Wanda
Johnson may well be on her way to becoming the
new voice of soul and blues. Hailing from Belton,
South Carolina, Johnson was born in 1963 into an
all-girl family that was constantly surrounded by
music. In the early ’90s, Johnson began sitting in
with local bands. By 1999, her lovely voice and
tremendous stage presence caught the attention of
Gary Erwin (aka Shrimp City Slim) – a blues keyboard
player/singer/songwriter, promoter, and record label
owner. The two have been collaborating ever since,
and Johnson continues to hold her day job as a
victims’ right advocate.
As with
her two prior releases, Steve Green recorded, mixed,
and mastered the 14 new songs over a few days. The
primary songwriters were Johnson and Slim who
contributed more than half of the material himself.
Hold What You Got features Wanda Johnson
(vocals) and the six-piece Shrimp City Slim Band who
work as Johnson’s support band when she is on the
road. "Allergic To Mink" is a joyful experience
thanks to this well rounded band.
The
opening track – the title cut – is a fun song about
a skinny little thing becoming a big leg woman. On
it, Johnson’s vocals make her sound elderly and
appear wise. You’ll sing along with the chorus on
the catchy "Give Your Face A Rest." Motown meets
Stax on "Wheel Your Love To Me" where Juke Joint
Johnny’s harp infuses blues into the pop sounding
song.
Comparisons between Johnson and a young Irma Thomas
have been drawn in the past. You’ll hear why on the
classy ballad "Your Side Of Town." It is a lovely
and tender song, but the chorus is too repetitive
and the lyrics leave too many questions unanswered.
For fans of the six-string, "Girlfriend" features
Silent Eddie Phillips’ low down and dirty slide
guitar. You’d be hard pressed to call this a blues
album as the melodies are more aligned with R&B and
soul. Still, "Believe Me Baby" is a very blues-like
song that depicts a smoky cocktail lounge and sounds
inspired by Otis Rush’s "All Your Love (I Miss
Loving)."
Johnson’s first two CDs –
Call Me Miss Wanda and
Natural Resource – were filled with happy and
fun melodies. Some of that same girlish nature
exists here, but overall Hold What You Got
reflects a mature and strong-willed woman. Although
these songs aren’t as likable as the ones on her
previous recordings, Wanda Johnson has created a
radio-friendly pop music CD. At the forefront is the
ivory of Slim who shares the singer’s spotlight. His
keyboards are at their best when focused on
boogie-woogie style piano as opposed to high school
prom/wedding reception material. Johnson’s full
potential is yet to come. When it does, she’ll be
one of the great vocalists of our generation.
---
Tim Holek
Detroit Is My Home is an exquisite new outing
from Detroit’s 90-something Queen of the Blues,
Alberta Adams. This is the bowl-you-over kind of
disc that the big labels might squeak out once in a
while, but local labels aren’t expected to have the
firepower to produce.
Eastlawn
Records doesn’t subscribe to such cliché theories.
The production is tight, contributions of the
accompanying musicians stellar, and Ms. Alberta is
in fine voice throughout. From the opening salvo of
boogie woogie chops emanating from Mr. B on the
opening “Keep On Keepin’ On,” it’s obvious that this
is going to be a party. Alberta, whose current image
graces the front cover and one from 50 or more years
back is on the back, rocks the house.
The
following “Tired of Being Alone,” is a plaintive
blues on which she wonders why her man left her (“he
didn’t even say goodbye”). “Hello Little Boy,” a
tune Alberta cut for Chess 40 years ago, features a
superb Paul Carey big bodied guitar solo, Al Hill’s
piano, and musical director RJ Spangler’s rock
steady drumming. “I’m So Worried,” with James
O’Donnell’s sweet plunger trumpet setting the
backdrop, is a song that just drips the blues.
Alberta gets her soul into lines like “don’t know
how I’ll make it/baby, if I don’t have you.”
Following the very hip title cut, Alberta invites
the internationally-lauded Ann Rabson (Saffire-the
Uppity Blues Women) to sit in on the Rabson-penned
“Dr. Blues,” a percussion driven delight. Al Hill
returns to the piano chair for his “Always Home,” a
tune that reminds of a Randy Newman blues at times.
Clever lyrics, great piano work, and the vocals of a
master. Alberta’s own “Wet Clothes” is kicked off by
a Spangler rim shot and keeps a steady shuffle
throughout. Alberta sings about “hanging out like
wet clothes drippin’ on dry land,” because the men
just aren’t to be trusted.
