Carey Bell
Good Luck Man
Alligator Records
There are only a handful of harmonica guys with
connections to the golden era of 1950s Chicago blues still around. Of those remaining,
Carey Bell is arguably the best pure harp player of the bunch.
Good Luck Man is his second full album for Alligator, and it
maintains the same high standards of his previous release, Deep Down. Bell really
hasn't lost any of his chops over the years. Rather, I think that his harp playing might
be getting stronger.
Right away, on the opening cut "My Love Strikes Like Lightning,"
you'll hear some incredibly innovative harmonica work. The two original instrumental
numbers, "Bell Hop" and "Double Cross," both give Bell the opportunity
to further flex his harmonica biceps. The latter tune includes some nice riffs on the
chromatic, while the former evokes strong memories of Little Walter.
Bell is supported on Good Luck Man by his longtime guitar player,
Steve Jacobs, who gets to show off on the slow blues "Bad Habits." Piano player
Johnny "Fingers" Iguana provides excellent accompaniment, especially on two
other slow blues, "Hard Working Woman" and "Teardrops."
While less than half of the selections on Good Luck Man are Bell
originals, he does a good job of selecting cover songs. Most notably is the title cut, a
catchy mid-tempo blues which takes the opposite theme of most blues songs.
I recommend that you add Carey Bell's Good Luck Man to your
"must have" list.
- Bill Mitchell |