down and Out.” — Steve Daniels
L.C.
Cooke
The Complete SAR Recordings
ABKCO CD 50502 www.abkco.com
After far too long the world finally has a chance to hear an album that
would have been acclaimed in its day were it not for an unfortuitous set
of circumstances that resulted in its shelving—foremost among them
the untimely death in December, 1964 of his older brother, the legendary
soul stylist Sam Cooke and the subsequent dissolution of his groundbreaking
SAR record label. What was intended to be L.C.’s debut album comprises
the first ten tracks on this way-long overdue project that also includes
some hilariously incisive studio chatter along with two tracks L.C. recorded
for Checker Records in 1959 (“If I Could Only Hear” and the
effusive “I’m Falling”) as well as a slew of brother
Sam’s originals on the order of “Missy Sally,” “Gonna
Have A Good Time,” “Put Me Down Easy” (released as a
single) and a great unreleased version of “The Lover.” As
Peter Guralnick’s astute liners put it at the close: “Listen
to the diversity of this album’s moods and settings—and see
what you think. One thing I know you’ll think for sure is that L.C.
Cooke is an artist who should be far better known in his own right. And
will be now, after the release of this fifty-years-in-the-making debut
album.” I overwhelmingly concur.—Gary von Tersch
The
Knickerbocker All-Stars
Open Mic at the Knickerbocker
JP Cadillac Records 2014
The smallest state in the union, Rhode Island, has produced some mighty
big blues. Probably what comes to mind immediately to blues aficionados
is the eminent and long-lived band Roomful of Blues, founded by guitarist
Duke Robillard and still going strong after almost 50 years. This album
is a tacit tribute to Roomful, and participants Al Copley on piano, Rich
Lataille on saxophone, and Fran Christina on drums were all original members.
The Knickerbocker All-Stars is a top-notch group of musicians who dig
into a baker’s dozen songs with aplomb, expertise, and verve. Man,
this CD swings! The group decided to hitch their wagon to a set of blues
classics, with a couple of little-known tunes thrown in, including “Love
Disease,” composed by erstwhile Butterfield Blues Band horn player
Gene Dinwiddie from back in the 1970s. However, you will quickly recognize
most of the songs: “You Upset Me Baby,” “Reconsider
Baby,” “Ain’t That Lovin’ You,” and even
the chestnut “Five Long Years.” Don’t worry; they are
all given a fresh and invigorating treatment.
Everything about this album is distinguished, but special kudos must be
given to Ricky King Russell, who acquits himself terrifically on guitar;
and the horn section comprised of Lataille, Doc Chanonhouse on trumpet,
Bobby “Breeze” Holfelden on trombone, and Dennis Cook on sax.
These guys can hold their own in comparison with the horn section gold
standard represented by Roomful and by Big James and the Chicago Playboys.
For me, the real revelation is the rotating octet of male vocalists who
carry this set on their shoulders (or vocal cords). Noted bluesmen Sugar
Ray Norcia on his two cuts and Curtis Salgado on his single effort remind
us that the prestige earned by their respective long stints as Roomful
lead singers and their subsequent solo careers is fully warranted, but
I had never heard of the other six singers. Let me assure you that each
effort is excellent; each singer has the power and range to deliver the
goods.
An album full of great songs, outstanding musicianship, soul and sauce,
this is one of the best releases of the year.— Steve Daniels
Big
Harp George
Chromaticism
Blue Mountain CD 01
Bay Area-based chromatic harp marvel George “Big Harp” Bisharat
is a bluesman like no other—he is also a Professor of Law at UC
Hastings, has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Berkeley,
a masters in history from Georgetown University and graduated cum laude
from Harvard Law School while earning a PhD from Harvard in Anthropology
and Middle Eastern Studies. Needless to say, he’s also a heck of
a Mississippi saxophone player who artfully broadens the prior innovations
of West Coast harp greats George Smith and William Clarke and is backed
on this debut project (recorded at San Jose’s iconic Greaseland
Studios) by some of Northern California’s most talented musicians
on the order of keyboardist (and producer) Chris Burns, bassist/guitarist
Kid Anderson, drummer Raja Kawar (who first played with Bisharat 40 years
ago in Beirut, Lebanon) and both George Baty and Rusty Zinn alternately
on guitars with Kent Bryson sitting in on vibes on both the R&B oldie
“Smack Dab In The Middle” and Bisharat’s own appropriately
titled jazz-tinged instrumental “Cocktail Hour” (shades of
Johnny Otis) and not-to-overlook saxophone explorer Michael Peloquin on
both the thoroughly modernistic “Cellphone Hater” (another
Bisharat number) and a jumping recall of the Eldridge/Krupa classic from
the 1940’s “Drum Boogie.” Further nods to great covers
of songs by the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson (his jumping “Crazy
About You Baby”), pioneering electric guitarist T-Bone Walker (a
nifty, little-known number “My Baby Is Now On My Mind”) as
well as Bisharat’s tribute “Left So Soon”— his
nod to fellow harpist Paul Delay who died far too young in 2007. 21st
century West Coast blues at its finest.—Gary von Tersch
AC
Myles
“Reconsider Me”
DAF Records 2014
Another young blues rocker hits the scene! I mean, don’t we have
enough of these? Isn’t there a new generic rocker just about weekly,
purporting to be a bluesman (or woman) while shredding the strings of
a Stratocaster? Well, AC Myles is a Californian with nimble fingers and
a powerful, versatile voice who can shred impressively, but whose debut
album provides a near-dozen quality tunes…some of them even straight
blues.