Rabson
returns to sit in on her New Orleans heavy
“Struttin’ My Stuff,” a tune on which AA duets with
Cee Cee Collins and gets way sassy. Everyone here
shines. The baritone, piano and drums work magically
and there’s no denying the draw of Ms. Alberta. Cee
Cee adds to the mix in a most delightful way. This
may be the centerpiece for a disc that’s a knock-out
top to bottom. Al Hill sits in for his “Long Gone,”
a tune that Alberta takes for her own.
“Every
Day I Have the Blues” is medlied in with Tim Marks’
“I’m On the Move,” a tune he wrote for Adams and
which she carries with authority. Carey plays
delicious lines, Rabson adds tasty touches, and
Alberta’s backup singers are Cee Cee Collins again,
with the Princess of Detroit Blues, Thornetta Davis.
Great tune. Ann Rabson brings the bluesy piano in
for a low lights blues on “Hopin’ It Will Be
Alright,” a tune from her prolific pen that Alberta
wears like a comfortable slinky dress. Great mute
work from O’Donnell gives it atmosphere to spare.
The
closer is a live version of Roscoe Gordon’s “Just A
Little Bit,” a rousing way to close the set.
Recorded at Sushi Blues, a club in Florida, it
features the band showing off their considerable
chops and Ms. Alberta singin’ it like she’s been
doing for a half century or more.
The core
band here is as first-class as they come. Producer
and Handy-nominated drummer supreme RJ Spangler
leads the band. Paul Carey, one of the standout
guitarists on the planet, shares space with Shawn
McDonald’s organ and a killer horn section of Keith
Kaminski (tenor and bari) and James O’Donnell
(trumpet).
Alberta
Adams received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Detroit Blues Society, has been nominated for a
couple of Blues Music Awards and has been knockin’
‘em dead in the city for more than half a century.
She sings it like she’s lived it and brings more
real life to the tales than a boatload of
bluesifiers. Ms. Adams is the real deal, and there
just aren’t many of the classic singers around to
tell us how it really was and is. Alberta Adams is a
Detroit treasure – make that a national treasure.
---
Mark E. Gallo
Terry
Gillespie, formerly of Detroit, now calls
Ottawa, Ontario home. It is certainly Canada’s gain.
The highly regarded critic Tim Holek has called him
Canada’s “King of Roots Music.” He has indeed been a
bit of a Canadian blues legend for 40 years. Though
raised in England, he was born in Edmonton, but it
was in Detroit, in the 1950s and '60s, that he cut
his musical teeth. He attended MSU to study chemical
engineering, but it was musical concoctions that
moved his soul. He came up on the local stages and
shared space with everyone from John Lee Hooker to
Albert Collins, with stops along the way backing
Peter Tosh and Jimmy Cliff. He moved from Detroit to
Montreal briefly and made the return to Canada
permanent when he took Ottawa for his home in 1967.
Brother of the Blues, his first recording in
many, many years, is an amalgam of all of the above
and more influences picked up along the way. The
lead-off title tune reminds of Mark Knopfler with
its stunning guitar work. On “Yellow Moon,” there is
a heavy footed shuffle and a “chorus” of saxophones
from Jody Golnick over Stephen Barry’s deep bass and
Gordon Adamson’s snappy drums. “Big Boy” has a
slinky groove, “Cold Ground,” with Martin Boodman’s
harp comping, is deceptively upbeat.
“Yellow
Moon” has shades of Van Morrison, both in
Gillespie’s vocal presence and in the arrangement.
“Carl Nicholson” (aka Van Morrison) is even more so,
down to the imagery in the writing. ("I will sing my
song along a winding lane/one country to another/we
were young/our souls on fire/in 1968 that’s when I
met my brother”).
Jimmy
Reed’s “I’ll Change My Style,” the only cover in the
bunch, has a lope that’s infectious. “Rue Guy
Boogie” is not a boogie. Whatever it is, it is
definitely a toe-tapper of the highest order. It has
elements that remind of the Band. Jody Golick’s
baritone work is the treat on the cut. “Bath Tub”
reflects his affection for Jamaica music, with an
almost dub style, and the closer “Kruschev” is a
flashback for us of a certain age who remember
Nikita and his shoe pounding episode at the UN as
the enemy.” Cool harp, big percussive beat,
This is
most decidedly not your daddy’s blues.
www.terrygillespie.ca
---
Mark E. Gallo
Watermelon Slim received six Blues Music Awards
nominations in 2008, winning Best Album and Best
Band awards. Combining the six nominations this year
with the six nominations he received in 2007 gives
him an unprecedented twelve nominations total in
consecutive years. Relentless touring and two
excellent albums of his quirky hard-rocking blues
over the past couple of years has resulted in the
charismatic Oklahoma bluesman becoming one of the
most popular artists in modern blues.
