I don’t hear a lot of good soul music anymore, so
the listen to John “Broadway” Tucker’s newest
release from SLV Management, Somebody New,
was a treat. A Mississippi native, John honed his
vocal talents for the USO overseas, and after a
final stint in Vietnam he settled into the Bay Area
and you can still find him there today.
John opens with a nice version of “(I’d Rather Be)
Blind, Crippled and Crazy,” before moving on to an
original by his keyboard player and producer, Luca
Fredericksen, called “I Wished I’d Saved for These
Days.” Nothing lasts forever and John is lamenting
the fact that when the going was good, he didn’t
save for the future. “…Now things have changed, I
think I finally see…I used to make ends meet, then
times got lean…I used to go for broke…now I know
what that means…Wished I’d saved….I wished I’d save
for these days!”
The groove slows down as John segues into “When the
Waters Rise.” “There’s a flood rolling in…we got to
get out of the way…I need someone on my side…when
the waters around…begin to rise!” John is calling
for support from his woman before things start to
get too tough. Next up is a tune that John wrote,
“Somebody New.” John’s had enough hurt from his
woman and has made up his mind to move on. “Although
I had begged you please…to set my heart at ease…why
must you treat me way?...Woman, it just ain’t no
use…going to find somebody new.”
Excellent covers of Howlin' Wolf’s “Who’s Been
Talkin” and Jimmy Reed’s “Aint That Lovin You, Baby”
lead us to another Fredericksen original, “Southern
Soul.” I hear Luca’s organ in the background as John
tells us, “She’s getting on the dance floor…everyone
join in…ooh, you ought to see her grin…my feet are
heavy…I got lead in my shoes…I don’t mind
digging…these Rhythm & Blues…she has that Southern
Soul swing…and if I get lucky I’ll sing…that girl is
the real thing.” Here’s hoping it works out for
John.
Two more covers, “Breakin’ Up Somebody’s Home” and
“Who’s Makin’ Love,” lead us to a keyboard and
horn-driven “Hard Headed Blues” by Luca. And here
John sings, “my momma told me…kid, don’t ever wear
two left shoes…don’t ever join a bar band…you’ll
just end up singing the blues…maybe it’s just
another lesson…another lesson…I ain’t learned.” Not
listening to his momma sent John down a different
path and all of these lessons contributed to his
“Hard Headed Blues.”
The final cut on Somebody New is an
instrumental written by tenor saxophonist Roger Eddy
called “Gospel.” Roger’s lead is very sweet and the
band falls in right behind him on a very nice ending
to what has been a fun disc to listen to.
John “Broadway” Tucker has a Facebook page and a
music store on Amazon, so his CDs are readily
available. And my notes tell me he still performs
every other Saturday at the Saloon in San Francisco.
I’m sure he’s not a well-kept secret in the Bay Area
based on what I’ve heard, and that’s a good thing.
--- Kyle Deibler
By
its own proclamation, Monterey based Red Beans &
Rice has “consistently blended original
compositions and lesser-known classics into an
up-tempo danceable gumbo of New Orleans-influenced,
Blues-inspired Party Music suitable for dancing or
just listening.” Their latest release is called
New Recipe (SLV Management). Let’s see what
they’ve got cooking this time.
The party starts with the tune, “365 Days,” and
finds lead singer Jon Gorman telling us about the
latest woman in his life and what a pain in the rear
she is to the point that “365 days from now…you’ll
be gone one year.” Enough is enough and down the
road she goes. Our next cut, “Sweet Sweet Baby,” has
a swing feel to it as Jon talks about the good in
his life, “I’ve got a sweet, sweet baby…she loves me
all the time…she says ‘I don’t care what you do…as
long as you are mine’.” Sounds like a keeper to me.
Bandleader and guitarist Gil Rubio is the primary
songwriter on the disc and he’s penned a gem with
“We Need to Help Each Other.” “We need to help each
other…look for the good inside…maybe love one
another…no sense of pride…we need to help each
other…with what we do and say….maybe we get along
that way…maybe someday.” I really like this tune and
Gorman absolutely nails the vocals on this one.
