If you’re a blues fan, you’ve probably heard
discussions over the years about “Blues Royalty,”
and who would and wouldn’t be considered as such.
British bluesman Todd Sharpville is royalty, having
been born in one of the UK’s oldest, titled
aristocratic families. His father was the late
Viscount St. Davids (who sadly passed away during
the making of the album), and Sharpville is
considered the “Heir Presumptive” to the family
titles. As a 15 year old, Sharpville met Joe Louis
Walker, who served as a mentor to the youngster in
the art of becoming a blue performer.
Sharpville learned his lessons well, winning “Best
Guitarist” at the 1995 British Blues Awards, and
playing with such luminaries as Van Morrison, Mick
Taylor, Peter Green, Brian May, and the reformed
Yardbirds. However, in 2004, his personal life
crumbled as his marriage ended and he suffered a
nervous breakdown while trying to deal with the
separation from his two children. In 2008, he
resurfaced and appeared with Walker on JLW’s most
recent releases, and subsequently opened European
tours for Pink, Joe Cocker, and B.B. King.
Porchlight (MIG Music), Sharpville’s latest release,
is a two-disc set produced by Duke Robillard, who
was also producer of Walker’s Witness to the Blues
CD that Sharpville guested on. Recorded at
Robillard’s Rhode Island studio, Porchlight
apparently served as therapy for Sharpville, who
composed 14 of the 15 songs on the album,
many of which lay bare his personal issues of the
past few years.
Folks, you hear a lot of people sing the blues these
days, but not so many of them that have actually had
the blues. Rarely will you hear music as personal as
these tracks. “If Love is a Crime” addresses loving
the wrong woman. “Lousy Husband but a Real Good Dad”
pleads to keep the kids out of the grown-up problems
that marriage sometimes bring (and no doubt brought
to Sharpville, who waged a four-year court battle to
have contact with his children). Tracks like “Used,”
“Why Does It Rain,” “Busted In Pieces,” and “Old
Feeling” vividly convey hardship, loss, and even
depression. Delving into current events, “Can’t
Stand the Crook” is a pretty sound undressing of the
Bush Administration.
There are some more upbeat tunes as well, such as
the second-line driven “Everything Will Be Alright.”
“When The World’s Not Enough” is a darkly humorous
tune about a man who will “do anything for love.”
“When The Blues Come Callin’” is one of my
favorites, a slow blues that includes the line
“….when the blues come callin’, I know that you
ain’t far behind.”
“Whole Lotta Lady” sings the
praises of full-figured women and the lone cover on
the disc, Shel Silverstein’s slightly twisted “If
That Ain’t What Love Is,” is taken from the
perspective of an abusive spouse.
Sharpville’s vocals are raw, ragged, and heartfelt,
and you’ll understand why he earned that “Best
Guitarist” award. The backing band includes Bruce
Bears (keyboards), Jessie Williams (bass), Mark
Teixeira (drums), Doug James (baritone sax), Mike
Tucker (tenor sax), Scott Aruda (trumpet), and Carl
Querfurth (trombone). Robillard and Walker add
guitar to a couple of tracks and Kim Wilson blows
some mean harp on four tracks.
Hopefully, Todd Sharpville has his personal life
back where he wants it and can achieve the level of
popularity and recognition that he deserves. He’s
set the bar pretty high with Porchlight, as real a
blues album as you will hear this year.
--- Graham Clarke
There are very few mandolin players in the blues
genre, but Rich DelGrosso has been holding the line
successfully for years. Having garnered five Blues
Music Award nominations over the span of his career,
DelGrosso proudly carries on the blues mandolin
tradition started by such legends as Yank Rachell
and Johnny Young. Recently, DelGrosso teamed up with
another Houston-based guitarist, Jonn Del Toro
Richardson, for an exciting disc of Southeastern
Texas blues and roots music, Time Slips On By.
The album has 14 tracks, seven written by DelGrosso, six by Richardson, and one combined
effort, the driving boogie track, “Baby Do Wrong,”
which would be a smooth fit on the ZZ Top album of
your choice. DelGrosso’s songs lean more toward the
traditional side. On “Mandolin Man,” accompanied by
harmonica player Sonny Boy Terry, he gives a nod to
a few of his influences, Rachell, Young, and Charlie
McCoy. “Shotgun Blues” was inspired by Rachell, but
also mixes in a taunt horn section and some sweet
Albert Collins guitar from Richardson. “Hard To Live
With” is another standout, a laid-back
seven-minute-plus track that allows both men to
really stretch out.
Richardson’s songs include the supremely soulful
title track, which mixes in Stax-like horns and some
marvelous fretwork. “Katalin” is a lovely number
that features some smooth guitar from Richardson and
also adds Joel Guzman’s accordion for good measure.