The set begins well with a cover of Fenton Robinson’s mid-tempo
“You Don’t Know What Love Is.” Myles establishes his
credentials quickly with his accompanying rangy and raspy vocal, embellished
by some classy guitar. Next up is a cover of “Do You Read Me,”
by the late Irish blues rocker Rory Gallagher; here Myles employs his
digits a la Hendrix. Having played with Elvin Bishop, Myles segues into
the anthemic “Rock My Soul,” with fine backing vocal harmony
by Lisa Andersen and some nice guitar interplay with producer, engineer,
and rhythm guitarist Kid Andersen (a stellar instrumentalist in his own
right). Myles inserts a bridge of six-string speed, and hits his vocal
falsetto notes precisely. The falsetto carries over nicely into the title
cut, a Johnny Adams composition done in a fusion style of 1950s pop and
1970s Boz Scaggs’ blue-eyed soul, and backed by Nate Ginsberg’s
tasty keyboard contribution.
“Queen Bee” is a Roman Carter tune energized by Myles’s
propulsive chording, and it leads comfortably into the self-penned “Livin’
a Lie,” a hard rock rave-up that evokes echoes of Cream and of Myles’
contemporary and up-and-coming young blues rocker Alastair Greene. The
ambling “Death Bed Blues” more openly exposes Kid Andersen’s
impeccable rhythm support, and Myles plays country drawler on “What
Is Love.”
Want to rock? Myles hits his peak, in my opinion, with “Call ‘em
All Baby,” which sports an irresistible groove that impels the listener
to MOVE, and follows it with the penultimate “Three Ways to Fall,”
a 12-bar compelling blues rocker. The CD ends with “Blue Monday,”
a Fats Domino tune which could be confused with a Tab Benoit or Tommy
Castro foray, and featuring Kid Andersen on wah-wah pedal. — Steve
Daniels
John
Mooney
“Son and Moon: A Tribute to Son House”
Fatback Records 2014
Indisputably one of the luminaries of seminal Mississippi Delta blues,
Eddie “Son” House was a contemporary of fellow greats Charley
Patton and Willie Brown; perhaps unfairly, none of them attained the renown
of their slightly younger colleague Robert Johnson (“the king of
Delta blues”). House had a distinctive, mesmerizing style of slide
guitar playing and an immediately recognizable raspy voice, and was composer
of many lasting blues classics. His influence on American blues is profound
and enduring. His colorful life, from aspiring preacher to serious dipsomaniac
to obscure hermetic artist to resurrected folk idol, is legendary.
Liner notes for John Mooney’s tribute album to House mention that
the two met in 1971. Actually, their association comprised far more than
a “meeting”: both were living in Rochester, N.Y.; Mooney learned
to play from House and returned the favor by supporting the aging bluesman
for much of that decade. After moving to New Orleans (still his home)
in 1976, Mooney played House-style acoustic blues for years until morphing
into an electric bluesman.
“Son and Moon” confirms that Mooney hasn’t lost his
acoustic chops. Accompanied only by his own guitar, Mooney deploys his
talents on seven House compositions, two of his own, the Sonny Boy Williamson
classic “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl,” and three “traditional”
tunes. (Rather than “traditional,” “You Gotta Move”
is more commonly attributed to Mississippi Fred McDowell, possibly with
the cooperation of Reverend Gary Davis.)
