For
their latest album, The High Cost of Low
Living (Alligator Records), Chicago-based
The Nick Moss Band adds harmonica ace
Dennis Gruenling to the lineup, making a hot
blues band even hotter. Moss and Gruenling play
off each other so well I'd swear they came out
of the womb jamming with each other.
Moving from his own Blue Bella label to
Alligator should give Moss and company even more
visibility to the blues record-buying public,
and they brought on Kid Andersen to produce the
sessions at his Greaseland Studios in San Jose.
The bar is raised for this band. Does the music
on The High Cost of Low Living live up to
the higher standards? Yeah, you bet it does!
Moss starts out the
opening cut, the mid-tempo shuffle "Crazy Mixed
Up Baby," with an incendiary guitar solo, and
we're off. "Get Right Before You Get Left" is
all Gruenling's showcase, with his harmonica
producing such a rich sound that his riffs sound
almost like they are coming from a full horn
section. "No Sense" is a slower shuffle that
gives Taylor Streiff a chance to stake his case
as a fine piano player, while producer Andersen
steps out from behind the board to contribute a
nice guitar solo.
The title cut is
another blues shuffle, this one pairing
excellent slide guitar from Moss with some hot
harp from Gruenling. Up next is "Count On Me," a
Gruenling original that could have fit well on
any Chuck Berry set list; it's a fast-paced
rocker with Moss doing his best Berry imitation
while Gruenling handles the vocals.
The band takes the
blues to another level with the Otis Spann
original, "Get Your Hands Out Of My Pockets."
Streiff is pounding away at the keys on the
higher end of the register while Gruenling blows
some pretty good harmonica. It's one of the best
cuts on the album, as is the next number, an
up-tempo blues shuffle, "Tight Grip On Your
Leash," which gives Moss, Gruenling and Streiff
all plenty of room to soar.
The band pays
tribute to the recently-deceased Barrelhouse
Chuck on "He Walked With Giants," a slow blues
that mentions a long list of past blues greats.
Of course, we've got to have some strong piano
accompaniment here because of who's being
honored, and Streiff doesn't come up short.
Gruenling steps back up to the mic on another of
his compositions, "Lesson To Learn," also
blowing some mean harp on this kind of funky
blues.
These cats show that
they can play an up-tempo jump blues with great
success on the instrumental "All Night Diner."
Gruenling again packs a whole horn section into
his harmonica, and Jim Pugh guest stars with
some really nice organ accompaniment. The horn
section of Eric Spauiding and Jack Sanford adds
to the big sound and Moss goes nuts on the
guitar.
Closing the album is
a version of Boyd Gilmore's classic "Rambling On
My Mind," with Moss garbling his vocals a bit
while also kicking in some hot guitar licks.
Streiff pounds away at the keyboards here, too.
A good way to end an outstanding album.
Let's hope that the
team of Moss, Gruenling, Andersen and Alligator
continue. Another disc from them soon, please!
--- Bill Mitchell
Soulful
rockin' blues singer Dana Fuchs broke
away from Ruf Records to do her own thing with
her own label, releasing the outstanding Love
Lives On (Get Along Records). The album was
recorded in Memphis, and it sounds like the
musicians on the disc all picked up an extra
dose of that city's soul mojo.
Fuchs is best known
for sounding like a young Janis Joplin, which
comes naturally to her since she once played the
blues legend in an off-Broadway production. But
she's much, much more than just a Janis
imitator, taking her music in a lot of different
directions, as well as showing her skills as a
songwriter by composing 11 of the 13 cuts on
Love Lives On.
The album kicks off
in fine fashion with the rockin' blues original
"Backstreet Baby," and we get our first blast of
Fuchs' raspy Janis-like vocals. The horns of
Kirk Smothers and Marc Franklin add a heavy dose
of soul to this number.
To my ears, Fuchs is
at her best when she's belting out a soul
classic, here covering Otis Redding's "Nobody's
Fault But Mine." Trying to compete with
literally the greatest soul singer ever is a
daunting task, but the power of Fuchs' vocals
carries this one. Her voice is complemented by
the guitar and harmonica work of bandmate Jon
Diamond.
The band gets funky
on the mid-tempo number, "Sitting' On," with
Diamond throwing in some great guitar licks and
Fuchs shouting out powerful vocals. We then all
go to church on "Faithful Sinner," with spirited
vocals from Fuchs and gospel-ish organ from Rev.
Charles Hodges.
My favorite cut on
Love Lives On is the snaky blues number,
"Sedative," with its echo-y vocals and
vintage feel to the subtle accompaniment on
guitar, horns and piano, the latter by Glen
Patscha.
Fuchs has been very
open about the numerous tragedies in her
personal life, with the deaths of many family
members over the years influencing many of
songs. She goes on a three-song run of
semi-autobiographical numbers towards the end of
the album. Patscha's Wurlitzer provides the
foundation for the inspirational bluesy soul
song "Ready To Rise," one on which Fuchs' vocals
grow more intense the further into the song. She
repeats the central message several times ---
"... I won't lie anymore with the sun in my
eyes, tired of losing, I'm ready to rise ..."
and "I won't cry anymore when I'm buried alive,
I'm ready to rise ..."
"Fight My Way"
contains a similar theme, but this lovely number
has more sparse instrumentation, with Eric Lewis
on mandolin and lap steel. That leads into a
song of redemption by Fuchs, "Battle Lines," a
mid-tempo soulful song with gospel overtones on
which she sings about losing her mother. " ...