Some keyboard funk from John Tindel provides the
intro for “Pack It Up.” Here we find Jon lost in a
relationship without a clue, “I’m going to pack it
up…I’m going to give it up…I’m going to put you
right out of my mind!” Sometimes relationships just
don’t make sense and Jon’s reached the breaking
point with this one. Our next cut, “Man Needs His
Lovin’,” gives saxophonist Tamas Marius a chance to
shine. “That’s why a man, girl…needs your lovin' all
the time…cause if I don’t get my lovin’…don’t get my
lovin’…it’s really going to blow my mind!” Another
relationship gone south with Jon feeling neglected
in the loving department.
Things slow down some on our next Rubio original,
“Choose a Side.” Here we find Jon pondering the fate
of his fellow man and society’s inability at times
to help those in need. “Did our God really choose a
side…or did my country just decide…we don’t need or
want to hear Him anymore…we just need Him to endorse
our war!” Interesting commentary on the human
condition.
Next up is an excellent cover of “I’m Gonna Move.”
“I knew in order to be a man…I had to pull up my
roots once again…and move on in this land…I’m gonna
move away from here.” “Don’t Come Back” is covered
as well before the band moves on to the Howlin' Wolf
tune, “Who’s Been Talkin.” Jon Gorman plays harp and
provides some nice fills on this Wolf tune. “Who’s
been talking…telling everything I do…well, you’re my
baby…I hate to lose…well, good bye baby…hate to see
you go…you know that I love you…and I’m the causin’
of it all.”
“That Train” is the next tune on the disc and Jon’s
lamenting the loss of his baby. “I know she has the
key…I’m waiting by the door…but that train don’t
stop here anymore!” Gil Rubio’s guitar lead brings
us to the next track, “I’ll Go Crazy.” “If you leave
me…I’ll go crazy…cause I love ya…love ya…girl…I love
you too much.” Jon’s about to lose his mind over his
girl leaving him and there’s just not much that can
be done.
Red Beans & Rice closes out their disc with “Sweet
Joline,” a tune about a girl from Louisiana. “She’s
the queen of the gator dance, a two-stepping mama,
the belle of the ball…and every boy would like his
chance…everybody knows when she comes slowly…all
across the floor…when she winks her eye…and shoots a
smile…all the boys in the place go wild.” Yes, they
do.
Red Beans & Rice has definitely serviced up some
spicy gumbo with their disc, New Recipe. The
band is tight, Jon Gorman’s vocals are spot on and
you can tell that the band is a very well-oiled
machine, thanks to their leader, Gil Rubio. The
band’s website is
www.redbeans.com and you can grab a copy of
their new disc there. Enjoy.
--- Kyle Deibler
Hermosa Beach (Hotsak Records) is the long
awaited follow up to Gaby Jogeix’s 2006
Steel The Blues, and it’s been worth the wait!
The album starts off with “Didn’t It Rain” with a
beautiful slide guitar intro riff. The guitar and
vocals are supported by handclaps to great effect –
what a great start to the album!
On “Shake, Shake” the rest of the band are in
evidence, and they are really tight. The horn
section is driven along by the bass and drums to
support the vocals – not pure blues, but a real foot
tapping song with excellent guitar work. Frederick
Neal’s song, “Ain’t No Stopping,” gets the tempo up
a bit higher and the backing horns put me in mind of
some very good '70s Atlantic Soul before the band
slows down for “Messiah” and then a bit slower still
for “Sometimes.” This is a lovely ballad about a
lost love, with good lyrics and backing. A little
flavour of Bob Seger maybe.
“Getting Dizzy” gets funky, the horn section putting
down some more Atlantic Soul type backing, and it
leads into “Jesus Gonna Be Here,” another slow
ballad. Lovely understated guitar work with vocals
that reminded me of Chris Rea at his best.
Track eight, “Down At Marinette’s,” is a fast paced
boogie shuffle blues instrumental – the sort of
thing that you could dance all night to in a juke
joint somewhere. The guitar work on this track is
probably the best on the CD, and it really shows
what this guy can do – a whole CD of this stuff
would be fantastic, although maybe a little
breathtaking! It's my favourite track on the album,
bar none. I put the CD player on repeat for this
track and listened to it 10 times over!!
“Boom Da Boom” is back to medium paced funky
soul-blues, lots of horns behind Gaby’s vocals –
just enough to get your breath back after the last
track.
