The
Mighty Mojo Prophets first received notice with
their BMA-nominated self-titled debut release in
2011. The group is different from many bands just
getting a start in that they focus on all original
songs, rather than rehashing previously charted
territory. Tom “Big Son” Eliff and Mitch “Da Switch”
Dow are responsible for the songwriting, and are
equally impressive as a singer and guitarist,
respectively. The rhythm section of Alex Schwartz
(drums) and Dave Deforest (bass) completes the
quartet. Their sophomore release, on Delta Groove
Music, is called Flyin’ Home From Memphis.
The Prophets play the
blues straight-forward and honest, with respect
toward those blues legends who preceded them, but
also with a fresh approach to the traditional style.
The opener, “Sweetness,” is an old-school swinging
blues track with San Pedro Slim adding harmonica to
the mix, while “The Gambler” starts out with a funky
backdrop and signs off with that familiar Magic Sam
guitar riff. The R&B-flavored “I Can’t Believe” adds
swirling keyboards from Mike Malone and the B7 Horns
(Mark Sample – tenor sax and Johnny V – trumpet).
Other standouts
include “The .45,” which showcases Dow’s slide
guitar and harmonica from Alex “Li’l A” Woodson,
“California,” an excellent jump blues that covers
their trip to the Bluff City, “Remember Me,” a
simmering slow blues track with more great harp work
from Woodson and another sensational turn by Dow on
slide, and “Jo’s Jive,” a jazzy instrumental. “One
For Me” and “Strong Medicine” veer toward 50’s-era
rock n’ roll (the former) and vintage Bo Diddley-styled
R&B (the latter), and “She’s Gone” is a country
blues number.
Flyin’ Home From
Memphis is a rock-solid set of traditional-style
West Coast blues with healthy doses of Chicago,
Texas, and the Mississippi Delta thrown in for good
measure.
---
Graham Clarke
With
their latest release, Great Day In The Morning
(ManHatTone), Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans offer
up 15 tracks of “feel-good” blues. A Vestapolitan
recording is always a barrel of fun because Vickers
and company clearly love playing their blend of
roots music that mixes blues, Americana, rag time,
and even rock n’ roll. This time around, Vickers and
Margey Peters combined to write 11 of the 14 tracks.
The focus this time
around is more on the old timey brand of roots
music, but with a modern flair. For example, on
“This Might Not Be Your Day,” backed by fiddles,
mandolin, and baritone saxophone, Peters sings of
ATM machines, expired driver’s licenses, and broken
iPods. The occasionally “modernized” lyrics are
pretty cool against the musical backdrop.
Vickers gets plenty
of opportunity to show off his bottleneck guitar
skills on tracks like “Train Goin’ Westward Bound”
and the boisterous title track, as well as a great
cover of the Tampa Red tune, “Anna Lou Blues” (a
predecessor of the classic, “Anna Lee.” The band
also covers Memphis Minnie’s “Frisco Town,” and
their 2012 digital release, “Dallas Blues,” is
included as well, with proceeds still going toward
The Blues Foundation’s H.A.R.T. Fund.
Several tracks
include the fiddle of Charles Burnham, who teams us
with Peters (who also plays fiddle and bass) to
really give the music an authentic feel. V. D. King
also adds banjolele on several tracks, notably
“Chapter and Verse” and “Saving String Rag.” Other
contributing musicians include producer Dave Gross
(mandolin, upright bass, percussion), Jim Davis
(tenor saxophone), Matt Cowan (baritone saxophone),
Michael Bram (mandolin), Bill Rankin (drums).
A pair of tunes, “The
Way It’s Got To Be” and the gospel-flavored
“Together For Good,” also feature vocal
contributions from Christine Santelli and Gina
Sicilia, with the pair sharing lead vocals with
Peters on the latter track.
Great Day In The
Morning is another fine addition to the
Vestapolitan catalog. It’s sure to put a smile on
your face and a hop in your step.
