Blues Reviews Oct/Nov 2016
Kenny
Neal
Bloodline
Cleopatra Blues 2016
It’s about time that we had a new Kenny Neal album! The multi-talented
Louisiana bluesman has allied with drummer and producer Tom Hambridge,
most noted for his recent collaborations with Buddy Guy, and delivered
a humdinger of a CD, proof positive that the blues is an art form that
transforms misfortune into hope and joy.
The title is apt: no fewer than eight of Kenny’s relatives provide
input (maybe more, if some have different surnames by marriage). Other
recognizable contributors include Tommy Castro’s bass player Tommy
MacDonald and keyboardists Lucky Peterson and Kevin McKendrie. The result
is a stalwart ensemble, a true musical family which delivers grit and
glide on eleven classy tunes, eight of them composed by Kenny. That participants
on individual tracks are unidentified just confirms the cooperative nature
of the venture.
The first two cuts proclaim and emphasize the theme of the set. “Ain’t
Gon Let the Blues Die” begins with horns and rhythm section, segues
into a searing few bars of guitar, and then it’s Kenny vocally declaring
his devotion to the blues. “Bloodline” slows the breakneck
pace as Kenny sings of maintaining and advancing the family musical legacy.
By the way, those blues aficionados who know Kenny for his singing and
guitar prowess: don’t forget that he is no slouch on harmonica,
as demonstrated here.
“Plain Old Common Sense” is a compelling shuffle, leading
to the ensuing cover of Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips
Away,” a pensive ballad beautifully sung by Kenny. “Keep on
Moving” does just that; “I’m So Happy” is convincing;
and “Blues Mobile” is a worthy addition to the roster of innumerable
blues tunes employing automobiles as metaphor. “I Can’t Wait”
has a country aura, and “Real Friend” effectively delves into
horn-driven R&B. The album ends with “Thank You BB King,”
an upbeat tribute to the late King of the Blues with appropriate BB-style
lead guitar.
Chalk up another success for Kenny Neal, indisputably one of today’s
best and most reliable bluesmen.—Steve Daniels
Lil’
Ed and The Blues Imperials
The Big Sound of Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials
Alligator 2016 www.alligator.com
The four principals of Lil’ Ed’s band have been playing together
for almost thirty years. The band has garnered innumerable Blues Music
Award nominations and has twice been voted Band of the Year. This band
is tight! And their status as one of the foremost purveyors of electric
Chicago blues is confirmed on their first new release in four years.
Lil’ Ed Williams, nephew of late slide guitar icon J.B. Hutto, has
been playing since he was in his pre-teens, and has long left the shadow
of his renowned uncle. Of the fourteen songs on this nearly hour-long
album, Ed has penned a dozen, some with his wife, and covered two of J.B.’s.
His slide playing and singing are in fine form, and his trio of compatriots
in musical muscle is once again comprised of Ed’s half-brother James
“Pookie” Young on bass, Kelly Littleton on drums, and Michael
Garrett on second guitar, on this outing augmented by skilled keyboard
artist Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi.
The CD commences with three mid-tempo tunes, distinguished particularly
by “Raining in Paris,” wherein Ed’s slide evokes memories
of the style of Elmore James even more than Hutto. Garrett especially
shines here, his backing single note forays tastefully complementing Ed’s
cutting, powerful lead. Not to be outdone, Ed provides some compelling
non-slide lead on the ensuing “Poor Man’s Song.” “Shy
Voice,” a Hutto track, presents Ed back on slide, and showcases
the fantastic intuitive interplay, seen throughout the disc, between bass
and drums.
“Black Diamond Love,” a romantic encomium, is one of the high
points of the release. So is the other Hutto cover, “I’ll
Cry Tomorrow,” an almost seven minute-long number made moving by
Ariyoshi’s organ contribution. “Is It You” follows,
with an introductory feint of reduced tempo morphing into an uptempo dance
track. The pace is maintained with “I’m Done,” the angry
lament of a betrayed lover. The remaining tracks provide variety with
canny changes in tempo. “Troubled World,” another standout,
again features Ariyo’s organ, with Ed’s lyrical lead, in a
capsule summary of contemporary societal malaise. The blues ain’t
all sad, though, as emphasized by “Green Light Groove,” which
caps the album on a rollicking note.
Yes, those who appreciate Lil’ Ed’s sense of humor, almost
always evident on one or more tunes of each of his CDs, will be rewarded
with “I Like My Hot Sauce Cold.” No matter how you like yours,
if you like Chicago blues, you will enjoy this album.—Steve Daniels
Lurrie
Bell
Can’t Shake This Feeling
Delmark Records www.delmark.com
Lurrie Bell was born with the blues. The son of blues man Carey Bell,
Lurrie taught himself to play guitar at age five, by seventeen was playing
with Willie Dixon, at twenty joined Koko Taylor’s band, was a founding
member of The Sons of Blues, won three Blues Music Awards and one WC Handy.
Bell’s newest CD, “Can’t Shake This Feeling,”
his second since returning to Delmark Records, has his touring Chicago
Blues Band featuring Matthew Skoller on harmonica, Roosevelt Purifey on
piano or organ, Melvin Smith, bass, Willie ‘The Touch’ Hayes
beind the drums and rounds out this winning team with Dick Shurman back
as producer. With thirteen solid tunes that hold true to classic Chicago
blues Bell proves he’s at the top of his game.
