|
 Gina
Sicilia has always been a solid soulful
blues singer with a touch of country in her
music. She's now gone in a totally different
direction with the outstanding Unchange (Vizz
Tone), produced by Colin Linden who also handles
the guitar accompaniment on this selection of 10
cuts that mix traditional gospel blues with a
few understated love songs.
Among the four songs
that really stand out is the album opener, "Healing
Time," a slow gospel-style number with resonant
guitar from Linden. He also contributes a
killer slide solo. To go with Sicilia's echo-y
vocals, the McCrary Sisters join in on background vocals
to help take "Healing Time" into the church. "Unchange"
has a real backwoods gospel feel with plenty of
power in Sicilia's voice and really nice
acoustic slide work from Linden and piano from
Kevin McKendree. Both of these numbers sound
like they came from many decades ago, but
instead are recent compositions that Linden had
a hand in crafting.
Shirley Caesar's
gospel classic, "How Far Am I From Canaan,"
really brings out the power and range in
Sicilia's voice, while backing vocals raise the
temperature of the church as the song proceeds.
"Don't Be Afraid To Be Wrong," a ragtime number
co-written by Linden and Janice Powers, departs
from the gospel sound into a different blues
style from decades ago, with this one having a
country influence to it.
I said there were
four highlights, but I omitted the equally
outstanding "Death Don't Have No Mercy," done
originally by Rev. Gary Davis. It moves along
slowly, giving Linden plenty of time to insert
lots of snaky blues guitar, and Sicilia's voice
soars while singing lines like "...death never
takes a vacation in this land ...," picking up
power as the song progresses.
"Let's Set The
World On Fire," another Linden / Powers
collaboration, is a gentle soulful song that
deals with a struggling relationship, fitting in
quite well with the rest of the material here
and highlighted by Linden's slide guitar solo
and Ms. Powers' organ accompaniment.
The McCrary
Sisters return with backing vocals on a pleasant
version of the traditional "Make Me A Pallet On
the Floor," giving the number more of a gospel
feel, while Linden continues his outstanding
slide accompaniment. Sicilia may be the star of
this show, but Linden deserves co-headline
billing based on his contributions.
Unchange
closes with another traditional gospel number,
"There's A Bright Side Somewhere," a call for
optimism in troubled times. The resonant tone in
Linden's guitar carries this number, especially
when he picks up his slide.
Sicilia's deep,
foreboding voice is perfect for the material
here, making one think that this is an album
that should have been made long ago. Regardless,
we've got Unchange to enjoy for now and
can look forward to what she's got planned next.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Anthony
Geraci is a long-time keyboard player
well-known in the Northeastern U.S. hotbed of blues
activity, most notably with the Boston Blues
All-Stars. He's also earned a reputation
internationally through recent albums on Delta
Groove and Shining Stone. Geraci's latest,
Blues Called My Name (Blue Heart Records), is
another essential keeper in this man's
discography, with special guests like Sugar Ray
Norcia, Walter Trout, Monster Mike Welch, and
more joining the Boston Blues All-Stars
throughout this collection of 10 recordings,
split evenly between vocal numbers and
instrumentals.
The absolute slow
blues killer here, "Corner Of Heartache And
Pain," features Erika Van Pelt on vocals, and
she rips every possible emotion out of the
listener. Geraci shines on the Hammond organ on
this one, as he also does on the Latin jazzy
instrumental, "About Last Nigh," with Charlie
O'Neal tearing it up on guitar.
Geraci prefers to
let others handle the vocal work, but he proves
that he's not a bad singer on the up-tempo
boogie woogie number, "I Go Ooh." Sugar Ray
Norcia, who has teamed with Geraci in the past,
handles vocals on three numbers --- the up-tempo
opener, "That Old Pine Box," the 12-bar blues "I
Ain't Going To Ask," and the slow blues ballad
"The Blues Called My Name." Norcia is very fine,
as usual. Trout gets the
guitar solos on a jazzy slow blues instrumental,
"Into The Night," while Welch appears on the
aforementioned "The Blues Called My Name."
