Over the past few
years, Gary Clark Jr.’s profile has increased
considerably. The guitarist has been making a lot of
waves in the Austin, TX area for the past decade,
but reached a higher measure of popularity when he
appeared in John Sayles’ 2007 film, Honeydripper. He
was also selected by Eric Clapton to perform at
Clapton’s 2010 edition of the Crossroads Guitar
Festival. Clark’s appearance on the DVD of the
festival led to his signing to Warner Brothers
Records, and the release of a 2011 EP. Blak and Blu
is Clark’s first full length release for a major
label (fifth overall) and debuted on the Billboard
Top 200 Pop Charts at #6, which is unheard of for a
blues artist.
However, Blak and Blu is not exclusively blues
music. There are several blues songs on the disc,
among them the Hendrixian “Numb” and “When My Train
Pulls In,” which features two especially torrid
guitar solos. The melding of Hendrix’s “Third Stone
From The Sun” and Little Johnny Taylor’s “If You
Love Me Like You Say” is pretty creative, and the
closer, “Next Door Neighbor,” is a stripped-down,
acoustic workout.
The opening cut, “Ain’t Messin’ Around,” and “Things
Are Changin’,” both mix blues and soul effectively,
and “Travis County” is a raucous rocker that brings
to mind Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones. “Please
Come Home” is a nice slice of doo wop with a strong
vocal from Clark, while the title track and “The
Life” combine blues and hip hop with modern-based
lyrics. “Things Are Changin’” and “Bright Lights”
are both reworked tunes from Clark’s EP.
A lot of the tracks feature guitar-based rock with
lots of Hendrix/SRV-based guitar work, which might
lead blues fans to believe that Clark’s focus is
toward the more mainstream rock audience.
Considering his crunching guitar attack, his soulful
vocals, and his rapidly developing songwriting
skills, that may be the case, but it’s obvious with
every track on Blak and Blu that the blues continues
to be the foundation for all of Clark’s music and he
will never drift completely away. If this is what
the future of the blues looks like, everything
should be just fine.
---
Graham Clarke
Now 75 years old, Magic Slim shows no signs of
slowing down. He’s still unleashing that fierce
guitar and those growling vocals at a moment’s
notice. Well into his third decade with Blind Pig
Records, Bad Boy is his tenth release for the label,
counting a live CD/DVD and a compilation CD released
a few years ago. Though The Teardrops have undergone
personnel changes over the years (the current band
is Jon McDonald on guitar, Andre Howard on bass, and
B. J. Jones on drums), this edition is as razor
sharp as any previous.
Longtime fans of the Magic Man know exactly what
they’re getting with this release….a gritty set that
will mix an amazing mix of cover tunes done up
“Magic Slim style,” plus a few choice original cuts
that compare favorably to the chosen covers, which
include the title track (Eddie Taylor’s classic
tune), Denise LaSalle’s “Someone Else Is Steppin’
In,” which features Howard sharing lead vocals with
Slim, Detroit Jr.’s “I Got Money,” Roy Brown’s “Hard
Luck Blues” (heard on previous Slim albums as
“Highway Is My Home”), and Muddy Waters’ “Champagne
and Reefer.”
There’s also a frenetic take on J.B. Lenoir’s “How
Much More Long,” a sharp “Matchbox Blues,” and a
nice version of Lil’ Ed Williams’ “Older Woman” that
simmers and stews at a relaxed pace. Slim’s
originals include the laidback shuffle, “Sunrise
Blues,” “Gambling Blues,” and the closing “Country
Joyride,” which gives Slim a chance to lay down some
of his extensive fretwork.
There’s nothing new or revolutionary to be found on
Bad Boy, just the basic Chicago blues that Magic Slim’s been putting out there since the 1960s. If
you’re a fan….well, you probably already have this.
If not, this is a great place to get on board.
---
Graham Clarke
2012 has been a pretty big year for
Buddy Guy. He
performed at the White House in February for the
President, he released his autobiography, When I
Left Home, during the summer, and he was one of the
recipients of the 2012 Kennedy Center Honor in
December. To cap off a successful year, Guy has
released Live at Legends (Silvertone/RCA), which
captures one of Guy’s last live performances at his
now-closed original Legends blues club in Chicago.