Lurrie’s strong, straight-forward vocals and his seasoned Chicago
band churn through the title number “I Can’t Shake This Feeling”
and does three more original songs including “Blues Is Trying To
Keep Up With Me” holding true to classic Chicago blues - then with
a flurry of notes Lurrie bares his soul confessing “This Worrisome
Feeling In My Heart” as Roosevelt’s measured piano grounds
the song and the band stretches out having some fun with his father Carey
Bell’s song “Do You Hear.” On Buster Benton’s
“Born With The Blues” Matt’s harp echoes Lurrie’s
vocal and trades leads with his guitar then covering two Willie Dixon
tunes “Sit Down Baby” and “Hidden Charms” both
have the easy swing of Willie’s rhythm and rhyme. The band steps
up the game with Eddie Boyd’s “Drifting” with an opportunity
for band members to strut their stuff and Little Milton’s “Hold
Me Tight” is a sure bet to fill the dance floor. In T-Bone Walker’s
“I Get So Weary” the guitar leads seem to have a stumbling
exhaustion to match the vocals and ‘Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis’
“One Eyed Woman” is an acoustic street corner throw down with
just Lurrie’s guitar and Matt’s harp. From the street corner
to church, Lowell Fulson’s “Sinner’s Prayer” has
Lurrie begging, “Lord have mercy on me” and the finale is
a Lurrie Bell original with just a restrained rhythm and electric lead
guitar ’cause just “Faith and Music” is all he’s
got.
Lurrie Bell might say he “Can’t Shake This Feeling”
so deep rooted within his soul but he sure can shake ’em on down.
—Roger & Margaret White
Jade
Hendrix
Farewell To Emerald City
jade-hendrix.com
Blues isn’t necessarily a man’s world but most women singers
present themselves with a tough attitude to show they can hold their own
in this male-dominated genre. But Jade Hendrix is not trying to be something
she’s not. Jade grew up watching from the wings as her mother sang
backup for many big name performers and now she’s ready to take
flight on her own career as a singer/songwriter. She’s got the soft,
sweet voice of an angel, singing honest personal lyrics straight from
her heart. “Farewell To Emerald City” is a brief five song
EP, just an introduction to someone who could be the next Norah Jones.
Accompanied by her co-writer David Zimmer on piano and occasional guitar,
the band is filled out with Arlan Oscar on organ, accordion and moog,
Andrew Synowitec guitar, Coso Franklin bass and Manon Franklin drums.
Beginning with a simple piano progression Jade slips into “Bedtime
Stories” a song of hope and holding on to your dreams, her voice
gliding effortlessly as the song builds and Andrew Synowitec takes a gentle
sliding guitar solo. A free spirit, Jade’s life choice as a musician
has set her on a nomadic path and “Farewell” addresses her
loneliness and detachment from family and friends while the cluster of
piano and organ add a simple majesty sweetened by the background vocals
of Sharon Hendrix. A Fender Rhoades piano and a choppy beat bring in Jade
singing that even in death you’re only a “Thought Away”
as Oscar’s Moog and Jade’s own haunting background vocals
sweep and swell. Stripping down the band to just Zimmer’s guitar
and Oscar on Wurlitzer, Jade’s gentle vocals cut through on “Worth
Fighting For.” To finish this all-too-brief disc Jade remembers
what her father taught her and sings that when confronted with adversity
“Show Them Love” as a gospel choir gently erupts in joyful
song.
Music is an art form that is always changing and evolving. Jade Hendrix
isn’t your typical blues singer, this young singer/songwriter’s
debut CD “Farewell To Emerald City” could easily cross over
to the commercial airwaves but don’t let any success she may achieve
sell her short. Jade has a passion and soulfulness that offers a new look
into the blues of today. —Roger & Margaret White
Kristine
Jackson
“By Your Side”
musicbykj.com
Kristine Jackson was a musical prodigy, classically trained on trumpet.
As her interest in music grew she found it difficult to express everything
she wanted. She taught herself to play guitar in 2004 and has
let her voice take the lead. Putting out three CDs she says “The
blues world is where my music was born, but not where it has to stay. All
of this is possible because there are no borders or labels, it’s
just the music.” This gypsy of styles flits from one to the next,
not because shes looking for what fits but rather because she can. With “By
Your Side” Jackson sings, plays rhythm, lead and bass guitars
has written and arranged all twelve tracks co produced and engineer by
Pete Tokar who also plays keyboards. Filling the grooves out is Myron
Gardner drums, Matt Miller or Tony Nicholas on bass, Brian Davidson occasional
acoustic and lead guitar with the sax of Dave Kasper and Jacob Wynn’s
trumpet.
Kristine vocals shift from gruff to soaring on this power ballad about
the loss of a friend who will always be “By Your Side” then
moves to the solid R&B of “What Moves You” with
punching horns, popping bass and a voice similar to Shaun Murphy or Janiva
Magness. With a reggae beat “Change My World” is
powered by Ms Jackson’s full throated roar then with a Rod Stewart
like croon her vocals swoops high then dropping low as she dreams of “Another
Day.” Accompanied by hand claps, whistling and steel drum she’s “Proud
To Say” your mine. “Always There” is
a rocking ride with a touch of Janis Joplin while “Mary Belle” echoes
Grace Slick’s Airplane. With wailing harp along side Kristine’s
husky shouts of “Rob You Blind,” the music shifts
to a sweet swoon as Kristine shows “How The Angels Sing.” With
an icy blast of horns her vocals shiver as she sings “Come
In From The Cold” and “Smothered” is
a spaghetti western soundtrack as Kristen narrates with horn like vocal
lines over her metallic guitar imitating flamenco flourishes. A bombastic
rocker, “Burning River Chant” the organ and horns
blast power chords as Jackson’s guitar burns it up and her vocals
match that force.
With a refreshing gypsy’s abandonment Kristine’s latest CD “By
Your Side” takes you to new depths proving it ain’t
just the same ol’ blues.—Roger & Margaret White
Billy
Pierce
Shapes Of Soul
Got Slide Record www.billypierce.com
Billy Pierce may originate from Wilmington, Delaware but you’d think
he’d been born on the bayou. His guitar has the edge and strength
of Sonny Landreth while his voice is smooth, soft and slippery as southern
moss - it grows on ya. Recorded at Dockside Studio Maurice LA with a core
band of Charlie Wooton on bass and vocals, Doug Belote on drums and Keiko
Komaki on piano and B-3, they’re joined by some impressive guest
players who complement the nine Pierce originals and two covers.