Maybe I'll find another battle line, no one left
to lose ... " Great organ and piano work here,
and a tasteful harmonica solo adds icing to the
cake.
Moving on to
something more upbeat is "Same Sunlight," an
up-tempo, horn-infused southern blues shuffle,
with really hot guitar from Diamond. Closing the
album is a very interesting cover of the June
Carter / Merle Kilgore composition "Ring Of
Fire," although this one is a slower,
stripped-down version than what we heard from
Johnny Cash. Fuchs picks up an acoustic guitar
to accompany herself, and Lewis contributes some
eerie steel guitar playing. It's a great way to
end this very versatile album.
Dana Fuchs is one of
the more intriguing and promising singers on the
scene today, and Love Lives On ranks as
the best of her relatively nascent career. An
even brighter future awaits her, so find a seat
on this bandwagon now.
--- Bill Mitchell
Another
star on the rise is the Australian-born, current
L.A. resident Kara Grainger with her
latest, Living With Your Ghost (Station
House Records). It's an excellent album that's
worth hearing over and over. Co-produced by
Anders Osborne and recorded in Austin, Living
With Your Ghost blends blues, soul and roots
rock with some New Orleans funk into a
delightful set of a dozen tunes. Grainger is a
real triple threat, composing most of the songs
while showing off her soulful vocals and
skillful guitar playing. Osborne also
contributes guitar and vocals, and Ivan Neville
(keyboards) and the always great The Texas Horns
appear throughout the disc.
Living With Your
Ghost opens with the title track, a rocker
with some serious slide guitar accompaniment.
Grainger's slide work takes on even a bigger
role on the funky and swampy New Orleans-ish
"Working My Way Back Home," a song about the
difficulties of being on the road.
Grainger's voice
gets sultry on the soulful "Nowhere To Be
Found," a slower number with Neville coming in
on organ to frame our leader's tasteful slide
playing. Of course, when it's time to get funky
in a New Orleans way, Neville comes in again on
keyboards and Osborne shares vocals with
Grainger on "You're In New Orleans." Good horn
accompaniment here, and the listener is left
feeling in a happy mood.
We hear some of
Grainger's most impressive vocal work on the
soulful "Reason To My Verse," soaring through
the octaves as the song progresses, and she also
kicks in a good guitar solo midway through. She
also shows off her impressive pipes on the
up-tempo rockin' blues of "Favorite Sin."
Wrapping up
Living With Your Ghost is the swampy, snaky
"Freedom Song," with plenty of haunting slide
guitar work throughout that will give you the
chills on even the hottest day. If you aren't
yet familiar with the music of Kara Grainger,
it's time to dig into her catalog and learn more
about this young woman from Down Under.
--- Bill Mitchell
I was impressed by
Sue Foley’s 2006 release, New
Used Car, but haven’t heard anything from her
since her 2007 collaboration with the late
Deborah Coleman and Roxanne Potvin, Time Bomb,
having missed her two releases with Peter Karp
in the interim. While 12 years is a long
time between solo albums, if they would all as
uniformly excellent as Ms. Foley’s latest, The
Ice Queen (Stony Plain Records), it would make
the wait that much more bearable.
Foley’s latest effort may include a few
legendary guest artists (Charlie Sexton, Jimmie
Vaughan, and Billy Gibbons) who also hail from
Austin, but they’re strictly there in support
because this is Sue Foley’s album from start to
finish. Sexton appears on the first two tracks,
providing backing vocals and slide guitar on the
funky, Diddley-esque “Come To Me” and guitar and
backing vocals on the rootsy, soulful “81,” one
of several tracks that includes Mike Flanigan on
organ.
Foley handles the next pair of tracks backed by
upright bass (Johnny Bradley and Billy Horton)
and drums (George Rains). “Run” is a manic
roadhouse rocker that should be a crowd
favorite, while the title track is a splendid
slow blues with strong lyrics and some sweet
guitar work. Vaughan joins Foley for “The Lucky
Ones,” trading lyrics and alternating guitar
solos on this entertaining Texas shuffle. He
plays guitar for the soul burner “If I Have
Forsaken You,” which includes an excellent vocal
turn from Foley and also features Flanigan and
the Texas Horns in understated support.
“Gaslight” deftly mixes soul and blues, and
Gibbons shows up on the gritty shuffle “Fool’s
Gold,” sharing vocals and playing guitar and
harmonica, and a sassy reading of Bessie Smith’s
“Send Me To The ‘Lectric Chair” teams Foley with
Derek O’Brien on guitar.
The album closes with
three low-key numbers. The first, “Death of a
Dream,” has a jazzy feel with Foley’s smoky
vocal, Chris Marash on upright bass and JJ
Johnson on drums, while Foley’s solo acoustic
performance on “The Dance” has a
flamenco-flavor.
Leading into the closer, the Carter Family’s
“Cannonball Blues,” there’s a bit of studio
chatter where Foley says she’ll try it one more
time, but expresses misgivings about it, saying
she’s had a hard time with it. She knocks this
take out of the park, so listeners will be glad
she gave it another stab.
Listeners will also be glad that Foley decided
to refocus on her solo career with The Ice
Queen. 12 years is a long time, but this one
is well worth the wait and ranks with her best
work to date.
--- Graham Clarke
A couple of years ago,
John Mayall and his band
had to work as a trio when guitarist Rocky Athas
missed a festival gig due to a flight
cancellation. When Athas departed soon afterward
to pursue his solo career, Mayall, who was
intrigued by the trio format, decided to go with
the three-man operation fulltime, handling
vocals, keyboards and harmonica, while his
longtime bandmates Greg Rzab and Jay Davenport
continued to provide their usual stellar support
on bass and drums, respectively.
