It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from
Grady
Champion. Following the success of his second Shanachie release,
Two Days Short of A Week,
Champion took a sabbatical of sorts, retreated to
his hometown of Canton, MS, where he went back to
school to study music, and played in his spare time
with fellow rising star Eddie Cotton. He reformed
his band, The Grady Champion Revue, and started
playing locally in the Central Mississippi area. In
July of 2007, he recorded Back In Mississippi Live
at the 930 Blues Café in Jackson, MS for his own GSM
label, with a helping hand from Cotton, who plays
guitar on all the tracks.
Champion and Cotton take on a variety of tunes,
including crowd-pleasing covers of several blues
standards (“I’m Ready,” a Jimmy Reed medley of “Baby
What You Want Me To Do/Bright Lights, Big City,”
“Spoonful,” Lonesome Bedroom Blues,” and “Why I Sing
The Blues”). Some of the highlights include “You Got
Some Explaining To Do,” which features one of many
torrid guitar solos from Cotton, an incredibly funky
“I-800-Blu-Love,” "Wine and Women,” penned by
Champion and Cotton, “Love and Memories,” a sweet
tribute to Champion’s late mother, and the
contemporary track, “Policeman Blues,” which
features a rap from local artist Jacktown Swiff.
Champion’s voice has the perfect mixture of sweet
soul and gritty blues. Cotton’s guitar work is
phenomenal, with stinging leads, tasteful fills,
always right where they need to be. Their interplay
is so seamless, that it sounds like they’ve been
playing together all their lives. Also lending
support are Champion’s son Marquis on bass, Calvin
Wilson on keyboards, and Frank White on drums.
Previously, Eddie Cotton recorded two outstanding
live discs at Jackson’s Alamo Theatre. Back In
Mississippi Live at the 930 Blues Café belongs next
to them. It’s further proof that contemporary blues
are alive and well in Mississippi, and in good
hands. Check this disc out at
www.cdbaby.com.
--- Graham Clarke
These days it’s hard to find a record made in the
Mississippi Delta that doesn’t feature Bill Abel as
a performer or in some behind-the-scenes role. He
recently participated in the M for Mississippi
project as a performer, recording and mixing all of
it from his rolling Big Toe Porta-Studio (a Volvo
station wagon with recording equipment installed
where the backseat used to be), sometimes in
less-than-favorable conditions. He’s a regular at
most of the blues festivals in the Delta, and has
lent musical support on several of Big George
Brock’s recent releases, Hubert Sumlin, Cadillac
John Nolden, and also on several records from the
Broke & Hungry label.
Abel’s latest release,
One-Man Band (Blue Skunk
Music), naturally features him as a solo artist. He
plays lead and rhythm guitar, hi-hat and snare with
one foot, and bass drum with the other. His raw,
coarse vocals complement his amazing dexterity.
There are 16 tracks on One-Man Band, all
recorded live with no overdubs, all produced and
arranged by Abel. They make for compelling
listening, as they range from the droning
Mississippi Hill Country blues to the wild and
raucous Delta sound.
Abel grew up in Belzoni, MS, where he learned to
play the blues at the feet of local guitarist Paul
“Wine” Jones. He covers one of Jones’ songs here,
the manic “Rob And Steal.” The other two covers are
traditional songs, the inspirational “Burden Down,”
and a boisterous take on the old epic, “John Henry.”
Abel’s own songs blend well with the standards, as
he captures the same rowdy, rough blues and even
mixes in a couple of spiritual tracks. Highlights
include “Barkin’ All Nite,” “Mailman,” “The Lord
Will,” “Goin’ Down,” and a pair of instrumentals
(“Don’t You Hurt” and “The Waiting”).
If you’ve been listening to any recent Mississippi
Delta blues releases, you’re already familiar with
Bill Abel. One-Man Band puts him at center stage and
shows that he’s more than capable of being the main
attraction. Delta blues fans should definitely get
their hands on this one.