“Where’s Laura” is a bouncy jazz instrumental, and
the easygoing tune, “Summertime Is Here,” reminds me
of the New Orleans group, the subdudes.
In addition to Guzman and Terry, DelGrosso and
Richardson are ably backed by Carl Owens (drums,
percussion), Ed Starkey (bass), Nick Connolly
(keyboards), and the Texas Horns (Mark “Kaz”
Kazanoff, John Mills, Al Gomez). Fiona Boyes also
lends a hand, contributing backing vocals to
DelGrosso’s “A Gig Is A Gig.”
Time Slips On By is a refreshing blend of blues and
roots music, with great songs and performances. For
music lovers who thought the mandolin was for
bluegrass only, prepare to be enlightened.
Hopefully, DelGrosso and Richardson will bless us
with additional releases in the future.
--- Graham Clarke
Joanne Shaw Taylor burst onto the worldwide blues
scene in 2009 with her stunning debut, White Sugar,
which garnered a Best New Artist Debut” nomination
at the 2010 Blues Music Awards. On that debut
effort, she blew listeners away with her scorching
guitar work and her smoky, sultry vocals. Taylor’s
sophomore release for Ruf Records, Diamonds in the
Dirt, is a worthy follow-up, offering another set of
powerful blues-rock.
Once again, producer Jim Gaines is behind the
controls and the same backing band is in support
(Steve Potts – drums, Dave Smith – bass, Rick Steff
– keyboards), but that doesn’t mean that Taylor is
running in place by any means. The opener, “Can’t
Keep Living Like This,” opens with a solo acoustic
guitar and a vulnerable vocal, but soon kicks into
high electrified gear. Taylor wrote all ten songs on
the disc and they include the torrid “Jump That
Train,” “Who Do You Love,” and “Lord Have Mercy.”
Tracks like “Let It Burn,” “Dead and Gone,” and
“World On Fire” allow Taylor to show an impressive
depth in her singing and playing.
The somber title track turns things down a notch and
seems to be almost autobiographical in its content,
showing a softer, more vulnerable side. While Taylor
seems to be fully arrived as a guitarist and singer,
her songwriting continues to improve and will only
get better with time.
It looks like Joanne Shaw Taylor has easily avoided
the sophomore jinx with this worthy follow-up.
Diamonds in the Dirt shows that she is continuing to
improve and develop. She will definitely be hearing
her name being called around Blues Music Awards
nomination time again.
--- Graham Clarke
Randy Stephens is a Nashville musicians who
currently plays guitar for Double Your Trouble, a
Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band. He’s been playing
guitar since his early teens, and has been playing
the blues since the mid ’80s, even placing runner-up
in the 2000 Jam With Kenny Wayne Shepherd Contest.
He’s also found time to record an album, called
American Guitar.
Recorded in Columbia, TN, the disc features 14
tracks, consisting of a mix of vocal and
instrumental tracks. The instrumentals are a diverse
set that should appeal to not only blues fans, but
also rock, pop,and jazz. Stephens is a versatile
guitarists, easily moving from genre to genre on
this collection. Highlights include “After the
Storm,” a poignant track dedicated to the city of
Nashville and the 2010 flood, the rousing “Guitar &
Saxes,” and “CJ,” dedicated to Stephens’ wife.
Stephens also acquits himself as a fine singer on
tracks like the topical “Tickets & Taxes,” “Take A
Train,” Keepin; It Real.” The slow blues “The Last
Letter” is a standout track, co-written by Stephens’
son, who plays drums on the album. There’s also a
foray into rap music with “Jack The Rapper,” with
vocals provided by Luke Jones.
Guitar fans will really enjoy this disc. A portion
of all CD sales will go to the
Sweet Relief
Musicians Fund. It doesn’t matter what style you
prefer, Randy Stephens can play them all. American
Guitar is an impressive and well-balanced collection
of mostly blues-based tracks. For more information
visit Stephens’
myspace site.
--- Graham Clarke
Big Shanty plays brash, blistering rock/blues that’s
been called “Death Metal Blues” and “Heavy Metal
Funk.” Since his breakthrough album, 2007’s Ride
with the Wind, his renegade brand of blues has been
reaching and converting music fans, who have tracked
down his previously releases on his label’s
website
and downloaded them over a million times. Despite
virtually no exposure from radio or media, the word
has spread.
Collection (King Mojo Records) should play a big
role in getting Big Shanty’s sound out to the
masses. It’s a two-disc, 19-track compilation
of all original material, featuring Shanty with a
potent list of guest stars, including Wet Willie
bass player Jack Hall, former Hydra guitarist
Spencer Kirkpatrick, guitarists Liz Melendez, Chris
Blackwell, and Col. Bruce Hampton.
