I first became aware of
Minnesota-based singer / multi-instrumentalist
Joyann Parker three years ago when I
reviewed her outstanding second album,
Hard To Love. Since then I've eagerly
awaited another release from the versatile Ms.
Parker, and my patience has been rewarded with
her even better third album, Out Of The Dark
(Hopeless Romantics Records). She continues to
show major label potential, and I'm surprised
that one of the bigger record companies in the
blues biz hasn't scooped her up yet. But it
doesn't matter as long as she keeps releasing
recordings as good as Out Of The Dark.
Parker reveals so many different
personalities throughout the album that makes
one think that her life could be the basis for a
psychological thriller of a movie, but instead
it makes for an extremely diverse yet very high
quality set of music. From one song to the next,
she can be suave, sultry, sassy, tortured or
sensitive, with each emotion coming out in the
11 songs that were all co-written by Parker and
guitarist Mark Lamoine.
One of the better cuts is when
this girl from the upper Midwest heads to New
Orleans, leaving her regular man behind to find
a "DIrty Rotten Guy." She sings, "...I'm tired
of that good, clean living, I'm going to have
some fun, tonight I'm going to hit the town and
have some fun ...," going on to say that she's
going to find a no-good, lowdown, dirty rotten
guy with muscles but not the brains that she
usually tries to find. Dave Budimir's trombone
player gives this song the requisite French
Quarter jazzy vibe while Tim Wick comes in with
just the right piano sound. Parker sticks to a
similar theme with sassy vocals on "Come On Baby
(Take Me Dancing)," as she urges her man to get
out of the house and take her out on the town.
This one's got some of her strongest vocals,
complemented by hot guitar from Lamoine and sax
honking from Rich Manik.
We hear a swampier sound on
"Either Way," with Lamoine starting this slower,
subtler ballad with eerie acoustic slide playing
before Parker comes in with soulful vocals that
soar through the octaves later in the song. The
same effect is heard on the album closer, the
slow ballad, "Out Of The Dark," with the
classically-trained Parker showing her skills on
the piano. She also handles the keyboards on the
up-tempo "What Did You Expect," with the sass in
her voice coming out again when her man was
expecting more out of the relationship than she
was able to give. Lamoine frames Parker's vocals
with plenty of good guitar work in the
background.
Parker comes in with
inspirational vocals on "Carry On," also picking
up the guitar on this number. Either she or
Lamoine contribute some interesting guitar
effects, with this song being an interesting mix
of rock and gospel sounds. Parker brings in
lyrics from the Book of Isaiah, singing,
"...When the devil is coming for you, carry on,
child, carry on ..." "Carry On" is the first
single from the album, and it's a good choice.
"Fool For You" presents Parker
in more of rockabilly frame of mind, where she
again picks up the guitar for this fast-moving
number on which she sings about being a fool for
loving a man who loves somebody else. The other
tune with Parker doubling up on guitar is
another rapid-paced number, "Hit Me Like A
Train," with Wick really shining on the piano.
"Bad Version Of Myself" is
Parker's song of redemption, getting a little
funky at times and with the right R&B vibe
coming from Rory Hoffman's harmonica work
sounding a lot like that of Stevie Wonder.
"Predator" starts with kind of a Latin jazz mood
as Parker sings about the bad man who is looking
for his next love victim. Accentuating this
number is Dave Foley's subtle muted trumpet and
Wick's keyboard playing.
Perhaps Out Of The Dark
will be the album that propels Parker to blues
stardom. Regardless, she's got a good future
ahead of her as long as she continues to record
high quality music like this. Highly
recommended.
--- Bill Mitchell
One
of the goals for my recently-launched Blues
Bytes Radio show is to give exposure to the many
young blues artists emerging on the scene today.
One such artist is Boston area piano player
Veronica Lewis, still only 17-years-old. Her
debut album, You Ain't Unlucky (Blue
Heart Records), is fabulous, showing a
preternatural talent with the chance to become a
star in the music business. I described her
music to my radio audience as 75% Blues and 25%
rockabilly, although the photo of her on the
album cover leans much heavier to the latter
than the former. With only eight cuts here the
running time is a bit shorter than most albums,
but the quality is high throughout. With the
only backing instruments being drums and sax,
the emphasis really is on Lewis' piano playing,
and she doesn't let us down.
Lewis takes us to New Orleans
right from the start, pounding away on the keys
on her original composition, "You Ain't
Unlucky." Her pleasant voice soars through the
octaves as she seeks to inspire the listeners by
singing lines like, "...Every cherry has a pit,
inside the pit is a whole 'nother tree ..." and
"... I know it's raining, but why do you need to
feel so sad ..." I hear a lot of Professor
Longhair in her piano playing on this number,
and later there's a nice back-and-forth staccato
duel with sax player Don Davis, while drummer
Mike Walsh provides the appropriate Crescent
City beat. Lewis amps up the tempo on another
original, the boogie woogie 12-bar blues,
"Clarksdale Sun." Her vocals get a bit
breathless at times as she is pounding away on
the keys. Be sure to recharge your pacemaker
before listening to this rollicking number.
Continuing to show her very
strong songwriting skills, Lewis excels on the
mid-tempo blues shuffle, "Put Your Wig on Mama,"
proudly announcing, "... Put your wig on mama, I ain't frying no chicken tonight ..." Up next is
the first cover song of the album, and quite
frankly it might be the best cut here with Lewis
doing a slightly slower version of Louis
Jordan's classic, "Is You is My Baby." We get to
hear some of her best vocal work as well as
strong piano playing, while Davis comes in with
a very nice sax solo. I believe Mr. Jordan would
smile if he could hear this version of one of
his most popular songs from the 1940s. I could
listen to this one over and over, and I probably
will keep doing so.