--- Graham Clarke
When I first heard Tim Lothar, he was a drummer with
the group Lightnin’ Moe, a powerhouse Danish blues
band. Several years ago, Lothar taught himself to
play guitar and embarked on a solo career. His first
disc, 2006’s Cut To The Bone, was recorded in his
living room and was a sparse, intimate release that
showed Lothar to be a quick study, not only as a
guitarist, but also as a composer. His second disc,
In It For The Ride (TLP), finds Lothar in the
recording studio, with another stunning mix of
Mississippi Delta blues and strong original
compositions.
In It For The Ride consists of
12 cuts, seven
originals and five covers. The covers show that Lothar has a deep love and understanding of the
Mississippi Delta blues. They include a playful take
of Charley Patton’s “Shake It And Break It,” Sleepy
John Estes’ “Someday Baby Blues,” Bukka White’s
intense “Aberdeen, Mississippi,” a beautiful version
of the traditional “Careless Love,” and Robert
Johnson’s “Stones In My Passway.”
Lothar’s originals hold up very well when compared
to the covers, no small feat. In fact, you might
have to check the composer credits on a couple of
these songs. The title track features some fiery
slide guitar. “Honeybee” is a lovely tune that would
have been a solid fit on record players seventy
years ago. “I Will Be Home Again,” a lament of life
on the road and being separated from the family,
exudes longing and pain, while “It’s Finally Over
Now,” sounds almost joyous about the ending of a
relationship. “Bad Luck” is an uptempo number
featuring more sizzling slide, and “Da Boogie” is an
acoustic first cousin to Freddy King’s “Hideaway.”
It’s absolutely amazing that Lothar has only been
playing guitar for about five years. His fretwork is
astounding at times and his vocals are dynamic. All
of these tracks feature Lothar solo on guitar except
for one appearance by Georg Boeje Olesen (keyboards
on “I Will Be Home Again”).
Simply put, this is one of the most enjoyable
acoustic releases I’ve heard in a while, loaded with
energy and passion. It’s been fascinating to watch
Lothar continue to develop as a guitarist, singer,
and performer. He was recently selected as Danish
Blues Musician of the Year, and one listen to In It
For The Ride will provide ample proof that it was a
wise choice. Go to
www.cdbaby.com and listen for
yourself.
--- Graham Clarke
Canadian Steve Rowe first embraced the blues as a
teenager. He later formed his first band, Skid Rowe,
in the early ’80s. He honed his craft playing behind
headliners on the Montreal blues scene, and
eventually started writing his own songs. His first
release was in 2000. Rowe’s music is a mix of ’50s
Chicago blues and ’60s British blues and his guitar
work is influenced by the likes of Eric Clapton,
Michael Bloomfield, B. B. King, Albert King, and
Freddy King. Since 2002, Rowe has worked and
composed songs with bass player Alec McElcheran, who
has a background in jazz, classical, and pop music.
Rowe’s latest disc, Five (Blue Skunk Music), is his
third release. It features 15 original
compositions either written or co-written by Rowe
and McElcheran. The top notch backing band features
Peter Mika (keyboards) with Sam Harrisson and Bob
Harrisson splitting time on drums.
Highlights include the clever opening track,
“Believe I’m Gonna Go Back Home,” “The Black Hole,”
about one of those joints your mama warned you
about, “I Ain’t Buyin’,” “Little Too Young,” a jibe
at the young gun musicians out there with all the
technology and none of the know-how, and the smooth
instrumental “More Grits.” “Gone Fishin’” is a light
jazzy tune with a swinging guitar break, and “A Cat
Like That” is reminiscent of the spoken-word R&B
novelty songs of the early ’50s. “Like A Motor” is
another strong jazz-based number, and “Merry Go
Round Blues” is a mischievous rocking blues.
Rowe is a fine guitarist and is equally comfortable
playing jazz, blues, acoustic, or just rocking the
house down. The closing track, “La Vie en Blues,”
really allows him to stretch out and put his chops
on full display.