A couple of things to point out in advance of the
review……1) the “live” portion of the disc is only
about 38 of the 54-minute running time. The
remainder of the disc is devoted to three previously
unreleased tracks recorded during Guy’s last studio
release, Living Proof. 2) Don’t plan on listening to
this with your small kids or your Bible study group
in the room because there are several colorful words
thrown about during the live portion, including the
introduction.
Now with that out of the way, let’s proceed. The
live portion of the disc is pretty much what you
would expect from a Buddy Guy show….a crack support
band (Rick Hall – guitar, Marty Sammon – keyboards,
Orlando Wright – bass, Tim Austin – drums, and
producer Tom Hambridge on percussion), out of this
world guitar playing, sheets of metallic guitar
sound, sudden stops that move from a scream to a
whisper to a scream again, Guy’s
on-the-edge-of-bursting vocals, etc….. all of that
is here. The set focuses mostly on Guy’s newer
material (’90s onward) with songs like his anthemic
“Damn Right I Got The Blues,” “Best Damn Fool,” and
a moving “Skin Deep.”
There’s also a couple of Muddy Waters’ classics
covered as well, a raucous version of “Mannish Boy”
and a sensual take on “I Just Want To Make Love To
You” that interestingly segues to Bobby Rush’s
“Chicken Heads.” Closing the live set are a pair of
medleys, one mixing “Voodoo Chile” with “Sunshine of
Your Love,” and the other joining “Boom Boom” with
“Strange Brew,” both of which are fine as is, but it
would have been nice to have each of them fleshed
out a bit more instead of just snippets. Personally,
I would rather hear Buddy Guy do Buddy Guy instead
of doing artists who were influenced by Buddy Guy.
Your mileage may vary and, if so, you will love this
portion of the set.
Closing out the disc are the three aforementioned
unreleased studio tracks from Living Proof. These
are all quality songs and would have fit perfectly
well on the album for which they were recorded.
“Polka Dot Love,” is a scorching slow blues tribute
to Guy’s familiar spotted Stratocaster. “Coming For
You,” penned by Hambridge, Delbert McClinton, and
Gary Nicholson, is a funky rocker that features the
Memphis Horns (Jack Hale – trombone, Wayne Jackson –
trumpet, Tom McGinley – tenor sax). The closer is
another Muddy Waters tune, a stunning remake of
“Country Boy” that brings it all back home, with
Guy’s blues-drenched leads mixing with Sammon’s
piano and Reese Wynan’s B-3 backdrop. Hambridge
plays drums and percussion on these three tracks and
is also joined by Sammon (keyboards), Wynans
(keyboards), David Grissom (guitar), Michael Rhodes
(bass), and Tommy Macdonald (bass).
Live at Legends is not the quintessential Buddy Guy
“Live” disc, but it captures the sound and feel of
the legendary guitarist in action and is a fine
addition to the Guy catalog. It should satisfy
listeners until his next release in 2013.
---
Graham Clarke
Tim Lothar spent 25 years manning the drums for
various Danish groups, most recently Lighnin’ Moe,
but several years ago, he began teaching himself to
play acoustic guitar and working on his singing
voice in order to explore the Mississippi Delta
blues. By 2006, he had released his first solo CD,
Cut To The Bone, which was received
enthusiastically. In 2008, his follow-up, In It For
The Ride, was one of the better acoustic blues CDs
released that year, as Lothar mixed his
interpretations of classic Delta blues standards
with his own powerful, personal originals. That disc
won the award for Best Danish Blues Album and Lothar
was selected as Blues Artist of the Year in Denmark
for 2008.
After a 2009 collaboration with harmonica player
Peter Nande, Lothar has released his third solo
effort, Stories. It consists of 12 highly
personal tracks taken from his personal life and
experiences. As with any personal work of this
nature, it’s obvious Lother has poured his heart and
soul into this project. Songs like “Traveler,” “25
Places” (the number of places he’s lived over the
years), and “Coming Home” describe the restlessness
and weariness of his life as a traveling bluesman.