Back to Lewis' original songs,
up next is an up-tempo 12-bar blues, "Fool Me
Twice," although she's very adept at changing
the tempo at times for effect. A different pair
of musicians back Lewis on her version of Katie
Webster's "Whoo Whee Sweet Daddy," with Joel
Edinberg leads with a strong sax solo and Chris
Anzlalone lays down a steady drum beat. Lewis
shows impressive vocal range on this one while
pounding out the 88s on this boogie woogie
number.
I repeatedly scoured the liner
notes and media release for a mention that Ms.
Lewis was descended from Jerry Lee Lewis, not
just for the last name but also for the
similarity in her piano playing to the man known
as the Killer. But apparently there's no
connection other than the influence that she
shows on her fast-paced instrumental tribute,
"Ode to Jerry Lee." She's obviously summoning
some kind of energy from Jerry Lee as we hear
perhaps her best piano work.
Closing this eye-opening album
is another original number, "The Memphis Train,"
keeping the tempo of a fast-moving locomotive
down the tracks as she rides along with all of
her piano heroes, with her voice taking on more
of a rockabilly tinge. It's a fine ending to
Lewis' debut album.
I remind you once more that Ms.
Lewis was just 17 when she recorded this album.
I can't wait to hear what's next for her. In the
meantime, You Ain't Unlucky is going to
get regular spins from me.
--- Bill Mitchell
I
realize that the music of Belgian blues
guitarist / singer / songwriter Ghalia Volt
may not be for everyone, but I sure dig her
'blues with an attitude' that sometimes has been
labeled as punk blues. Her voice carries more of
a Rockabilly flair to it and her guitar playing
contains a high amount of fuzz and distortion.
But underneath that layer, it's some pretty
heavy straight blues.
For her third album, Ghalia
skipped the idea of having a full backing band,
instead playing a kick snare and hi-hit cymbal,
plus a tambourine with her two feet, all while
playing guitar and singing. Thus her latest
album is appropriately named One Woman Band
(Ruf Records), with only a few guests added on
three of the cuts. For songwriting inspiration,
Ghalia took a cross-country train trip across
the United States and came up with ideas by
watching the scenery outside the windows of the
Amtrak passenger train. Once she had all of her
ideas down, Ghalia headed into the legendary
Royal Sound Studios in Memphis to lay down these
11 songs mostly on a single track.
Each of the 11 cuts on One
Woman Band are Ghalia originals, with the
exception of her rendition of Tampa Red's "It
Hurts Me Too," done with heavily distorted
guitar and slide parts mixed loud to hit the
listener right between the eyes. Ghalia's
version of this classic blues song defines what
she's all about --- taking the traditions and
giving it her own punch in the face,
respectfully, of course.
The opening song, "Last Minute
Packer," a 12-bar blues with plenty of
Rockabilly attitude, was likely written at the
beginning of her train travels as she offers her
travel advisory: "...I'm a last minute packer, I
wait 'til the morning after when packing is more
fun ...," adding, "... When I arise I like a
clear head, spread myself all over the bed ..."
It's obvious that Ghalia passed through Arizona
during the summer on her trip, as she sings n
"Espiritu Papago" about melting in the desert on
a hot summer day, while playing mean slide
guitar. Dean Zucchero adds bass guitar on this
one.
"Evil Thoughts" is another
strong cut, a catchy, nasty mid-tempo blues
shuffle singing about the evil thoughts brought
on by her loneliness. I suspect those feelings
came on somewhere along the way on her long
trip. Monster Mike Welch helps out by
contributing a killer blues guitar solo. Welch
and Zucchero both return for the very energetic
and up-tempo blues, "Just One More Time."
One of Ghalia's best
performances comes when she lays down some
killer Elmore James-style guitar riffs to start
the mid-tempo "Reap What You Sow," albeit with
more distortion than Elmo added to his sound.
She again summons her inner Elmore on the
in-your-face blues, "Bad Apple," with the volume
raised for the proper effect as she sings about
the boy that learned all of the wrong lessons
from his father.
Ghalia's guitar playing is much
cleaner on the stop-time blues number, "Loving
Me Is A Full-Time Job," as she lays out the
expectations for her man, even telling him to
put on an apron and let her be his patron. This
one starts out with a slow tempo before turning
into a more raucous up-tempo stomper. Ghalia
does the same type of mid-song changeup on the
up-tempo "It Ain't Bad," moving to a stop-time
beat at times.
Ghalia Volt takes blues into a
different world, and it's one that I enjoy
exploring. The next time she decides to take a
train trip through Arizona, I hope that I'll be
at the station just hoping for a wave through
the window as the train passes by. Even better,
here's hoping she stops off for a show at one of
our local blues establishments.
--- Bill Mitchell
Skylar
Rogers comes by her blues naturally, with
the release notes to her latest album crediting
the fact that she was born and raised in some of
Chicago's toughest neighborhoods. She was
homeless for a while and survived some abusive relationships.This woman is entitled to sing the
blues, and we hear plenty of it on her
self-released album, Firebreather.
This is a collection of ten decent
Chicago-style blues songs, all co-written by
Rogers. The backing musicians complement her
vocals more than overwhelm them, only
occasionally stepping up for a notable solo.
It's a solid unit that gives Rogers plenty of
room to get her point across.
Rogers shows off her powerful vocal chops
right away on the 12-bar blues, "Hard Headed
Woman," which, judging from what I've read about
her is likely an autobiographical number. The
strongest cut here is the slow blues,
"Thankful," with Rogers' voice soaring with
emotion while Pete Zimmer lays down a solid bed
on the B3. "Movin' On" takes it to church with a
gospel-style chorus singing and clapping hands
behind Rogers.
"Back To Memphis" is pretty straight Chicago
blues, with fine guitar work from Marty Gibson
and Steven J. Hill. Also very interesting is the
slow, soulful blues, "Drowning," with shouting
vocals from Rogers and plenty of heavy guitar
coming after Zimmer lays down the foundation
with a subtle Freebird-style piano intro.