Having played as a trio for well over a year
now, Mayall and his mates prove to be in peak
form on their latest release, Three for the Road
(Forty Below Records), a live performance
recorded in Stuttgart and Dresden, Germany in
March of 2017. The nine-song set clocks in at
just under an hour and includes two Mayall-penned
favorites, along with seven covers that jazz,
blues, and roots ranging from the ’30s to more
recent fare which appeared on previous Mayall
albums.
Eddie Taylor’s “Big Town Playboy” opens
the set, and it’s a spirited romp with Mayall on
harmonica and piano. It’s followed by Lightnin’
Hopkins’ “I Feel So Bad,” which is equally
exuberant and Mayall really stretches out
instrumentally on keys and harp.
Curtis Salgado’s “The Sum of Something,” which
Mayall covered on his 2009 release, Tough, is a
rollicking swinger, and the Mayall classic
“Streamline” gets a funky treatment with Mayall
shifting over to organ. Henry Townsend’s “Tears
Came Rollin’ Down” goes on for nine minutes and
still ends too soon. Mayall really stretches
out on piano for this track and seems like he
could have easily continued for another nine
minutes on this standout track. He takes a
marvelous extended harmonica solo on Lionel
Hampton’s “Ridin’ on the L & N” to the pleasure
of his audience.
Mayall returns to organ for a tasty read of
Jerry Lynn Williams’ “Don’t Deny Me,” and
retrieves another one of his own tunes, “Lonely
Feelings,” which has a smoky after-hours feel
with Mayall’s keyboards taking on a vibraphone
quality. The trio closes with an appropriately
raucous version of Sonny Landreth’s “Congo
Square,” which goes on for just over 11
minutes and allows Mayall to take several solos
on harmonica and piano.
Listening to this set and hearing Mayall tearing
through solo after solo of not one, but two
instruments, it’s hard to believe that he will
be 85 on his next birthday. The organ trio
setting seems to work pretty well for this
group; you won’t even miss the guitar on any of
these tunes, and Rzab and Davenport are just rock
solid with their rhythm backing. Three for the
Road shows that John Mayall is still breaking
ground in the blues, over 50 years after
getting started.
--- Graham Clarke
There are several standards that make up a great
live album. The first standard is that it has to
sound fantastic, almost like you’re watching it
in person. The second is that it captures an
excellent performance. The third one is that the
listener regrets that they weren’t there in
person to experience it.
Ghost Town Blues Band’s
latest release, Backstage Pass, meets all three
criteria and probably a few more to boot. Matt
Isbell and associates have assembled a
powerhouse nine-song, 65-minute blues and roots
showcase, recorded at Lafayette’s Music Room in
Memphis last July, that captures the band in
superlative form.
The opening track is the group’s scorching
Mississippi Hill Country version of the Beatles
classic “Come Together” and includes a couple
of brief instrumental interludes of another
Beatles hit, “Norwegian Wood,” with a torrid,
horn-fueled piece of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta
Love” mixed in. The funky, Crescent
City-flavored “Tip of My Hat” is loaded with
double entendres and includes instrumental
breaks from Tim Stanek (piano), Kevin Houston
(sax), and Suavo Jones (trombone), while the
optimistic “Shine” is a brand new song from the
group that pays tribute to those much-missed
sounds from Stax Records.
“Givin’ It All Away” offers up an irresistible
groove that features a marvelous extended Jones
trombone solo at the close, and another
favorite, “Big Shirley,” gives listeners a taste
of another Led Zep classic, “Rock n’ Roll.” This
is fun stuff that keeps listeners on their toes.
This performance was recorded about two months
after Gregg Allman died last spring, so the band
acknowledges his passing with a rousing
16-minute cover of “Whipping Post” that easily
could have gone on another 16. Isbell’s
passionate vocal are a great fit here, along
with guitarist Taylor Orr’s homage to Duane
Allman and Stanek’s whirling B3.
The George Porter Jr. tune, “I Get High,” was on
one of the Meters bass player’s albums a few
years ago, but GTBB transforms it into a southern
rock jam session (with a little taste of
“Ramblin’ Man” and “You Can’t Always Get What
You Want” thrown in for good measure). The
greasy shuffle and singalong “One More Whiskey,”
a cut from the band’s 2009 debut, Dust The Dust,
features Isbell on harmonica, and on the closer,
a slippery cover of Robert Randolph’s “I Need
More Love,” he breaks out his silverware chest
guitar. This track also includes a minute or two
of Spencer Davis’ “Gimme Some Lovin’” near the
midway point.
Ghost Town Blues Band is renowned for their
fantastic live shows, and Backstage Pass
certainly verifies that they have one of the
best shows on the circuit these days. Part of
the reason for that is that Matt Isbell and the
band (Orr – guitar/vocals, Stanek –
B3/piano/keys, Jones – trombone/vocals, Houston
(sax/vocals), Matt Karner – bass/vocals, Preston
McEwen - drums) have as much fun (or more)
performing as their audiences do listening. I
can’t recommend this live disc nearly enough and
you definitely need to check them out in person.
You can thank me later.
--- Graham Clarke
The Reverend Shawn Amos calls his third release,
The Reverend Shawn Amos Breaks It Down (Put
Together Music), “a collection of 21st Century
Freedom Songs.” Amos was inspired during a
recent tour through the American South through
Tennessee and Alabama, and the nine songs
included on this set, five originals by Amos and
four timely and interesting covers, mix social
commentary with a few light moments, while
managing to capture the essence of the music
produced during the earlier times of turmoil in
Memphis and Muscle Shoals, where several of
these tracks were recorded.