---
Graham Clarke
The
Mike Eldred Trio’s latest release, Elvis
Unleaded (Rip Cat Records), is a rocking tribute
to Elvis Presley that finds Eldred and company
ripping through 20 tunes associated with the King
via his recordings and movies. Eldred and band
(Blasters bass player John Bazz and drummer Jerry
Angel) are one of the finest roots bands currently
playing and this music is right up their alley. On
selected tunes, they get assistance from Gene Taylor
(piano), Jerry Donato (tenor sax), Scott Yandell
(trumpet), and the JOBS Quartet (backing vocals).
The tunes are mostly
rock n’ rollers that most Elvis fans will be
familiar with (“Burning Love,” “Rip It Up,” Bossa
Nova Baby,” “Little Egypt,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,”
“Jailhouse Rock,” “Heartbreak Hotel,”
“T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” etc…..), but there are also a few
R&B numbers formerly recorded by others that Elvis
adopted for his own (Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss
Clawdy,” Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally,” The
Spiders’ “Witchcraft,” and Smiley Lewis’ “One Night
Of Sin”). Of course, straight blues is present, too,
as is usually was in anything that Elvis did (“I
Feel So Bad” and “Big Boss Man”).
Eldred and company do
a wonderful job interpreting these tunes. They don’t
try to imitate Elvis so much as they breathe new (or
renewed) life into the songs, which is cool because
some of these songs traditionally don’t receive as
much attention among Elvis fans as they deserve.
Eldred also gets plenty of space to play some great
guitar in the Scotty Moore tradition.
Elvis Unleaded
is must-listening for fans of the King, as well as
for fans of blues and roots rock. The Mike Eldred
Trio remains one of the top blues and roots
ensembles and this disc should help them welcome
many more fans on board.
---
Graham Clarke
Last
year, Andy Poxon’s debut release, Red
Roots, was issued to positive reviews. The
then-16-year-old impressed all with his impressive
guitar chops, surprisingly mature songwriting, and
his versatiility, moving easily from blues to R&B to
country, swing, and jazz. The now-18-year-old’s
follow-up, also on EllerSoul Records, is called
Tomorrow, and proves that the youngster’s debut
release was no fluke.
This time around, there are a few positive additions
--- Duke Robillard is on board as producer and also
adds his own first-rate guitar work in support. Also
working with Poxon are several of Robillard’s
regular band – Brad Hallen (bass), Bruce Bears
(keyboards), Mark Teixeira (drums), Rich Lataille
(tenor and alto sax), Doug Woolverton (trumpet),
Mark Earley (baritone and tenor sax), along with
steel guitarist Frankie Blandino.
One thing I have
enjoyed about Poxon’s music is that he doesn’t try
to write beyond his life’s experiences. Let’s face
it….it would be hard for an 18-year-old to pass off
lots of older blues standards. Wisely, Poxon relates
the blues from a younger man’s viewpoint. Take
“College Boy,” for example. Poxon laments losing his
girl to an older guy. The rest of the 13 tracks
penned by the young man take the same
approach….never overreaching their bounds, and he
proves himself to be an excellent composer with the
promise of getting even better as he lives life.
Vocally, he has a
smooth, easygoing, yet vulnerable style that works
well in the various styles that he offers up on
Tomorrow, but his jaw-dropping guitar work is
the real heart of the disc. He moves seamlessly
between urban blues, rockabilly, R&B, soul, swing,
rock n’ roll, and even country. The closing track,
an instrumental composed by Poxon and Robillard, is
a smooth instrumental guitar double header that will
put jazz fans in mind of Wes Montgomery, Kenny
Burrell, and George Benson.
As you listen to
Tomorrow, please keep in mind that Andy Poxon is
only 18 years old. When I was 18, I could barely
play a radio. If the young man is this good now,
just imagine what the years ahead will bring from
him. I don’t know for sure, but it’s sure a lot of
fun to think about.
---
Graham Clarke
In
the liner notes to Out Of My Mind (Yellow Dog
Records), the latest release from Cassie Taylor,
the dedication reads, “Dedicated to my man, who sold
his car to make the album.” Based on the results,
Taylor’s husband made one of the soundest
investments ever. Her new release takes what Taylor
offered on her excellent 2011 debut, Blue, a
fresh new slant on the blues, and cranks things up a
notch.