Firebreather is a nice introduction to
the blues of Skylar Rogers. I look forward to
hearing more as her career advances.
--- Bill Mitchell
The
cats at Wolf Records in Austria have been
tirelessly releasing just about every bit of
music that's come their way, with the latest
album consisting of 1990 to 2010 recordings by
American band King Bees. What's
distinctive about this collection, King Bees
Featuring The Greatest Blues Stars, is that
the 11 cuts feature the King Bees, led by very
fine guitarist Rob Baskerville and bass player /
singer Penny Zamagni, backing a mixture of
various American blues artists over the years.
It's not an essential collection, as the guest
artists all released better recordings in their
lifetimes, but it's still nice to have more
material from Jerry McCain, Carey Bell, Beverly
"Guitar" Watkins, Chick Willis, Nappy Brown,
Chicago Bob Nelson, and Neal Pattman.
The King Bees gang gives their
guests plenty of room to star, unlike some
similar collections I've heard in which the
supporting band wants to have as big of a role
as the guest stars. Baskerville throws in some
very good guitar licks throughout the album, but
it's all about the stars of the show here. I'm
especially pleased for the one cut featuring
Watkins, "Beverly's Guitar Blues," because there
just isn't enough of a recorded legacy by her.
Chicago Bob was also woefully
under recorded in his lifetime. On this album
we're treated to his Excello-style harmonica and
vocals heard on "Quit You Pretty Baby" and "Goin'
In The Valley." I didn't recall how much he
sounded similar to Slim Harpo before hearing
these two recordings. Jerry McCain also shows up
on two cuts, most notably a fine live recording
of "Noccalula Boogie." The live version of Neal
Pattman's "Black Rat" is also a gem, a fine
example of Southern country blues harmonica. We
heard plenty from Carey Bell during his
lifetime, but "What Mama Told Me" is a nice
addition to his vast catalog. Bell also plays
harp behind Zamagni's powerful vocals on
"Alcohol and Blues." Finally, any chance to hear
one more song from the late great Nappy Brown is
appreciated, and he doesn't disappoint with a
feisty live version of "Natchez Burning."
This album is worth picking up
just to hear all of these great artists one more
time, and it will hopefully compel the listener
to investigate more recordings by these dear
departed blues legends.
--- Bill Mitchell
Johnny
Burgin has released an appropriate single
just in time for Valentine's Day with the
original slow blues, "Cherry On Top." The icing
on this piece of cake comes from Burgin's
pairing on guitar with the great Anson Funderburgh, the first time these two artists
have worked together. It's a love song that was
written in the van as Burgin's band traveled
around back in the pre-pandemic days when
musicians could actually play gigs in various
locales. As expected, there's plenty of hot
guitar licks from these two masters. It may be a
love song to Burgin's woman, but for the rest of
us we'll get off by listening to these cats
playing their axes.
--- Bill Mitchell
I never quite know what to expect when I happen
upon a new Reverend Freakchild album, but I
always know that it’s going to be worth hearing
and will be unlike anything else I happen to be
listening to at the time. The Bodhisattva Blues
(Treated And Released Records) matches up
perfectly with that outlook as the good Rev
revives, resurrects, and reconstructs a set of
classic blues and rock tunes from a group of
artists ranging from Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed,
Willie Dixon, the Beatles, and the Grateful Dead
(the Reverend is a longtime disciple of the
Dead).
The Reverend opens the disc with the Buddhist
mantra, “Om Mani Padme Hum,” which manages to
weave its way into a gutbucket read of Waters’
“I Can’t Be Satisfied,” merging with
Freakchild’s feral growl, slippery slide guitar
and drummer Chris Parker’s torrid backbeat.
Reed’s “Big Boss Man” gets a funked-up, loping
reworking with an old school harmonica solo from
Hugh Pool, and “Little Red Rooster” features
acoustic slide guitar from the Reverend and
splendid work from Scott “Shack” Hackler on
piano.
Next are covers of three tunes associated with
the Grateful Dead. The Reverend’s cover of
“Friend of the Devil” hews pretty close to the
Dead’s original and serves as a nice tribute to
the band, while “I Know You Rider,” an
oft-covered tune associated with Blind Lemon
Jefferson that was part of the repertoire of the
Dead and Hot Tuna’s live shows, gets a lively
reworking that retains the spirit of both band’s
versions. “Black Peter,” penned by Jerry Garcia
and Robert Hunter,” is similar in tone to the
Workingman’s Dead version, but I really like the
Reverend’s somber vocal and the spacious musical
accompaniment.
There are also two songs from John Lennon’s
catalog as well, a down and dirty version of
“Yer Blues,” with wailing harp from Pool and
gritty guitar work, pushed by Melvin Seals’
lively keyboards and Chris Parker’s drums,
followed by a cool reinvention of “Imagine” into
a soulful ballad. The Reverend’s vocals often
reminded me of Lou Reed on previous albums, but
this whole song reminds me of a ’70s-era Reed
composition.
The poignant “Sweet Sweet You” is the album’s
lone original song, and it originally appeared
on the Reverend’s 2010 album, God Shaped Hole.
It pays tribute to many of his favorite departed
blues and rock heroes, including the late Drew Glackin, who’s actually playing the haunting lap
steel guitar heard in the background. The
Reverend Freakchild covers the Reverend Gary
Davis’ “Death Has No Mercy,” playing acoustic
slide guitar while joined by Jay Collins on
flute for a most unique rendition, before
closing out with a live a cappella version of
the traditional “And We Bid You Goodnight” (both
songs were also part of the Dead’s repertoire).