“Ride Train Ride,” another in the long line of blues
train songs, is filled with vivid imagery, and in
“King’s Harbor,” about his new home, Frederickshavn,
you can feel his longing to get back to his family
and to find “some peace of mind.” There are also
songs that cover love and passion (“Lover”), making
love work (“Www”), and even the prospects of losing
love (“Troubled,” “See What You Have Become”).
Throughout, Lothar’s guitar work is just amazing and
his vocals are excellent, providing just the right
amount of sentiment and emotion. On the opening cut,
“Papa Told Me,” Lothar sings that his father told
him, “Just go for what you love.” Listening to
Stories, it’s obvious that Tim Lothar did just that.
---
Graham Clarke
Cincinnati native Dave Widow made the move to Los
Angeles some time back to pursue his musical vision.
That vision involves a blend of the blues with R&B,
funk, soul, and rock. Over the years that vision has
been reinforced by his relationship with musicians
like Buddy Miles, Bonnie Bramlett, Bill Champlin,
Lonnie Mack, and his mentor, the late Roger
“Jellyroll” Troy of the Mike Bloomfield Band.
His band, The Line Up, consists of some of the most
renowned musicians in the City of Angels, including
drummers Gary Mallabar (“Fly Like An Eagle,” “Moondance,”
“Two Tickets to Paradise”) and James Gadson (Marvin
Gaye, Paul McCartney, Bobby Womack, B.B. King), bass
players Reggie McBride (B.B. King, Elton John, Keb’
Mo’) and Gerald Johnson (Steve Miller, Crosby,
Stills & Nash, Dave Mason), and keyboardist David
Morgan (Ricky Nelson, The Nelsons). Also lending a
hand are Mike Finnigan (keyboards), Barry Goldberg
(keyboards), and a horn section of Marty Grebb, Paul
Lidderal, and Paulie Cerra.
Widow’s new disc, Waiting For The World To End, is a
fulfillment of his musical vision. Consisting of
14 tracks written or co-written by Widow, the
disc is a showcase of his musical gumbo version of
the blues, throwing in a little rock with a dash of
soul and R&B, with extra heavy dose of funk.
Highlights include the brassy opener, “Bluesman,”
the soulful “Piss You Off,” “Baby Wants To Rock,”
and the funky “Nothin’ On You” and “I Look For
Things Like That.” The title track is a humorous jab
at the recent turmoil over the Mayan calendar
punctuated by Finnigan’s gurgly keyboards.
While not all of this is straight blues, “Picture of
You” is more of an Americana piece, “Long Gone” has
smart pop sensibilities, “Second Hand Love” is a
strong blues rocker, and “Sweet Janine” has a
country-soul feel, the blues influences permeate
throughout the disc, just like the work of Widow’s
inspirational sources.
If there’s any justice in the world,
Waiting For The
World To End should be the vehicle that propels Dave
Widow to bigger and better things. It’s chock full
of great songs and performances (Widow is an
excellent guitarist and first-rate vocalist) that
will please just about anybody that likes blues or
R&B.
---
Graham Clarke
I’ve seen a lot of words used to describe
Jason Vivone, among them “idiosyncratic,” “wild,”
“eccentric,” “humorous,” and “seriously warped.”
Permit me to add a couple more…..“creative” and
“entertaining.” Vivone and his band, The Billy Bats,
have created one of the most unique blues CDs that
I’ve listened to in a long time in Lather Rinse
Repeat. Sticking closely to the music of his mentors
and influences (Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy, and Son
Seals), the young
singer/songwriter/guitarist/harmonica player blends
the blues with his own highly original lyrical
perspective and the results make for compelling
listening.
Let’s face it….you don’t often hear blues tunes with
lyrics like “Lose your shoes, lose your socks, lose
your hand on the grandfather clock, lose the dog,
lose the cat, but please don’t lose that baby fat”
(“Baby Fat”), or an Elmore James-like tune that
compares a woman to Christopher Columbus’ nautical
journey (“The Nina, The Pinta, The Santa Maria”), or
a song about a love affair with a woman’s picture
(“Photograph”), but that’s what you get with this
disc.