Every cut on
Blues Called My Name is solid, with Geraci
showcasing his outstanding keyboard work
throughout. It's just one more piece of evidence
that Geraci is one of the better
instrumentalists in the blues world today.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Altered
Five Blues Band's 2021 album, Holler If
You Hear Me, was one of my favorites of the
year, so obviously I'm excited to hear that a
follow-up album is planned for later this year. In
the meantime, we are treated to a single, "Great
Minds Drink Alike," produced by Tom Hambridge
and featuring the customary booming vocals of
lead singer Jeff Taylor. To give the band a
bigger sound, plenty of horns from
The Mavericks are added for the session.
Another highlight of this number is a smokin'
organ solo from Raymond Tevich, while Taylor
sings about what he and his woman are going to
do on a Saturday night when they don't have
enough money to hit the club scene.
"Great Minds
Drink Alike" was awarded first place in the
blues category in the 2020 International
Songwriting Competition, and one listen is all
it takes to convince that the judges got it
right. I can't wait to hear the rest of the
album when it's released by Blind Pig.
--- Bill Mitchell
 It’s hard to
believe, but Live in Memphis (Memphis
International Records) is the only live
recording of Ann Peebles & the Hi Rhythm
Section. It was part of a show at The
Peabody Hotel in February of 1992, called "An
Evening of Classic Soul" that featured Pebbles
and the Hi Rhythm Section on a bill with Otis
Clay.
Man! I wish I’d
known about this show. I would have made the
four-hour drive in a heartbeat! At the time, I
was really into Hi Records, having recently
heard all of their artists on a couple of
retrospectives, but I was especially taken with
Clay, Peebles and the Hi Rhythm Section (Leroy
Hodges – bass, Charles Hodges – keyboards,
Howard Grimes – drums, and Thomas Bingham –
guitar), who played on so many songs in the Hi
Records catalog.
Peebles took a
ten-year hiatus that spanned most of the ’80s,
but returned with a vengeance a couple of years
before this live date. Her robust vocals were
just as powerful as during her heyday in the
’70s. She sounds fabulous on this selection of
some of her finest songs, including “Part Time
Love,” “I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s
Home,” “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down,” “I
Didn’t Take Your Man,” “(You Keep Me) Hangin’
On,” and, of course, “I Can’t Stand The Rain,”
which closes the set in glorious fashion.
There are also
several other songs that might be less familiar:
“If I Can’t See You,” “Let Your Love Light
Shine,” (both co-written by Don Bryant, Peebles’
husband, which appeared on her last Hi album),
and “Didn’t We Do It.” (which appeared on a
later ’90s album). She sounds great and has a
warm rapport with her audience, which was small
but enthusiastic according to the liner notes.
The Hi Rhythm Section is superlative (could they
be any other way?), backed by a three-piece horn
section (John Sangster – sax, Anthony Royal –
trumpet, Dennis Bates – sax), with David J.
Hudson and Tina Crawford providing excellent
vocal support.
David Less, who
produced the album, also organized the show, his
one-and-only foray into self-promoted music as
he writes in the liner notes. Michael Bolton was
performing at the Pyramid at the same time,
drawing a much larger crowd. I wonder if anyone
who attended that show even remembers it,
because I know the attendees of "An Evening of
Classic Soul" are still talking about hearing
Ms. Peebles and her band (and Otis Clay, too). I
know I would, because I got to see her a few
weeks after this show and it’s still a highlight
of my concert experiences.
Ms. Peebles
suffered a stroke in 2012 and no longer
performs, but she proudly supports her husband,
Don Bryant, who re-launched his music career a
couple of years ago. Fans of Ann Peebles and Hi
Records, and soul music in general, will
absolutely love Live In Memphis. I plan
to be spinning it for a long time.
--- Graham Clarke
 Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson served as
guitarist in Muddy Waters’ band for most of the
1970s, but he’d been in Chicago since the main
’50s, spending a couple of years in Magic Sam’s
band where the West Side legend proved to be a
major influence. Johnson has recorded as a front
man since the mid ’70s, including a block on
Alligator’s Living Chicago Blues
anthology, and well-received albums for Rooster
Blues and Bullseye Blues in the ’80s and ’90s,
along with several albums for Telarc from 1996
to 2001. Though he’s recorded infrequently since
then (most recently, a 2020 acoustic set), he
has continued maintain a busy schedule at 83.