The disc opens with the haunting acoustic
“Moved,” recorded at FAME Studio with Amos on
harmonica and Chris “Doctor” Roberts on guitar,
while “2017” was recorded at Royal Studios in
Memphis and Amos’ message is made even more
powerful thanks to the superb backing of the Hi
Rhythm Section (Michael Toles – guitar, Leroy
Hodges – bass, Steve Potts – drums, Charles
Hodges – keys). The soulful “Hold Hands” is a
straight-forward plea for peace and Amos’
stripped-down, funky cover of David Bowie’s
“Jean Genie” is a lot of fun.
The next three songs comprise a “Freedom Suite,”
beginning with the a cappella “Uncle Tom’s
Prayer,” recorded at the Clayborn Temple, a
Memphis Civil Rights landmark, leading into the
stunning “Does My Life Matter,” originally done
by Bukka White, the emotional center of the
album, and Amos’ best performance, his
emotional vocals fueled by Roberts’ intense
guitar work. The closing song in the suite is
the optimistic “(We’ve Got To) Come Together,”
with mixes Memphis soul and gospel.
The funk-fused rocker “Ain’t Gonna Name Names”
lightens the mood considerably, and the disc
closes with a gospel-flavored reading of Elvis
Costello’s (via Nick Lowe) “(What’s So Funny
‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding,” with keys
from Charles Hodges and Peter Adams, and a
heavenly choir.
A timely album that strikes the perfect balance
between protest and peace, The Reverend Shawn
Amos Breaks It Down does that indeed!
--- Graham Clarke
Muddy Gurdy (VizzTone Label Group) is a
collaborative effort from a French trio named
Hypnotic Wheels (Tia Gouttebel – guitar/vocals,
Gilles Chabenat – Hurdy-Gurdy, Marc Glomeau –
percussion) and several descendants of the North
Mississippi Hill Country Blues pioneers (Cedric
Burnside, Shardé Thomas, Cameron Kimbrough, and
Pat Thomas). Hypnotic Wheels’ sound has
previously blended traditional French music with
the Hill Country sound, using the Hurdy-Gurdy, a
traditional French hand-cranked stringed
instrument, so for their second release, the
trio decided to travel to North Mississippi to
complete the merger of the two genres.
The trio traveled to Como, Leland, Cleveland,
and Indianola during the project, joining up
with Burnside, Kimbrough, and Thomas in Como.
The recordings took place on front porches, back
porches, people’s houses, plus a few blues
landmarks in the area. Four sides were recorded
with Burnside at Sherman Cooper’s house in Como,
two songs originated by R.L. Burnside (“Goin’
Down South” and “See My Jumper Hanging On The
Line”), the Muddy Waters’ classic “Rollin’ and
Tumblin’,” and Cedric Burnside’s own “That Girl
IS Bad.”
“Goin’ Down South” kicks off the disc and is one
of my favorite tracks; it has an almost African
feel with Glomeau’s percussion and Chabenat’s
Hurdy-Gurdy, which more or less combines the
sounds of an accordion and a fiddle. The upbeat
and funky “That Girl IS Bad” is dedicated to
Cedric Burnside’s younger brother, who passed
away from a heart attack. Cedric sings and
plays slide guitar on this track, and also takes
the mic on a sizzling remake of his
grandfather’s “See My Jumper Hanging On The
Line,” and “Rollin’ And Tumblin’.”
Shardé Thomas contributes her wonderful fife and
vocals on her three sides, which were recorded
on the front porch of Moon Hollow Farm in Como,
and include her grandfather Otha Turner’s
“Station Blues,” her own “Shawty Blues,” and the
traditional “Glory Glory Hallelujah.” Again,
the Hurdy-Gurdy adds a whole new dimension to
the Hill Country sound. Kimbrough’s two tracks
were recorded at the same location, and include
his own driving boogie “Gonna Love You,” and
“Leave Her Alone,” which was written by his
grandfather, Junior Kimbrough.
Pat Thomas, whose father was James “Son” Thomas,
was recorded at the Highway 61 Museum in
Leland. His selections include the somber
“Dream,” which is perfectly matched with the
Hurdy-Gurdy, and a raw and ragged redo on his
dad’s “Highway 61,” complete with crickets,
passing traffic, and other background noises,
that closes the disc.
In between the two Pat Thomas tracks are three
songs by Hypnotic Wheels. The first two were
recorded at Dockery Farms at Cleveland, an uptempo reading of Jessie Mae Hemphill’s “She
Wolf” and a raucous version of Mississippi Fred
McDowell’s “Shake ‘Em On Down.” The third, recorded at Club Ebony in Indianola,
is a
spirited reading of “Help The Poor,” made
popular by the club’s former owner and frequent
performer, Mr. B.B. King.
The combining of French traditional music and
North Mississippi Hill Country works very well
indeed and seems to have endless potential. I
really like the Hurdy-Gurdy in this setting as it
adds a lot to the overall sound and it really
has to be heard to truly be appreciated.
Hopefully, Muddy Gurdy is just the tip of the
iceberg with much more to follow in the future.
--- Graham Clarke
Seems like just a few months ago, we were
reviewing Greg Sover’s Songs of a Renegade album
here at Blues Bytes. That’s because it was just
a few months ago. The prolific Mr. Sover has
already released a follow-up EP, Jubilee, that
finds the singer/songwriter/guitarist building
on what was already a pretty impressive set of
skills. He penned five of the seven tracks, with
one track appearing in two different versions,
and as on his previous effort, he deftly mixes
powerhouse blues guitar with soulful songwriting
and singing and a rock-based musical attack.