Pierce presents some tasty Louisianan roots music in anticipation of a
trip to New Orleans with “Me & the Misses,” it’s
held together with some titillating harmonica by Jason Ricci. Traveling
further the band two steps through Cajun country with fiddler Michael
Doucet on “Acadiana” as Pierce’s slide slips over the
strings to carry on the party at the “Red Dog Saloon” where
everyone’s tail is waggin’. The good times continue as everyone
takes a verse on Sugar Boy Crawford’s “Iko Iko” and
joins in for the chants and hand clapping as the Bomerama Trombones take
it to the wild side then slides back to earth with his lovely “Delta
Queen.”
If this CD were just made up of these delta inspirations it would be good,
but it’s only half of this impressive package. Pierce pleads the
case for the working man living “Paycheck to Paycheck” with
some R&B from the Bonerama Trombones joined with Komaki’s B-3
ripping it up at a rat race pace and Pierce counters with a furious funky
flurry of his own. The sax of Jeff T Watkins wails as Wooton steps to
the mic declaring “Don’t Give Up” with some rhythms
that roll with the punches. “Tears of Joy” begins like the
calm before a storm till a massive wave washes in with gale force and
his guitar and keyboards dive into an intense jam with Mike Zito taking
things to a whole new level then change form into the “Shapes of
Soul” an instrumental where the guitars’ gentle waves are
like a cool breeze and the piano is shimmering as if a sunset. Continuing
into a funky “Katrina” Pierce’s slide draws you in,
hits the wall and comes at you again while the keys and harmonica flow
over you in waves and “PC” has Pierce’s guitar gliding
along the edge as you hold your breath.
Billy Pierce’s “Shapes Of Soul” has an ever evolving
form and that may be it’s most impressive asset, it’s persistent
diversity.—Roger & Margaret White
Thornetta
Davis
Honest Woman
Sweet Mama Music www.thornettadavis.com
Thornetta Davis is the reigning queen of Motor City Blues, and it’s
been twenty years since her last full-length release. This journey was
paved with club dates, perseverance and hard work. Taking things into
her own hands she’s self-produced, written all the songs, sings
leads and often backing vocals on all twelve tracks and even took the
cover photo herself. Participating in this voyage are members of her longtime
bands including Brett Lucas on guitar and James Simonson bass, both in
Bettye LaVette’s touring band, Phil ‘Harmonic’ Hale
on keys, Todd Glass drums and James ‘Jamalot’ Anderson percussion
and includes various horns and all star guests, recorded and mixed by
Brian ’Rosco’ White, guitarist in her first band thirty years
ago. This is Thornetta’s blues, everything is personal, she’s
lived all these songs and she’s brought her life’s journey
to us. There ain’t no faking an “Honest Woman.”
Starting with a bone-chilling slide, Thornetta recites “When My
Sister Sings The Blues,” written by her sister, Felicia Davis, setting
the mood for things to come. With a driving beat and powerful vocals Thornetta
sings, “I Gotta Sing The Blues” a duet with Kim Wilson who
tosses in a harp solo to top it off. “That Don’t Appease Me”
could be a classic King single from Big Mama or Etta, this Motor City
Queen proudly wears the crown of current Big Bad Mama and with a rockin’
rumba demands “I Need A Whole Lotta Love” as the horns squeal
and moan. A kicker at every live show is “Get Up And Dance Away
Your Blues” the dueling trumpets of Marcus Belgrave and Rayse Biggs
with longtime band member Paul Carey taking the guitar solo to fill the
floor. Then Brett’s guitar and Thornetta echo Muddy on “I
Believe (Everything Gonna Be Alright)” breaking into a rafter-shaking
gospel number with backing vocals of Special Anointing and then a seven
piece gospel choir raises the roof as Thornetta testifies “Feels
Like Religion.” Switching to a calm, determined voice “I’d
Rather Be Alone” builds in intensity to a simple triumphant “bye
bye” as she invites Larry McCray who brings his band and a burning
guitar solo to “Set Me Free.” With the help of forty eight
sister friends who’ve joined Thornetta on “Sister Friend Indeed”
the journey ends with the soulful love song to her husband, “Honest
Woman” each verse growing stronger then the last.
They say good things come to those who wait but if you really want something
you have to get up and do it yourself, Thornetta has and this “Honest
Woman” has fulfilled the dream we’ve been waiting for.—Roger
& Margaret White
Teresa
James & the Rhythm Tramps
Bonafide
Jese-Lu Records www.teresajames.com
Teresa James was a Texas filley before moving on to Los Angeles where
she was pulled in by the Rhythm Tramps. These Tramps were originally formed
by Terry Wilson and Tony Braunagel in London during the 70’s on
the off nights from touring when the ‘Rhythm Tramps’ would
perform blues in local pubs. Now the renewed Rhythm Tramps are a steady
group of players featuring Teresa James on vocals and piano, Tony on drums
and Terry playing bass, with Billy Watts on guitar. Never letting dust
gather under their boots they’ve worked blues festivals and clubs,
recorded several CD’s including Teresa’s ‘08 release
nominated for Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year from the Blues
Foundation. With “Bonafide,” Terry Wilson steps up writting
ten of the thirteen songs for Ms James’ sweet Texas twang as well
as producing and engineering the CD. A few special guests sit in and the
drums are filled out with Jay Bellorose, Herman Matthews and Jim Christie.
Jumping right in with a cover by the Five Royals, Teresa proclaims “I
Like It Like That” and lets you know this CD is gonna be rockin’
good fun. Jay Ballarose’s percussion drives the title tune as Teresa
says she’s over this relationship and that’s “Bonafide.”
Dialing down, Mike Finnegan’s B3 chord progressions build the tension
and Leonard’s horns pack a wallop as Teresa pleads just “Spit
It Out” then settling farther as Finnegan switches to piano and
the “Power Of Need” is really the power of love. The relentless
pounding of the drums and a funky guitar set the mood for leading lady,
Ms James “Hollywood Way” then Teresa sings the uplifting “You
Always Pick Me Up” but it’s the horns of Lee Thonburg and
sax of Ron Dzibla with her vocals that elevate this to a spiritual level.