Johnson’s most
recent release, Once In A Blue Moon
(Crossroads Blues Media), captures the guitarist
live at The Hideaway Café in St. Petersburg,
Florida on Halloween night in 2020. Johnson
sounds great on vocals, and his West Side-based
guitar fretwork is as tough as ever. He’s backed
by the Magic Rockers, which include Chris “Kid”
Royal (guitar), Mickey Maguire (bass), Magic
Drunski (drums, really), Paul Nadeau
(keyboards), Otis Doncaster (harmonica), and Pat
Herlehy (sax). The eight-song set is relatively
laid-back, evenly split between covers and
originals.
Johnson opens
with the Chick Willis standard, “C.C. Rider,” a
swinging, nearly 13-minute cover that provides
ample space for solos from Johnson, Royal,
Nadeau, and Doncaster. Luther’s original
“Flippin’ & Floppin’,” an upbeat shuffle, is
next and is followed by Johnson’s reading of
Peggy Lee’s classic “Fever,” and a slow burning
medley of two tracks from Johnson’s former boss,
“Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Mannish Boy/I’m A
Man.” Throughout the set, Johnson maintains a
steady conversation with his audience.
Johnson mixes in
three of his originals, beginning with “Thank
You Sugar,” a shuffle with a crisp bass line
from Maguire, stinging fretwork from Royal, and
sax from Herlehy. The double entendre-laced
“Stealin’ Chickens” is a 20-minute slow blues
crowd pleaser with plenty of soloing space for
the guitarists, Herlehy, and Nadeau. “You Got Me
Wonderin’” is another tasty slow burner with
great guitar work from Royal and Johnson. The
album closes with “Mean Old World,” which
features Doncaster prominently on harp along
with a scorching solo from Herhely, and more
excellent work from Nadeau and Royal
complementing Johnson’s fretwork nicely.
All in all,
Once In A Blue Moon is a fine set of classic
Chicago blues from one of the genre’s living
legends. Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson may be
83 years old, but he plays and sings as well as
he did 40 to 50 years ago, and it’s good to see
him still performing and recording.
--- Graham Clarke
 Tim Gartland
was inspired to play the blues after seeing
Muddy Waters in concert in Ohio when he was 13.
When he graduated college, he moved to Chicago
and studied harmonica with Waters alum Jerry
Portnoy, eventually playing with Carey
Bell, Bo Diddley, Big Jack Johnson, and Pinetop
Perkins. He moved to Boston in the late ’80s and
became a prominent figure on the blues scene,
recording his first solo album in 2011.
Recently, the harp master released his fifth
album, Truth (Taste Good Music), which
features a dozen songs written or co-written by
Gartland.
Gartland’s songs
range from blues to soul to Americana. He’s a
good songwriter with a keen sense of humor, and
the songs suit his gruff vocals well. “Don’t
Mess With My Heart,” the opener is a rumbling
rocker where he warns his lady to be upfront
about her feelings. “Leave Well Enough Alone”
has a funky New Orleans feel. “The Thing About
The Truth” moves in a Latin direction with
Gartland singing about the importance of honesty
in all things, while “Cloudy With A Chance Of
The Blues” is a cleverly-written R&B track. The
jazz-flavored “Outta Sight Outta Mind” pairs
Gartland nicely with Wendy Moten’s backing
vocals (her vocals are an added bonus throughout
the disc).
The encouraging
soul number, “One Love Away,” offers hope for
those still looking for love in their lives, and
the sparkling “Love Knocks Once” deftly mixes
soul and pop, while the “Pause” leans more
toward the pop side. The playful “Probably
Something” is a lot of fun, and “Wish I Could Go
Back” is a reflective downhome blues with nice
work on piano from Kevin McKendree (who also
produced the album).
The album closes
with the rousing rocker “Mind Your Own
Business,” and “Save Sammy Some,” a fairly
straight-forward blues instrumental that gives
Gartland room to stretch out on harp.
Gartland is
joined on these tracks by Moten and McKendree
(keyboards and rhythm guitar), Kenneth Blevins
(drums), Steve Mackey (bass), Robert Frahm
(guitar), Ray DeSilvis (acoustic/slide guitar,
backing vocals), and Bryan Brock (percussion).
Gartland’s weathered vocals are a good fit for
the blues and his harmonica playing is, as
always, first rate. Truth is a fine
addition to Tim Gartland’s catalog.