Shanty wrote all of the tunes and they range from
straight blues/rock (“Whisky Woman,” “Born Up In
Trouble,” “100 Pound Hammer”) to dissertations on
current or recent events (“Uncle Sam Go To Rehab,”
“Killing Fields”) to funk/rock (“Kiss The Eight
Ball,” “Love Train”). Even the more laid-back tracks
(there are a few) like “Ride with the Wind” grab you
by the throat.
Big Shanty dominates the scene with his omnipresent
slide guitar and his growling vocals. The backing
musicians are incredible, particularly Scott
Robertson on drums, Ronnie Heath on bass, and all of
the lead guitarists. If you’ve never experienced the
force of nature that is Big Shanty, I strongly
recommend this awesome two-disc set as a jumping-off
point. Chances are that you will want to hear more.
--- Graham Clarke
If the words “power trio” were in the dictionary, it
would be accompanied by a picture of The Todd Wolfe
Band. With their latest release, Live (American Home
Entertainment), Wolfe and bandmates Roger Voss
(drums) and Suavek Zaniesienko (bass) show the
results of almost constant touring over the past two
years with one of the most impressive live
performances captured on disc in quite some time (a
DVD is also available).
Like many blues artists before him, Wolfe was first
enthralled by the musicians that were part of the
British Invasion of the ’60s, before he moved to the
blues artists that inspired his favorite guitarists.
He paid his dues for a number of years, plugging
away with various bands, opening for acts like Gregg Allman, Johnny Winter, Robin Trower, Dickey Betts,
and the Neville Brothers, before hooking up with
Sheryl Crow and serving as her guitarist for nearly
five years. After leaving Crow, Wolfe started over,
forming his own group, which he has fronted for ten
years.
Live is a dazzling set of original tunes, recorded
in Quakertown, PA last summer. If you were a fan of
the late ’60s blues/rock monsters like Mountain,
Cream, or even the Allman Brothers, this is the disc
for you. Some of the highlights include the
eight-minute-plus slow blues, “Cold Blue Night,”
“Beg Forgiveness,” a rocker which opens with a
classic Hubert Sumlin “Killin’ Floor” riff, and the
other-worldly “Gates of Heaven,” with Wolfe’s
shimmering lead guitar.
A pair of tunes steers toward the psychedelic days,
“Black Hearted Woman” and “Change Will Come,” while
the slow rocker “Silver Blue” sizzles. The closer,
“Shame,” is 14 minutes of blues/rock
heaven….the band doing what it does best, and it’s a
perfect send-off to a great disc.
Wolfe is dynamite on guitar, while Zaniesienko and
Voss are an incredibly tight rhythm section. They
also provide excellent background vocals on most of
the tracks. Blues rockers will absolutely have to
have this one in their collection. The Todd Wolfe
Band’s Live is as good a blues/rock disc as you will
hear this year.
--- Graham Clarke
Jook Joint Thunderclap (Naked Jaybird Music) is a
departure for singer/songwriter/guitarist John-Alex
Mason. For this release, the Colorado native has
brought in an amazingly diverse group of musicians
to contribute. Two of the late R.L. Burnside’s
grandchildren (drummer Cedric and singer/rapper
Cody), along with longtime collaborator Gerry Hundt
(guitar, harmonica, mandolin), Steve “Lightnin’”
Malcolm (guitar, bass), Lionel Young (fiddle, bass),
Andy Irvine (bass), and a trio from Guinea (Alya
Sylla – djembe, Fara Tolno- djembe, and Fasinet
Bangoura – balafon) give this release a modern,
multicultural approach.
As on his previous releases, Mason’s music takes in
the Delta blues, mixing in Hill Country, and gospel
music as well. The album is a mix of old blues
classics and some exciting new songs, such as the
blistering opening cut, “My Old Lonesome Home,” the
forlorn “More Than Wind,” and “Diamond Rain,” a
lively blues/country jaunt. The multicultural
influences abound on tracks like “Free,” which
features Mason in tandem with Tolno’s djembe, and an
impressive pair of tunes that feature Cody Burnside
rapping (the electric “Gone So Long” and “Riding
On,” which mixes Mason and Malcolm’s guitars,
Hundt’s harmonica, and the xylophone-like bolofone
and djembes).
The cover tunes may be familiar to most fans, but
Mason puts a fresh coat of paint on them as well.
“Rolled and Tumbled” is taken at a slow, sensuous
pace with Mason utilizing his one-man band rig to
perfection. “Signifying Monkey” has a slow, ominous,
swampy feel that’s pierced with Mason’s jagged slide
guitar. The Mississippi Fred McDowell standard,
“Write Me a Few of Your Lines,” is a highlight, with
Mason and Malcolm dueling on guitars with Hundt on
mandolin, all propelled by the fierce drumming of
Cedric Burnside.