As with many tribute albums, one’s opinion depends on one’s
expectations and biases. For most people, initial exposure to songs cements
one’s preferences, and subsequent cover versions are often considered
inferior or even exploitative, open to being criticized as either slavishly
imitative or disrespectfully innovative. Let’s just say regarding
this CD that Mooney doesn’t surpass House’s versions, but
his renditions are respectful and of high quality. The classics “Death
Letter [Blues],” “Pearline,” and “John the Revelator”
are rendered beautifully, Mooney almost matching the anguish and ecstasy
of which House was capable. Quality dips slightly only in his versions
of the Williamson and McDowell songs, whose originators had styles quite
different than House’s.
One last quibble: in a tribute album, it would have been nice to have
more liner information about House and his songs. Nonetheless, this is
a mighty fine CD. — Steve Daniels
Elvin
Bishop
“Can’t Even Do Wrong Right”
Alligator 2014
Born in Southern California, raised in Oklahoma, matured as a bluesman
in Chicago, living for years now in Northern California, Elvin Bishop
has produced quality music reflecting both his musical and geographic
influences. Since his days as co-guitarist with Mike Bloomfield in the
massively influential Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the 1960s, throughout
his solo career of the last four decades, he has segued from straight
Chicago blues to an amalgam of wry humor, south-midwestern drawled vocals,
and guitar skill.
At age 71, Bishop is still churning out appealing albums, and here is
another. He is backed by his long-time bandmates Bob Welsh on guitar and
keyboards, Ed Earley on trombone, Steve Willis on piano and accordion,
Ruth Davies on bass, and Bobby Cochran on drums. Like a well oiled machine,
proficient but unpretentious, this group of virtuosos glides through Bishop
originals and several covers, and welcomes the contributions of ex-Jefferson
Starship vocalist Mickey Thomas and harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite
on several numbers.
Bishop’s sense of humor is evident even in the song titles. For
example, the album opens with “Can’t Even Do Wrong Right,”
a shuffle chronicling the travails of a hapless miscreant whose attempts
at crime fail repeatedly and embarrassingly. “Let Your Woman Have
Her Way” is…well, you get the message. “Everybody’s
in the Same Boat” shifts gears with its philosophical but still
wry look at aging and death. Emphasizing the range of Bishop’s music,
the CD closes with “Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop,” a Lionel Hampton party
tune with an irresistible call-and-response.
Other highlights: “Old School,” with Bishop’s low-pitched
guitar chording and rough vocals meshing well with Musselwhite’s
sparkling harmonica; “Let Your Woman…,” led by Thomas’
vocal and sounding pleasingly similar to Bishop’s big 1970s hit,
“Fooled Around and Fell in Love”; and “No More Doggin’,”
an instrumental cover featuring Bishop’s slide playing intertwined
with Musselwhite’s harp. Most surprising is a version of the Little
Walter Jacobs classic, “Blues with a Feeling.” As done by
Little Walter, and subsequently by the Butterfield Band (with Bishop)
way back when, the song had a slow, pensive rhythm and mood. Bishop and
company juice and goose the tempo, add Mickeys Thomas’ back up singing,
and create a new and funky version.— Steve Daniels
Branson
Welsh
“It Is What It Is”
www.bransonwelsh.com
Branson Welsh is a hot young player among the southern guitar slingers
on the Tampa scene. Learning his lessons in the clubs playing a well-worn
Fender Strat and stepping to the mic with a full, confident voice. On
his debut CD “It Is What It Is” he’s got some friends
playing with him, most notably Lucky Peterson on Hammond B3, Branson sat
in with Lucky’s dad, James Peterson and rounding out the band is
his Florida rhythm section of Sam Farmer on drums and Matt Walker playing
bass. All selections are covers but it’s his choices, energy and
enthusiasm that makes this worthwhile. He plays the blues his way.
Starting with a slow southern take on the Isley Brothers’ “Deal
With It” Branson’s guitar roars and soars before tracking
into a Hendrix-like cover of Doyle Bramhall II’s “Green Light
Girl.” As the sonic onslaught fades he switches to the Louisiana
funk of the Neville Brothers’ “Voodoo” with jazzy riffs
over the organ before coming back to Jacksonville Florida favorites J
J Grey & Mofro’s “On Fire.” “Thunderbird”
written by a Dallas Texas teen band The Nightcaps in 1960, best known
by Stevie Ray Vaughan & ZZ Top is delivered with expected retro verve
while Gary Clark Jr.’s “Bright Lights” (no Big City)
is a more modern hard rock with the organ leading the way. Getting down
deep into the blues with “As The Years Go Passing By” first
done by Fenton Robinson and best known by Albert King, Welsh takes a delicate
touch on the strings as Peterson shines on organ. Hendrix rarely played
this live so it may be one of his lesser known songs but here “Manic
Depression” is given a fresh breath by shifting to an Allman Brothers-like
sound of surging keyboards and ringing guitar.