--- Graham Clarke
 Since
it was recently New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Festival time, I decided to give Maria
Muldaur’s recent collaboration with the band
Tuba Skinny a spin. Ms. Muldaur doesn’t need an
introduction to most blues fans, Let’s Get
Happy Together (Stony Plain Records) is her
43rd album, but Tuba Skinny is one of the main
purveyors of vintage blues, jazz, and jug band
music of the 1920s and ’30s. After Muldaur heard
their music in a clothing store, she was able to
get their CDs and she met them in New Orleans,
where the band is based, later collaborating
with them on a short set at the Folk Alliance
Conference in the Crescent City in February,
2020. That meet-up led to this album.
If
you enjoy these genres of music, you simply must
get this disc. Tuba Skinny (Shaye Cohn – cornet,
Todd Burdick – tuba, Barnabus Jones – trombone,
Jason Lawrence – banjo, Craig Flory – clarinet,
Greg Sherman – guitar, Max Bien-Kahn – guitar,
and Robin Rapuzzi – washboard) play this music
with reverence, exuberance, and joy. The title
of the album is really appropriate, and Muldaur
has been singing this brand of music since her
career began 58 years ago. Singer and band work
together seamlessly on these 12 blues classics
originally recorded in the ’20s and ’30s.
Tuba
Skinny locks into a swinging groove and never
lets go. The music is just uplifting and the
band’s interplay is fantastic. The energy level
never wavers, and Muldaur’s warm, seductive
voice is as powerful as ever, maybe a little
deeper over time (which adds to its allure), but
still a wonderful instrument of its own.
The set list includes “I Like You Best of All,”
a ’20s hit originally recorded by the Goofus
Five, the title track from Lil Hardin Armstrong
(Louis Armstrong’s second wife), “Be Your
Natural Self” and “Some Sweet Day” from Frankie
“Half Pint” Jaxon, “Delta Bound” from Ivy
Anderson and Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin’s
clever “He Ain’t Got Rhythm,” two tracks from
Valaida Snow (“Swing You Sinners” and “Patience
and Fortitude”), and “Road Of Stone,” from
Victoria Spivey’s sister Addie “Sweet Peas”
Spivey. More than likely, most blues fans
haven’t heard any of these tunes before, but
these spirited performances might have you
tracking the originals down on the internet.
Anything Maria Muldaur records is a genuine
pleasure to listen to, and her collaboration
with Tuba Skinny is a swinging good time.
Let’s Get Happy Together is a marvelous
addition to her catalog and should encourage
blues fans to check out more of Tuba Skinny’s
music as well.
--- Graham Clarke
 Lowell Fulson
had a lengthy career, beginning in 1940 playing
with Texas Alexander before hitting the charts
with “Three O’Clock Blues” in 1948 and
subsequently “Every Day I Have The Blues.” He
recorded frequently, with hits such as
“Reconsider Baby,” Black Nights,” “Tramp,” and
“Blue Shadows.” Fulson recorded regularly with
multiple labels, including Chess, Kent, Jewel,
Rounder, and Bullseye Blues, remaining active
until a couple of years before his death in
1999.
During the
pandemic in 2020, blues guitarist Jeff Dale
discovered a box of tapes in his basement, one
of which was a live show of Fulson, backed by
Dale and the Blue Wave Band, which Dale recorded
on November 5, 1983 at Club 88 in Los Angeles.
Lowell Fulson Live! With Jeff Dale & the Blue
Wave Band (Pro Sho Bidness) includes ten
tracks with seven Fulson originals. Fulson is in
good voice and plays guitar well, backed by
guitarists Dale and Lightnin’ Dan Sonenfeld,
drummer Phil Munsey, bassist Ron Maldonado, and
three saxophonists – Pete Zilchak – alto, Steve
Primo – tenor, and Marshall Crayton – tenor
(guitarist Pee Wee Crayton’s grandson).
Sound quality is
a bit tinny, but really good considering it was
recorded from a four-track onto a cassette tape
nearly 40 years ago. Fulson and the band work
through an entertaining set, which includes
“You’re Gonna Miss Me,” “Too Many Drivers,” and
“Blue Shadows” to begin the set. There’s also a
funky cover of Chick Willis’ “Stoop Down Baby,”
before the band launches into “Reconsider Baby,”
and “Do You Feel It,” which also opened the set
via an instrumental version. The slow burner
“Blues Pain” is a highlight and a vocal showcase
for Fulson. The set wraps up with a swinging
“Lowell’s Lollipop” and a tasty cover of the
Count Basie tune, “Going To Chicago.”