Fans can also go to Mason’s
website and download
additional tracks to the album via Facebook,
Twitter, or email. Track “zero” is called “Delta
Bound (Prologue),” and it’s a exuberant track
singing the praises of the Mississippi Delta. The
other downloadable track is a fairly straight
interpretation of Robert Johnson’s “If You’ve Got A
Good Friend.”
Jook Joint Thunderclap shows that John-Alex Mason is
not afraid to take chances or try new things. It’s
his best release so far and hopefully, he will
continue his efforts to take his music, and
therefore the blues, into new and uncharted
territory.
--- Graham Clarke
San Francisco singer Lara Price came to America from
Vietnam as a two-week old baby in 1975 as part of
President Gerald Ford’s Operation Babylift, a
program designed to rescue infants orphaned or
abandoned because of the war. The plane carrying
Price crashed and many of the occupants were killed,
but she survived and was adopted by a military
family. She started singing at the age of 12.
Since the late ’90s, Price has been part of the San
Francisco music scene, focusing heavily on the blues
side of the aisle during most of that period. Her
latest release, the aptly titled Everything, is a
combination of styles that the singer grew up with
and loved, ranging from blues to jazz to pop to
soul.
Price moves smoothly through each style, whether
it’s the smooth Memphis soul of “One More Day” or a
sweaty version of the classic Bumps Blackwell R&B
tune, “Fever,” or a fiery take on Koko Taylor’s
“Voodoo Woman.” The John Prine standard, “Angel From
Montgomery,” gets a lovely acoustic treatment, and
Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me Till End of Love,” shows
Price is comfortable in the jazz mode as well. Price
is also top notch on a pop cover of the Beatles’
“Yesterday.”
Along the way, Price gets solid support from Marcia
Ball guitarist Mighty Mike Schermer, who co-wrote
three tracks. Everything shows that the sky’s the
limits for Lara Price. While the blues makes up the
biggest part of her music and style, she’s also a
force to be reckoned with in other genres as well.
--- Graham Clarke
Even though Macy Blackman was born in Delaware and
got his musical career started in New York, he
specialized in New Orleans R&B, dating back to the
mid ’70s, based on a friendship with New Orleans
drummer Charles “Hungry” Williams. He also worked as
a vocal and instrumental coach, taught music courses
at Berkeley, and worked as a jazz pianist. Around
mid-decade, he formed his band, the Mighty Fines,
and returned to his first love, New Orleans R&B.
Their second release, on Mamaru Records, is Don’t
You Just Know It.
The disc features Blackman’s renditions of 16
classic N.O. R&B sides, opening with Jimmy and
Jeannie Cheatham’s “Meet Me With Your Black Drawers
On,” though Blackman’s version is closer to the
Chuck Carbo version. Ernie K-Doe’s “Hello My Lover,”
one of many tracks that feature the wailing sax of
Nancy Wright. A swinging version of Amos Milburn’s
“Chicken Shack Boogie” follows.
Blackman also pays tribute to several other Crescent
City legends. There’s a pair of obscure Fats Domino
tunes (“Detroit City” and “Ain’t It Good”), Huey
“Piano” Smith (the title track and “Little Chickie
Wah-Wah”), Smiley Lewis (“Someday You’ll Want Me”),
and a pair of tunes associated with New Orleans’ Tan
Canary, Johnny Adams (“Roadblock,” featuring a vocal
by Wright, and “Imitation of Love,” written by Dr.
John and Doc Pomus).
Blackman is a masterful piano player and also plays
cornet. His distinctive vocals are perfectly suited
for this material. The Mighty Fines are just
that……mighty fine. In addition to Wright on tenor
sax, they include Jack Dorsey on drums, Bing Nathan
on bass and piano, and Ken “Snakebite” Jacobs on
baritone sax and clarinet. Kit Robberson plays bass
on one track.
If old school New Orleans rhythm and blues is your
bag, you’ll find that Don’t You Just Know It is a
disc worth checking out. Hats off to Macy Blackman
and The Mighty Fines for doing their part to keep
this great music alive.
--- Graham Clarke
While you might not have heard of
Paul Pigat,
chances are that you’ve heard him before. Over the
past few years, the Vancouver native has backed
artists like the Sojourners, Jim Byrnes, Jakob
Dylan, and Neko Case, contributing guitar work that
is the very epitome of roots music. At home playing
styles ranging from blues to jazz to rockabilly to
swing, Pigat is that rare artist who appeals to just
about every fan of good music. He recently released
two discs simultaneously on his own Little Pig
Records, one under his own name and the other under
his rockabilly hero guise of Cousin Harley. This
pair of recordings is as different as daylight and
dark.