A huge favourite of mine comes next, a track covered
by everyone from Hound Dog Taylor (who wrote it) to
Stevie Ray Vaughan, to Luther Allison – a very good
version of “Give Me Back My Wig,” and a close second
to “Down At Marinette’s” for my favourite.
Then it’s time for the closing track, “Voodoo You,”
with the horn section working hard again. Gaby
Jogeix talks his way through an intro before
bursting into the song proper and working his guitar
to the full. I’d love to hear this guy do a whole
album of songs like track one, eight and ten!
Hermosa Beach is a fitting follow up to
Steel The Blues, but personally I’d love to hear
more stripped down blues from this excellent
musician.
--- Terry Clear
The Hollow Log of Capt Richard Wolfe is
another great self-produced volume from Finland
based bluesman L.R.Phoenix, and it’s a solid
WOW!
It follows the two CDs recorded with Mo’Hell –
Wrecked and Jumper On The Line – both of
them absolutely excellent, and it takes this guy’s
music to a new level.
L.R.Phoenix is originally from England, but lives
now in Finland. This album was recorded in Tartu,
Estonia in August 2011, but it has only just reached
me. It’s a great shame as I would have definitely
put this in my top 10 list for 2011 if I’d had it.
The CD opens with “Hollow Log,” a simple stripped
down blues with acoustic guitar and a little
percussion. To my ear, there’s a Mississippi hill
country influence to this and it’s a great way to
open the CD.
“Bedroom” follows up with the addition of harmonica,
electric guitar, upright bass and drums. This track
lifts the tempo up to a boogie shuffle level – a
slight flavour of “Canned Heat” maybe – before
slowing way down with solo Phoenix on slide guitar
and vocals on the Blind Willie Johnson “Crying.”
The old Skip James (amongst others) “Jack Of
Diamonds” sees some more musicians joining in – six
string banjo, dobro, percussion and drums. This
track has a lovely driving beat to it – a real
foot-tapper! Then, just when you thought that you
had the measure of this album – Wham! Phoenix hits
you right between the eyes with “Morning train” –
country flavoured blues with harmonica, jew’s harp,
upright bass, dobro and bass drum really pushing the
envelope – I thought that the previous track was a
foot-tapper, but this one has your whole body
moving!
Things slow down nicely with “Cypress Grove,”
featuring Andres Roots helping out on dobro and
percussion, and the tempo stays fairly slow for
“Down South” before lifting just a little on “Po
Boy” with Hanno Maadra playing the viola behind the
guitar and vocals of Phoenix.
Track nine, “Hobo,” features Phoenix backed by some
haunting harmonica from Indrek Tiisel and bowed bass
courtesy of Peeter Piik – no, these aren’t spelling
mistakes, that’s the way they spell their names in
Finland!
The album carries on with “Streets Of Lohan,” which
sees the six string banjo make a return, and then
“The Devil,” “Death” (an interesting take on the old
song “Death Letter”), and “Heaven” wrap up this
excellent CD in good style.
Looks like L.R.Phoenix has pulled another really
good album out of the bag!
---Terry Clear
Don’t be deceived by Andy Poxon’s age (16),
his Opie Cunningham-like boyish looks, or the fiery
red Shuggie Otis/Phil Guy-like mountainous afro……the
young dude can bring it on guitar. He offers a
maddening variety of influences (blues, rockabilly,
pop, country, jazz, rock, etc…..). All of these
influences are on display for Poxon’s debut release,
Red Roots (EllerSoul Records), as well as an
amazingly advanced knack with songwriting, and a
strong voice that belies his youth.
The Poxon Band is a trio, consisting of Poxon
(guitars, vocals), Russ Wasson (bass), and Mike
O’Donnell (drums). Like their leader, the rhythm
section moves seamlessly from style to style,
providing excellent support and plenty of room for
Poxon out front. Poxon wrote all 13 tracks on the
disc and they range from the rockabilly swing of the
dazzling opener, “Hottest Thing In Town” to the
funky “No Love,” where he displays a solid grip on
matters of the heart that people many years older
should come to grips with (“No love is better than
bad love”).