Guitar fans will find a lot to like with
Five, a
disc of strong original songs that should get Steve
Rowe more attention beyond the Canadian border.
--- Graham Clarke
Blues Duo (Blue Skunk Music) is an acoustic album
featuring guitarists Doug Adamz and Dan Hayes. Hayes
has been active in music since the 1960s, fronting
several groups in California during that time and
opening for acts like Charlie Musselwhite, the Ford
Brothers, and Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry. Later,
he moved to Nashville and became a songwriter, but
has recently returned to his blues roots. Adamz, a
Texas native who has lived in California for many
years, is a versatile musician, has played an
amazing array of musical styles during that time,
including blues, folk, country (he also plays
fiddle), and even belly-dance music. The pair has
worked together for many years and thousands of
shows in the Northern California region, but Blues
Duo is their first joint release.
As might be expected from the duo’s backgrounds, the
focus on Blues Duo is traditional blues with a touch
of country mixed in. The set was recorded live, with Adamz and Hayes playing guitar, harmonica, and
taking turns on vocals. That they’ve worked numerous
shows together is obvious from the first note, as
they present a seamless rapport. The duo also wrote
all ten tunes.
The highlights are many, including the gently
rolling opener, “Traveling Man,” “Pawn Your Guitar,”
a beautiful played slow blues, “I Was Crazy,” and
“Money, Love, & Time.” “Oh Lightnin’,” is a nice
tribute to Lightnin’ Hopkins, and “Mini Skirt
Alert,” is a lively piece that closes the disc. The
only real drawback to the album is that it’s a bit
short, clocking in at just over 30 minutes. It
would have been great to hear a few more songs.
Brevity aside, Blues Duo is a highly enjoyable album
of gentle acoustic blues from a talented pair of
guitarists. It will probably lead you to seek out
more of Doug Adamz and Dan Hayes’ recordings.
--- Graham Clarke
Jim Suhler has played lead guitar for George
Thorogood and the Destroyers since 1999. Even though
that’s the Texas guitarist’s best-known gig, he has
also led his own band, Monkey Beat, for over
15
years, releasing several discs of hard-driving Texas
blues and rock since the mid ’90s. Their latest
release, Tijuana Bible, for Underworld Records
should please their longtime fans and should bring
in some new converts as well.
Suhler has built a reputation as one of the finest
guitarist that Texas has to offer, which is no mean
feat. He definitely backs that up with a relentless
attack on tracks like the title track, which opens
the disc and rocks like a long lost Z.Z. Top album
cut, and “Devil In Me.” Suhler teams up with Elvin
Bishop, who plays slide guitar, on Bishop’s classic
“Drunken Hearted Boy,” and tears up AC/DC’s “Up To
My Neck In You.”
The smoldering “Black Sky” could cause your stereo
to catch fire. “Deep Water Lullaby” is a slow blues
with Joe Bonamassa on lead guitar, and “Years of
Tears” features some impressive slide guitar from
Suhler. Former Wet Willie lead singer Jimmy Hall
adds guest vocals on the funky “Po’ Lightnin’.”
“Border Rock” and “Sunday Drunk” are a good-time
rock and rollers, “Mexicali Run” is a gritty Texas
shuffle, and the aptly titled “Chaos in Tejas”
returns to the temple of Billy Gibbons.
Closing out the disc is a moody acoustic track,
“Juice,” a scorching cover of Rory Gallagher’s “I
Could’ve Had Religion,” and “Cold Light of Day,” a
sober piano track. It’s hard to find a hole in this
disc, other than the one in the center. There’s not
a bad track to be found. Clocking in at over 70
minutes of music, it doesn’t seem long enough.