I have seriously enjoyed every previous effort
from Reverend Freakchild that I’ve had the
pleasure to hear, but I have to say without
reservation that The Bodhisattva Blues is my
favorite of them all --- until the next one, I’m
sure. I think anyone who listens to this one
will be anxiously awaiting the next one as well.
--- Graham Clarke
As I’ve said before, I always look forward to a
new release from Texas guitarist Steve Howell.
Not only do you get a collection of
wonderfully-played guitar, but you also are
exposed to an outstanding set of tunes that you
probably never would have heard otherwise, which
in my case, often leads me to dig deeper into
the catalogs of the artists who originated the
songs, or explore the genre from which he pulled
the songs.
This is not to say that his own songs aren’t
always first-rate, but in the case of Long Ago
(Out of the Past Music), his latest
collaboration with jazz session guitarist
extraordinaire Dan Sumner and longtime musical
partner Jason Weinheimer, Howell digs deeply
into the Great American Songbook and pulls out
one gem after another, 11 tracks spanning a
host of musical genres. The result is a warm,
relaxing set of standards featuring lovely
guitar work with Howell’s smooth and soothing
vocals.
The set list includes the 1920 classic “Singin’
The Blues,” a gently swinging tune with a lot of
history that was inducted in the Grammy Hall of
Fame back in the late ’70s. 1946’s “Angel Eyes”
was singer Ella Fitzgerald’s favorite song (she
recorded it four times over her long career) and
Howell mixes a little bit of Ms. Fitzgerald’s
soft mellow version with Frank Sinatra’s later
cover and picks up the pace a bit as the song
goes. Percy Mayfield’s “Please Send Me Someone
To Love” is a more familiar song for blues fans,
and Howell’s version is a nice tribute to the
legendary songwriter.
Duke Ellington’s “Do Nothing ‘Til You Hear From
Me,” a hit in 1944. gets a sweet
interpretation from Howell, Sumner, and Weinheimer, and Horace Silver’s “Song For My
Father,” another recognizable tune that’s been
covered by a variety of artists, gets a moving
reading by Howell, honoring his dad. “Dindi,” a
bossa nova standard previously recorded by
Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim, is presented
as a light, jazzy instrumental. “Nothin’ But
The Blues,” a late ’30s Ellington tune recorded
by Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, and Sarah Vaughan (Robben
Ford did a wonderful version back in the late
’80s), is highlighted by smooth guitar
interplay.
Dave Frishberg (who penned the music and lyrics
for “I’m Just A Bill,” from Schoolhouse Rock)
wrote the humorous “Z’s,” and Howell has a good
time singing this one. The upbeat “Bei Mir Bist
Du Schoen” is also a lot of fun, which is
probably appropriate since it was originally
written for a Yiddish comedy musical in the
early ’30s (lyrics added by Sammy Cahn a few
years later), and the album closes with “I
Remember April,” a wonderful instrumental, and a
heartfelt read of Johnny Mercer’s “I Thought
About You,” another song recorded by Sinatra.
In the liner notes, Howell provides
indispensable background information on each of
the songs, which is something that music lovers
should appreciate him taking the time and effort
to do. Despite the title Long Ago, Steve Howell,
Dan Sumner, and Jason Weinheimer breathe brand
new life into these classic tracks and,
thankfully, make them completely accessible to a
brand new audience many years later.
--- Graham Clarke
Crystal Shawanda continues to prove that her
transition from country music to the blues was a
great decision for blues fans with her second
release, Church House Blues (True North
Records). Joined by her husband, guitarist
Dwayne Strobel (who also produced), drummers
Louis Winfield and Darren James, bassists Dave
Roe, Michael Dearing, Jonathan Dixon, and Hinkie
Hamilton, keyboardists Peter Keys and Jesse
O’Brien, saxophonist Dana Robbins and Miqui
Guitierez, harmonica player Stephen Hanner, and
a group of backing vocalists that includes the
McCrary Sisters, Angela Hurt, KG Green, and
Quisha Hunt, Shawanda turns in a sterling
ten-song set.
The rousing title track opens the disc, a blues
rocker blurring the secular and spiritual that
highlights Shawanda’s powerful vocals and
Strobel’s guitar backing. The slow burning
ballad “Evil Memory” (from The Beat Daddy’s
Tommy Stillwell and Larry Grisham) follows and
Shawanda’s “whisper to a scream” capabilities
are front and center and Strobel’s guitar work
is sublime (Stillwell also contributes guitar on
this track). “Move Me” has a funky, swampy feel,
and the feisty shuffle “Rather Be Alone” finds
Shawanda concluding a rocky romance, while “When
It Comes To Love” finds the singer deftly mixing
country and soul, and it might be the best tune
on the disc.
“Hey Love,” co-written by Shawanda and Strobel
with Nashville songsmith David Norris, is a
wonderful throwback to late ’50s/early ’60s
soul/pop, complete with superb backing vocals
complementing the singer’s tender-but-tough
approach. “Blame It On The Sugar” is a rumbling,
Latin-tinged track, and “Bigger Than The Blues”
confirms that Shawanda shifted her musical focus
in the right direction. “I Can’t Take It” is a
splendid blues ballad with a strong gospel
flavor via the vocals, the hand claps, and the
sparkling guitar work. The closer, “New
Orleans Is Sinking,” was originally recorded by
the Tragically Hip. Shawanda blows it out of the
water, transforming the song into a stirring
country blues.
Shawanda’s previous effort, VooDoo Woman, was
quite impressive, but with Church House Blues,
she shows that she has grown as a songwriter and
a performer in the blues vernacular. She’s
easily among the upper echelon of blues vocalists
even at this early stage of her career. It will
be interesting to watch her develop even
further.