Slim’s
latest effort, with his band, the Workers, is
probably his best yet. No Paid Holidays (NorthernBlues
Music) features his riveting brand of blues that
takes the listener from the Mississippi Delta north
to Chicago and back down through Oklahoma. Propelled
by Slim’s scorching dobro (electric and acoustic)
and his weathered vocals, along with outstanding
support from the Workers (Cliff Belcher – bass,
Michael Newberry – drums, Ronnie “Mack” McMullen –
guitars, along with Grammy winner Dave Maxwell on
keyboards for a couple of tracks), No Paid
Holidays is an exhilarating ride from start to
finish.
Standout
tracks include the incendiary “Archetypal Blues No.
2,” which features some magnificent guitar work from
Slim, and a ramped-up version of Detroit Jr.’s “Call
My Job,” driven hard by Slim’s harmonica. Lee Roy
Parnell adds sizzling slide guitar to “Bubba’s
Blues.” “And When I Die,” the Laura Nyro-penned
classic made popular by Blood, Sweat & Tears over 30
years ago, sounds for all the world like an original
composition in Slim’s hands.
“Into
the Sunset” is a country-flavored romp, and “Max The
Baseball Clown” is a fond remembrance of Max Patkin,
the legendary barnstorming baseball clown who toured
minor league stadiums for over fifty years. “I’ve
Got A Toothache” proves that even the most mundane
events can give someone the blues with imagery so
vivid you can almost feel yourself getting one. Slim
closes the disc with an atmospheric cover of
Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Everybody’s Down On
Me.”
Watermelon Slim continues to be one of the most
original and vital voices currently working in the
blues. Expect to hear more from him and No Paid
Holidays during the 2009 Blues Music Awards.
---
Graham Clarke
Rob
Roy Parnell plays that wonderful Gulf Coast
gumbo of music he grew up with in Texas that mixes
of rock, blues, country, R&B, soul, and boogie
woogie, with a little bit of swamp thrown in for
good measure. This brand of music has been lucrative
to others of his ilk, such as his brother Lee Roy
Parnell and Delbert McClinton, both of which has
carved solid careers bringing this music to fans all
over the world. Parnell’s latest release, Let’s
Start Something (Blue Rocket Records), features
him at the top of his game, doing what he does best,
playing powerful Texas roadhouse music.
The
opening cut, “I Know Better,” would have been a
great fit on one of those ’80s/’90s Black Top
Records with it’s punchy horn section (Don Wise on
sax and Scott Ducaj on trumpet) and James
Pennebaker’s smooth guitar break. “Sorry As They
Come” is a solid R&B track picked up a notch by
Kevin McKendree’s B3 and Lewis Stephens’ piano.
“Long Distance Love” features brother Lee Roy’s
slide guitar and has more of country feel to it.
Stephen
Bruton co-wrote the funky “That’s All She Wrote,”
and contributes lead guitar and backing vocals, and
Nashville singer Jonell Mosser adds powerful backing
vocals to “If Mama Ain’t Happy.” “Rose Petals”
sounds like a long lost swamp pop classic. Parnell
had a hand in writing 10 of the 12 tracks, the lone
covers being a bluesy version Percy Mayfield’s
“Loose Lips,” and a rocked-out take on Roy Brown’s
R&B classic “Lollipop Mama.”
Parnell
is regarded as one of the best harmonica players out
there and has a voice that’s an easy fit for
everything he tackles here. In addition to the
musicians previously mentioned, he gets able
assistance from Dave Milsap on lead guitar (who also
co-wrote a couple of tunes), bassist Sarah Brown
(who also collaborated on “That’s What the Blues Is
All About”), Hector Watt on lead and rhythm guitar,
Steve Mackey (bass), Lynn Williams and Rodney Craig
(drums).
Fans of
hard-rocking Texas music will love Let’s Start
Something, which is guaranteed to put a hop in
your step. Check out Rob Roy Parnell at his website,
www.robroyparnell.com.