In addition to Monkey Beat (Carlton Powell – bass,
backing vocals; Shawn Phares – keyboards; Jimmy
Morgan – drums), the cast of characters lending
Suhler a hand consist of Bishop, Bonamassa, Hall,
Buddy Leach (saxophone on “Border Rock” and “Years
of Tears”), Paul Hollis (drums on “Drunken Hearted
Boy), Cheryl Arena (harmonica on “I Could’ve Had
Religion”), and co-producer Tom Hambridge (backing
vocals and percussion).
For fans of unrelenting Texas blues/rock,
Tijuana
Bible is an essential purchase.
--- Graham Clarke
Looking for something different to pop into your
stereo? Look no further than Waylon Thibodeaux,
Louisiana’s Rockin’ Fiddler. Thibodeaux is one of
Louisiana’s best-known artists and performers. His
music mixes Cajun with Zydeco, Swamp Pop, Country,
and a little Rock & Roll. He’s recorded three
previous CD’s that have featured guest musicians
like Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone, Tab Benoit, and Gina
Forsythe, and his music has appeared on TV
commercials and movies.
Thibodeaux recently signed up with the New Orleans
label, Rabadash, and has released his latest CD,
Who’s Yo’ Cher Be’ Be’, which is guaranteed to get
you on your feet. In making this disc, Thibodeaux
has brought in composers like Anders Osborne, Thomas Shepard, Gordon Bradberry, and Ken & Pershing Wells,
and the result is probably the closest to a
“mainstream” album as Thibodeaux has released so
far.
As advertised, this music is an infectious blend of
styles and Thibodeaux shines on the uptempo numbers
like “Sweet Colinda,” “Chenier Tigre,” “Giving Up
The Ghost,” “Hey Maman,” “Cher Bebe’,” “Just To Have
My Girl,” and “Some Kinda Voodoo.” “Big Blue Tears”
has the potential to be a future Swamp Pop classic,
and “Riding On These Roses,” is a strong
country-based tune. “Sometimes A Fiddle” is an
autobiographical sketch of Thibodeaux’s chosen
instrument, and “Louisiana Rain,” penned by Osborne
is a churning rocker.
The backing band, which includes Mark Dufresne (bass,
harmony vocals), Randy Carpenter (drums), Dwight
Breland (steel guitar), Mark Duet and Jan Clements
(keyboards), Richard Toups (percussion), and harmony
vocals from Wendy Foret, Tim Ernest, and Theresa
Andersson (who also plays violin), is excellent in
support, but Thibodeaux is definitely the featured
attraction, and he gives a wonderful performance.
Fans of Cajun, Zydeco, and Swamp Pop will love
Who’s Yo’ Cher Be’ Be’, which sounds like a breakthrough
release for Waylon Thibodeaux.
--- Graham Clarke
Owen Tufts, AKA Big Daddy ‘O,’ is one of Louisiana’s
best-kept secrets. He has been making music for over
30 years in the road houses and bars of Louisiana
and Mississippi, playing his gentle brand of blues,
a mix of well-chosen covers and inspiring original
songs. Despite his imposing 6’6” presence, he charms
audiences with his warm vocals and nimble acoustic
guitar work.
His latest release, for Rabadash Records, is
What
You Gotta Go Through, an outstanding 18-track
set that finds the big man at his very best. He
wrote or co-wrote six of the tracks, including the
reassuring “Don’t Worry About A Thing,” one of four
tracks that features Jim Suhler on guitar.
“Attitude” is another standout, as is the moody
“Gulf Coast At Dawn,” which features Dwight
Breland’s pedal steel, and “Got No Blues Today” is
funked up by producer John Autin on organ and Jim
Markway’s bass.
Big Daddy ‘O’ continues his hot streak with a great
set of covers, including a beautiful take on Jimi
Hendrix’s “Angel” and two blues standards, Willie
Dixon’s “Heavenly Joy” (which benefits greatly from Suhler’s guitar work) and “Sportin’ Life,” which is
jazzed up quite a bit from Brownie McGhee and Sonny
Terry’s original. Other highlights include Merle
Travis’ “Sixteen Tons,” a high-energy version of
“Shake Rattle And Roll,” and a pair of Anders
Osborne tunes, a gorgeous take of “Underneath It
All,” and an amped-up “Down Here.”