The rawness of
the recording adds a bit to the show, and Fulson
gives an inspired performance with enthusiastic
support from Dale and the Blue Wave Band. Lowell
Fulson fans will certainly want to hear
Lowell Fulson Live! With Jeff Dale & the Blue
Wave Band, but any fan of traditional blues
will enjoy it as well. We are fortunate that
Dale tracked this one down, and hopefully he
found a few more choice nuggets in that box in
his basement.
--- Graham Clarke
 Blues legends
Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon joined forces in
the late ’50s/early ’60s to tour the world.
Their musical talents complemented each other
very well, but sadly it only lasted a couple of
years before Slim decided to settle in Paris,
where he benefitted both musically and
financially, and Dixon returned to the Windy
City, where he was kind of a big deal already.
Though their collaboration is rarely discussed
these days, Boogie Woogie Hall of Famer Kenny
“Blues Boss” Wayne decided to pay tribute to
the two talents with his latest Stony Plain
release, Blues From Chicago To Paris,
which focuses on 17 of the duo’s tunes from that
era.
For this sterling
effort, Wayne opted to make the piano the
centerpiece of the album, and his handpicked
rhythm section --- B.B. King Band vet Russell
Jackson on bass and Joey DiMarco on drums ---
provide a potent backdrop, as the
instrumentation captures both the aggressiveness
and playfulness of the Slim/Dixon combo during
that period. Wayne selects several tunes from
those collaborative years, including the rousing
“Rock and Rolling This House,” which opens the
disc, “The Way She Loves A Man,” the ballad “New
Way To Love,” the energetic “Just You And I,”
and the playful “Pigalle Love.”
Wayne also pays
tribute to Dixon’s early days with The Big Three
Trio with several selections from that era:
“Going Back To Reno,” with Jackson joining Wayne
on vocals for this track, and the gritty
“Somebody Tell That Woman,” “After While,” the
lively “I Ain’t Gonna Be No Monkey Man,” and the
upbeat “Don’t Let The Music Die.”
Other Dixon
selections include the stirring boogie “African
Hunch,” the stop-time “One More Time,” the
delightfully mellow “Got You On My Mind” (with
more harmony vocals from Wayne and Jackson), and
the talking blues “I Got A Razor.” Additional
Memphis Slim tunes include a great
interpretation of his classic “Messin’ Around
(With The Blues),” “Stewball,” a nimble tune
about a racehorse, and the closer, “Wish Me
Well.”
This may be my
favorite Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne release
because of his obvious love for the music and
his exuberant performance. The musical rapport
with Jackson and DiMarco is also strong, and I
like the simple, spare piano / bass / drums
musical backdrop. Well, it doesn’t hurt that
he’s paying tribute to two of the genre’s most
legendary artists; you can’t miss with good
material.
For any blues
fans who love traditional blues, and need a
break from the standard guitar-driven fare of
the current day, Blues From Chicago To Paris
is a great choice that you’ll return to again
and again.
--- Graham Clarke
 Albert
Castiglia calls his latest release, I Got
Love (Gulf Coast Records), “a musical essay
documenting the last two years of my life, two
years of many highs and lows.” All of his
listeners should be able to relate, given the
fear and uncertainty of the past couple of
years. For Castiglia, that meant illness, loss,
depression, and a definite financial hit, given
the lack of work he and other artists had to
endure. I Got Love features 11 tracks,
ten originals written by Castiglia and
associates and one strong, most descriptive
cover selection.
The title track
opens the disc, a rough and ready roadhouse
rocker with a positive vibe for those in need of
a lift. “Don’t Play With The Devil” adds a taste
of funk as Castiglia warns listeners to steer
clear of the dark side, and “Burning Bridges,” a
feisty break-up song, keeps that same funky feel
going strong. The ballad “Sanctuary” slows
things down a bit, as Castiglia praises his
significant other for offering him sanctuary,
while the upbeat, buoyant “Double Down”
describes people lying on top of lies. The
guitarist opens the certain crowd-pleasing
rocker “Long Haul Daddy” with a ripping slide
guitar run, continuing the awesome fretwork from
start to finish.