Cousin Harley has been Pigat’s main project for over
ten years and his latest disc, It’s A Sin, is as
rough and rowdy a set of rockabilly as you heard in
a long time. Pigat and his band mates, Keith Picot
(bass) and Jesse Cahill (drums), work through this
stellar set like a well-oiled machine. Though
primarily a rockabilly album, there’s also some
pretty cool jump blues included (“She’s Comin’
Back,” “Swingin’ Like A Mofo,”), and even some wild
surf guitar thrown in on tracks like the title cut,
“The Ballad of El Swartho,” and “Spaghetti No
Sauce.” However, rockabilly rules the day with
standouts like “Conductor Man,” “Beaver Fever,
“Hoss’ Hoedown,” “I’ll Keep My Old Guitar,” and “Red
Hair Baby.” Pop this one in the stereo and you might
have problems removing it.
Boxcar Campfire is a whole different animal. There
are traces of country, blues, folk, and even some
old-timey jazz mixed together. Where the rockabilly
disc is a great way to let off steam and just let
loose, Boxcar Campfire is a more contemplative
release, with the focus more on the songs than the
music itself. Pigat really demonstrates his
incredible versatility on guitar and banjo. He wrote
most of the songs, and while they address most of
the familiar themes, they’re by no means familiar in
their lyrical content or delivery….mixing tunes
about love and heartbreak (“Nowhere Town,” “Troubled
Mind,” and “Johnny’s Poorly”) with more
light-hearted fare (“Corn Liquor,” “Sweet Tooth”).
He also adds a few standout covers by folks like
Hank Williams (“Lonesome Whistle”) and Billy Vera
(“Papa Come Quick”). Music like this is too good to
let slip by.
Simply put, if you call yourself a music lover,
especially a lover of American roots music, both of
these discs belong in your collection and will
provide many hours of listening pleasure.
--- Graham Clarke
You've Put Your Voodoo On Me is the debut album from
Bo Molasses, a refreshing blues band
from Marbella, the millionaire's playground, in the
South of Spain, and England.
The band comprises Paul Cufflin on electric and
acoustic
guitars / keyboards / bass / percussion / background vocals,
Chris Daffin with electric guitar, Sugarcane Grey
playing acoustic slide guitar, Chris Jackson on
drums/percussion and Bo on main vocals. It’s a very
interesting mix! Six of the songs off the album have already been
licensed by Hollywood music publishers Crucial Music
for use in various US film and TV project, which
gives you an idea of just how good this music is.
The CD opens with “Just Enough,” a slow ballad aimed
at a girl who fooled her lover, left and predictably
came back. The backing is nicely simplistic, with
some handclapping built in. Track two is “I Do
Believe My Time Is Coming,” and what a good track
this is. The music is moody, atmospheric and
foot-tapping good. It’s very much Mississippi
country blues flavour, even though it comes out of
Spain! This track put me a little in mind of early
Derek Trucks. My only criticism of the whole album
is, that if the band were mine, then I would have
made this track the opening one to really get
people’s attention.
Track three, “I Want You,” takes the tempo up
slightly, and it’s slightly less bluesy than the
preceding two tracks, but still very good. This one
runs into the title track “You’ve Put Your Voodoo On
Me,” and this one is another good, slow, moody,
blues. Just when you think that you’ve really got a
hold on how good this band is, up pops “You’re Gonna
Need Someone.” This brings the tempo back up just a
small notch and it has a slow, driving back beat
with some lovely guitar work laid over it,
supporting haunting vocals.
“Sara” brings the slide guitar much more to the
front, and it has a real catchy riff going behind
the vocal. It leads into “Stay With Me,” a track
with some great harmonica playing.
“I Know I’ve Had It Coming For So Long” keeps the
music moving along, this one sounds as though it
could easily be used as a movie soundtrack about the
Deep South. “Faith Healer” and “Won’t You Come See
About Me?” wrap the album up in similar style.
You've Put Your Voodoo On Me is an excellent debut CD from an accomplished
band and hopefully they’ll follow it with another
CD soon – maybe with some up-tempo numbers.
---
Terry Clear
Patrik Jansson Band (Sneaky Foot Records) is the debut CD from Swedish bluesman
Patrik
Jansson, and he supported by his band, comprising
Hening Axelsson on keyboards, Fredrik Hartelius on
drums and Per Enstedt playing the bass. I have to
admit at the start that I’ve never heard of any of
these guys before.
The CD was recorded in Stockholm, and it contains 10
original tracks written and arranged by Patrik
Jansson, with influences from Stevie Ray Vaughan,
John Mayall, ZZ Top and Joe Bonamassa. It opens with a
fast paced rocking blues, “That’s What I say,” which
showcases Jansson’s guitar work and it moves on at
the same pace with “I’ll Keep On Moving,” a track
with some clean keyboard playing by Axelsson.