Producer Autin gives the disc a relaxed aura. It
sounds like it was recorded at home with a bunch of
friends and family either listening or joining in.
It’s one of the most intimate discs I’ve heard in a
long time. What You Gotta Go Through will be a treat
for fans of acoustic guitar or just good music in
general.
--- Graham Clarke
Jelly
Bean Baby (Straight Shooter Records) is the third CD of Danish musician
Peter Nande’s that I’ve heard, and each one seems to
progressively get better. The CD was produced, as
were the last two, by James Harman, and it’s full of
original material recorded in Oceanside,
California. Peter Nande wrote or co-wrote all
except one of the 13 tracks, and on the
co-written tracks, James Harman was the other name
on most.
The CD opens with the title track, “Jelly Bean
Baby,” which is pure 1950s medium tempo jive blues
with tinkling barrelhouse piano and some lovely
honking sax. It leads nicely into a shuffle from the
same sort of era, “Beware Brother,” and then slows
down with the third track on the CD, “Slo’ Poke.”
This has a taste of a reggae beat going on in the
background, some gentle organ playing from Neil Wauchope, and a couple of understated saxophones.
The tempo stays down low for “Ridin’ The Gravy
Train” (Gary Primich on harp) and “In A State Of
Bliss,” a couple of well written tracks with lots of flavour, and then picks up with another shuffle,
“Walk The Talk,” which gives some prominence to Nande’s great harmonica playing above Carl Sonny
Leyland’s magical piano, sounding like it lives
in New Orleans.
The album alternates nicely between tempos and
styles, with some of the tracks getting excellent
harmonica treatment from Peter Nande – track eight,
“The Can’t Hardlies,” being a good example and
qualifying as one of the blusiest tracks on the
album. Having said that, every track has its
qualities and it’s all a matter of taste – there’s
not a bad track on the CD.
My favourite track though is “The Stubble,” a rural
blues instrumental featuring harmonica, drums and
percussion. It’s pure Sonny Terry, and absolutely
faultless (unless you count the fact that I’d love
it to last longer!).
The album winds up with a jazz/blues instrumental
showcasing Neil Wauchope’s organ and Ronni
Busack-Boysen’s guitar, playing some really nice
Wes Montgomery style riffs.
Listening to this CD leaves you waiting impatiently
for the next one!!
---
Terry Clear
Well, here’s the latest in what is becoming a long
line of releases from the best blues band in the
part of Europe that used to be called Yugoslavia.
The Point Blank Blues Band are based in Belgrade in
Serbia, and as anyone that has listened to their
previous release will tell you, they are good. This
is a good solid blues band that always impresses
with it’s output, and this CD, A Whiter Shade of
Blue (RTS Records), is no exception, with
lots of different (some unexpected) influences,
including some haunting stuff from the Balkans and
beyond.
All 12 tracks are written by the main man of the
band – Dragoljub Dr. Crncevic (no, I can’t pronounce
it either), otherwise known as just Dr. As well as
being an accomplished songwriter, he’s also on
vocals and guitar on the album – don’t forget that
he’s writing in English, which is not his native
language, which makes the accomplishment even more
marked.
There are one or two strange influences on the album
(or strange for a blues album), but they work! How
about track three, “A Song For V,” which sounds like
Leonard Cohen singing the blues, or track eight, “No
Pride,” country & western meets the blues!
In amongst the tracks on the album are one or two
real gems – track two, “Belgrade Blues,” has references
to the recent troubles in the former Yugoslavia –
it’s poignant, sad and true, and that’s what the
blues is about. This track alone makes the whole
album worthwhile.
Track
six, “Last Pain,” combines Balkan violin (Momcilo
Moma Stanojevic) with the blues – it reminds me of
an old Archie Shepp jazz track, the title of which
has slipped my mind – this is fusion at its very
best.