The strong and distinctive opening track,
“Emotional,” leans more toward rock than blues,
but Sover’s driving guitar work and the catchy
chorus make this one a winner regardless of
genre. The excellent title track pulls out all
the stops on the blues side with Sover on
resonator and Mikey Junior contributing
harmonica, and the slow burner “Hand On My
Heart” is a winner as well, with a heartbroken
Sover baring his soul over a lost love. This
tune also closes the disc in an edited version,
and is the stuff that crossover dreams are made
of.
The reggae-flavored “I Give My Love” is a bit of
a surprise, but features some cool fretwork from
Sover and an irresistible rhythm and singalong
chorus. Sover also includes “Temptation,” a
sizzling live track recorded at Steel City
Coffeehouse in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Taken at a
slower, but but intense, tempo, Sover’s
blistering fretwork on this track certify that
he’s a live act worth catching. The album’s lone
cover is a superb reading of the blues classic
“As The Years Go Passing By.”
Jubilee is only 33 minutes long, but listening
to it is as well-spent a 33 minutes as a blues
fan could want. Despite its brevity, there are
plenty of opportunities to take in this talented
artist’s songwriting, singing, and instrumental
abilities in a variety of musical settings.
Here’s hoping we hear even more from Greg Sover
soon.
--- Graham Clarke
AJ Ghent (J-ent) is the son of Aubrey Ghent,
one of the excellent standout Sacred Steel
guitarists that emerged on the music scene over
the past 20 years. His great uncle, Willie
Eason, is recognized as the creator of the
Sacred Steel Tradition, and his grandfather,
Henry Nelson, is the founder of the Sacred Steel
rhythmic guitar style. Naturally, the younger
Ghent is a formidable steel guitarist (plus
slide and resonator guitars) himself and has
expanded his sound to take in a variety of other
genres --- blues, funk, pop, rock, and R&B. He also
spent time in the late Colonel Bruce Hampton’s
band, Pharoah’s Kitchen.
Ghent recently issued an ambitious six-song EP,
The Neo Blues Project (Ropeadope Records), that
shows his skills not only as a guitarist but
also as a singer, composer, and musician (he
played all of the other instruments on the
disc). The lone cover on the EP, Junior
Kimbrough’s “Do The Rump,” opens the disc,
deftly mixing the hypnotic Hill Country blues
rhythm with funk and rock. The following tune,
“Wash Ya Hair,” leans more toward the funk side
with its spare arrangement and pulsating rhythm.
Ghent blends his own style with Hendrix, Kravitz,
and Gary Clark Jr. on the raw and ragged
“Power,” a straight-ahead house-rocker. The next
two tracks, “Mercy” and “Long Lost Friend,” are
both soulful ballads, the former having an
almost Stax feel with the velvety B3 wafting in
the background, and the latter (co-written by
Ghent’s wife MarLa) describes the sometimes
painful separation of people in one’s life,
something every listener can relate to. The disc
ends on a rocking note with “Gonna Rock,” an
old-school rock n’ roller that will get toes to
tapping and heads to bobbing.
The Neo Blues Project’s only shortfall is its
running time (22 minutes), as the fun is over
before you know it. It’s highly likely that most
listeners will be looking forward to a
full-length release from AJ Ghent (J-ent) in the
near future.
--- Graham Clarke
Mick Kolassa’s latest release is
Double
Standards (Swing Suit Records), a baker’s dozen
classic blues songs performed by Kolassa and a
few of his friends, including such blues
luminaries as Sugaray Rayford, Heather Crosse,
Victor Wainwright, Annika Chambers, Tas Cru,
Tullie Brae, Eric Hughes, Erica Brown, Patti
Parks, David Dunavent, Gracie Curran, and Jeff
Jensen. It’s a warm and intimate, seemingly
loose affair covering a wide range of blues
styles.
Rayford joins Kolassa for a faithful reading of
the Howlin’ Wolf-associated “300 Pounds of
Heavenly Joy,” though Willie Dixon’s classic is
updated to 600 pounds for this version. Kolassa and Crosse collaborate on a sultry
version of another Dixon tune, “I Just Want To
Make Love To You,” and he and Wainwright have a
good time with Tampa Red’s “It’s Tight Like
That” before Annika Chambers sits in for a
smoky reading of the Peggy Lee standard “Fever.”
Kolassa and Cru give “Nobody Loves You When
You’re Down And Out,” a nice old fashioned feel,
thanks in part to Alice Hasan’s violin and
Jeremy Powell’s piano, and Tullie Brae joins
Kolassa for a sweaty take on B.B. King’s “Rock
Me.” Memphis harpmaster Eric Hughes and Kolassa
do a fine job on Big Bill Broonzy’s “Key To The
Highway,” and another Willie Dixon/Howlin’ Wolf
effort, “Spoonful,” gets a jazzy reworking with
Kolassa and Erica Brown swapping verses. Another Tampa Red song, “It Hurts Me Too,” is
ably handled by Kolassa and Patti Parks.
Singer/guitarist David Dunavent is featured on a
sizzling version of the Louis Jordan classic,
“Early In The Morning,” and Gracie Curran teams
with Kolassa for a funky read on another Tampa
Red hit, “Don’t You Lie To Me (Evil).” The
talented Jeff Jensen, who plays guitar on all of
the tracks, gets a turn behind the mic with
Kolassa for “Outside Woman Blues,” and the
entire ensemble gets together for the closer, an
entertaining take on “Ain’t Nobody’s Business.”