Wilson’s witty wisdom of “What Happens In Vegas” stays
in Vegas includes more than just your money or the financial crisis “Too
Big To Fail” speaks of today’s working man’s blues.
Sometimes the truth hurts and with sadness in her voice “Funny Like
That” is a slow rockin’ blues you’ll be humming later.
Ms James realized where she stands when “You Want It When You Want
It” and pours out her heart declaring “No Regrets” with
the sax of Sean Holt, Finnegan on organ and Lewis Stephens on Wurlitzer
driving the message home. To finish off the CD you can’t go wrong
with a tight band and a great song like John Hiatt’s “Have
A Little Faith In Me.”
Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps have put out some real “Bonafide”
blues. —Roger & Margaret White
Joanna
Connor
Six String Stories
M.C. Records
mc-records.com joannaconner.com
The return of Joanna Conner to the national blues scene is long overdue.
For those unaware of this guitar diva, Joanna was only 22 when she took
a Greyhound bus to Chicago in 1985, joining the house band at both the
Checkerboard Lounge and Kingston Mines before starting her own band. Blind
Pig Records signed her in 1989, and her debut album moved Joanna on to
the national scene and 8 more records. Joanna curtailed her touring to
raise her family sticking with mainly Chicago gigs but her performance
at the North Atlantic Blues Festival in 2014 went viral and has been viewed
sixteen million times. Which brings us to “Six String Stories”
her first new recording in thirteen years. Except for two covers, all
songs were written by Ms Connor and Marion Lance Lewis who plays drums,
bass, percussion, synthesizer, supporting vocals and produced the CD.
Filling out the sounds is Chicago harp ace Omar Coleman, Jeff Lewis on
keyboards and a full horn section.
Cracking this CD open Joanna rips into a slide guitar like Johnny Winter’s
“Look Over Yonder Wall” but declares it’s a new day
“It’s A Woman’s Way” with licks that prove she
can hold her own with any high energy guitar player, then jumps into a
Bo Diddley beat and declares she’ll always be “By Your Side.”
Slowing things down but not easing up on the intensity, Connor’s
guitar cries as she proudly declares through everything “We Stayed
Together” with Lance Lewis giving an assuring nod on drums then
the band hits their stride on “Love Coming On Strong” as Joanna’s
solo builds in ferocity. A repetitive choral refrain with jazzy funk flourishes
drifts throughout this cover of Jill Scott’s “Golden”
but it’s Joanna’s vocals and honest up-front Gil Scott-Heron-style
admissions that makes it shine. “Heaven” is six minutes of
joy showcasing Joanna’s strongest vocals and the roof is raised
when a horn section blows some revelry and Lance Lewis takes to the podium
preaching while the hand clapping Lewis Family Singers back him up with
a choir. Coming back down to earth “Halsted Street” glistens
like headlights on wet pavement on a Jeff Beck like instrumental before
conjuring a slippery groove in “Swamp Swim” with breathtaking
harmonica by Omar “Harp” Coleman and an electrifying guitar
groove that gives you goose bumps. Live recordings rarely are quiet but
Elmore James’ “The Sky Is Crying” is taken in a different
direction then finishes with a jazzy flourish on the final track “Young
Women Blues.”
Joanna Connor’s “Six String Stories” puts her back on
top of the national scene and with her experience she certainly has some
stories to tell.—Roger & Margaret White
Canned Heat
One More River To Cross
BGO CD-1233
Eric Burdon & The Animals
Every One Of Us
BGO CD-1244
Canned Heat was launched in 1965 in Los Angeles by a trio of country blues
record collectors, Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson (slide guitar,
harmonica and vocals), guitarist Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine
(who had recently been kicked out of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention
for excessive drug use) and rotund vocalist Bob “The Bear”
Hite, who copped the name from Tommy Johnson’s catchy 1928 recording
“Canned Heat Blues”—a woebegone tale about a hard-luck
alcoholic reduced to imbibing Sterno, otherwise known as “canned
heat.” In 1968 they became internationally famous when “On
the Road Again,” their sprightly rendition of another Tommy Johnson
song (“Big Road Blues”), charted at No. 15 in America and
No. 8 in Britain. A follow-up Top Twenty hit in 1969, “Going Up
the Country,” that showcased Wilson’s high-wire falsetto vocals
(a la Skip James), established the electric blues combo in the vanguard
of the then vogue-ish white blues interpreters. After a string of successful
LPs for Liberty Records and a couple for United Artists, the band (minus
Wilson, who died in 1970) traveled to Muscle Shoals, Alabama and recorded
this album for Atlantic Records in 1973. Some of that rarefied, combustible,
boogie-driven verve is missing, but on titles like “L.A. Town,”
“Bagful of Boogie” and “Highway 401” as well as
on covers such as “I’m A Hog For You Baby” and a great
Fats Domino medley they more than rise to the occasion. BGO also has seven
other Canned Heat album reissues available. On the other hand, Eric Burdon
and his Animals, originally from the wilds of Newcastle, were among the
trailblazing London-based bands that led the British R&B boom in the
mid-60s with their emotional, plugged-in repertoire and a pile-driving
sound that, at its core, had Burdon’s marvelously aggressive “black”
oriented vocals alongside Alan Price’s pumping organ on worldwide
hits like “House Of The Rising Sun,” “Don’t Let
Me Be Misunderstood,” Bring It On Home To Me” and the declamatory
“We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place.” This reissue of
their 1969 Atlantic album, Every One Of Us, originally was released in
the U.S. (where it made the Top 200) and elsewhere but not in the UK—the
lead-off track single, “White Houses,” peaked at No. 67. Most
of the set’s “psychedelic blues” efforts were penned
by Burdon, who was distinctly maturing as a cutting-edge, adventurous
songwriter, along with contributions from at-the-time bandmates Zoot Money
and John Weider. Other band personnel included ex-Nashville “Tobacco
Road” Teens drummer Barry Jenkins (who replaced John Steel), guitarist
Vic Briggs and bass player Danny McCulloch. Picks encompass “Uppers
And Downers,” “The Immigrant Lad” and the timely “Year
Of The Guru” along with a hypnotic recall of “St. James Infirmary.”