--- Graham Clarke
When I started listening to the blues some 35
years ago, one of the first bands that I heard
was The Nighthawks. At that time, the band had
been on the scene for about 14 years. Next
year, the Hawks--- founding member Mark Wenner
(harmonica/vocals), Mark Stutso (drums/vocals)
and new members Dan Hovey (guitar/vocals) and
Paul Pisciotta (bass/vocals) --- will celebrate
their 50th anniversary sounding just as great as
they ever have. Their latest release, Tryin’ To
Get To You (EllerSoul Records), is the band’s
31st release, and it shows the band hasn’t lost
an inch off their fastball.
The new album features a baker’s dozen tracks,
four originals (two written by Hovey, two by
Stutso with Norman Nardini) and a great set of
cover tunes covering a wide range of genres. The
easy mid-tempo shuffle, “Come Love,” courtesy of
Jimmy Reed’s catalog, kicks off the disc in
rousing fashion as Wenner’s vocals and harp are
as strong as they were nearly 50 years ago.
T-Bone Walker’s jumping “I Know Your Wig Is
Gone” is next, striking a tasty groove. The group turns James Brown’s “Tell Me What I
Did Wrong” into a hard-charging rocker.
Meanwhile, the title track has a country feel
that works really well.
Hovey wrote the lively “Baby It’s Time,” which
has a jazzy flair courtesy of his sparkling
fretwork, while Stutso and Nardini contributed
the funky “I Hate A Nickel” and the jaunty
“Somethin’s Cookin’.” Hank Ballard’s “Rain Down
Tears” is a splendid slow burner, and “Searchin’
For My Baby,” an old school R&B hit from the
Manhattans, is a great fit for the band. Another
pair of keepers is a tasty version of Los Lobos’
’80s hit, “Don’t Worry Baby,” which rocks as hard
as the original version, and a fun take of Roy
Hall’s “Luscious.”
“Chairman Of The Board,” originally recorded by
the band of the same name for Motown, is
effectively restructured into a churning Muddy
Water-esque blues that will satisfy even the
most diehard blues fan. Hovey also wrote the
closer, “The Cheap Stuff,” a downhome acoustic
blues that wraps things up nicely.
Tryin’ To Get To You is another fantastic
addition to the ever-growing catalog of
Nighthawks albums. I don’t see any reason why
they couldn’t keep doing this for another 50
years.
--- Graham Clarke
The Last Of The Boogiemen, from Kentucky-based
Rusty Ends & Hillbilly Boogie, is an intriguing
affair. Rusty Ends worked his way up the music
circuit backing the Shirelles, the Drifters, the
Marvelettes, Bobby Lewis, the Coasters, and the
Little River Band. He’s also recorded with Kelly
Richey, Robbie Bartlett, Wayne Young, and Eddie
Kirkland. Over the years, he has honed a unique
sound combining blues, soul, country, and
rockabilly that he calls Hillbilly Hoo Doo. Ends
(vocals and guitar) fronts a formidable trio
(Uncle Dave Zirnheld – bass, background vocals,
Gene Wickliffe – drums, with Gary Falk guesting
on tenor sax) that obviously share his musical
vision on these 12 original tracks.
Ends sings the praises of “Cheap Wine” on the
swinging opener while lamenting that’s not as
cheap as it once was. The band keeps the
momentum rolling on the jumping instrumental,
“Unholy Roller,” before getting down in the swamp
with the funky “Hillbilly Hoodoo.” “I Forgot To
Say I Love You” is a soulful, after-hours ballad
that allows the band to change the pace a bit
before they tear into “Rockabilly Boogie #1003”
and “Cottonmouth Rock” with vim and vigor.
The atmospheric noir rocker, “Stiletto Heels and
Fishnet Hose,” is a really cool track with
impressive, shimmering guitar from Ends, and
“Let Me Cross Your Mind” sounds like vintage
rock n’ roll. “We Love Our Way Through The
Blues” is a great slow burner with great
fretwork (Ends refers to it as “like Otis
Montgomery,” combining Otis Rush and Wes
Montgomery), and “Bob Wills Played The Blues” is
a fine tribute to the legendary King of Western
Swing. Ends reminisces about the band’s old days
on “Midnight Angels,” a story about some
interesting characters encountered, and wraps up
events with the silky smooth instrumental
“Sinners Strut.”
The Last Of The Boogiemen is a fun romp through
a variety of music styles, all of which will
appeal to blues fans. Rusty Ends & Hillbilly
Hoodoo navigate through the myriad genres with
ease and make this fine effort recommended
listening.
--- Graham Clarke
Scott Ellison’s latest release,
Skyline Drive
(Red Parlor Records), finds the Tulsa native
doing what he does best, working through a fine
set of his appealing blues and rock originals.
Collaborating with Ellison is another Tulsa
resident, Chris Campbell, who also contributes
vocals on several tracks, and a host of
musicians who prove their worth in a variety of
musical styles (blues, rock, soul, with a touch
of jazz) and settings on this outstanding
12-song set.
The opener, “I’m Missing You,” has a swampy Gulf
Coast quality in its rhythm, and Ellison’s snaky
guitar slips in and out. The moody title track
is a jazz-flavored shuffle, and “Something About
You” is a searing mix of blues and rock.
“Obsession” is a cool blues shuffle (backed by
David Bernston on harmonica), and “Coming Down
From Loving You” mixes a little funk into the
works. Ellison and band rip through the boogie
rock and roller, “All Wound Up,” before going
acoustic with the country blues, “Woman’s Got A
Hold On Me.”
The likable “Perfect For You” borrows a bit of
the irresistible Magic Sam riff with fun
results, and “Breathe Underwater” has a smooth
retro-pop feel with its acoustic/electric guitar
combination. Meanwhile, Ellison does a great job
with “These Blues Got A Hold On Me,” a fine slow
blues that provides a great showcase for his
gritty vocals and stinging fretwork. On the
rousing “Overwhelmed” he breaks out the slide
with stellar results. The closer, “Lonely In
Love,” is a supple blues ballad with a lot of
soul.