Kolassa plays guitar on three tracks, with Jensen
taking the lion’s share of guitar work along
with Colin John and Dunavent, who each guest on
one track. The rest of the band includes Hasan
(violin), Powell(piano), Hughes (harmonica),
Bill Ruffino (bass), James Cunningham (drums),
and Chris Stephenson (organ).
Double Standards is an excellent set of blues
classics lovingly rendered by some of the
current scene’s finest artists. As with all
other Mick Kolassa releases, the proceeds from
the album will go the Blues Foundation’s HART
Fund and Generation Blues programs --- a worthy
cause if there ever was one, plus you get a
fantastic set of blues while you’re at it.
--- Graham Clarke
Patrick Coman was a longtime Boston musician and
DJ before recently relocating to
Charlottesville, Virginia. His recent release,
Tree
of Life (For the Sake of the Song Records), is a
conglomeration of blues and roots with 11
original songs and one cover. Coman spent the
better part of a decade working as booking
agent, sound engineer, and DJ/producer in the
Boston area, but gave it up to spend time as a
stay-at-home dad by day and a working musician
by night.
Tree of Life is Coman’s debut full-length
release and is produced by a pair of heavy
hitters --- guitarist Peter Parcek and drummer
Marco Giovini. Though it’s his first release, Coman shows amazing confidence and a knack for
writing distinctive, somewhat eclectic
material. Raised in Oklahoma, it seems natural
that he acknowledges native Oklahomans Woody
Guthrie, Leon Russell, and J.J. Cale as
influences, and that comes across in his
songwriting and his vocal style.
The opener, “Heartbeat,” strikes a somber note
with a sinister, moody, almost desperate tone,
but quickly kicks up a notch with the upbeat
rocker “Don’t Reach” (which features guest
vocals from Christine Ohlman) and the gritty
blues, “Trouble #2.” “The Judge” has a rocking
country vibe, with Coman’s vocal taking on a
bluesy Lou Reed quality. The swaggering swinger
“9-5ers” continues in the countrified vein.
The haunting title track, written by Coman while
waiting for the birth of his daughter, is
spellbinding in its lyrical content and musical
delivery, with a particularly fiery solo from
Parcek. “Rock When I Roll” is a catchy laidback
rocker, while the funky “Dirty Old Bedbug Blues”
strikes an old-timey note with trombone
accompaniment from Neal Pawley,. The rocker
“Chelsea Street” is a change of pace, with a
distinctive pop flavor.
Coman covers Leon Russell’s “Magic Mirror,“ and
his vocals revisit that laconic Lou Reed quality
as he ponders his next move in life. The
original tune that follows, “Keep My Soul,”
continues on the same topic, trying to figure
out his next direction without losing everything
he has. The closer, “Let It Ring,” is a relaxed
folk piece with Parcek on acoustic guitar and
organ from Giovini.
Tree of Life is an interesting and entertaining
release that meshes the blues with folk,
country, rockabilly, even a touch of jazz. It’s
hard to believe that Patrick Coman isn’t a
grizzled veteran of the recording scene after
listening to his full-length debut, which bodes
well for his future releases.
--- Graham Clarke
Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys
recently celebrated their 20th year as one of
the hardest-working blues bands in the business.
The Milwaukee-based band has long been
recognized as one of Wisconsin’s finest bands,
racking up regular regional awards for Best
Blues Band for nearly 20 years with their
excellent brand of straight-up, no-nonsense
traditional blues that pay homage to the blues
of Chicago, the delta, and the swamp as well as
jazz, swing, roadhouse and jump blues. The good
Reverend and his mates recently released their
eighth album, My Life (Nevermore Records), as
part of their celebration.
My Life consists of
16 tracks from the
band’s previous four studio sessions, all
remixed or re-recorded as a new version with a
new musical lineup. The jazzy shuffle “Handyman”
opens the set, and the Reverend’s smooth
baritone and guitar work is complemented by some
killer harp from Cadillac Pete Rahn. Rahn also
plays on the next couple of tracks, “Bee Hive
Baby,” a swampy take-off of “Baby, Scratch My
Back,” and the jump blues “Creature of Habit.”
Madison Slim plays harp on the grooving “Bad
Little Girls.”
Benny Rickun mans the harp for the next several
tracks, including the driving “I Want To Love
You,” the funky rumba tunes “Once The Women
Start Talking” and “Here Comes My Baby,” and the
autobiographical title track from Raven’s days
searching from his dream girl. Rickun, Raven,
and keyboardist Danny Moore have a blast with
the rollicking “Praying For A Princess,” and
“Big Bee” revisits the swamp blues of Slim Harpo.
“Looking For Love” and “Slow Burn” both feature
sax man Big Al Groth. The former tune is a
strong boogie rocker and the latter is a
mid-tempo shuffle. Westside Andy Linderman’s
harmonica chops are on display for the final
four tracks, “Someday When I’m Gone,” the slow
blues “I Can Do You Right,” the funky “She’s
Moving On,” and the swinging jump blues closer
“I’m Your Honeyboy.”
This is a fabulous retrospective of one of the
best traditional blues band currently
practicing. It had to have been hard to limit
this set to 16 tracks, but it will definitely
encourage new listeners to dig deeper into the
catalog of Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin’
Altar Boys.
--- Graham Clarke
Laurie Morvan’s original intention was to record
her latest album in 2014, but the
singer/guitarist suffered a broken wrist in a
fall that eventually required two surgeries.