Totally overlooked at its time, now considered classic. Don’t you
wish you had a time machine—Gary von Tersch
Barrelhouse
Chuck
Remembering the Masters
The Sirens Records 2016
The roster of Chicago-based blues piano legends is long, and keyboard
man Chuck Goering has spent decades imbibing the recorded music of Leroy
Carr, Otis Spann, and Big Maceo Merriweather, as well personally observing
and learning from Sunnyland Slim, Erwin Helfer, Pinetop Perkins, and especially
his late friend Little Brother Montgomery. Based on his current
proficiency, Barrelhouse Chuck has earned his own place in that list of
adepts - as also evidenced by his multiple Blues Music Award nominations
in recent years as Piano Player of the Year.
This release teams Chuck with his frequent collaborator, the talented
guitarist and mandolinist Billy Flynn, as they cover songs by Sunnyland,
Little Brother, Carr, and J.B. Lenoir, as well as digging into some original
tunes. The spare arrangements don’t suffer at all from lack
of bass guitar and percussion; rather, focus is appropriately on Chuck’s
piano mastery and, not just incidentally, Flynn’s spirited and stylish
accompaniment.
The opening track, “Homage to Pinetop Perkins,” is an instrumental;
Chuck’s left hand lays down a solid foundation while his right dances
over the keys. Chuck and Flynn’s practiced cohesion is demonstrated
therein, and again on the J.B. Lenoir tune, “How Much More.”
Goering’s slightly nasal tenor vocal isn’t his forte, but
proves adequate on this and other cuts on the set.
Is there a message in the presence of three songs about alcohol?
Whatever your opinion, Johnny Young’s “Keep on Drinking,”
Montgomery’s “I Just Keep on Drinking,” and Carr’s
“Straight Alky Blues” are all handled proficiently, the latter
two at a slow pace and the first more spirited and distinguished by Flynn’s
mandolin skills.
Two more instrumentals grace the set: the brief “Double D Boogie”
and the closing track, “Chuckabilly Boogie,” the latter again
sporting Flynn on mandolin. “Chicago Blues” is just
what the title portends: three minutes of the duo mining the basic Windy
City mode. A bonus is the presence of two solo piano numbers by
guest pianists: Lluis Coloma on the Little Brother Montgomery tune “Vicksburg
Blues,” and Scott Grube on an Irving Berlin piece, “How About
Me,” Chuck limiting himself to vocals on those tracks.
Barrelhouse Chuck’s piano predecessors would be proud to be remembered,
and impressed by the lessons that Chuck learned well.—Steve Daniels
Chip
Taylor (aka ames Wesley Voight)
Little Brothers
Train Wreck CD 056
Chip Taylor
I’ll Carry For You
Train Wreck 057
www.trainwreckrecords.com
Yonkers, New York-born singer/songwriter Chip Taylor, the brother of actor
Jon Voight, the uncle of actress Angelina Jolie and onetime professional
gambler and golfer, is perhaps best known as the composer of “Wild
Thing,” “Angel Of The Morning” and “Try (Just
A Little Bit Harder).” In June he was inducted into the hallowed
Songwriters Hall of Fame (along with Tom Petty and Elvis Costello) with
these two timely, acoustic Americana-oriented releases, on his own Train
Wreck label, offering nearly twenty more lucid reasons why. Little Brothers
is an alluring compilation loaded with enticing, exquisitely supple songs
that could serve as the soundtrack for a luminously tranquil afternoon.
The cover photo is an old boyhood snapshot of Chip and his two renowned
brothers—the fore-mentioned Jon Voight and volcanologist Barry Voight—but
the songs (particularly “Barry And Buffalo,” “Enlighten
Yourself,” “Refugee Children” and the dreamlike title
tune) prove resolutely cosmic in appeal. I’ll Carry For You is more
of a mini-album and is full of songs imbued with an Olympian sentiment—highlighted
by the instant-classic title track that was inspired by the Canadian golfing
sisters Brooke (currently ranked #4 in the world) and Brittany Henderson
from Smith Falls, Ontario, who caddy and root for each other. Other picks
encompass the philosophical “She Had No Time To Get Ready, She Just
Was” and the optimistic “Live To Strike Again.” Fans
of the likes of Willie Nelson, Guy Clark or Townes Van Zandt are hereby
alerted!—Gary von Tersch
Rhythm ‘N’ Bluesin’ By The Bayou
Nights Of Sin, Dirty Deals And Love Sick Blues
ACE CDCHD 1478
Bluesin’ By The Bayou
I’m Not Jiving
ACE CDCHM 1471
Nights Of Sin is the, count ‘em, 15th compilation in Ace Records’
groundbreaking By The Bayou series and aurally transports the dedicated
listener back to the earthy, dirty dancing R&B sounds one would have
heard roaring out of a typical Pelican State back country juke joint on
a humid evening in the 1950s or early 1960s. A spicy mix of rarities,
alternate takes and previously unissued gems from across South Louisiana
and S.E. Texas, this eye-opening 28 track project, compiled and annotated
by Ian Saddler, features a great promo shot of still-active, left-handed
guitarist Barbara Lynn on the front along with two previously undiscovered
early “cover” numbers (“One Night Of Sin” and
“Love You Most Of All”) she recorded for local Goldband Records,
along with three tracks cut in New Orleans but, oddly enough, issued on
Hollywood’s doo-wopping Flip Records (the pair by Crescent City
native Smilin’ Joe, particularly the easy rocking “Living
On Borrowed Time,” are favorites) and four by “the big man
with the big smile,” Classie Ballou Jr.—including his previously
unissued instrumental “Crowley Stroll” and the percolating
“Hey Ma Ma.” Otherwise, tracks by all-but-unknowns like the
Baton Rouge Boys, Honey Boy Allen, Wonder Boy Travis and Mr. Mojo are
cleverly balanced alongside obscure sides by veterans like Tabby Thomas,
Big Walter Price, Charles “Mad Dog” Sheffield, Guitar Jr.