Scott Ellison always delivers a great set of
blues and rock-based blues that satisfies.
Skyline Drive is another fine addition to his
impressive catalog.
--- Graham Clarke
Australian singer/guitarist
Charlie Bedford has
performed at the I.B.C. Youth Showcase in 2017 –
2019, returning to Memphis in 2020 to perform in
Nashville and Muscle Shoals, and earning a
distribution deal from Blue Heart Records to
release his second album, Good To Go. The
19-year-old began performing at age 12, and
currently fronts his own band while serving as
guitarist for two bands, The Great Unknown and
The New Savages. Bedford’s brand of blues mixes
in healthy doses of pop, rock, and funk, while
still retaining some of the gritty edge, so
these 12 tracks should appeal to older and
younger blues fans.
The funky “Money Junkie” opens the disc, mixing
an edgy groove with catchy lyrics and a crisp
guitar solo. “Honey” is another upbeat tune
with a smooth pop feel, and “No Rain No Flowers”
is a driving rocker. The title track mixes rock
with funk for a real summer vibe, and the
ethereal “Windy Wednesday” continues the
California vibe, albeit at a more relaxed pace.
“Enemy” is a strong modern rocker, and the
tasty, hip-hoppy “Get Rude” features Bedford
singing/rapping the lyrics.
The pop rocker “Upgrades” describes a young girl
who yearns for the newest technology (a modern
blues if there ever was one), and “Just A Little
Longer” showcases Bedford’s appealing vocal
style, a confident mix of soul and pop that is
really on display for the entire set, more than
a match for his guitar work. Meanwhile, the
spacey
“Telephone” is a slightly psychedelic
instrumental, and “Steady Driver Man” is a
Diddley-esque rave-up with guest harmonica
player Chris “Stibbo’ Hanger and the album’s
lone cover (from Mink DeVille). Hanger returns
for the pure blues album closer, “Blues For
John,” a somber delta-flavored tribute to the
late John Jerman.
Bedford is a fine singer and guitarist, but he’s
also a canny tunesmith, combining the best of
modern music styles with more traditional blues
fare in a manner that should appeal to the blues
audience. But don’t be surprised if he ventures
into other genres, because he surely has the
required skills to do so. In the meantime, check
out this most compelling release from an artist
with a bright future.
--- Graham Clarke
While I did enjoy
Feelin’ Freaky, the 2017
release from singer/harmonica player John Németh,
I absolutely love his latest release, Stronger
Than Strong (Nola Blue Records). Németh’s latest
effort focuses on the blues, mostly the swampy
and Hill Country varieties. As always with any
Németh performance, there’s a healthy heaping of
gritty soul included in every track, and he’s
backed by his band, the Blue Dreamers (Danny
Banks – drums, Matthew Wilson – bass, and Jon
Hay – guitar). The session was produced by
Németh and recorded at Scott Bomar’s
Electrophonic Studios in Memphis.
Németh wrote 10 of the 12 songs featured on
Stronger Than Strong. The Hill Country force is
strong with the thumping opener, “Come And Take
It,” and the rough and ragged “Fountain Of A
Man.” The first cover, “Sometimes,” is an old
Junior Parker from the late ’50s credited to Don Robey. It mixes Memphis blues and soul with a
touch of the swamp, with the 19-year-old Hay’s
shimmering guitar work and Németh’s soulful
pipes and harp. “Throw Me In The Water” is a
catchy little tune that has a fun old school
rock feel (wonderful guitar solo from Hay on
this track), and “Chain Breaker” is a robust
Windy City shuffle.
Németh soberly addresses modern world issues on
the socially-charged soul burner, “Bars,” but the
mood is not somber for long, thanks to the
upbeat, gospel-flavored “I Can See Your Love
Light Shine,” and the funky “Deprivin’ A Love.”
The moody “Work For Love” is a mid-tempo blues
with one of Németh providing one of his
bluesiest vocals, an extended harmonica solo,
and a terrific solo from Hay as well. “Guess
Who” was an R&B hit for Jesse Belvin in the late
’50s, and Nemeth’s tender take on the late soul
singer’s biggest hit is sublime (bass player
Wilson provides the guitar solo for this track).
The album closes with the swinging R&B original
“She’s My Punisher” and the brisk rocker “Sweep
The Shack.”
Stronger Than Strong is an appropriate title for
John Németh’s latest. His previous catalog
includes a host of strong, memorable albums, but
to these ears, this latest effort is the best of
the lot.
--- Graham Clarke
There may be several states separating us Blues
Bytes contributors, but thanks to the wonders of
modern technology we’re often able to rave
about great recordings with each other. For
example, a few months ago Bill Mitchell emailed
me singing the praises of a new album from Costa
Rican native/Florida resident Jose Ramirez
called Here I Come. I was pleased to see it
arrive in my mail a few weeks later and was even
more excited once it made it to the top of my
review stack.
Ramirez finished second at the 2020 I.B.C.,
representing the D.C. Blues Society, venturing
to Austin, Texas to record this excellent release
with guitar legend/producer Anson Funderburgh
and keyboardist Jim Pugh, drummer Wes Starr, and
bassist Nate Rowe, along with the Texas Horns.
The end result is one of the best, most
refreshing blues albums to emerge in recent
years, a release that embraces contemporary and
traditional blues in equal measures, as
Ramirez’s tasteful, measured fretwork makes a
wonderful impression that will satisfy fans of
both blues styles.
The title track opens the disc, a hard-charging
shuffle where Ramirez lays out his journey to
the present, giving a shout-out to his
influences (an impressive lot). “I Miss You
Baby,” the next track, is a superb ballad penned
by Freddie Simon and originally recorded by Taj
Mahal on his Señor Blues album. Ramirez gets a
lot of space to stretch out on guitar for this
track. Funderburgh joins Ramirez on guitar for
the funky “Gasoline And Matches,” and the pair
generate sparks with their musicianship, while
on the simmering “One Woman Man,” Ramirez turns
in a strong, soulful vocal.