The mid-tempo
blues “What’s Wrong With You” finds Castiglia
trying to pin down what’s exactly eating his
lady. Next is a particularly tasty cover of
Melvin Taylor’s “Depression Blues,” on which
Castiglia keeps the funky backdrop of the
original and lays into some jaw-dropping guitar
work that rivals Taylor’s original version
(please check out this underrated Chicago
bluesman at your earliest convenience --- hats
off to Castiglia for giving him some props
here).
The cynical
“Freedomland” describes the current struggles
that most are dealing with in current times.
Despite the current trials, things are better
now than many years ago, as he states in “You
Don’t Know Hell.” The slow blues “Take My Name
Out Of Your Mouth” wraps up the disc most
effectively.
I Got Love
is another winner from Albert Castiglia, who
receives superlative backing from his band
(Justine Tompkins – bass/vocals, Ephraim Lowell
– drums/vocals, and Lewis Stephens – B3/piano)
and producer Mike Zito. This is a strong set
designed to lift folks up from the recent
struggles, and it’s extremely successful in
carrying out its mission.
--- Graham Clarke
 Eliza Neals’
latest release, Badder To The Bone (E-H
Records), is her best yet, with ten outstanding
tracks, nine originals and one cover. Neals
positively rips through this muscular set of
stellar blues rockers, backed by a powerhouse
band in support (including guitarists Michael
Puwal, Lance Lopez, and Rock & Roll Hall of
Famer Billy “JC” Davis, Peter Keys and John
Galvin on B3 and piano, bassists Jason Kott and
Paul Randolph, drummers Tim Grogan, Skeeto
Valdez, Brian Clune, and Jeffrey “Shakey”
Fowlkes, and backing vocalist Kimberli Wright).
The red hot
rocker “United We Stand,” launches the
proceedings with the famous Bo Diddley beat and
slippery slide guitar from Puwal. Neals slows
things down on the second track with the
stunning slow blues “Queen of the Nile,”
featuring standout work from Lopez on guitar and
Keys on B3, before picking the pace up slightly
with “Lockdown Love,” an amusing tune about
coping during the pandemic. “King Kong” is an
interesting tune, too, a fun, hard-rocking love
song where Neals positively compares her lover
to the famed simian.She really nails the vocal
on the soulful “Bucket of Tears.”
Davis, who earned
his spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a
member of Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, guests
on the catchy retro soul-rocker “Got A Gun,”
which will have you clapping your hands and
tapping your feet. “Fueling Me Up” is a steamy
rocking blues with slide guitar from Puwal
adding to the intensity, and “Heathen” is a
subtle slow soul-blues tune about a cheating
lover that has a touch of Muscle Shoals mixed
in, thanks to Galvin’s B3 and piano and Wright’s
sweet backing vocals.
The album’s lone
cover, Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home,”
is excellent, with Neals delivering a perfect
rendition backed by Lopez’s soaring fretwork.
The album closes with a second version, actually
more of a continuation of “Queen of the Nile,”
which is perfectly fine, since the first half
was so good.
Eliza Neals just
keeps getting better and better. She’s a gifted
singer, keyboardist, and songwriter. It has been
great to watch her continue to grow as a
performer, songwriter, producer, and arranger.
Badder To The Bone will leave listeners
hungry for more.
--- Graham Clarke
 It’s always good
to see a new album from Mississippi Heat
hit the airwaves. Madeleine (Van der
Linden Recordings) is the 13th effort from harp
master Pierre Lacocque and associates. The
associates this time around include Inetta Visor
and Daneshia Hamilton (vocals), Michael Dotson
(vocals/guitar), Giles Corey (guitar), Brian
Quinn (bass), Terrence Williams (drums), and
Chris “Hambone” Cameron (keyboards), with guests
Lurrie Bell (vocals/guitar), Carl Weathersby
(vocals/guitar), Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
(drums), Johnny Iguana (keyboards), Marc
Franklin (trumpet/horn arrangements), Kirk
Smothers (sax), Ruben Alvarez (percussion) and
NADIMA (backing vocals).