and Chris Kenner among others. Bluesin’ collects 28 examples of
raw, down-home blues sparklers educed from the swamps of South Louisiana,
in addition to a touch of zydeco—from both the charismatic Clifton
Chenier (his accordion-leavened plea “Everybody Calls Me Crazy”
is here) and Lake Charles legend Boozoo Chavis (likewise, his hypnotic
“Bye Bye Catin”). Overall, ten tracks are heretofore unreleased
or alternate takes with the remaining 18 being extremely rare. Featured
artists include Henry Gray (Howlin’ Wolf’s piano player for
a dozen years), Houston blues poet Juke Boy Bonner, Slim (“Rainin’
In My Heart”) Harpo and Natchez, Mississippi-based Jimmy Anderson
as well as Juke Boy Bonner, Schoolboy Cleve, Lightnin’ Slim, Boogie
Jake, Lazy Lester, Chris Kenner and Clarence Garlow among others. Holy
moly!—Gary von Tersch
Nancy Wright
Playdate!
Vizztone VTDH-111
NancyWrightMusic.com
Pine Street Ramblers
Hazy Shade Of Gold
pinestreetramblers.bandzoogle.com
Here’s a couple of great projects from out West Coast way. San Francisco-based,
soulfully robust saxophonist Nancy Wright is one of the most in-demand
musicians on the current blues, Americana and R&B scene—no less
a journalist that Downbeat’s Frank-John Hadley alertly compares
her approach to equal parts Noble “Thin Man” Watts, King Curtis
and Junior Walker. Playdate! is a 13 track liberating, let-it-all-hang-out
showcase (recorded at San Jose’s fabled Greaseland Studios) for
Wright’s ardently expressive playing and singing as well as a recognition
of the robust West Coast music landscape that is her playground. Plus,
she sagely put in phone calls to friends and touring partners on the order
of guitarist and organic producer Kid Andersen, guitarists Tommy Castro,
Elvin Bishop (on a smooooth instrumental recall of Big Jay McNeeley’s
classic “There Is Something On Your Mind”), Joe Louis Walker,
Mike Schermer and Chris Cain, vocalists Frank Bey (who shines on a cover
of Lonnie Mack’s “Been Waiting That Long”), Wee Willie
Walker and Terri Odabi along with Oakland’s uplifting Plymouth Church
of Jazz and Justice choir and keyboardists Jim Pugh and Victor Wainwright—all
of whom provide Wright with a solid foundation. Other picks include a
pair of great Wright originals (the instrumental workout “Trampled”
and a nod to her “Sweet Loving Daddy”), a declamatory reprise
of Willie Dixon’s boastful “I Got What It Takes” (with
Castro on guitar) and a doo-wopping “Cherry Wine.” Good ‘n’
greasy through and through! The Pine Street Ramblers, on the other hand,
hail from bucolic Meadow Vista, California in the Sierra Nevada foothills
and are a four piece string band (David Cox, JD Gardemeyer, JT Lawrence
and Travis Sinel) that play bluegrass, country, old-time and old-fashioned,
foot-stompin’ roots rock—here judiciously augmented, on occasion,
by Kimberly Freeman’s in-the-groove background vocals (check out
the clever DUI saga “Daddy Quit Drinkin’”), clarinetist
and accordion ace Dorothy Sills (on the bouncy tale of a juke joint queen
called “Sadie Green”) and shakers-shaking producer Jason Rufuss
Sewell. Displaying remarkable collective instrumental chops (on everything
from upright bass, dobro and pedal steel to banjo, fiddle and mandolin) they
particularly engage the earlobes with further reveries such as the Gardemeyer-composed
“War Wagon,” “California Wine,” “Bottom
Of The Bottle” and “Marbles.” If you’re a Commander
Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen aficionado, you’ll need this one.
Special thanks to Pak Foley, theoretically...—Gary von Tersch
Lance
Lopez
Live in NYC
Cleopatra Blues 2016
When the man is from Texas, thanks Johnny Winter and Popa Chubby in the
CD’s liner notes, and cites Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Gibbons,
and Jimi Hendrix as his major influences, you know what to expect.
That indeed is what you get on this nearly hour-long set of power trio
rock. Dallas-based Lance Lopez, although born in Louisiana, has called
the great state of Texas his home for many years. His credentials over
the last few decades are impressive, including stints in the bands of
Johnnie Taylor, Lucky Peterson, and Buddy Miles. Backed by Chris Reddan
on percussion and Mike Nunno on bass, on this CD Lopez careens through
a half dozen of his own songs and a cover of Robert Johnson’s “Traveling
Riverside Blues” with an unremitting manic energy and an undeniable
fealty to the guitar-driven Texas blues rock style of the aforementioned
guitar mavens. Forget about other Texas blues luminaries like T-Bone Walker,
Pee Wee Crayton, and certainly Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lightnin’
Hopkins, who eschewed breakneck speed as they created innovative and haunting
blues. Lopez dials it up to ten, puts the pedal to the metal, and hardly
ever slows down.
A powerful vocalist, Lopez’s pipes evoke his idol Winter and also
rocker Bob Seger; what he lacks in range is compensated by force. However,
the focus here is indubitably on his guitar virtuosity, which cannot be
gainsaid. This CD features more extended frenetic solos than any album
that I have ever encountered, and I suspect that there are few, if any,
guitarists in the world who can produce as many notes in a given period
of time, Winter included. Whether such blasts of single-note strafing
constitute artistry or masturbatory braggadocio is up to the listener
to decide.
Also, be forewarned: this is a rock, not blues album. Lopez’s cover
of “Traveling Riverside Blues” is morphed into a psychedelic
display; Winter, Hendrix, Cream, ZZ Top, and Led Zeppelin have done the
same to classic blues tunes, so why not? Lopez does introduce “Lowdown
Ways” as a blues venture, and indeed for a couple of three minute
intervals in the eleven minute outing he plays some gorgeous slow guitar
leads, giving time for the notes - and absence of notes - to make a statement.