The slow burner, “Goodbye Letter,” opens with the
familiar Magic Sam riff, but takes off from
there. Pugh’s keyboards are marvelous here and
Ramirez takes his sweet time on vocals and
guitar and it’s time well-spent. Meanwhile, Pugh
and the Texas Horns shine behind Ramirez on “The
Way You Make Me Feel,” a delicious slice of
Memphis soul. “Three Years” is a smoldering
blues shuffle with guitar work from Funderburgh
complementing Ramirez’s. The horns return
for the soul ballad “As You Can See,” and
“Waiting For Your Call,” with Pugh’s B3, brings
back memories of Booker T. & the M.G.’s salad
days.
The album’s second cover is Robert Johnson’s
“Traveling Riverside Blues,” though Ramirez’s
electrifying version doesn’t bear a lot of
resemblance to the original. I think Johnson
would be mighty pleased with it, regardless. The
album concludes with a crisp mid-tempo roadhouse
shuffle, “Stop Teasing Me,” but more than likely
listeners will be starting this fantastic
recording over as soon as this song wraps up.
Here I Come indeed! Jose Ramirez is serving
notice that he has arrived, and hopefully he
will be here to stay for a long time. Fans of
contemporary and traditional blues will want to
add this album to their collection.
--- Graham Clarke
Cash McCall has been gone for almost two years
now, but his musical legacy continues to grow
with the addition of two songs, “One Who’s Got A
Lot” and “Blues Coming Down,” which were
recorded in Los Angeles in 2015 and are now
available via Nola Blue Records. McCall is backed
on these tracks by some of L.A.’s finest session
men --- Welton Gite (bass), Tennyson
Stephens (piano), and James Gadson (drums),
along with Jim Koeppel, who played guitar and
wrote both tracks (co-writing “Blues Coming
Down” with McCall), Rajiv Halim (tenor sax), and
John Christy (B3).
“Blues Coming Down” is an
excellent soul-blues ballad with a sensitive
vocal from McCall, and “One Who’s Got A Lot” is
a funky shuffle singing the praises of a lady
with a little something extra to offer. Sadly,
the criminally underappreciated McCall didn’t
live long enough to enjoy his return to
recording (with Benny Turner on the wonderful
2019 effort Going Back Home), but this will
remind blues fans of how talented he was.
--- Graham Clarke
Urban Ladder Society, who hasn’t let this ol’
pandemic slow them down a lick, returns with a
new single, “Juke Joint Lover,” a tasty
combination of blues, R&B, funk, and hip-hop
that won’t allow you to sit still. Another track
from the upcoming album (Spring, 2021), The
Summit, this track was crafted and performed
with Victa Nooman and Henry “Rooster Man” Stevens.
Based on what’s out there already, The Summit,
and U.L.S., looks like it will be just what fans
of contemporary blues need to get them through
these difficult times.
The BluesBones, one of Europe’s best blues
bands, recently issued their Live On Stage
album, which Blues Bytes will review in its
entirety in a couple of months. Meanwhile the
band just released a two-sided single taken from
the recording. “Demon Blues” is a moody,
haunting track with vocalist Nico DeCock’s
ominous vocal taking on a Jim Morrison edge,
backed by Edwin Risbourg velvety B3 and Stef
Paglia’s funky guitar. This one is a keeper.
The second track, “Cruisin’,” is a breakneck
driving boogie track about taking one’s baby
down the road that might cause listeners behind
the wheel to break the speed limit and then
some. Stay tuned in a couple of months for my
review of the whole album.
Eddie 9V, who also has an album out that I will
be reviewing soon, recently released a single,
“The Come Up” / “Brighter Days” on Hubbub!
Music. “The Come Up” is a funky blues with a
decidedly ’70s retro R&B feel and an
irresistible groove that grabs you and hangs on
for the next three and a half minutes --- a fun
track. The “B” side, “Brighter Days,” resembles
Otis Rush’s “All Your Love (I Miss Loving)” a
bit, with its rumbling intro, but Eddie’s guitar
work and the pop-ish backing vocals give the
track its own unique face. Eddie 9V’s brand of
blues looks back and forward at the same
time. Interesting stuff.
Anne Harris is a Chicago-based
singer/songwriter/violinist whose music is an
intriguing mix of blues and American roots, with traces of folk and old timey traditions. She’s
released five albums and has collaborated with a
wide range of artists such as Los Lobos,
Shemekia Copeland, Otis Taylor, Living Colour,
and Jefferson Starship. Most recently she teamed
with fellow blues/roots artist Markus James for
a stunning single, “Over” (Rugged Road Records).
James penned the track and plays banjo while
providing backing vocals to Harris’ haunting
lead vocals and equally haunting violin. This
moody, ghostly track should appeal to fans of
modern acoustic blues and roots.
--- Graham Clarke
Redfish released their latest EP,
Songs From The
Fire Station (Independent) on Valentine’s Day.
Recorded live at the band’s monthly blues jam in
the Old Fire Station, Carlisle, on the border
between England and Scotland, it comprises four
well-chosen covers. These talented musicians add
their own stamp as they explore and interpret
aspects of blues, funk, soul and jazz.
Bob Dylan’s “Meet Me In The Morning” opens with
an innovative duel between keyboard player
Fraser Clark and guitarist Martin McDonald
underpinned by the precise funky rhythm of
drummer Sandy Sweetman and bassist Rod Mackay.
Clark and McDonald take turns to solo with
considerable energy and panache throughout this
epic performance, Stumblin’ Harris skillfully
overlaying the vocals with intensity and drama.
This version is reminiscent of Dylan’s
collaboration with Jack White but possessing the
uniqueness which Clark’s consummate keys add to
the mix.