Track 11, “Roll On,” is a hard driving boogie
instrumental that really rocks, with shades of Jimmy
Smith from Darko Grujic on keyboards.
If you haven’t already heard this band, have a
listen and find out what Eastern Europe can offer –
if you have heard them before, then you’ll be
heading out to get what is probably their best album
to date.
---
Terry Clear
Dan Toler and John Townsend have a lot experience
between them – Toler playing with The Allman
Brothers, Dicky Betts and the Gregg Allman Band, and
Townsend playing with The Renegades and also writing
for Gregg Allman.
With backgrounds like this, you would expect them to
be very competent musicians, and you wouldn’t be
wrong in that assumption.
From 1992 Toler and Townsend have been writing songs
together, and it was a logical progression that they
would get a band together, which they did part time
in 2002. When The Renegades folded, the two got
serious about things and The Toler Townsend Band
finally got serious.
Their self-titled album is out in March 2009 on Blues Boulevard
Records. Whilst it’s not a pure blues album, there are some
tracks that are nothing but the blues – the rest is
blues/rock with a lot of influence from The Allmans,
Wet Willie, Molly Hatchet & others.
John Townsend co-wrote all but three of the
11
tracks on the album, and Dan Toler co-wrote the
others, so it’s all original music and all good
music.
The CD opens with “Loneliness,”
a medium tempo blues/rock number that sets the tone
for the rest of the album – the band comes back to
blues/rock after excursions into ballads & a bit of
country rock. Track four, “Full Time Fool,” is very
reminiscent of '80s southern rock, with a good
driving beat, track five, “Ali Shuffle,” is probably
the blusiest (and the best) track on the album – I’d
love to hear this band do a full album of this sort
of material! It has Tony Perrino on Hammond B3
laying down a great backing, with the guitar of Dan
Toler above it.
The tempo of the CD is mainly on the up side, but
there is some slower material to satisfy those who
want to chill a little.
--- Terry Clear
Originally recorded back in 1988, Blues Boulevard
Records in Belgium has stuck to their theme of
re-releasing great blues albums and re-issued this
great Snowy White's Blues Agency double CD
album, Twice As Addictive.
I had forgotten just how good a blues musician Snowy
White is – and always has been – and listening to
this album again after so many years brought it all
back.
The first chapter, on CD1, is a mix of covers and
Snowy White originals with CD2 being all originals
songs written either by Snowy or by Graham Bell, who
appears playing rhythm guitar & harmonica as well as
supplying some of the vocals.
CD1 opens with the B.B.King number, “Woke Up This
Morning,” and then moves on to the Darnell/Hawkins
song, “The Thrill Is Gone,” which is so often
associated with B.B.King – a nice link. Little
Walter’s “You Know It Ain’t Right” comes next,
before the first of the Snowy White tracks. “Change
My Life” is probably one of Snowy’s best know
numbers, and this is a very good version.
This is followed up by another Snowy White written
track, the instrumental “Agency Blues” with some
trademark Graham Bell harmonica – just fantastic
blues. And there’s another good instrumental in
track 10, which is “The Agency Shuffle.”
Track six, “Judgement Day,” confirms just what a good
writer Snowy White is, as well as being a great
guitarist – the album just gets better and better!
White’s version of Mose Allison’s “Parchman Farm” is
frenetic and compelling – something to really get
feet tapping!
For my ears, the last track on CD1 is the best, but
it’s a really hard pick as there is so much good
music here – it’s Howling Wolf’s “No Place To Go”
and it’s something the Wolf would have enjoyed
listening to, I’m sure.
CD2 opens with “I Can’t Help Myself,” with the vocals
sounding eerily like Chris Rea! The guitar work is
faultless, as is the rhythm section and gets the
second chapter off to a flying start. Things slow
way, way down for track two, “Blues On Me” – a
haunting ballad that is real late-night listening –
before picking up the tempo with the instrumental
“Out Of Order.”