One begins to hope for similar interludes in the final tune, “El
Paso Sugar,” which also starts with some measured and tasteful guitar;
after less than two minutes into the ten minute track, the caffeine again
kicks in and its off to the races.—Steve Daniels
Terrie
Odabi
My Blue Soul
Self-produced 2016
Let’s state it from the get-go: Terrie Odabi is a purveyor of vocal
puissance and a maven of melisma.
Why evoke the dictionary to tout Odabi’s credentials? Because she
warrants the plaudits. Based in Oakland, CA, singer Terrie Odabi was a
semi-finalist at the 2014 and 2015 International Blues Challenges sponsored
by the Blues Foundation. Previously primarily a jazz singer, she has segued
smoothly into the realm of blues, and this hour-plus CD of a baker’s
dozen R&B tunes establishes her as an up-and-coming performer to be
savored.
First, puissance - forceful power - Odabi has a clarion voice that can
handle a wide tonal range with rare intensity. Both Janis Joplin and Arethra
Franklin come to mind, although Odabi’s smooth timbre is certainly
more reminiscent of Franklin. Regarding melisma - a group of notes sung
to a single syllable - Odabi’s skill brings to mind that of contemporary
bluesmen Curtis Salgado and Canadian Matt Andersen, among others. Odabi
demonstrates throughout the album a jaw-dropping ability to dazzle with
sustained pitch-perfect vocals. That talent is deployed on the ten tunes
which Odabi composed, as well as three covers. Of the latter, most fascinating
is her interpretation of Big Mama Thornton’s “Ball and Chain.”
Big Mama’s version was blues, Joplin’s famous cover version
was agonized rock, and Odabi lays into it with a soulful slow R&B
approach.
Throughout, Ms. Odabi is accompanied by a rotating ensemble of skilled
accompanists, led by producer Kid Andersen, who also provides organ, bass,
mellotron, and lyrical lead guitar contributions. His funky and sinuous
lines are particularly notable on the spiritual “Wade in the Water,”
its gospel ambience strengthened by the background chorus of Lisa Andersen,
Courtney Knott, and Niecey Robinson.
My only caveat about the CD is Odabi’s unremitting high level of
vocal intensity, present on both slower and uptempo tracks. Some may call
it mannered or excessive…but with a voice like hers, what’s
the motivation to turn it down?—Steve Daniels
Erwin
Helfer
Last Call
The Sirens Records 2016
“Last Call” presents Chicago blues and jazz piano master Erwin
Helfer in the well deserved spotlight as he plies his supple fingers and
superb musical sensibility to eleven classic blues songs and two originals.
The man is eighty years old, and his skills are undiminished.
Helfer grew up in Chicago and has been steeped in its legendary blues
tradition. The list of Chicago luminaries of the 88s is long: Big Maceo
Merriweather, Little Brother Montgomery, Otis Spann, Pinetop Perkins,
Albert Ammons, Meade “Lux” Lewis, Jimmy Yancey, and current
keyboard artists Johnny Iguana, Barrelhouse Chuck, and nonagenarian Henry
Gray. Although not as renowned, Helfer deserves a place in that pantheon.
Most of these tracks were recorded between July 2014 and March 2016, with
Helfer soloing on the majority. On W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis
Blues” and Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “Rocky Mountain
Blues,” Helfer plays accompanist (really, co-soloist) with singer
Ardella Williams, who acquits herself well, as does Helfer’s regular
collaborator Katherine Davis, whose take on Jimmy Reed’s iconic
“Bright Lights, Big City” is a pleasure. Otherwise, Helfer
carries the load in tasteful fashion. This ain’t no uptempo dance
set; even on his self-penned “DC Boogie,” Helfer prefers a
mid-tempo, contemplative approach. “Pennies from Heaven,”
the jazz staple, begins that way, but builds to a bouncier termination.
On some of the cuts, ethereal is the apt adjective; in particular, Helfer’s
rendition of “St. James Infirmary” is beautiful and deeply
moving.
In addition to some great piano playing, the CD offers two bonuses. Included
are three songs recorded with Estelle “Mama” Yancey, Jimmy’s
wife: “Operator Blues” and “Trouble in Mind,”
recorded in 1957, and “Make Me a Pallet on the Floor,” from
1979. Mama didn’t have a big voice, but it sure was effective, and
these three tracks bring to mind the best of the classic female blues
singers of the 1920s and 1930s. The album subsequently ends with a fifteen
minute interview with Helfer, in which he reminisces about his musical
past and many of his legendary acquaintances and mentors.
For its musical pleasures and even for the interview alone, “Last
Call” is a worthy addition to one’s CD collection. Pinetop
Perkins lived and played skillfully until his mid-90s; let’s hope
the same for Erwin Helfer.—Steve Daniels
John
Long
Stand Your Ground
Delta Groove 2016
It has been ten years since John Long’s debut CD, “Lost and
Found.” Now finally his fans can revel in another high quality album
by this St. Louis native and denizen.
Enamored of the blues since his youth, Long for a time moved to Chicago
and was mentored there by Homesick James (Williamson), cousin of slide
guitar great Elmore James and a stellar bluesman in his own right. Also
absorbing the influences of Lightnin’ Hopkins, Jimmy Reed, and many
seminal early Mississippi Delta blues figures, Long has married country
blues, folk, gospel, and even a little cowboy music and forged his own
inimitable style.
Long is multi-talented; it’s hard to know where to begin dispensing
plaudits. His guitar playing is dextrous without being not flashy, but
its deceptive simplicity nonetheless provides plenty of emotion. His vocals,
tinged with drawl, are rich and exhibit wide range, from deep bass to
alternately amusing and moving falsetto. He plays virtuoso rack harmonica,
and he writes songs that run the gamut from devotional reverence to droll
humor. He also eschews technical wizardry; the album mainly features him
playing solo, as he does on live gigs, providing his own percussion by
stomping on a suitcase.