Branson Welsh may be young and not a songwriter yet, but his sound and
confidence shows promise for both his future and for the future of blues.
But then again, for a first time project, “It Is What It Is.”
.—Roger & Margaret White bluestime@sbcglobal.net
Roy
Book Binder
“The Good Book”
Peg Leg Records rbbookspace@yahoo.com
roybookbinder.com
Roy Book Binder has been described as a guitar pickin’ hillbilly
bluesman but he’s so much more than that. He picked up a guitar
while in the military, was chauffeur for Rev. Gary Davis, whom he took
extensive lessons from. He was recording by the mid-’60s and played
with Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup and Homesick James. Now living
in Florida, Book has got himself a disc of all originals and he’s
brought in a few friends to offer occasional help: TBone Hamilton plucking
bass, Glenn Evans tapping percussion, young guitar wiz Damon Fowler on
lap steel, Frank Bowman, clarinet and Erik “Spanky” Bergene
blowing harp. With his charming storytelling skills, warm vocals and straightforward
finger pickin’ and slide work, “The Good Book” is chock
full of old time shucks and awes.
Opening with a narrative on moral integrity, “The Good Book”
has a light airy sound as Binder tells us “the straight and narrow
path you’re on will lead you to the prize” over finger pickin’
guitar and lap steel. A bouncy ditty extolls the sunny side of a breakup
with Hawaiian slide and Frank Bowman tooting in on clarinet ’cause
you know “It Coulda Been Worse.” Book’s medicine show
rap “Step Right Up” draws you in with a menagerie of attractions
to tickle your fancy using clarinet and percussion. The ringing of the
bottleneck guitar strings tugs at your heart as Book sings of the cycle
of life in “Full Go Around.” Roy deals up a full house of
licks on the ragtime shuffle “Poker Playin’ Papa.” A
thumping bass and harp lead as Binder extols the virtues of love, good
and bad, on “Crazy About You” and if it’s real bad “What
You Gonna Do.” With some of his finest finger pickin’ and
bottle necking “They Called Him Junior” recounts the history
of Robert Lockwood from humble beginning in Turkey Scratch, Arkansas to
“making music was his business, pickin’ guitar that was his
game.” Binder updates these old-timey blues with a jingle about
the attributes of “Electric Cigarette Blues” which ain’t
no drag. As a finale Roy’s guitar shines as it skips and cuts over
a light rhythm section on the only instrumental “Hacksaw.”
This tale of tunes lets the title sum it up, “The Good Book”
is just plain good Book Binder.—Roger & Margaret White bluestime@sbcglobal.net
Matt
Andersen
“Weightless”
True North Records 2014
By my count, this is Matt Andersen’s eighth album. A prodigious
and still young talent from northeastern Canada, Andersen dazzled the
International Blues Challenge several years ago, has toured widely since,
and his been a lauded presence on several Legendary Rhythm & Blues
Cruises. On the latter, he has performed solo, displaying his virtuosity
as an acoustic guitarist and song composer; as a singer, well, he is a
force of nature.
On his albums, in contrast, Andersen invariably appears with a group,
as he does with this first release in three years. Unfortunately, his
gifts as a guitarist are submerged in the mix. In addition, here he has
branched more into his folk and singer-songwriter guises, with more than
a touch of rock, leaving his bluesman persona in the background.
The good news is that his songs are top-notch. His lyrics are succinct
and poetic; take this verse from the opening tune, “I Lost My Way”:
A book with no pages,
A sky with no stars
A show with no stages,
A cell with no bars
A guitar in my hand,
With nothing to play
I lost my way, I lost my way.
Every one of the dozen cuts on this CD is equally pithy, suffused with
both poignancy and humor. His accompanists, including a horn section,
are tight, and back-up vocalists add punch and some sugar. But the inarguable
spotlight and highlight of the album is Andersen’s singing. This
man can belt it out as well as sing delicately when required. In fact,
he is capable of impressive melisma (multiple notes on the same syllable)
and also the ability to sustain a single pitch-perfect note. Check out
“My Last Day,” a song that features both of those skills.
(Actually, the song is reminiscent of a Bob Seger tune; I mean that as
a compliment.)