From then on the tempo alternates between fast,
medium and slow, without a bad track amongst them,
“When You Broke Your Promise” even has a semi-bossanova
beat going on!
All in all, CD1 is the better one of the two, but
having both in one package is great.
Take your mind back to the '80s and listen to some
great blues.
---
Terry
Clear
Believe it, or not,
Free Your Mind (Underworld Records) is the 14th
album from the rock/blues band Too Slim & The
Taildraggers – that’s right, 14! The first seven
were released on Burnside records, before the band
made the switch to Underworld Records, and they have
just got better and better.
The band (a trio of
guitar, bass, and drums) is joined by guest artists
Lauren Evans, Todd Smallwood, Pamela Mattioli &
Paula Mattioli on this follow up the successful 2007
album The Fortune Teller, and they lay down a
heavy, tight, sound all the way through the CD.
Make no mistake, this is
heavy blues rock and not late night gentle listening
– but that’s not a criticism, that’s the genre that
perfectly suits this band.
The album opens with
“When You Love Somebody,” a good hard driving
rocking blues that really grabs your attention and
leads nicely into “Last Train.” Things slow down a
little, but keep the rock/blues flavour, with “Devil
In A Double Wide” and then track four, the title
track is slightly reminiscent of Tom Petty & The
Heartbreakers, and it’s GOOD!
By the time that track
five arrives, you are hooked! “Testament” is slow,
atmospheric and moody but “Been Through Hell” picks
up the tempo just a little. Things stay on the slow
side until track 10, “This Phone” picks up the tempo
temporarily and leads into the ultimate track “The
Light,” and another slow and moody track with the
fantastic voice of Lauren Evans – and probably my
favourite on the CD – they made me wait for it, but
it was a pleasant wait!.
Good album for
rock/blues fans.
--- Terry Clear
The
Nighthawks was formed way back in the 1970s by
Mark Wenner (vocals & harmonica) and Jimmy Thackery
(who left in 1986 and now has his own great band).
American Landscape (Powerhouse Records)is
their 22nd album, believe it or not, and
it’s the follow up to Nighthawks Volume 4,
which came out in 2007 – they first recorded on the
Powerhouse label back in 1991, left and came back
again. Judging by this CD, Powerhouse must be very
pleased to get them back on the label.
The opening track really
lets you know what’s in store – “Big Boy” is a
medium slow tempo with a hard driving beat to it –
great harmonica from Mark Wenner, who really blows
up a storm. I was surprised to find a Tom Waits
track ("Down In The Hole") and two Bob Dylan tracks
("She Belongs To Me" and "Most Likely You Go Your
Way and I’ll Go Mine") on the album, but they are
given a nice bluesy treatment and they aren’t out of
place – and the same can be said for tracks by Steve
Cropper and Berry Gordy. The Tom Waits track is
particularly good and suits the band’s style
exactly.
Track four is
“Matchbox,” credited in the notes to Ike Turner –
I’m sure it was a Carl Perkins number originally,
but maybe I’m wrong as I’ve seen it credited to Ike
Turner before (on a Janiva Magness album). Whoever
wrote it is fairly unimportant I guess, as the band
make a very good job of it.
There’s a little bit of
everything on this album – Tom Waits, Bob Dylan,
some rockabilly country blues with Johnny Castle’s
“Jana Lea,” soul blues courtesy of Steve Cropper’s
“Don’t Turn Your Heater Down” with definite '60s
flavour, and a bit of jazzy jump blues style with
the last track “Fishing Hole Theme”, an instrumental
with Johnny Castle on upright bass driving the
others along.
I’ve been trying to pick
out a favourite track from the album, but it’s
really difficult with so many good ones – I’m going
to pick the Dylan track, “She Belongs To Me,”
because I love the original and to my mind the
Nighthawks have given it such a different flavour
that it’s not just a cover version, they’ve really
put their stamp on it.
--- Terry Clear