He is accompanied on a few songs by ace West Coast musicians Fred Kaplan
(Hollywood Fats Band, Hollywood Blue Flames) on piano and Bill Stuve (Rod
Piazza and the Mighty Flyers) on bass, with jazz drummer Washington Rucker
appearing on five of the thirteen tracks. Their impeccable support augments
Long’s artistry without overshadowing it.
The set opens with a Homesick James cover, “Baby Please Set a Date,”
revealing that Long can ably manage Homesick and Elmore’s slide
skills. It’s followed by one of the eight originals, “Red
Hawk,” a poignant lament for loss of both wildness and family contact.
“Things Can’t Be Down Always” and “Welcome Mat”
artfully meld harmonica and guitar. The uplifting and exhortatory title
tune, “Stand Your Ground,” presages the reverential themes
of several subsequent cuts, including a fine cover of Blind Willie Johnson’s
“I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole.”
Another notable cover, “Mop, Bucket and a Broom,” injects
some humor into the set and evokes comparison to other paeans to labor
by another contemporary Midwestern bluesman, Oklahoma’s Watermelon
Slim; there is a strong vocal resemblance to Slim as well. Stuve and Rucker
help prod the tune to a jaunty lilt. Two more originals have laudable
themes: “No Flowers for Me” pleads empathy for a victim of
Parkinson’s disease, and “One Earth, Many Colors” is
a declaration of the universality of the human species.
Liner notes were written by West Coast singer, harmonica player, and blues
historian Al Blake, whose shared enthusiasms have made him and John Long
friends. Listening to Long on this release, I hear Blake (whose own 2013
CD, “Blues According to Blake,” is another excellent effort
in the acoustic genre), Watermelon Slim, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Son
House, Reverend Gary Davis…and most of all, Long’s unique
alchemy in creating his own gold from the influences of his worthy colleagues
and predecessors.
Definitely one of the best acoustic blues albums in a Long time.—Steve
Daniels
Lonnie
Mack
The Wham Of That Memphis Man
Ace CDCHM-1134
As liners authors Dave Burke and Alan Taylor, of Pipeline magazine, put
it at the outset of their informative, photo-studded liners: “Credited
as one of the principal instigators of blue-eyed soul as well as the inspiration
for southern rock, roadhouse bar-blues and the legion of blues-based guitar-slingers
that plied their trade throughout the 60s, 70s and beyond, Lonnie Mack
may not be a household name but he was one of the genuine giants of music.”
Born into a musical family in the backwoods of Harrison, Indiana in 1941,
Mack left high school at 13 and spent the next two decades recording for
a string of local, independent labels while maintaining an exhausting
schedule of one-night stands, playing his Flying V guitar for all it was
worth in raucous taverns, honky-tonks and blues clubs before his arresting
instrumental take on Chuck Berry’s “Memphis” became
an out-of-the-blue Top Ten smash in the summer of 1963. It was closely
followed by another pull-out-all-the-stops number, penned by Mack and
titled “Wham!” As Burke and Taylor note: “Because of
Lonnie’s plentiful use of the Bigsby tremelo arm on “Wham!”
the device became known as a “whammy bar.” Originally released
on Cincinnati’s Fraternity label in October, 1963, Mack’s
classic, eleven track debut album remains one for the ages—every
cut here is terrific—Mack’s “lightning fast guitar runs,
punctuated with amazing string-bends, an organ-like tone and piercing
guitar notes, put most other instrumentalists to shame.” Equally
accomplished are Mack’s hypnotic, blue-eyed soul vocals (often in
front of the stupendous Charmaines vocal group) with gospel hollers and
heartbroken screams multiplying the music’s thrusting power and
rapturous aura. Personal favorites include two inspired sacred covers
(The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi’s classic “Where There’s
A Will” and Martha Carson’s rousing “Satisfied”)
along with all the groundbreaking instrumentals. Lonnie died last April,
with this release already in the works. Now it stands as a fine memorial
to an early guitar hero. Back in the day (I graduated from high school
in 1963) this was one of those scant “all killer, no filler”
LPs. Long live Lonnie Mack!—Gary von Tersch
Book
The Birth Of Rock & Roll
Jim Linderman
Dust-To-Digital www.dust-digital.com
Americana collector Jim Linderman is a resolute archivist of the obscure,
doggedly pursuing the cryptic, arcane and forgotten—check out his
various wide-ranging blogs Vintage Sleaze, Old Time Religion and Dull
Tool Dim Bulb for curios that exist solely in the shadows of mainstream
culture—who has here, in this coffee-table sized, hardback volume,
arranged a storyboard of sorts that pictorially lauds the dance-oriented,
totally abandoned spirit of rock and roll in its earliest days. And I
mean early—when a “juke joint or honky tonk with fifty patrons
was a big show, a church with fifty congregants was a full house and rootsy
bands of all sorts played square dances, rent parties, rural fields, dance
halls, living rooms, sidewalks, fish fries, county fairs, porches and
union halls,” as Linderman puts it in his scene-setting introductory
essay. Not to mention “the honky-tonk piano player, a fixture
in all the whorehouses.” What do you think rock & roll was all
about? The large page size allows the remarkably eclectic, often faded
or blurry and decidedly amateur, “found” photos to come alive
as Linderman pictorially depicts a variety of forces that resulted in
rock and roll—from “racism and subsequent integration, gospel,
blues, hillbillies, blackface minstrels, cheap Sears Silvertone guitars
(had to have a guitar), the Hawaiian music craze, burlesque, booze, weed,
the circus, vaudeville, some showtime razzle-dazzle and the spoiled generation
that followed World War Two.” He continues: “There was no
real money in it. A performer was lucky to get fed, get drunk and get
laid.” There’s no poodle skirts, Chuck Berry, Brylcream, Alan
Freed, Little Richard, white guys from Memphis or Bill Haley here. That
all came later. This is a visual narrative that tells the story from the
bottom up. A transcribed conversation between Joe Bonomo and Linderman
closes affairs on a contemplative note. Because we think our lifetimes
last a long time. They do not.—Gary von Tersch
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