“Just Move On” slows things down just a bit before a
song about a musician’s life on the road comes in –
“Hard Life On The Road” is a descriptive story about
touring with a band, and the fun and hardships that
are encountered.
Track five, “Separate Ways,” is a ballad sung with a
lot of feeling, with some nice gentle backing and it
leads nicely into a slow blues, “Please Tell Me,” a
song about a broken relationship.
Track seven is entitled “Instrumental,” and that’s
about as descriptive as it gets! It’s a medium/fast-
paced rocking blues with some Stevie Ray Vaughan
feel to it, courtesy of Jansson’s guitar work.
“Come Along For The Ride” is an invitation to a lady
to do just that – medium-paced with excellent guitar
work, and leading into the final two tracks
“Something Special” and “A Wonder Of Nature” – the
former is a real Stevie Ray Vaughan influenced
boogie shuffle track, and it possibly the best on
the album, while the latter is a nice ballad to
finish off the album.
The music is good; the only small criticism is that Jansson’s voice is a little flat – but, as he more
than makes up for it with this guitar work and his
song writing, this is a small point that can be
easily overlooked.
--- Terry Clear
Life is good for Kenny Neal these days. His
last disc, Let Life Flow, generated the song
of the year and marked Kenny’s return to the
business after taking time off to deal with a
serious medical issue. His zest for life continues
to show through on his new disc, Hooked On Your
Love, out on Blind Pig Records. Let’s give it a
spin.
“Hooked on Your Love” has to be written for Kenny’s
dear wife, Josi. And he tells her, “I’m hooked on
your love, your love is something to me…everything
my heart desires…and everything I need!” It’s great
to hear Kenny sound this happy, and Josi has
definitely had a positive influence on her man. In
our next tune, “Bitter With The Sweet,” Kenny lets
know that life is not always perfect. “Sometime it's
good…sometimes it’s bad…everything can stop…when
you’re moving too fast. Life ain’t always a bed of
roses…diamonds & pearls…champagne & toasting…got to
be strong…can’t be weak…we got to take…the bitter
with the sweet!” Faith seems to sustain Kenny these
days and he’s right, life’s not always fair, we have
to do what we can to get through.
Kenny’s childhood in the bayou rears its head in
“Down in the Swamp.” Kenny blows a mean harmonica
these days and the notes emanating from his harp
contribute to the voodoo feel. “She looks
good…swimming on the river bed…grandpa’s moonshine
go straight to your head…Mardi Gras brothers moved
in the backwoods…back on the bayou sure feels good!”
In O.V. Wright's soul classic “Blind, Crippled, or
Crazy” we find Kenny has had enough of the woman
he’s dealing with and ready to move on. “I’d rather
be blind, crippled, or crazy…somewhere…pushing up
daisies…then to let you…break my heart…all over
again!” Kenny’s had enough and he’s standing strong
in the face of all of his heartache.
On our next tune, the shoe is on the foot in “If
Walls Could Talk.” “If doors could tell…who turned
the knob…when he’s away…away on his job…ain’t you
glad…you ought to be glad that things can’t talk.”
His woman is obviously messing around behind his
back and Kenny sounds like he’s guilty of a few
transgressions as well. So for both their sakes,
“they ought to be glad…that things can’t talk!”
A very strong horn section surrounds Kenny as he
delves into “Things Have Got To Change.” “I’ve been
a lot of places…seen a lot of things…I’ve been a lot
of places…seen a lot of things….things have got to
change!” Children are walking in the street without
shoes, folks all around are suffering…things do
indeed got to change! Kenny continues to share
Josi’s impact on his life in “New Lease On Life.”
“When I go out…everybody know…she’s never at
home…where I go she goes…we’re one of a kind…quite a
pair…so much in love…we don’t have a care! I’m going
to start my life…all over again…I’ve got a new lease
on life…found a lover and a friend!” More horns and
Kenny’s telecaster lead the way on “Ain’t Nothing
You Can Do.” “A man can’t break a stone…he tries
another lick…iceman can’t break his ice…he buys
another pick…but when you got a heartache baby…there
ain’t nothing you can do!” Healing a broken heart
just takes time; there just isn’t another way to go
about feeling better.
More harmonica provides the introduction to “Old
Friends” and Kenny’s definitely on top of his game.
“An old friend…you ask me…if I miss her….like the
stars…miss the sky…and if I turn my back on
you…while we’re talking….it’s to wipe those tears
that I cry!” To Kenny’s way of thinking, there’s
only one true love in a lifetime and if you’re lucky
enough to find her, you’d better do your best to
hang on to her!
Lucky Peterson is backing Kenny on keyboards and
sets the mood for “Tell Me Why.” Something is up
with Kenny’s woman and he’s not sure what it is.