It all works amazingly well though, because Vivone
and the band have the musical talent and chops in a
dazzling variety of blues styles (Chicago, Tex-Mex,
old style hokum, Bo Diddley beat, and even jazzy
blues on the haunting closer, “Medusa Blues”) to
pull it off. Other standouts include “I Hear a
Heartbeat,” a wonderfully grungy boogie tune that
would make John Lee Hooker smile, the funky “One Hot
Mother,” the hilarious “Liquid Diet,” a drinking
song like you’ve never heard before, and “The Nod,”
a tribute and jibe to the numerous “dance” tunes of
the ’50s and ’60s.
Vivone is an ideal frontman, ripping through vocals
and guitar solos with equal vigor. The Billy Bats
(Matt Bustamante – drums, Jeremy Clark – bass, Paula
Crawford – vocals, guitar, Imani Glasgow – vocals,
percussion, and Ben Hoppes – vocals, banjo) are
first-rate support as well. Every time I listen to
this disc, I find something else to like about it
and, more than likely, you will, too.
---
Graham Clarke
Since he met his musical idol, Howlin’ Wolf, as an
11-year-old in the early ’70s, Colin Linden has
never strayed far from the blues when concocting his
musical gumbo of blues, soul, gospel, and rock. He’s
a living legend in Canada, having served as a
performer, songwriter, and producer with artists
like Robert Plant, Colin James, Bruce Cockburn,
Gregg Allman, The Band, Emmylou Harris, Alison
Krauss, Mavis Staples, Lucinda Williams, T-Bone
Burnett, and many more.
Linden’s first solo release, way back in 1980, was
called Live!!!!!. It seems only appropriate that his
newest release, another live album, is called Still
Live (Yellow Dog Records). The set, recorded at
Nashville’s Douglas Corner Café, finds Linden in a
comfortable setting with fellow Canadians John Dymond (bass) and Gary Craig (drums), plus the
legendary Memphis keyboardist/songwriter Spooner
Oldham.
The set consists of Linden tunes like the comic
opener, “Big Mouth,” the inspirational “Between The
Darkness and the Light of Day,” “Smoke ‘Em All,” a
tribute to his close friend, pianist Richard Bell,
who passed away in 2007, the slide guitar showcase,
“Sugar Mine,” and a rousing version of “Remedy,”
which was originally done by The Band. Oldham, whose
sublime keyboard always makes great music even
better, stands out on the album’s lone cover, the
Wolf’s “Who’s Been Talking.”
“From the Water,” the title track from his previous
CD, has a light, danceable New Orleans rhythm to it,
and “John Lennon in New Orleans” is not far behind
it, though taken at a more slow and soulful pace.
Continuing on that theme is “Dark Night of the
Soul,” which sounds like a delicious slice of
Memphis soul. The three tracks that close the disc
include the rowdy rocker, “Too Late To Holler,” the
mournful dirge, “Sinking Down Slow,” and “I Give
Up,” a countrified slide workout.
If you’re familiar with Colin Linden’s work, you’ll
find that Still Live is a great addition to his
catalog. It’s also a great starting-off place for
newcomers. If you’re a music fan at all, you’ve no
doubt already heard him on somebody else’s
recording, but this disc proves beyond a doubt that
he’s the real deal on his own, too.
---
Graham Clarke
Big Frank & The Healers’ latest release,
Sparky’s
Lounge (Lost World Music), offers 50 minutes of the
real blues, the genuine article. Frank Mirra, a
native of Staten Island, learned to play guitar at
Sunday mass, but once he was exposed to Rock ‘n
Roll, he quickly traced its steps back to the blues
and he’s been there ever since, offering up some of
the hottest slide guitar you’ll hear. The Healers,
with Margey Peters (bass) and Bill Rankin (drums)
serving as an immovable force of a rhythm section,
and Kid Java wailing away on harmonica, mesh with
Mirra’s guitar and vocals like peas and rice.