“Quitters Never Lose” has an irresistible melodic
and lyrical hook that will either leave you singing
along or bobbing your head. “I’ll Sing The Blues” is
a crunching power-packed blues/rocker that will
knock you for a loop. Poxon also knows his way
around a ballad, too, with keepers like “When,” and
“Raining In” and “Is There Anything I Can Do” is a
slow, simmering blues guitar work out.
Also lending a hand are backup vocalist Carol Anne
Drescher, guitarist Zach Sweeney, and keyboardist
Ray Tilkens, who helps kick things up a notch on the
closer, “C’mon Pretty Baby.”
Andy Poxon seems to have a bright future with his
triple threat talent on guitar, vocals, and as a
songwriter. Red Roots is a very impressive
debut. It will be interesting to see where he goes
from here.
--- Graham Clarke
Levee Town has long been one of the hardest
working bands in the blues. Since 2002, they have
attracted many fans with their live shows and
appearances at various festival. They have appeared
twice in the IBCs, making the finals in 2007 and the
semi-finals in 2010, and they have released three
previously well-received albums. Their latest
release, Pages of Paperwork, continues their
hot streak as they expand upon their unique
interpretation of the blues, updating the sounds of
traditional blues.
The new release features 14 original tracks, which
cover a variety of styles. The title track opens the
disc, and it’s a tight slow Chicago blues track with
some fine harp work from Jimmie Meade and guitar
from Brandon Hudspeth. The rocker, “Lowdown”
follows, then a masterful slow boogie, “Hurt But
Strong.” “Song She Sang” is straight-up rockabilly
with some fine guitar work from Meade, and “Funny
Money” and “Four Leaf Clover” lean toward the
R&B/pop side with some nice harmony vocals mixed in.
“Show Them Whatcha Got” has that great swampy Magic
Sam boogie rhythm.
“Angel on my Shoulder” is another rugged boogie
track, and “I’m Gonna Leave” is a funky Chicago
shuffle punctuated by Meade’s harmonica and harp
mike vocal. “It’s Been So Long” features Hudspeth
playing some inspired slide guitar. “The Ring” is a
Hill Country stomper with more searing slide mixed
in. “So Many Pages” is a cleverly written rocker,
using a book as metaphor for a relationship. “Don’t
Wanna Wait” is a solid rock and roll track and
foreshadows the country blues-flavored “When You
Comin’ Home.” Hudspeth, Meade, and bass player
Jacque Garoutte all take their turns at lead vocals
and also team up for solid harmonies with drummer
Jan Faircloth.
Pages of Paperwork offers a solid set of
original blues rooted firmly in the traditional
blues sound, but also mixed with traces of rock,
country, and even a little bit of pop.
--- Graham Clarke
Debbie Bond is co-founder of the Alabama
Blues Project, which promotes and helps preserve the
state’s blues heritage. The educational non-profit
presents programs for many Alabama schools promoting
great Alabama blues artists. Bond’s primary focus,
however, is as a performer. She worked with Johnny
Shines through the ’80s and early ’90s, and has also
worked with Jerry “Boogie” McCain, James Peterson,
Eddie Kirkland, Sam Lay, Little Jimmy Reed, and
Willie King (appearing on his last two albums).
Hearts Are Wild (Blues Root), her second
release as bandleader, focuses on the blues from the
soul side. Bond co-wrote 10 of the 12 tracks with
keyboard/harmonica player Rick Asherson. The
original compositions range from the pulsating
opener, “Dead Zone Blues,” “My Time,” a humorous jab
at modern technology and communication, the funky
“Drama Mama,” “Still Missing You,” a melancholy slow
blues, and the soulful ballad, “Falling.” Cover
tunes include Shannon and Adam Wright’s R&B boogie,
“You’re The Kind of Trouble,” and a faithful take on
Aretha Franklin’s “Baby, I Love You.”
Bond handles the vocals and guitars (both lead and
rhythm) and Asherson does keyboards, harmonica, and
background vocals. The rest of the band consists of
James “Mr. B.” Brown (bass, rhythm and lead guitars,
background vocals), Dave Crenshaw (drums,
percussion), Brad Guin (sax), Chad Fisher
(trombone), Rob Alley (trumpet), and Brice Miller
(trumpet).