---
Graham Clarke
Liar’s Day is David Jacobs-Strain’s sixth
release. The 24-year-old is already recognized as
one of the most accomplished finger-stylists and
slide guitarist in any genre. Though his style has
deep roots in the blues, Jacobs-Strain has absorbed
other influences as well, resulting in a body of
work that is equal parts blues, rock, and even some
World influences.
Liar’s Day was produced by Kenny Passarelli
(Otis Taylor, Stephen Stills, Eddie Turner), who
also plays bass, and has Joe Vitale on drums, with
support from Billy Barnett on tambourine. Passarelli
and Vitale, Joe Walsh’s rhythm section in the ’70s,
are perfect compliments to Jacobs-Strain,
maintaining an aggressive presence, but allowing the
guitarist ample room to ply his wares. Indeed, the
disc offers a wide range of material that really
highlights his abilities.
Jacobs-Strain brings eight originals to the table
this time around (out of 11 total tracks). The fiery
title track discusses the current war from the
soldier’s viewpoint. “Rainbow Junkies” sounds sort
of like Bo Diddley meets Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. “Say It
To My Face” is a straight rocker, as is “Christmas
In July.” “Don’t Have a Choice” is a poignant ballad
featuring Passarelli on piano.
The
cover tunes are all blues tracks. Jacobs-Strain
gives Robert Johnson’s “Traveling Riverside Blues” a
jazzy makeover. His rowdy remake of Mississippi Fred
McDowell’s “Write Me A Few Short Lines” is
letter-perfect. There’s also an ominous take on
Walker T. Ryan’s “Black Cat at Midnight.”
Jacobs-Strain’s guitar work is already renowned, but
his singing is also first-rate as well. Liar’s
Day is a sincere and passionate work and stands
out as his best effort yet.
---
Graham Clarke
Guitarist Kelly Richey’s latest release,
Carry The Light (Sweet Lucy Records), is her
most personal release yet, with 11 songs that
capture her feelings on a variety of topics, from
the state of the world we live in to the ongoing war
to her own personal reflections on life.
Richey
has been active on the recording scene since the
early 9’0s, when she was part of the group, Stealin’
Horses, which recorded on the Arista label, before
forming The Kelly Richey band. Since then, she’s
recorded ten CDs, both as a solo artist and with the
band. Her fretwork has drawn comparisons to Jimi
Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
As
stated, Richey addresses modern topics with her
lyrics, whether it’s the threatening encroachment of
government into our daily lives (“I Want You”) to
the current state of both country and global affairs
(“What In The World (Were We Thinking),” “Run Like
Hell”), to the war on terror (“Angela’s Song,” “No
More Lies”). Whatever your opinions may be on these
subjects, Richey doesn’t bash you over the head with
her opinions. She’s merely putting them out there
for you to digest. Regardless of whether you accept
or reject them, you’re guaranteed to hear them out
based on her method of delivery. For most artists
trying to express their personal beliefs, this is a
lost art. Fortunately, Richey does it the right way.
Even
more personal are tracks like “When All Is Said Or
Done,” which addresses our mortality and whether
we’ve done all we need to do before our time is
gone. “Looking For A Fight” describes her desire for
people with differing opinions to better understand
what makes the other side tick (sound advice for
both sides of the political spectrum), and the
riveting title track could probably serve as
Richey’s mission statement.
Throughout, Richey receives standout support from
her band (Josh Seurkamp – drums, Amos Heller – bass,
Bill Brandenburgh – keyboards, with additional
guitar from John Redell and Mick Denton), along with
a strong, sympathetic effort from co-producer Rick
Brantley.
Carry
The Light is a powerful and personal statement
from Kelly Richey, one that sounds like it’s been
tucked away for a long time and bursting to come
out. This one is definitely worth your attention.
---
Graham Clarke
Tenor
saxophonist Seth Kibel got his start playing
with the Cayuga Klezmer Revival, New York’s premier
klezmer band, and currently leads the Alexandria
Kleztet. He’s received numerous awards in the
Washington/Baltimore area for his work in klezmer,
but he has also fronted numerous swing and jazz
groups, while performing with Sam Moore (of Sam and
Dave fame), Percy Sledge, and the Coasters and
recording with Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges, Daryl
Davis, the Skyla Burrell Blues Band, and jazz
vocalist Esther Haynes.
The
Great Pretender (Azalea City Recordings) is
Kibel’s first solo recording and features
interpretations of classic songs along with some
creative original compositions. Though he’s more or
less associated with klezmer, his saxophone work and
arrangements are bathed in the blues.