This may not be a blues album, but it continues Matt Andersen’s
run of excellent CDs.— Steve Daniels
John
Primer & the Teardrops Live
“You Can Make It If You Try”
Wolf Records 2014
John Primer has paid his dues, and now he is collecting. Currently
he is recognized as one of the top bluesmen around, and certainly one
of the pre-eminent purveyors of the urban Chicago blues style. (In
my opinion, his only serious rival is Lil’ Ed [Williams]).
Those new to blues may not know that Primer was guitarist in the last
band of the great Muddy Waters, and then went on to play for over a decade
with Magic Slim and his band, The Teardrops. Whether Primer played
lead or second guitar in those famed bands is debatable; what is not debatable
is that he was much more than just an accessory rhythm guitarist.
This CD is a selection of live recordings from various 1990s appearances
of Primer in Europe with the core of The Teardrops, Earl Howell on drums
and Nick Holt (brother of Morris Holt, AKA Magic Slim) on bass.
The beat and sound are instantly recognizable: this can be no other band
than the Teardrops, whose galvanizing and insistent rhythmic attack is
simply irresistible. There are no fast tunes here, but the mid-tempo
and even slow ones are still so infectious that the fingers want to snap
and feet want to move involuntarily. The quality of the live recordings
is very good, although the overall sound is less full than heard on the
many recordings of Magic Slim and the Teardrops; Magic Slim was no slouch
on guitar, either, his interplay with Primer was mesmerizing, and the
quartet simply made more noise than this trio.
Nonetheless, this trio pays respectful and expert homage to over an hour
of cover tunes, making several of them their own. “Love in
Vain,” for example, receives a different treatment than accorded
it by originator Robert Johnson or The Rolling Stones. The title
cut, an Otis Rush composition more familiarly know as “Double Trouble,”
is an extended vamp, as is the Muddy Waters classic, “Long Distance
Call.”
Primer’s singing may lack the grit and insinuating innuendo of Waters,
but it works fine. His guitar playing reflects influences of Muddy,
Otis Rush, and Magic Sam, among others, but his style is unique and, like
the great Rush, always surprising but appropriate.
The liner notes are informative but could have used editing, including
spell-checking…and “Corinna” is a very old song not
composed by Albert King. Other than those quibbles, a very good
live compilation. — Steve Daniels
Sorrow
Come Pass Me Around
A Survey Of Rural Black Religious Music
Dust-To-Digital CD 31
Originally recorded by esteemed folklorist David Evans, with assistance
at times from the likes of John Fahey and Alan Wilson (on a couple of
vibrato-laden 1966 recordings by onetime 1920’s blues singer Rev.
Rubin Lacey) among others, this sixteen track project features a variety
of black religious music in a rural setting. The titles include plenty
of solo and group singing, a generous collection of guitar-accompanied
vocals (notably by both street singer Babe Stovall and Blind Pete Burrell,
a friend of bluesman Roosevelt Holts) and accompaniments on primitive
and homemade instruments—dig “Glory, Glory Hallelujah”
with Compton Jones on vocal and lard bucket, Glen Faulkner on diddley
bow and James Davis on pot and Clorox bottle as well as a heartfelt 1969
version of the gospel blues song “Motherless Children” by
Como, Mississippi’s own Napoleon Strickland on vocal and five-hole
fife. Memphis legend Furry Lewis also puts in an appearance on bottleneck
guitar. An enclosed 30 page booklet with an essay by Evans and his detailed
notes on each selection puts it all in historical context. Recommended.—Gary
von Tersch
Dozzler
& Van Merwyk
Darkest Night
Groove Stew Records 2014
Blues is revered by many in Europe, as attested by myriad successful tours
there by U.S. blues artists, and extended sojourns there by some. (Think
Luther Allison, Memphis Slim, Nat Dove….) The acoustic sub-genre
has its adherents and disciples, typified by such contemporary performers
as guitarist/singer Hans Theessink, and recent International Blues Challenge
winners Georg Schroeter and Marc Breitfelder. In fact, worthy European
challengers are an annual fixture now at the IBCs.
Michael Van Merwyk, former second prize winner of the IBC in the solo/duo
category, has now teamed up with noted pianist Christian Dozzler. Their
first album has a lot to recommend it. Weighing it with close to an hour
of blues from the jaunty to the desultory, its thirteen songs include
covers of tunes by Hound Dog Taylor, Percy Mayfield, and Bumble Bee Slim,
as well as seven originals. The men share the vocal duties, and Dozzler
displays some impressive harmonica prowess in addition to his stylish
keyboard renderings. Van Merwyk plays adept guitar without any egotistical
flash that would detract from the inherent subtlety of a duo presentation,
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