Hearts Are Wild is a feel-good collection of
soul/blues with a rhythm and feel that’s sometimes
reminiscent of New Orleans at times. Bond is a fine
guitarist and a passionate singer who deserves more
recognition. Hopefully, this release will be a good
start for her.
--- Graham Clarke
Stacy Jones has been playing music since she started
playing piano at the age of four. By the time she
finished high school, she had also picked up guitar
and harmonica. She was singing Hank Williams songs
in her dad’s band when she was eight years old.
She’s been active on the Seattle blues scene since
her teens and formed The Stacy Jones Band
with Rick J. Bowen (drums), her father Tom (bass)
and Jeff Menteer (guitar) several years ago, winning
Best Female Vocalist and Best New Band awards from
the Washington Blues Society in 2009.
The band’s fourth release, No Need To Spell It
Out (Critical Sun Recordings), is a strong mix
of blues/rock tunes, all written by various members
of the band. Ms. Jones has a powerful, expressive
vocal style, is equally skilled on guitar and
keyboards, and can flat blow the back off a
harmonica. Highlight tracks include the rocking
opener, “No Matter What,” “Glory Bound,” which
features some fine slide work from Menteer, the
funky “Heavy Water,” where Jones gets to show off
her harmonica skills, and “You Belong To Me,” where
she takes a soulful turn on the keyboards. Guitarist
Menteer really shines throughout the disc, but he
really takes the cake on “Cry a Love Song,” an
eight-minute rocker.
No Need To Spell It Out is a marvelous set of
robust blues/rock tunes presented by a rising star
on the blues scene, the talented and charsmatic
Stacy Jones. Blues fans would do well to keep an eye
(and ear) out for her, for it sounds like she’s just
getting started and still has a lot left to say.
--- Graham Clarke
Boy Wells (a.k.a. Mark Schultz) has been
playing professionally since the late ’70s, getting
his start playing country music in the
Maryland/Virginia area, opening for acts like
Maybelle Carter, Billy Joe Shaver, and the Osbourne
Brothers. He struck up a friendship with legendary
guitarist Danny Gatton in his late teens, and Gatton
became a mentor. In the early ’80s, he moved toward
blues and southern rock before turning to the rock
scene in the late ’80s, and ended up with a stint in
Southern Legend, an Allman Brothers tribute band.
Since ’06, Wells has been living in the Austin,
Texas area, playing clubs and writing and recording,
the culmination of which is his new release, Blue
Skies Calling (Marcel Marsupial Records).
Blue Skies Calling is a wonderful and
exciting journey through the various genres that
comprise the American Roots genre of music. Wells
sings, plays lead, slide, and acoustic guitar, and
gets able assistance from a group of seasoned
musicians, including former Gatton bassist John
Previti, drummer Bruce Crump (Molly Hatchet), violin
and mandolin player Rickie Simpkins (Emmylou
Harris), drummer Andy Hamburger, sax player Bill
Watson, keyboardist Brian Simms, harmonica player
Jimi Lee, Brad Clements on trumpet, and Becky Taylor
on banjo.
The disc ventures into blues (“Love in Vain,” “World
Weary and Blue,” “Devil’s Backbone Blues,” and
“Broke Down”), rock (the title track, “Bring It
Back,” “Mon Angel”), country (“Traveler”), bluegrass
(“Tin Winter”), and jazz (“Tova” and “Mr. Coluzzi”),
all areas where Wells has spent previous years
making music, and shows how closely these styles of
music are linked.
Wells is an immensely talented guitarist, just like
his mentor was, and his warm vocals are a treat as
well. Also included in this release is an hour-long
CD-ROM featuring a guitar lesson given to Wells by
Gatton, dating back to the late '70’s.
Blue Skies Calling is a great listen,
regardless of whether your interests lie in blues or
southern rock. Boy Wells is a good enough guitarist
that any music lover will find a lot to enjoy here.
--- Graham Clarke
One of the best soul recordings of 2011 came from a
New England singer/guitarist named Dave Keller,
who reached out to producer Bob Perry, who has
previously worked with Wu-Tang Clan, Brian McKnight,
and Foxy Brown, among others. It was Perry’s work
with the Brooklyn soul group, The Revelations
featuring Tre’ Williams, which got Keller’s
attention. That was the sound that Keller wanted for
his next release.