As on her previous
effort, Taylor, the daughter of blues man Otis
Taylor, wrote all of the songs, and they are all
great, including the impressive two-part opener,
“Ol’ Mama Dean,” a smoldering tale of abuse and
revenge. “Spare Some Love” is a moody minor-key
blues tale of poverty with some sweet guitar work
from Steve Mignano, whose fretwork is as huge a part
of this recording as Taylor’s powerful vocals. The
buoyant pop-styled title track is another standout.
“Lay Your Head On My
Pillow” is a lovely tune written for her parents’
23rd anniversary, and “New Orleans” is a tribute to
the Crescent City. “Forgiveness” is an unusual tune
with trumpet and tuba accompaniment that travels the
same funky path.“No Ring Blues” was written for her
then-boyfriend (now husband, who sold the car), who
finally did take the hint, and “That’s My Man” is a
fine blues rocker. The somber “Again,” with Taylor
on piano, closes the disc.
Taylor plays bass,
piano, Hammond S6 organ, and theremin, and is backed
by Mignano, Larry Thompson (drums), Steven Vidaic
(Hammond organ), Jon Gray (trumpet), Todd Edmunds
(tuba), and Owen Tharp (bowed bass). She also
produced the disc and it has a warm and earthy feel
to it. Out Of My Mind shows Cassie Taylor,
only 26, to be at the top of her game as a singer
and songwriter.
---
Graham Clarke
Jason
Elmore would appear to be the total package…..a
first-rate guitarist, singer, and songwriter. The
Dallas-based musician performs as a solo acoustic
act and also fronts a stellar blues/rock trio,
Hoodoo Witch. The trio is not just adept at
blues/rock, but also seamlessly blend country, jump
blues, and soul/R&B with their brand of blues. Their
latest release, Tell You What! (Underworld
Records), is a shining example of that brand.
This is an amazingly
diverse release, with Elmore moving from country
flavored rock (Buck Owens’ “ Buckaroo,” and his own
“When The Sun Goes Down”) to blues/rock
(“Southbound,” ‘”Bottom Feeder,” Rory Gallagher’s
“Country Mile”) to a modernized look at traditional
blues (the Freddie King instrumental tribute,
“Sharecropper’s Shuffle,” the swinging “Good Foot,”
and “She Fine”) to some smooth R&B/soul (“Cold
Lonely Dawn,” Sean Costello’s “Don’t Pass Me By,”
and a marvelous cover of William Bell’s “You Don’t
Miss Your Water,” which features a soulful vocal
from Elmore and some dynamic lap steel work from
Kirby Kelley.
Sometimes, albums
like this, trying to span a variety of genres, tend
to overreach, but Elmore and band (Chris Waw – bass,
Mike Talbot – drums….with guests Kelley – lap steel,
Jim Suhler – slide guitar, Ron Jones – horns, and
Tommy Young – B3 organ) sound great whatever they’re
playing.
Tell You What
is an excellent release….just a perfect mix of
blues, rock, R&B, soul, country, and even jazz
thrown in for good measure. I guarantee that it will
leave you wanting to hear more from Jason Elmore.
---
Graham Clarke
Lisa
Biales’ latest effort, Singing In My Soul
(Big Song Music), teams the Ohio-based vocalist with
Cincinnati piano man Ricky Nye and the Paris
Blues Band (Thibaut Chopin – upright bass,
Anthony Stelmaszack – guitar, Simon “Shuffle” Boyer
– drums) on a diverse set of ten songs. Nine of the
tunes are classics encompassing gospel, blues, old
time pop, and even vintage rock n’ roll, plus one
original tune by Biales.
Blue Lu Barker’s “A
Little Bird Told Me” opens the disc, an old timey
pop tune with the Paris Blues Band contributing
background harmony vocals. The band also backs
Biales on a dazzling cover of Sister Rosetta
Tharpe’s “Strange Thing Happening.” Mississippi John
Hurt’s “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me” is one of
several cuts that features violin from Doug Hamilton
and a lovely piano break from Nye. The blues
continues with a sharp version of Sippie Wallace’s
“You Got To Know How” and a wistful take on W.C.