“Something’s strange going on in my home…tell me
why…tell me why…you’ve been in a daze for the last
few weeks…you look really nervous…tell me why!”
Kenny never does figure out what’s wrong and
eventually he just has to move on. A taste of Zydeco
heavily influences our next tune, ‘Voodoo Mama.”
“She point her finger…put a curse on you…have you
walking round…without a clue…that Voodoo Mama…you’d
better watch yourself before that Voodoo Mama voodoo
you!” Sounds like a very good woman to stay away
from.
“You Don’t Love Me” is the final cut on the disc and
finds Kenny realizing that she just doesn’t love him
anymore. “Go on babe…be on your merry way…you’re not
going to come home…it’s going to be too late!” Even
if she changes her mind, Kenny’s definitely had
enough with this one.
Hooked On Your Love is another very strong
disc from Kenny. I don’t know that it surpasses
Let It Flow in my personal pecking order of
Kenny Neal discs, but I enjoyed the listen and
appreciated the fact that my friend from the bayou
is doing what he does best --- putting out great
music for us to listen to and dance to.
--- Kyle Deibler
Debra Regur, the publicist for Blind Pig Records,
acknowledged Robin Roger’s influence and
support of her work for Blind Pig during her KBA
acceptance speech in Memphis. Debra’s words
resonated with a lot of us in the audience that
morning. Robin was a great friend; kind, caring,
compassionate. Always cheerful and quick with a word
of support, I enjoyed my conversation with her last
summer at the Fargo Blues Festival and, fortunately
for all of us, Robin left us a great disc as her
legacy. Back in the Fire is a disc she had
high hopes for and, safe to say, it met her
expectations!
Robin opens with a ballad, “Baby Bye-Bye,” lamenting
the current state of her relationship and its
inevitable ending. To Robin’s credit, she feels the
experience was of greater importance than all of her
friends' warnings in regard to the object of her
affection. “If you ever try to call me…if you ever
try to come around…don’t be surprised if you finally
realize….I’m not that little girl…that you once put
down! Bye Bye Baby…Bye Bye…you ain’t going to steal
my pride…a good scare is worth more than good
advice!”
“Second Time Around” finds Robin eager to prove her
love is real. “Let me love you…let me show you…it’s
going to be better…the second time around…I’ve got
real intentions baby…and I can’t slow down!” Robin’s
harp fills are solid and she feels this relationship
has too much time invested to just let it fade away.
The second time around will definitely be different!
In “You Don’t Know,” we find that Robin is cautious
in love and it takes time to really get to know her.
Robin’s been through a lot in her life and is
naturally suspicious of anyone’s intentions. “Never
been the kind that likes to shine or hold myself up
to high…feels better to rest here in the shadows and
let love pass me by…too many times I’ve been burned,
I’ve been hurt…kicked to the side…nobody seemed to
care if I lived or died.” Hopefully she found the
love and happiness she was looking for.
Mark Stalling’s beautiful keyboard work provides the
introduction for our next tune, “Need Your Love So
Bad.” “I need someone’s lips…to feel next to mine…I
need someone to stand up and tell me…am I wrong or
right…and when the lights are low…and it’s time to
go….oh I need your love so bad.” Just a really
beautiful ballad and one of my favorite cuts on the
disc. In “The Plan,” Robin is more than happy to
tell us that everything worked out the way she
wanted it to. “I got your love…and that’s all I
need…nobody moves me…the way you move me…I couldn’t
feel much better…even if I tried…you know that
everything is going as planned”. Robin blows a mean
harmonica and it’s a welcome presence next to Tony
Rogers guitar solo in this song.
Unfortunately Robin’s not perfect and she tells us
all about it in “I Know I Done Wrong.” “It feels too
good being bad…that’s why I’m telling you…I know I
done wrong…that’s why I’m writing you this song…I
come crawling back baby…crawling back home to you!”
At least she’s seen the error of her ways and
appreciates the good man back at home.
Up next is another slow ballad, “Ocean of Tears.”
“Won’t somebody please…save a drowning child…I’ve
been treated so bad by my lover…nobody knows my
problems and fears…every night I cry like a drowning
child…sleep in an ocean of tears.” Robin needs
saving and hopefully someone will rescue her from
the misery that she’s experiencing. Robin’s soulful
harmonica solo introduces us to the next song, one
about domestic abuse, “Don’t Walk Away Run.” Here
she’s giving advice to a good friend of hers. “I’m
sorry to hear…about the bruise on your face…you’ve
got to grab up those kids now…and get out of that
place…pack some things and head for the door…you
ain’t got to take it no more…leave him
tonight…before the morning sun…don’t walk away…run!”
An all too common scenario in our society, Robin’s
advice to her friend was spot on. No woman
regardless of circumstance needs to be struck by a
man. It was definitely time to go.