Keller got what he wanted. Where I’m Coming From…
(Tastee-Tone Music) is a first-rate set of soul
covers, hand-picked by the singer and producer, and
none of which were of the often-heard, mostly
overdone Motown/“Mustang Sally” variety. Most,
however, will be familiar to veteran fans of
soul….lesser-known (but not lesser quality) tunes
previously recorded by Bobby Womack (“More Than I
Can Stand”), Syl Johnson (“Steppin’ Out”), O.V.
Wright (“Are You Going Where I’m Coming From”), and
Percy Sledge (“That’s The Way I Want To Live My
Life”).
There are also tunes by Clarence Carter (“Too Weak
To Fight”), Otis Clay (“You’ve Hurt Me For The Last
Time”), James Carr (“Pouring Water On A Drowning
Man”), and Arthur Alexander (“If It’s Really Got To
Be This Way),” plus more obscure tunes from David
and Jimmy Ruffin (“The Things We Have To Do,” a duet
done “Sam & Dave” style with Tre’ Williams), J. J.
Barnes (“Baby Please Come Back Home”), and the
Patterson Twins (“If I Ever Get You Back”).
Though he’s as formidable a guitarist as he is a
vocalist, the guitar mostly stays in the background
for this new release, and Keller sounds fantastic on
these songs, nearly as good as the original singers.
The Revelations, all seasoned musicians, give the
recording even more authenticity, giving the
recording a late ’60s Stax session feel.
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of
interest in soul music, based on recent re-issues of
classic recordings as well as recent recordings from
older and newer artists, both black and white. With
nearly 20 years of experience performing and
recording blues and soul, Dave Keller is poised to
be one of the purveyors of this resurgence. This is
a must-have for longtime soul fans and a great
starting point for newcomers.
--- Graham Clarke
Isaiah B. Brunt is a native of New Zealand
who came from a family of musicians and was inspired
to play acoustic guitar after seeing Jimi Hendrix on
the BBC playing “Hear My Train a Coming” on acoustic
twelve-string. After spending time as an audio
engineer and playing music on the side (even
recording with Keanu Reeves’ band, Dog Star), Brunt
returned to playing his own music full time in 2006,
focusing on the blues. He was the Sydney Blues
Society’s representative in the 2011 IBC and
attracted a lot of attention….enough to be featured
on the front page of the Memphis Daily News.
Upon returning from Memphis, Brunt began recording
his 1st EP, self-titled, which captures the sound
and mood of early traditional blues eerily well.
Playing guitar and harmonica unaccompanied on five
of the six tracks, Brunt manages to sound both
ancient and modern at the same time. I could hear
songs like “Pathway Home” or “Great Ocean Blues”
(about the 2009 tsunami that struck American Samoa)
easily being from 70 or 80 years ago.
Based on those tracks, it’s obvious that Brunt is
also a gifted composer. He proves it further on
tracks like “Shadowy Place,” which was written about
a close friend who suffers from bi-polar disorder,
and “Ain’t No Rolling Stone,” a tribute to his
mother, and “Whispers in My Head,” dedicated to his
wife.
Brunt became an Australian citizen in 1995 and he
brings a bit of that heritage to the closing track,
“Where Is Your Man,” where he plays harmonica in
collaboration with Sean Choolbura, who plays the
Didgeridoo, an Australian wind instrument.
The only issue I have with this CD is that it’s not
long enough. I would love to hear more from Isaiah
B. Brunt as soon as possible. After you hear this
EP, you probably will, too.
--- Graham Clarke
Sean Costello seemed destined for greater
things, winning the Beale Street Blues Society’s
talent contest at 14 and joining fellow contestant
Susan Tedeschi’s band soon afterward as her lead
guitarist, where he wowed the blues fans and critics
alike with his fret work on Tedeschi’s breakthrough
album, Just Won’t Burn. He also released five
solo albums, all critically acclaimed, before
passing away tragically from an accidental drug
overdose, one day before his 29th birthday in 2008.
Since his death, Landslide Records, where Costello
released two albums during his lifetime, has done
their best to spread the word about this
extraordinary talent. Their first set featured some
studio and live tracks, along with a few rarities.