The high tempo “Give Me Back My Wig” with its
raucous guitar work and machine gun, rapid-fire
keys makes Hound Dog Taylor’s classic sound like
a waltz. Harris milks the humor of the line,
“... You just give me back My Wig/Honey now let your
head go bald ...” It takes a genius to even attempt
Taylor’s iconic style, but Stumblin’ nails it
impeccably whilst adding flavors and flourishes
of his own.
“Bright Lights Big City” is mainly a straight
forward 12-bar from the Jimmy Reed repertoire.
However, its neat, nuanced groove just behind
the beat, together with tasteful jazz-infused
keyboard interludes, gives the song another
dimension.
Bill Withers’ “Use Me” has a soul-funk vibe, the
rhythm enhanced by guest percussionist Suzy
Cargill. Harris uses his vocal range well, the
interplay with MacDonald’s dynamic guitar riffs
a superb feature as the song reaches its climax.
By this point, Fraser and Cargill are in
full-blown creative mode, held in check by the
metronomic and dexterous bass and drums.
“Listening through the archives of recordings we
discovered these gems recorded at our monthly
Blues Jam at The Old Fire Station,” states
vocalist Stumblin’ Harris. “It’s been a
challenge keeping engaged with our audience
throughout the pandemic, we miss the live shows
greatly and releasing this EP will hopefully
give a bit of a 'feel good' vibe and a reminder
of what we took for granted”.
The EP is available as a download from
Bandcamp.
--- Dave Scott
Increasingly, musicians are issuing albums in
the form of a series of singles released over a
period of time. Jed Potts & The Hillman Hunters
premiered their latest single, “Swashbucklin’,”
on February 8th as a follow up to last December’s
“Where’s Your Man,” a gritty down home authentic
blues track. Scotland’s rising blues star Jed
Potts gained international recognition last year
with his innovative tribute song, “Talkin’
Apollo 13 Blues,” marking the 50th anniversary of
the USA’s third mission to land on the moon.
Jed, together with bassist Charlie Wild and
drummer Jonny Christie have traditionally
specialised in 1950s American blues, but are currently focusing exclusively on original
material. Recorded live in lockdown at Chamber
Studio, Edinburgh, “Swashbucklin’” is
nevertheless a blues wailing party courtesy of
its compelling riffs, muscular grooves and
syncopated swing patterns. Wild and Christie
provide the power, dexterity and timing to
underpin Jed’s superb finger blurring fretwork.
Searing solos are complemented by understated
interpolations reflecting the range of Jed’s
guitar work. The intensity and infectious
enthusiasm of his vocals show that Potts is
definitely strutting and not walking these days.
If falling in love has this effect, then more
people should give it a try.
Potts takes up the story: "I wrote “Swashbucklin’”
very shortly after returning from the States
where I had played guitar on Brandon’s album, The Longshot. Something about that experience
inspired me to try to focus more on writing
original material, and to try to develop a
distinctive style in doing this. The idea of the
word “Swashbuckling” and particularly it’s usage
as a verb made me laugh and felt very
'Hillmansy' to me, and when I realised that it
could be used as a metaphor to describe how good
someone can make you feel it felt like a good
starting point for lyrics. I liked having to
figure out which types of characters could
personify the concept of “swashbucklin’”; the
pirate is fairly obvious but the tomcat and the paratrooper slightly less so.”
Both “Where’s Your Man” and “Swashbucklin’” are
available to stream on all major platforms, and
also available for download from Bandcamp.
--- Dave Scott
The Jimmy Reiter Band from Germany has released
Jimmy Reiter – Live, an album recorded in
Jimmy’s home town of Osnabruck and at the Blues
Spring Festival in Vienna. The band features
guest musicians Dmitry Suslov and Jurgen
Wieching on tenor and baritone sax, respectively,
alongside drummer Bjorn Puls, Nico Dreier on
keys, and bassist Jasper Mortier. Having
released three studio albums in the past decade,
this is the first live album from the award
winning band. This high energy, blues, boogie
and soulful outfit has drawn comparisons with
such alumni as Dr John and Allen Toussaint.
The scene is set with the laid back grooves and
mellifluous vocal tones of “Waiting For My Luck
To Change,” its tasteful guitar interludes
highlighting Reiter’s technical proficiency. The
balladic “What You Need” has a laid back country
feel enhanced by its gentle, empathetic lyrics
and piercing guitar licks. The tempo and
attitude rise with “What’s In It For Me,” driven
along by the tight rhythm section and climactic
organ solo.
“Too Many Cooks” introduces the superb brass
section, the sax solos and call and response
interplay with the vocals adding a further
dimension to the sound, one of the many
highlights of this live show. The slow burning
“Hard Times” showcases Jimmy’s vocal range with
a harder, bluesy edge reflecting the theme of
adversity and loss. The jaunty optimism of
“I’ll Take The Easy Way” from the 2011 High
Priest Of Nothing debut CD provides contrast and
is a worthy diversion in troubled pandemic
times.
The epic “Give It To Me Straight” features the
sumptuous atmospheric keys of Nico Dreier, which
combined with Reiter’s stunning, intricate
guitar work makes this track a tour de force.
Bjorn and Jasper provide the perfect
syncopations for “Woman Don’t Lie,” both
musicians demonstrating technical supremacy and
impeccable timing.
Just when you think the keys and brass couldn’t
get any better, along comes “I’m Giving In,” the
piano and saxophone interpolations a veritable
smorgasbord of musical goodies to accompany the
main course of strings. “Jimmy’s Boogie” does
what it says on the tin, a repetitive
boogie-woogie instrumental which receives high
acclaim from a noisy audience. A visit from the
Jimmy Reiter Band would be welcome both sides of
the pond, adding a refreshingly different and
interesting vibe to the blues genre.
---
Dave Scott