“Hittin’ on Nothin’” is a fun, playful tune by
Robin. “You can’t keep your sweet talk…keep your
lies…keep all of your promises…save that jive…you
ain’t hittin’ on nothing…unless you got something
for me!” Enough is enough, Robin is valuing
substance over style and it’s time for the man in
her life to stand up and deliver on his promises.
Robin’s got a brash attitude on this one and you
have to admire her stance.
We’re blessed with more of Robin’s soulful harmonica
during the intro to “Yesterday’s Blues.” “They say
time heals all wounds…and I hope it does so
soon…cause the pain is the same as it was…so long
ago!” “Yesterday’s Blues” features the most
harmonica playing by Robin of any cut on the disc;
she truly was a very talented woman.
Back in the Fire closes with a very upbeat
“What We Are Worth,” a tune about appreciation for
another human being. “If I fall to the bottom…would
you try and save me…would you leave me laying…lonely
and hurt…we all need somebody to reach out and touch
us…to hold us and hug us…tell us what we are worth!”
I think that more than any other tune on the disc,
“What We Are Worth” truly captures the essence of
Robin’s spirit and her compassion for those she
cared about.
The Blues world lost a very special woman on
December 17th, but she left behind a definitive disc
that I know she had high hopes for. Mission
accomplished, Robin. You can still order this disc
through Robin’s website,
www.robinrogers.com
---it's one disc we all should have in our
collections.
--- Kyle Deibler
It's not often that an independent, self-released CD
has me saying "Wow!" But Southern California pianist
Ron Tanski has done just that with his new
album, Dragged You Down. All 12 cuts are
Tanski originals, and he performs solo on all but
three of the numbers on the disk. With a voice that
sounds like it's conditioned by drinking rotgut
liquor and smoking unfiltered cigarettes, Tanski has
a style reminiscent of Tom Waits, although not as
dark and foreboding.
Dragged You Down starts strongly with a good
introduction to Tanski's abilities with the uptempo
"Marvelous Night For The Blues"; I especially like
the work of his left hand on the piano's lower keys.
The comparison to Tom Waits holds up on the gritty
tale "Corner Booth" and on the slow blues "Where
Were You When I Was Still Cheatin'."
Even the best gravelly-voiced singers start to wear
on my after a while, but Tanski changes the mood
with the only instrumental number, the frenetic
"Hurricane Boogie." For my money, it's the best cut
on the disk and leaves me wanting to hear more of
the same. He really is a very fine piano player, and
I look forward to a whole album of instrumentals
some day.
Another highlight is the slow number "Sun Don't
Shine," which comes two cuts after the instrumental
boogie woogie and provides a nice contrast to the
preceding songs; it's a blues but with a outlook
that better days are ahead. Closing the CD is a
tune, "Thank You," that sounds like it could have
come out of the Randy Newman songbook; Tanski's
piano playing here has a little bit of a gospel feel
to it.
Dragged You Down is a real surprise, and I
look forward to hearing more from Mr. Tanski. Check
his
website for more info on how to find this CD or
to find out where he's playing,
--- Bill Mitchell
I could barely believe what I was reading when I
received an email from a publicist requesting a
review of a new blues CD from Bill Mumy ---
yes, one and the same as Billy Mumy, child actor who
during the 1960s starred in "Lost In Space" (those
of us that were regular TV watchers have the iconic
line, "Danger, Will Robinson," permanently etched in
our childhood memories), and other shows dating back
to a 1958 appearance on "Romper Room."
Of course I said, "Yes, please send the CD to me!" Mumy's latest disk, Glorious
In Defeat (Global
Recording Artists), arrived in the mail a few weeks
later.
A visit to Mumy's website (www.billmumy.com)
updates us on what he's been doing lately as he
commemorates the 52nd anniversary of his
professional acting career. In the past he's hosted an internet
radio show, exploring "the past and present of
modern music." He's also recorded quite frequently over
the years, with Glorious In Defeat being his
12th album.
Enough about Mumy's past ... let's talk about
whether the man can play and sing the blues.
Mumy is a one-band band on Glorious In Defeat,
playing guitar, keyboards, harmonica and drums as
well as doing the vocals. All songs are original
compositions, except for a version of Robert
Johnson's "Love In Vain Blues." The problem is that
he really doesn't do any of it very well. He's a
rudimentary guitar player and a passable piano
player, but Mumy's instrumental work far surpasses
his vocals which lack range and projection.
The best cut is the aforementioned Robert Johnson
cover, although Mumy's limitations on guitar are
exposed in comparison to the multitude of other
versions of this song. But his singing is a bit more
tolerable here than on his original numbers.
There's really nothing to recommend about
Glorious In Defeat, not even as a novelty piece.
--- Bill Mitchell