The latest set, At His Best: Live, captures
16 live recordings from multiple locales, and
presents a pretty complete account of Costello’s
incredible talent as a guitarist. Though sound
quality varies from venue to venue, it’s pretty easy
for newcomers to hear what the fuss was all about.
Costello rips through a choice set of covers,
ranging from Freddy King’s “San-Ho-Zay,” a
blistering take on Lloyd Glenn’s “Blue Shadows
Falling,” a swinging version of T-Bone Walker’s
“T-Bone Boogie” that’s guaranteed to get your toes
to tapping, Magic Sam’s “All Your Love,” and a pair
from Johnny “Guitar” Watson (a phenomenal take on
“Motor Head Baby” and “I Get A Feeling.” Other
highlights include Michael Bloomfield’s “You’re
Killing My Love,” with Costello unleashing a guitar
solo that sounds just like it sprang from Otis
Rush’s guitar.
Listening to Costello’s albums, one would observe
that he enjoyed a great R&B song as much as he did
the blues. R&B is well-represented here as well with
a funky interpretation of Bobby Womack’s “Check It
Out,” Tyrone Davis’ “Can I Change My Mind,” and
Johnnie Taylor’s “Doing My Own Thing.” Earl Hooker’s
“The Hucklebuck” also gets a sparkling treatment,
and so does Robert Ward’s “Peace of Mind.”
Lending outstanding support on these tracks are Matt
Wauchope (keyboards), Paul Linden (keyboards,
harmonica), Melvin Zachary (bass), Aaron Trubic
(bass), Terence Prather (drums), and Ray Hangen
(drums). Costello toured pretty much non-stop and
it’s easy to see he and the band were at their best
in front of an audience.
Landslide is doing the blues world a wonderful
service by making sure that these great recordings
see the light of day. This is a superlative set of
blues and soul from a rising star who left us way
too soon.
--- Graham Clarke
Georgia-based blues artist Little G Weevil's
second album for Apic Records, The Teaser, is
a strong collection of a dozen original blues cuts.
Weevil plays lead guitar and sings on all cuts, and
is complimented by the equally integral harmonica
work of Maurice Nazzaro.
The Teaser opens frantically with the up-tempo rockin'
blues of "Real Men Don't Dance," on which the guitar
and harmonica do a call and response throughout the
song. There's also a strong piano solo around the
tune's midpoint by Bob Page. Weevil isn't a real
strong singer, but he's good enough and his voice
especially suits the harder edged numbers like this
one.
"Big City Life" allows the band to get a little
funky on this mid-tempo number which features strong
guitar playing from Weevil and some nice organ
accompaniment by Page.
One of my favorites is the aptly-named "Back Porch,"
featuring only Weevil on guitar on a John Lee
Hooker-style blues. I especially like the bass line
he adds with his left hand.
By the fifth cut, "Highway 78," Weevil's voice
starts to grow on me. It's a little smoother on this
urgent, up-tempo boogie number. Nazzaro checks in
here with a nice harp solo. The mood then changes as
the band launches into a very nice slow blues,
"Apple Picker," with more good blues guitar from
Weevil.
I'm now liking Weevil's vocal work much better on
the eighth cut, the driving blues shuffle "8.47,"
which also gives him a chance to throw in some
killer guitar licks. Weevil gets downright defiant
as he itemizes everything that he's not going to do,
presumably on the job, anymore. He even makes his
guitar sound angry.
Nazzaro returns for the instrumental lead on the
frantic 'Mojo Working' sound of "Liquor Store." His
harmonica sound carries just the right amount of
noise and distortion. The band slows it down again
for the jazzy, smoky "She Used To Call Me Sugar,"
given the right mood through John McKnight's subtle
use of brushes on the drums and Page's piano
playing.
Weevil slaps on a slide for the final cut, "Which
Way Shall I Go," for a deep sound that could easily
be imagined coming decades ago by someone like Rev.
Gary Davis.
The Teaser won't likely end up on your list
of 'desert island' discs, but it's worth checking
out for this blues cat on the rise. Check out
Weevil's
website, but be forewarned --- the site
immediately starts blasting out music as soon as
it's launched, one of my pet peeves about sites that
I come upon in a quiet office environment.
--- Bill Mitchell
