|
 A
very intriguing album comes with a retrospective
of the career of the late singer Frank Bey,
who passed away five years ago. Nola Blue
Records is about to release Peace, with
11 tracks spanning approximately the last 15
years of Bey's singing career.
Most of the 11
recordings were done earlier in the century with
long-time band members Jeff Monjack and the late
Kevin Frieson, along with one unreleased cut
from a 2015 session at Greaseland Studios on San
Jose, California with the Anthony Paule Soul
Orchestra and two additional tunes recorded with
the usual Greaseland backing musicians.
Bey's rich
baritone vocals are wonderful throughout, but
they truly stand out on the songs on which there
is minimal instrumentation. My favorite cut is
his version of Keb' Mo's "City Boy," backed only
by the tasteful acoustic guitar of Monjack and
harmonica by Sark Damirjian. Equally tasty is
Monjack's composition, "Bed for my Soul." With
just Monjack on guitar, Bey is able to let his
voice dominate.
Opening the
album is the cut with The Anthony Paule Soul
Orchestra, Little Milton's "That's What Love
Will Make You Do," It's brassy and funky, making
one wonder why it wasn't included on one of the
two albums that Bey recorded with this ensemble.
"One Thing
Every Day," written by Mighty Mike Schermer, is
a rhythmic soulful blues that brings in
gospel-style backing vocals by Loralee
Christensen, Lisa Leuschner Andersen, and Vicki
Randle. Also recorded at Greaseland, this song
was released on the 2020 album All My Dues
Are Paid,
receiving a
posthumous Grammy nomination in 2021 for Best
Traditional Blues Album. Another song from the
Greaseland sessions is a slow-paced cover of
John Lennon's eponymous song, "Imagine," with
Bey taking it to church and highlighted by Jim
Pugh's gospel piano.
The remainder of the
songs on Peace were recorded with Monjack
and band. "Midnight And Day" is a slow, funky
12-bar blues, with Doug Travis' keyboards laying
down the baseline throughout the tune. The
mid-tempo blues shuffle, "Blues Comes Knockin',"
is driven along by a steady beat from drummer
Thomas Jefferson, with Monjack and Damirjian
both providing great solos on their respective
instruments. The up-tempo walkin' blues,
"Walk With Me," brings in Reginald Watkins and
David "Bubba) Scott on trombone, and we hear a
very tasty piano solo from Andrew Samuels.
Another favorite is
the slow blues, "If You Want Me," bringing out
the best in Bey's very expressive voice while
Monjack lays down a killer blues guitar solo.
"Blues in the Pocket" begins with Bey
sermonizing on what was wrong in his life before
changing into a funky, up-tempo soulful blues
that could have been a good vehicle for James
Brown. But it's Bey laying down the sympathetic
lines, '... I've got blues in my pockets,
nothing but dust and lint ..."
Just before closing
the album with "Imagine," Bey really takes the
show to another level with Sam Cooke's "Change
Is Gonna Come." His voice soars throughout the
song, making this classic his own. The keyboard
work of Jay Davidson stands out and we get a
subtle, tasteful guitar solo from Monjack.
If the name Frank
Bey is new to you, please don't hesitate to
acquire this album to show just how impressive a
singer he was. Peace is a nice wrap-up to
Bey's career, that is unless there are more
compilations of his music in the future.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Croatian-born
harmonica ace Tomislav Goluban teamed up
with California blues rocker and guitarist
Crooked Eye Tommy for an entertaining
October 2023 session in Nashville that was
recently released on the Overton Music label.
Nashville Road consists of nine tracks,
eight written by Goluban (with lyrics from
Anamarija Nekić on one track), and one from
Tommy.
Backing the duo are Eric Robert (keys), Jasco
Duende (guitar), Doug Seibert (bass), Alphonso
Wesley (drums), Bill Gilliam (upright bass), and
Grady Clark (slide guitar).
The storming instrumental “Hard Run” gets things
started in fine fashion, with Goluban tearing it
up on harp. “Rock Dog” is a gritty blues rocker
with Tommy handling vocals, and the briskly
paced “Up Is Down” features Goluban on vocals
and harp.
The
philosophical “Bad Choices Make Good Stories” is
a slow burner with Tommy on vocals and nice
instrumental interplay between the pair, while
“Hip Hop Shake” is a cool instrumental track
that focuses on the boogie.
“Hard Candy” is a tasty (sorry) toe-tapper with
catchy lyrics and an irresistible beat, and
Goluban takes the mic for the greasy blues “Keep
On Moving On.” The cheerful “Life Is Good,” with
lyrics from Nekić, has a easy-going vibe with
sparkling piano work from Robert, and “There Is
A Train,” the moody country blues album closer,
features Goluban’s harp with Tommy’s powerful
vocal and lap steel and Clark’s slide guitar.
Although rather brief at just under 35 minutes,
Nashville Road has plenty to offer blues
fans. This is a fine release from two talented
blues artists and well worth a listen.
Hopefully, Tomislav Goluban and Crooked Eye
Tommy will make this a regular occurrence.
--- Graham Clarke
 Dennis
Spencer of The Dennis Spencer Group has
been there, done that, and bought all the
T-shirts throughout his life. He fell in love
with the blues in his teens and has had his
share of difficulties, including drug overdoses,
car crashes, being homeless, serving time,
earning and losing a fortune (twice), and being
told by a fortune teller in Times Square (who
wouldn’t take his $5) that he had no future.