Handy’s “Careless Love.”
Biales’
interpretation of the doo-wop classic, “I Only Have
Eyes For You,” is absolutely stunning. Backed by
Nye’s understated piano and a liquidy guitar break
from Stelmaszack, Biales’ vocal performance is
breathtaking. Equally impressive is her earthy read
on the Patsy Cline classic, “Write Me In Care Of The
Blues.” The disc closes with another Tharpe cover,
the title track, which swings like nobody’s
business. Among all these standards is the lone
Biales original, the delightful “Magic Garden.”
Also assisting Biales
on the recording are Bill Littleford (guitar), Chris
Douglas (upright bass), and Brad Meinerding
(mandolin). It’s amazing that a singer as gifted as
Lisa Biales isn’t more widely regarded. Hopefully,
Singing In My Soul will help her find the
larger audience she deserves.
---
Graham Clarke
Ron
Dziubla is best known for his tenor and baritone
sax work behind legendary guitarist Duane Eddy, but
he’s also released three albums of his own,
including his most recent work for Rip Cat Records,
Nasty Habit. Recorded at the Pow Wow Fun Room
recording studio in L.A., Dziubla employed guitarist
R.J. Ronquillo, bassist Sam Bolle, and Los
Straitjackets drummer Pete Curry (who also
co-produced with Dziubla), with former Blasters
guitarist James Inveld guesting on a few tracks.
Dziubla rips through
11 rocking tracks (nine originals) that mix blues
with vintage R&B, rock n’ roll, and even surf music.
Tracks like “Moan,” the zany “Spy Time,” “Shaken and
Stirred,” and “Slapped” rock really hard, while
tunes like “Loose” and the wild title track take you
back to those vaunted days of surf music, while
other tunes like “Fine Time,” “Bordello,” and “Lemon
Drop Martini” have that “cool” sax sound so popular
back in the ’50s.
Dziubla also pays
tribute to two sax-blowing legends with covers of
“Harlem Nocturne,” (the King Curtis track), and a
dazzling reconstruction of Jimmy Forrest’s “Night
Train.”
If you dig those
great old recordings that featured sax men like
Curtis, Forrest, Big Jay McNeely, Red Prisock, Lee
Allen, Joe Houston, etc…., then you have reached
nirvana with Nasty Habit, a rocking sax fest
from start to finish.
---
Graham Clarke
The
McCrary Sisters are a Nashville-based vocal
group, consisting of sisters Ann, Debra, Regina and
Alfreda, strongly influenced by gospel and soul
music. Their new self-released CD, All The Way,
shows all of their various influences coming
together on a dozen numbers, all but three of which
are original compositions.
For my tastes, the
album really starts to cook midway through, although
there's nary a weak number here. My favorite cut is
the next to last one on the disc, when the Sisters
take on a slow blues, "Talk To You." Regina co-wrote
this one, so I assume it's her on lead vocals, with
guitarist Rob McNeilly and pianist Kevin McKendree
contributing stellar instrumental work.
"Hum And Moan" is
haunting, backwoods gospel at its best, with special
guest Colin Linden accompanying on slide guitar,
bass and dobro. Linden also co-wrote the song along
with Regina. Following that dark number is the
uplifting "Right Where You Are," with McNeilly back
on slide guitar and McKendree again giving the song
its gospel vibe with both his excellent piano and
organ accompaniment.
A pounding drum beat
leads into the uptempo gospel-tinged "Train,"
featuring an ensemble consisting of 16 different
accompanying musicians on instruments as diverse as
cello, viola and clavinet. There's a lot of sound
coming out on this tune, rivaled by the amount of
emotion the Sisters pack into it. Following is the
much more stark "Skin Deep," a Buddy Guy original
that includes brother Allen McCrary contributing
very nice understated accompanying vocals.
The McCrary Sisters
aren't new to the music business but may not be
familiar to the mainstream blues audience. If you
don't know about them, All The Way is a good
introduction to this exciting and musically diverse
group.
---
Bill Mitchell