Produced by legendary keyboardist “Chicago” Carl
Snyder (who also plays on the disc), Sparky’s Lounge
offers 11 tracks, ten originals and one cover
(the swinging “Your Red Wagon”). The originals range
from the hot electric boogie of “Tell Me How You
Feel,” to the scorching slide workout, “I Love You
Baby,” that surely would have earned an approving
nod from Elmore James, to the smoky title track.
“Simple Man” has a Crescent City feel, while “Ride
This Bus” swings hard with some great harp from Kid
Java. “Ferryboat Blues” is a rocking blues about the
perils that many New Yorkers face twice daily when
traveling to work. “Oh Yeah Oh Yeah” is a classic
old-school number with sweet chick vocals and Matt
Cowan’s honking sax. The closer, “Toll Booth Woman,”
allows Mirra to show his chops on acoustic slide as
he extols the virtues of his would-be paramour,
while grumbling about the outrageous amount of money
he has to pay for the toll.\
Sparky’s Lounge is a great set of traditional blues
that reflects on modern situations and
circumstances. There’s no bells and whistles
here….just pure, unadulterated blues by a group of
vets who know how to do it.
---
Graham Clarke
Fourteen Stories, the debut release of the
Red Lotus
Revue, is exactly that….14 tracks split
between the band’s versions of classic blues tracks
and a fine set of original compositions from band
members Jimmy Zollo and Karl Cabbage. The band was
founded in 2010, but its members have been active on
the San Diego blues scene for longer, with all the
band members having competed in previous IBC finals
in Memphis. Zollo and Pete Fazzini hold down guitar
duties, while Kurt Kalter mans the drums. Cabbage,
formerly of the group West of Memphis, sings and
plays harmonica.
RLR’s original tunes range from the rough and ready
opener, “Suzanne,” to the acoustic “Pass This Way,”
to the splendid “Barkin’,” and the rousing “River.”
The group also covers seven Chicago-flavored tunes
by Johnny Shines (a rocking version of “Please
Don’t” and an unplugged “Fish Tail,” featuring some
edgy slide guitar), Otis “Big Smokey” Smothers’
shuffle, “Drinkin’ Muddy Water,” Howlin’ Wolf’s “You
Can’t Be Beat (Go To Sleep),” and a fine take of the
standard, “Ain’t Got You.”
Best of all is a
slow-as-molasses reading of Jimmy Reed’s “Honest I
Do,” with Cabbage wringing every ounce of emotion
possible.
Zollo and Fazzini complement each other perfectly on
guitar, exchanged tight, economical but potent
fretwork. Kalter is a rock-steady force on the
skins, and Cabbage is an excellent harmonica player
and charismatic frontman. The production reminds you
of the classic ’50s Chicago sides for Chess and Vee-Jay,
the band playing as a cohesive unit….no lengthy
solos or overshadowing.
If Chicago blues from back in the day are your cup
of tea, you will certainly enjoy Red Lotus Revue’s
Fourteen Stories, and they will not be Southern
California’s best kept secret for much longer.
---
Graham Clarke
Jake Lear was born in Vermont, but migrated to
Memphis to hone his blues chops. 2008 saw the
release of his debut recording, Love and Charm,
which saw Lear draw comparisons to Bob Dylan vocally
and Stevie Ray Vaughan with his guitar work. Lear’s
sophomore release, Diamonds and Stones, finds the
Dylan and SRV comparisons still legitimate, but the
disc also has a bit of a rawer, edgier fell than its
predecessor.
To me, Lear’s rugged vocals are actually an
improvement from Dylan’s and his guitar work has
gone beyond the SRV influences to include some
hypnotic hill country blues (“Going Back Home (North
Mississippi Bound)” and the title track),
Hookeresque boogie (J.L.H.’s “Jack O’Diamonds), and
a few tight shuffles (a double-time take of Junior
Wells’ “Work Work Work” and “Quit You”). Tracks like
“Strange Things” and “Wasting Time” lean more to the
rock side of the blues most effectively, while “I
See A Train Coming” recalls the stinging lead guitar
of Chicago West Side, and runs a close second to the
closing instrumental, “Boogie Time,” for best guitar
work on the album.