Fortunately he kicked heroin and regained his
focus on the music he loved.
Spencer and his group (Mikal Majeed – keyboards,
Terence Johnson – drums, and Tracy Hart –
vocals, with appearances from Bobby Warren –
vocal, Jeff Ross – guitar and Faith Jobe –
drums, who all appear on one track apiece) have
put together a cool and funky blues album,
Bluesman From Jupiter, that features 10
original tracks, written by Spencer.
The
spacey title track, a gritty blues rocker, opens
the disc and it’s a lot of fun and sets the
stage for the rest of this interesting album.
“Cheap Entertainment” focuses on the little
things, seamlessly mixing soul and funk with the
blues. Tracy Hart takes the mic for the splendid
slow blues ballads “Cold Corner,” backed by
Spencer’s crisp fretwork and the rock-solid
rhythm section, and the hopeful, gospel flavored
“Why Can’t We,” where she shares lead vocals
with Spencer.
The
mid-tempo “Your Secret Is Safe” is a mix of
funk, rock, and blues, and “Second Chance” is a
solid soul ballad with Spencer taking lead
vocals backed by Hart. Spencer can laugh about
it now, so he narrates the amusing “Gypsy
Payback,” which tells the story of his encounter
with the Gypsy fortune teller. “Tall Guy Boogie”
is a rollicking, fast-paced instrumental with
each instrumentalist getting a moment in the
spotlight.
“Thousandaire” is a fun tune that most listeners
can relate to, and the closer, “You Been
Blackenized” is a pleasant swinging blues that
features West Coast blues and soul singer Bobby
Warren on vocals.
Bluesman From Jupiter is an entertaining
listen for blues fans with clever songs, savvy
musicianship, and an overall good vibe that
sneaks up on you with repeated listens. The
Dennis Spencer Group has got it going on.
--- Graham Clarke
 Ed
Alstrom has quite a diverse background,
having performed with Chuck Berry, Leonard
Bernstein, Bette Midler, Herbie Hancock, Steely
Dan, Blood Sweat and Tears, Hubert Sumlin, and
the New York Yankees.
That’s right, the Yankees, where he serves as
the team’s weekend organist at Yankee Stadium.
He
also has played for churches, synagogues,
feature films, and Broadway musicals. He will be
representing the North Jersey Blues Society in
the Solo/Duo competition at this year’s
International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
On
his latest release, Flee Though None Pursue
(Haywire Productions), Alstrom plays Hammond/Farfisa/pipe
organs, piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet,
synthesizers, guitars, basses, mandolin,
melodica, alto sax, accordion, theremin, and
percussion, in addition to handling lead and
background vocals. He wrote all 18 tracks, with
a lyrical assist from Kay Murcer on one track,
with the songs a mix of blues, soul, rock, and
jazz with a focus on the blues.
The
opening track is “Be Nice,” an upbeat soul track
encouraging everyone to just get along. “Blues
Ain’t Alright” serves as a response of sorts to
Little Milton’s “The Blues Is Alright,” implying
that the blues ain’t what it’s cracked up to be.
The
somber “Slow Blues” showcases some fine slide
guitar from Robert Hill, who also guests on the
introspective title track which addresses
dealing with what’s happened before and the
uncertainty of what’s to come. “The Truth” is a
tasty Crescent City-flavored shuffle.
“Sick” adopts the hypnotic rhythm of the Doc
Pomus classic “Lonely Avenue,” but the lyrics
indicate that Alstrom has pretty much had it
with just about everything. Murcer adds lyrics
on the lovely ballad, “Always Near,” which has a
gentle, almost jazzy feel.
“The
Record People” is a piano-driven romp poking fun
at the music business, and “Sometimes” is a
Windy City-styled shuffle with harmonica from
Rob Paparozzi, while “Screwed” is a tough mix of
blues and rock.
“H-O-P-E-L-E-S-S” is a unique blues tune that’s
entertaining and creative. “Great Notch” tells
of a favorite bar that’s the perfect place to
unwind, and “Fruitcake” is a fabulous New
Orleans shuffle in the Professor Longhair
tradition that describes a slightly crazed
lover, with a nice baritone sax break from Jerry
Vivino.
“Yours Is a Place” is a fine, well-crafted love
song and a resigned Alstrom vents his
frustration on the piano number “Success (Was
Not To Be Had).”
“Crossfire Of Love” has a ’60s rock/pop feel
with the lyrics (about a lost love) and the
background vocals, while the amusing “I Drunk
You Drive” is a classic rock n’ roller. This
wonderful album concludes with “Don’t Cry at My
Funeral,” an inspiring tune with Alstom’s wife
accompanying him on piano.
Flee Though None Pursue offers great music
and insightful lyrics for an outstanding
listening experience. If you’re in Memphis in
January, be sure to seek out Ed Alstrom at the
International Blues Challenge.
--- Graham Clarke
 “Come
Hell or High Water” is the first single from
Travellin’ Blue’s upcoming album, Take
The Edge Off, their third release. The
Belgian band enjoyed success with their 2022
album Bending The Rules and this gritty
blues rocker indicates that more great music is
forthcoming on February 21st.
With
a bold, assured vocal and powerful fretwork over
a classic ’70s southern rock rhythm, “Come Hell
or High Water” should satisfy blues rock fans on
either side of the Atlantic.
--- Graham Clarke |