However, Gravity (Screaming Lizard Records)
proves to be worth the wait, with Morvan writing
all 12 tunes and sounding as fine as ever on
vocals and showing no ill effects on guitar. In
addition, she enlisted a formidable support unit
in drummer Tony Braunagel (who also produced),
keyboardists Mike Finnigan, Barry Goldberg, and
Jim Pugh.
The opener to
Gravity is “My Moderation,” a driving blues
rocker, followed by “Twice the Trouble,” both of
which feature Morvan’s powerful fretwork front
and center. “Stay With Me” is a fine slow blues
showcasing Finnigan on B3 and Pugh on piano with
Morvan’s stinging lead guitar, and is followed
by the amusing uptempo “Money Talks,” which
addresses a common problem to which most
listeners can relate. “The Extra Mile” has a
southern rock feel, adding a nice dose of funk
and soul into the mix, and the title track is a
tender love song with jazz, rock, and a pop with
the blues.
“Dance In The Rain” is a standout track, with
Morvan picking up the pace, channeling SRV in
her soloing and fills. “Gotta Dig Deep” is a
slow grind blues rocker encouraging listeners to
get up, dust off, and keep on pushing. The
heartfelt “The Man Who Left Me” is a stunning,
personal dirge about Morvan’s father, who
abandoned the family when she was only five. The
disc closes with the mid-tempo R&B-flavored
“Shake Your Tailfeathers,” the boogie rocker “I
Want Answers,” and the funky “Too Dumb To Quit,”
which also features some impressive slide guitar
from Morvan.
Morvan and her bandmates made the finals at the
I.B.C. in 2008, both in the band competition and
with their album, Cure What Ails Ya, in the Best
Self-Produced CD category. In 2010, they won the
CD category with Fire It Up, and 2011’s
Breathe
Deep made the semifinals in 2012. There’s a very
strong possibility that Gravity will make a
similar impact since it features some of Morvan’s best songwriting to date, along with
equally powerful performances.
--- Graham Clarke
The central Virginia-based group
The Bush League
was founded in 2007 by college buddies John
Jason “John Jay” Cecil (vocals) and Royce Folks
(bass), and later they brought guitarist Brad
Moss and drummer Wynton Davis on board. The band
has advanced to the I.B.C. semi-finals twice
(2012 and 2017) with their heady combination of
the Hill Country blues of North Mississippi and
the soulful sounds of Memphis. Their latest
album, James RiVAh, offers a dozen tracks, ten
new originals and two covers, all recorded at
Ardent Studios in Memphis.
The raw and ragged “River’s Edge” kicks off the
disc, a rousing rocker with that hypnotic Hill
Country rhythm, followed by a energetic read of
Fred McDowell’s “Kokomo Me Baby,” with some
interesting fretwork from Moss. “Say Yes” is a
solid soul ballad about love in the workplace,
and features Jeremy Powell (Southern Avenue) on
keys and trumpet and Suavo Jones on trombone
(Ghost Town Blues Band). Powell also appears, on
keyboards, for the irresistibly funky “Show You
Off.”
The Muddy Waters standard, “Catfish Blues,” is
updated by the band with fiery guitar work, but
manages to retain the traditional, rural feel of
the earlier version. “Kick Up Yo Heels” can best
be described as a Hill Country barn burner, and
the searing blues rocker “Hearse” is a chilling
tale of love, crime, treachery, and potential
use of the title vehicle. “Tuxedo Blues” is a
cleverly written country-flavored blues about
being left at the altar, and “Moonshine” is an
entertaining roadhouse rocker in praise of the
homemade potion.
The disc closes with “What’s Wrong With You,” a
funky and fast-paced workout with churchy organ
from Powell, hard-driving rhythm work from Folks
and Davis, soaring guitar work from Moss, and
Cecil fervently working his backing choir to a
frenzy. A great finish to an excellent album.
The Bush League is anything but, and blues fans
are strongly advised to place James RiVAh on
your “must hear” list.
--- Graham Clarke
Carolyn Gaines definitely has the blues in her
blood. Her father is the legendary
singer/guitarist Roy Gaines, who backed Bobby
“Blue” Bland, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, and
Gladys Knight, and has enjoyed a fine solo
career, and her uncle is saxophonist Grady
Gaines, noted for backing Little Richard, Sam
Cooke, Knight, and the Supremes over his long
successful career. Ms. Gaines has worked in the
blues since the ’90s in publicity and promotion,
and has worked extensively her own Blues Schools
program, writing about and interviewing many of
the blues greats.
In 2016, Gaines released an EP, I Want Your
Money, Honey, which featured four songs, all of
which are included on her latest release, Beware
of My Dog (Polka Dots Records), which is her
full-length debut. The 11 tracks include
eight originals written by Ms. Gaines, and they
cover a wide swath from Chicago blues to Hill
Country to the Mississippi Delta, coloring the
blues with a bit of jazz and soul. She’s backed
by a strong band as well: Fred Clark (guitar),
Chad Wright (drums), Del Atkins (bass), Glen
Doll (harmonica), with guest appearances from
her cousin, Grady Gaines, Jr. (sax), Rudy
Copeland (organ), and blues/R&B icon Big Jay
McNeely (sax).