Backing Lear are Roy Cunningham (drums) and Carlos
Arias (bass), who are up to every challenge Lear
throws their way. Diamonds and Stones is an
excellent release that spans a wide range of styles
and proves Jake Lear will be a force to be reckoned
with as a composer and performer that deserves to be
heard.
---
Graham Clarke
Scott
Ramminger is a Washington, D.C. area sax player
who was raised in the Huntsville, Alabama area.
While he typically appears with his own band, the
CrawStickers, for his new album, Advice From a
Father To A Son (Arbor Lane Music), Ramminger
assembled a couple of high profile groups of studio
musicians to back him on this disc containing 10
original compositions. It's an enjoyable collection
of soulful, funky blues, although Ramminger is
sometimes
overshadowed by his more talented accompanying
musicians.
Most of the album was
recorded in New Orleans with an all-star cast,
featuring Shane Theriot (guitar), David Torkanowsky
(keyboards), Johnny Vidacovich (drums), and the
world's greatest bass player, George Porter, Jr. Not
surprisingly many of these cuts have a distinct New
Orleans beat, most notably the opening cut, "I
Really Like Your Smile," and the title cut, which
features quality baritone sax from Ramminger, nice
trumpet accompaniment from Vince McCool and backing
vocals from Etta Britt.
"The Other Man's
Shoes" has Ramminger pairing with Nashville's Regina
McCrary, one of three McCrary sisters on the album,
on vocals. It's a good, soulful number with strong
guitar from Theriot, although the two vocalists
don't quite connect like they should.
Ramminger moves back
to his home base for the last three cuts, with a
backing band made up of solid D.C.-area musicians.
The highlights from this trio of songs is the funky
"More Than One Flavor," with more good trumpet from
McCool, and the uptempo shuffle "Must Be True," with strong
guitar from Dave Chappell and organ from Tommy
Lepson.
While Advice From
a Father To A Son has its highs and lows,
overall it's an enjoyable album with a lot of good
performances. For more info on Ramminger, check his
CrawStickers website.
---
Bill Mitchell
Walkin'
Cane Mark has been a fixture on the Phoenix,
Arizona blues scene for nearly 20 years, with
frenetic Wolf-style vocals and a sometimes "over the
top" live show. His latest disc released in 2011,
Tryin' To Make You Understand (Enable Records)
shows that he's toned down his act in recent years
but is still trying to capture the rawer, earthier side
of the blues.
Backing WCM is a solid group of
Phoenix-area musicians, highlighted by the
consistently strong guitar of Kirk Hawley, who also
shares producer credits. Other backing musicians
include Brenden McBride and Gordon Lynde Jr. (bass)
and John Rumbaugh (drums).
The album kicks off with a very
good version of "Somebody's Walkin'," a dirge-like
blues that displays Walkin' Cane Mark's vocals at
their best, complete with Howlin' Wolf-style
howling. Mark also contributes good harmonica riffs.
The harp also starts the mid-tempo title cut that
also includes good, basic blues licks from Hawley.
It wouldn't be a Walkin' Cane
Mark album without a tribute to one of the departed
bluesmen who influenced him, and here he includes a
version of Chico Chism's "Arizona Woman." The vocals
aren't as strong here but the emotion and respect
for Chism come through.
Another strong original number
is the Chicago blues shuffle "Let Me In While You
Can," especially later in the song when Mark puts a
little energy and power to the vocals and Hawley
rips off a nice guitar solo. Mark's best harp
blowing comes out on the intro to another original,
"Freight Train," and then later on the closing blues
number, "Eddie's Boogie."
Walkin' Cane Mark's act isn't
for everyone, but he's done something right to
attract a loyal following over the last two decades.
There's no denying the passion and energy the man
puts into his music. Tryin' To Make You
Understand is available from
CDBaby.
---
Bill Mitchell