Weathersby sings
the scorching opening track, “Silent Too Long,”
which also showcases Corey on guitar, Lacocque
on harp, and Cameron on keyboards. Although he
leaves the fretwork to Corey on this track,
Weathersby returns on three other tracks to bend
the strings himself.
Hamilton takes
the first of her four vocals on the mid-tempo
shuffle “Batty Crazy,” also with lead guitar
from Corey, before Visor takes the mic for the
Latin-flavored “Havana En Mi Alma,” backed by
Weathersby’s muscular lead guitar. Bell sings
and plays guitar on the haunting “Uninvited
Guest,” then backs Hamilton on the jaunty
“Nothing I Can Do.”
Visor sings of
the “Empty Nest Blues,” a different take on that
syndrome, with Weathersby backing on guitar, and
“Ridin’ On A Hit” features Hamilton (with an
assist from Iguana on the piano) relaying the
band’s adventures as they travel across the
world.
Guitarist Dotson
ably handles vocals (and tasty slide guitar) on
the rumbling blues “Everybody Do Somethin’,”
before Lacocque pays tribute to his grandmother,
Emma Magdalena Van Der Linden, who survived two
World Wars and the loss of her son, on the title
track, a poignant instrumental. Lacocque’s harp
and Bell and Corey’s guitar interplay are
superb.
Hamilton takes
her final vocal on the lively “At The Lucky
Star,” before Dotson returns on vocals for the
splendid slow burner “Truth Like Rain.” Visor
sings the closer, “Trouble,” a most timely
reflection on the constant issue of too many
bills, not enough money.
As always with
Mississippi Heat, the original songs are top
notch. Lacocque penned nine of the 12 songs,
while Dotson wrote the two songs on which he
contributed vocals, and Visor wrote the closer.
This band never disappoints with songs and
performances, and Madeleine is no
exception to the rule.
--- Graham Clarke
 Bert
Deivert recorded his latest album, I
Ain’t Leavin’, in his home studio in Sweden
during the recent pandemic. A veteran of the
music scene for over 50 years, Deivert has lived
in Sweden for nearly his entire career while
touring all over the world. He’s played with
Peter Case, Charlie Musselwhite, Eric Bibb,
Libby Rae Watson, Memphis Gold, T-Model Ford,
Sam Carr, and Bill Abel, among others. For this
album, his 14th overall, Deivert penned all ten
songs, played guitar, lap steel, dobro,
mandolin, charango, bass, and sang all of the
lead vocals, with his wife, Eva, adding fiddle
on some songs, and their daughter, Emmy adding
backing vocals.
Deivert is a master instrumentalist but also an
excellent songwriter, and these tunes are all
entertaining. The title track opens the disc
with Deivert ready to move on to the next stop,
but eventually talking himself out of it. “Yank
and Sleepy John” is a gentle tribute to the two
Tennessee-based blues masters and the joy
Deivert finds when singing and playing their
songs. On the amusing “Vintage Scents” he has to
deal with a lover who doesn’t understand his
attraction to vintage guitars, and the haunting
“Stand By Me” is one of several tracks that
include Eva Deivert’s lovely fiddle.
“Badge 623” tells the tragic story of Deivert’s
grandfather, a Boston policeman who was murdered
while on duty in 1930, and how paths chosen by
some can change the lives of others. “Orient
Express” describes Deivert’s trip to Afghanistan
in the mid ’70s and somewhat de-romanticizes the
famed train route. The lively “When Summer
Rolls” finds Deivert anticipating better times
ahead, while on “I Heard The Dark Roads Call” he
sings of the fear of being drafted for the
Vietnam War in the late ’60s and of his journey
to Quebec to explore the prospects of moving
north if his number came up in the draft
lottery.
The final two songs address mortality, with
Deivert really baring his soul on these two
tracks. On “The Rocky Shore” he reflects on the
passage of time and the prospects of what lies
ahead, and the closer, “I Can’t Feel At Home,”
finds him optimistically looking to the world
beyond this one.
I Ain’t Leavin’ is packed with great
songs, beautifully played, and should make for
rewarding listening time and time again. Bert
Deivert never fails to disappoint, and hopefully
he ain’t leavin’ anytime soon.