Gaines’ original tunes pay tribute to blues
legends who preceded her, with the title track
comparing favorably to Big Mama Thornton, “I’m
Your Cat, Baby,” honoring Howlin’ Wolf, “Stone
Out Your Raggly Mind” to Jimmy Reed, and Junior
Kimbrough’s “Done Got Old” leans more toward
Buddy Guy’s version on his Sweet Tea album. The
tracks “I Want Your Money, Honey” and “Mr. Dill
Pickle” are more in the tradition of the early
blues artists and she does a fine job with those
as well, and her reworking of Muddy Waters’
“Hoochie Coochie Man,” and McNeely’s “Something
On your Mind” (complete with sax from the man
himself) are both excellent.
Ms. Gaines is a powerful and talented singer and
more than capable of easily handling the wide
variety of styles on the album. Her love for the
material, and the music, is evident in her
performances. Beware of My Dog will certainly
please fans of traditional blues and R&B who
like a modern approach to the material.
--- Graham Clarke
The Billy Walton Band recently celebrated their
10th anniversary with the release of their
latest album, Soul Of A Man (VizzTone Lable
Group), a pulsating powerhouse of a recording
that captures the Jersey band’s heady
combination of blues, rock, R&B, and soul
perfectly. Walton (vocals/guitar) spent several
years touring with Southside Johnny & the Asbury
Jukes, and his sound actually captures the feel
of that legendary band very well, incorporating
horns into the mix in the finest Asbury Park
tradition. The 13 tracks include 11
originals written or co-written by Walton,
bassist/vocalist William Paris and others.
The horn-fueled opener, “Save The Last Dance,” is
an old school rocker, and the jumping “I Don’t
Know” mixes R&B and rock seamlessly. “Hell N Highwater” is a driving mid-tempo piece with a
spectacular guitar run from Walton, while
“Something Better” leans more toward the soul
side of the aisle as does the ballad “My Little
Bird.” The fast-paced “Let It Go” mixes funk,
R&B, and rock, “It Ain’t True” has an early
’60s
rock vibe, and “Shine The Light” (which
incorporates the album title within its lyrics)
is a standout rock-flavored ballad.
“Poison Pill” is a
bluesy slow burner with a fierce solo from
Walton. It’s bookended by a pair of cover tunes. CCR’s “Green River” is
given a nice reworking with the surging horn
section really pushing things up a notch, and “Minglewood,”
a 1928 tune from pre-war bluesman Noah Lewis,
shows that the band can play the straight-up,
low-down blues mighty well. “Can’t Keep A Good
Man Down” is a textbook rock n’ roller, and the
closer, “Days Like These,” is a stripped down
number with a Mississippi Delta front porch
atmosphere.
Soul Of A Man is a strong set that will appeal
to blues rockers and those who really dig the
classic Jersey sound mixing rock, R&B, and the
blues.
--- Graham Clarke
Next In Line (VizzTone Label Group) is the third
album from the Tyler Morris Band, which is led
by the 19-year-old guitar wizard. For this
effort, Morris enlisted Grammy winning producer
Paul Nelson (Johnny Winter) and invited Joe
Louis Walker and the Uptown Horns to sit in on a
couple of tunes. Morris has been playing guitar
since the age of nine and professionally since
11. He also wrote nine of the ten tracks on
his latest effort, but leaves the vocals in the
capable hands of Morten Fredheim.
Fredheim is geared a bit more toward the rock
side of blues-rock, but he does an excellent job
with Morris’ tunes, such as the classic rocker
“Ready To Shove,” the churning “Livin’ The
Life,” and blues-rockers “Thunder,” “Down On My
Luck,” and “Truth Is The Question.” Morris’
guitar work is really powerful and effective on
these tracks, and he really shows a talent both
lyrically and musically on these tracks that
lean more toward the rock side of blues.
That doesn’t mean, however, that he’s lacking in
anything in the more straight-ahead blues style.
He does a fine job on “Willie The Wimp,” which
features lead vocals from Walker, and on the
album’s lone instrumental track, “Choppin’,” he
proves that he’s learned from the old blues
masters as well. “Talkin’ To Me” is a fine
modern blues and “This Ain’t No Fun” is a sharp
Southern rocker. The jazzy “Keep On Driving”
closes the disc and Morris’ liquidy tone is a
shout-out to jazz masters Wes Montgomery and
George Benson.
Next In Line is an appropriate title for this
disc. Tyler Morris’ performance throughout
indicates that those guitarists who are poised
at the top of the genre right now should be
hearing footsteps as this amazing talent
continues to develop at a rapid pace.
--- Graham Clarke
Last spring, I reviewed the
Starlite Campbell
Band’s debut release, Blueberry Pie, which was
an interesting amalgamation of blues, jazz,
folk, and R&B. The band was a bit of a throwback
to the late ’60s/early ’70s when many British
artists fell in love with the blues and put
their own spin on the genre by adding a dash
here and there of other musical genres, giving
the original a new and fresh spin. The band’s
approach with Blueberry Pie reminded me a lot of
those earlier pioneers, and their latest release,
the single “It Started Raining” (Supertone
Records), carries that approach even further.
“It Started Raining” was recorded during the
Blueberry Pie sessions, and was sent to the
band’s supporters as a “thank you” during the
holidays. The reception was so positive (the
album was nominated for Best Album in the 2017
European Blues Awards) that the band decided to
release it as a single. It’s an entertaining
venture that merges blues and folk with Simon
Campbell’s warm vocal and nimble guitar work
backed by Suzy Starlite’s rock solid bass. If
you enjoyed Blueberry Pie, you will love this
new song.
The song is available to buy at the band’s
Bandcamp site and will be available on the
double vinyl special edition release of Blueberry Pie, scheduled for release later this
year.
--- Graham Clarke
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