Kibel
covers a wide range of artists on The Great
Pretender, from Woody Guthrie (a relaxed take on
“This Land Is Your Land,” featuring Dave Giegerich’s
dobro), to Joe Zawinul’s bouncy “Walk Tall,” to
Willie Woods’ rocking “Hot Cha.” He gets vocal
support on four tracks. Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges
plays guitar on three tracks and takes the mic for a
breathtaking version of Bob Dylan’s “If You See Her,
Say Hello,” and a delightful take on the Kinks’ “You
Really Got Me,” complete with more of Giegerich’s
dobro. Blues singer Melanie Mason tackles Duke
Ellington’s “I Ain’t Got Nothin’ But The Blues” with
successful results, and Billy Coulter does a nice
job with Tom Waits’ “Mr. Siegal.”
The
original compositions include “Nuts and Bolts,” a
hot jazz number which features some blistering
guitar from D.C. guitar legend Dave Chappell, and
“Corcoran Blues,” which has more of a blues feel.
This is
a very well-crafted collection of blues, jazz, and
R&B from Kibel. Fans of all three styles will
embrace this one. Check this release out at
www.cdbaby.com and visit Kibel’s website (www.sethkibel.com).
---
Graham Clarke
Englishman Richard Morgan is a published poet
and has also been making documentaries for Swiss TV
for the past 15 years. Recently, he decided to
embark on his third creative career, writing and
singing songs in a blues/jazz vein. Recently, he
released an EP called Letting Go
(invisipics). Morgan wrote all four songs and is
accompanied by pianist Leo Chevalley.
The four
songs are in the style of ’30s to ’50s jazz/blues
and show Morgan to be a talented lyricist with wit,
charm, and intellect. “Life’s A Roller Coaster” is a
song of optimism that we can all relate to, about
how the bad times in life are soon supplanted by
good times. “Falling Down” is a lively and humorous
little love song, and “Big Bad Man” is a harrowing,
yet hilarious tale of encountering a fearsome chap
in France. The title cut is a reflective track about
growing old and letting things go that have held you
back.
Morgan
has a warm, engaging voice that suits his material
well. He should only improve with more experience.
As mentioned, his lyrics are first-rate and
sometimes remind you of those mid 20th century jazzy
standards. Chevalley provides excellent, sympathetic
fills and the occasional solo.
Fans of
jazzy piano-driven blues will find Letting Go
to be a pleasant listening experience. Go to
www.invisipics.com for more information on the
disc and on Richard Morgan.
---
Graham Clarke
As far
as slide playing the blues you can’t get much better
than south Louisiana’s greatest blues import,
Sonny Landreth. Perfectly evident on his
latest release, From the Reach (Landfall
Records), Landreth slides and slithers up and down
the frets producing some incredible sounds. This has
always been the case if you’ve ever had the distinct
pleasure of seeing him play live or just heard his
recordings. Having the great fortune of living in
Lafayette, LA., Landreth’s hometown, I get to see
him live on a pretty regular basis. I wrote a review
of his live CD for this site, a few years back,
after seeing him perform at a CD release party for
Live at Grant Street. This picker continually
surprises me with his unique style of playing.
Landreth
alone is worth the price of any recording he may
show up on, solo or with so many other artists
ranging from John Hiatt to Cajun superstar Zachary
Richard. The extra icing on the cake for
From the Reach has a turnaround of sorts
where an awesome array of musical greats appear on
Landreth’s recording this time including his partner
in arms, Eric Clapton (who’s been quoted to say that
Landreth may be one of the greatest guitarists
playing today), country great Vince Gill, New
Orleans’s favorite piano player Dr. John, Mark
Knopfler and the main Parrotthead himself, Jimmy
Buffet. Landreth has said about this recording,
“It’s the classic dream come true. I wrote these
songs with these guests in mind, as a tribute to
their influence on me. Inviting them to come aboard
led us down some amazing paths.”
And what
truly inspiring paths Landreth and his musical
cohorts traveled down. The lead-off track, "Blue
Tarp Blues," features Knopfler and Landreth trading
guitar licks in a simmering stew with Knopfler’s
distinctive picking and vocal works adding superb
depth to the tune. Additional standouts (though
every song is a winner in my opinion) includes the
upbeat "Howlin’ Moon," adding a New Orleans beat
supplied by Dr. John’s piano and voice barking back
at you about the Howlin’Moon. Vince Gill’s country
sensibilities mesh very well with Landreth’s playing
on "The Goin’ On." To get a riveting example of what
Landreth can do on a guitar, take a listen to "Uberesso"
and be prepared to sit (or stand if you play air
guitar like myself), surrounding yourself with
astounding music.