--- Graham Clarke
 The
Belgium-based Boogie Beasts' latest
release, Love Me Some (Naked Records), is
a powerhouse set of blues, raw and raucous with
a definite hill country bent. The band consists
of Jan Jaspers (guitar/vocals), Patrick Louis
(guitar/vocals), Fabian Bennardo (harmonica),
and Gert Servaes (drums). Their current album
features 12 original tunes that will grab you
from the get-go.
The
title track kicks off the disc in rollicking
fashion, and the hard-charging “I Don’t Care”
maintains the pace. The seductive “Favorite
Scene” slows things down a bit, adding a taste
of slippery funk to the mix, before the
energetic, pop-flavored “Get Away” picks things
back up. Meanwhile, the next two tracks, “The
One” and “Run You Down,” venture into hill
country territory with their hypnotic grooves,
and the frenetic “Get Me Out Of Here” bristles
with reckless energy.
The
upbeat, catchy “Like A Snake,” also released as
a single, rocks hard with a pop sensibility, and
“In Your Hands” leans more toward the rock side
of blues with satisfying results. “A Girl Like
You” is a standout, revisiting the hill country
side of the blues. The album wraps up with two
tracks that were also released as singles, the
swampy blues “Howl” and the driving blues rocker
“Mine All Mine.”
Love Me Some captures the Boogie Beasts at
their best. Their rough-and-ready,
take-no-prisoners approach to the blues is
completely engaging and will satisfy a lot of
blues rock fans on an international scale. Check
these guys out!!
--- Graham Clarke
 Fred
Hostetler co-founded the L.A.-based blues
rock band Blue By Nature in the ’90s, and has
played with a host of blues and rock artists
over his career. He moved to India in the early
2000s, but returned in 2018 and has since
released three solo albums, including Fortuna
Redux (Mukthiland Records), a compilation of
six previously released singles which have been
remixed or enhanced with additional recording
and arrangements, plus one new song.
Fortuna Redux opens with the
autobiographical “Taming The Wolf 2,” a haunting
tune about Hostetler’s trials and efforts to
rediscover his purpose in life. “Shelter From
The Storm” mixes electric and acoustic with some
ripping slide guitar carrying the tune as he
addresses climate change, and “Rain on my Window
Pane” is a stripped-down “living room blues,”
just Hostetler’s mournful vocal and his splendid
slide guitar, that works really well.
Hostetler released his cover of “Ain’t No
Sunshine” shortly after Bill Withers passed
away, and his version of the ’70s soul classic
does justice to the original. It's a memorable
take retaining the charm of the original, but
putting his own bluesy twist on the song. The
ethereal “Lady Luck Fortuna Redux” is the
album’s lone new offering, and is followed by
“He’s Gone Rogue,” a humor-laced topical track
with added effects from the original acoustic
country-flavored version. The closer is “I’m A
New Man,” a upbeat rocker inspired by Walter
Trout and his health battles.
Hostelter is an excellent guitarist with a
robust vocal style. His songwriting is
first-rate, and Fortuna Redux is a great
starting point to catch this artist’s compelling
music.
--- Graham Clarke
 The
Boogie Beasts, hot off their 2021 release
Love Me Some (reviewed above), recently
issued a tasty cover of Son House’s “Grinnin’ In
Your Face” (Naked Records). The Belgian blues
rockers convert House’s haunting a capella track
into a glowering, hypnotic hill country anthem
driven by the soaring twin guitars attack of Jan
Jaspers and Patrick Louis, Fabian Bennardo’s
harmonica, and a relentless rhythm attack. This
is an engaging cover of an endearing blues
classic that builds on the original and sends it
in a new direction.
--- Graham Clarke
 Virginia’s
Blues Ambassador, Bobby BlackHat,
recently issued a single, “Blues For Ukraine,”
in tribute to the unfortunate people caught in
the middle of the ongoing conflict between their
country and Russia. BlackHat’s moving song sums
it all up --- no one really knows what the
causes and reasons for the conflict are, but
there are a lot of people involved who have no
say-so in the battle but will suffer the
consequences regardless. BlackHat (vocals/harp)
is backed by Brian Eubanks (bass), Danny
Lubertazzi (guitar), Lucy Kirkpatrick
(keyboards) and Micheal Behlmar (drums). His
tune is a simple, but powerful message that
there have to be better ways to solve
differences.
--- Graham Clarke
|