Obviously, I’m a huge fan of Landreth (you haven’t
figured that out yet) but just let his music speak
for itself. Run, and I mean dash, to your nearest CD
store to get a copy of From the Reach and I
guarantee you a heck of a good time. Or simply go to
Landreth’s site,
www.sonnylandreth.com, to listen to samples,
check tour dates and purchase the CD online. Enjoy.
---Bruce Coen
Blues from Poland? Possibly the last place you’d
expect to hear blues coming from. Magda Piskorczyk
has a great bluesy voice, and you’d never guess that
she was from Eastern Europe – although you might
guess at Mississippi or Tennessee.
Magda
Live (Graff Records) was recdorded live in Gdansk, Poland, and it
comprises 13 tracks with a mixture of Robert
Johnson, Nat Adderley, Tracy Chapman, Tommy Johnson,
Paul Rogers, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and others.
The album has a jazzy feel to it, breaking into
blues now and then, with most of the jazz feeling
coming from the tenor sax playing of Arkadiusz
Osenkowski and from Roman Ziobro on double bass.
If you’re looking for something different, then give
this CD a listen.
---
Terry Clear
Shake
Hands With Shorty, from the North Mississippi Allstars, a
band formed in 1996 from the remnants of a punk band
DDT, has just been released in Europe by Blues
Boulevard Records, an outfit dedicated to bringing
great blues to European ears (the original release
was on Tone Cool Records). The CD was recorded in
2000, and it was the band’s debut album – it’s taken
eight years to come round again, but it still sounds
fresh.
The
inspirations for the band are mainly Mississippi
Fred McDowell and R.L.Burnside. Gary Burnside
plays bass on a couple of tracks --- his father’s
“Goin’ Down South” and Junior Kimbrough’s “All Night
Long.” As both of those inspirations are big favourites of mine, it was a reasonable assumption
that I would like this CD, as long as the songs were
played well – and they are. There is also a hint
of Allman Brothers and Canned Heat mixed in, too, to
spice up the pot.
They’ve brought five more albums since this one, but
to my mind, the original is still the best.
The CD opens with Fred McDowell’s “Shake Em On Down”
– they’ve made a lot of changes to this song, but it
hasn’t spoiled it – rather, it’s just taken it in a
slightly different direction and given it a bit more
tempo. Maybe a bit too much for purists, but I like
it.
There are four McDowell tracks altogether, plus
three by R.L.Burnside, a Junior Kimbrough, a Furry
Lewis and Little Walter’s “Sitting On Top Of The
World.”
These guys have the ability to record cover versions
of great blues songs, adding their own flavour,
without spoiling the original ideas.
I’ve been trying to pick out a favourite, but there
are two and I can’t decide between them – so, here
they are: Track 2, Fred McDowell’s “Drop Down Mama,”
and track 3, R.L. Burnside’s “Po Black Mattie.”
The
guests on the album, as well as Gary Burnside,
include Cedric Burnside, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Otha Turner, creating a good mixture of styles.
Well done, Boulevard Records, for bringing this CD out
again.
---
Terry Clear
I have to admit to this being the first time that
I’ve heard of Duke Danger (Duke Faglier), a native
of Daytona Beach, Florida.
In high school he played in bands with a couple of
the Allman boys, among others, and this obviously
helped shape his music, along with a great love of B.B.King’s material.
The CD cover
for If It Ain't One Thing (Blues Boulevard) lists various
influences as well as B.B.King, including Albert King,
Freddie King, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Little
Milton and Etta James.
However, his vocals seem to have more of a soul feel
than pure blues – not that this detracts from the
man’s talent. The vocals on this CD go from soul
through rhythm & blues to blues, giving a good feel
for the breadth of the man’s range.
From the
13 tracks on the CD, there are five
written Duke and a couple written by rhythm guitarist Jimbo Thornton.
Of the others, the best to my mind
(and my favourite track on the album) is Steve
Bogard’s “Damn Your Eyes,” a track normally picked
by female vocalists. He makes such a good job of this
track that it puts the most of the other tracks a
little in the shade, although his version of Cole
Porter’s “Tuffer Than Tuff” comes a very close
second.
I haven’t been able to find out much about Duke
Danger, but I’m guessing that this is his first CD.
I think we’ll be hearing more from him in the
future.
---
Terry Clear
