|
 What's
not to like about the new album by Billy
Branch & The Sons Of Blues, Roots and
Branches - The Songs Of Little Walter
(Alligator)? It's a collection of 14 songs from
THE greatest blues harmonica player who walked
on the face of the earth done by one of the best
harp blowers around Chicago today, backed by an
extremely tight group of musicians consisting of
the outstanding Sumito "Ariyo" Ariyoshi (piano),
Giles Corey (guitar), Marvin Little (bass) and
Andrew "Blaze" Thomas (drums).
This
one's a winner from start to finish. With any
tribute type of album there is always the
temptation to compare the covers to the original
versions, usually an unfair comparison to the
classics that we've listened to for so many
years. But Branch and his band are up for the
challenge and pull it off quite well, not trying
to be Little Walter or his frequent backing
band, The Aces. Instead, they are just content
being Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues, creating
a loving tribute to Little Walter in their own
mold.
If
you're a big fan of Little Walter's music (quite
frankly, what serious blues fan isn't?) then you
are going to be familiar with most or all of the
tunes here, but the arrangements generally
differ somewhat from the originals. The
difference is most noticeable on "My Babe," one
of Walter's best-known numbers, with drummer
Thomas using more of a backbeat and varying the
tempo, while Ariyoshi contributes some New
Orleans-style piano. This song has definitely
been taken out of the backstreets of Chicago and
given more of an island flavor.
"Blue And Lonesome" was one of Walter's more
intense numbers, but Branch doesn't overwhelm
your ears with the same unrestrained emotion of
the original, taking a more subtle yet effective
approach. "Hate To See You Go" is a very
different arrangement from Walter's version,
with the drummer again varying the tempo with
more of a backbeat to the rhythm and Ariyoshi
playing New Orleans-style piano. Branch's medley
of "Just Your Fool/Key To The Highway," with
more of a funky rhythm and vibe, is also very
different from the original.
Branch's version of Little Walter's biggest hit,
the iconic instrumental "Juke," is solid, with
Thomas' drumming given more of a role as he
drives the tempo by giving the second and fourth
beat more emphasis. Branch handles the harmonica
part just fine, not trying to sound like Walter
and just playing some good quality harp. Another
cover, "Roller Coaster," comes off well with
Branch blowing more frenetic harmonica while
Corey contributes tasty guitar. There's always
been a fond spot in my heart for this song as I
frequently used Walter's version as the intro
for my radio show in those long-gone days when
there was room for specialty shows on commercial
radio.
Branch puts a little more punch into his vocals
on both "You're So Fine" and "Blues With A
Feeling," although he doesn't try to emulate
Walter's off-the-charts intensity on the latter
slow blues. As with every song on this album,
Ariyoshi shines on piano.
Other songs, all equally excellent, include
"Hate To See You Go," "Last Night," "Boom Boom
Out Go The Lights" and "One More Chance With
You."
After the 14 musical entrees on Roots And
Branches, the dessert course closing the
album is "Remembering Little Walter," with
Walter's daughter Marion Diaz telling stories
from her childhood about growing up around
Walter before his untimely death at the age of
37. Her memories show a different side of the
man from the heavy drinking and gambling that
we've always heard about him. The most touching
story is how he would play and sing "My Babe"
while the little kids would go about their
household cleaning chores. Ms. Diaz lets us know
that her father really was a compassionate and
loving man, providing a nice wrap-up for this
wonderful tribute to Little Walter. Kudos to
Branch, Alligator Records, and everyone involved
in Roots And Branches.
--- Bill Mitchell
 I
really have some conflicting opinions on the
self-released album, Blues Tools, from
Portland, Oregon-based singer / guitarist
Kathryn Grimm. She's really an outstanding
singer and it shows throughout the album, even
though her vocal work is sometimes several steps above the
production of the album and the backing
musicians. When it all comes together Ms. Grimm
shows her potential as an artist to be reckoned
with. But I came away thinking that there's an
incredible album in her future, but not this time
around. With that said, it's still a worthwhile
listen especially as you proceed deeper into the
disc.
The
first number to get me really excited is the
traditional gospel-ish number "Trouble Of This
World," made into more of a funky blues. Grimm
shows considerable power and range to her vocals
while also laying down some nice guitar licks,
and we also get nice organ accompaniment from
Bill Heston. "C'mon Home" is a solid funky blues
number with soaring vocals and a hot guitar solo
from Grimm. The gospel original "God Is Testing
Me" incorporates some creative soulful guitar
licks that would make Steve Cropper proud.
"Blues Tools" was my favorite cut from this CD,
a mid-tempo shuffle that really shows the
capability of Grimm and the band, with
outstanding vocals from Grimm and a killer
guitar solo from Sonny Hess. A cover of "Miss
Celie's Blues" has Grimm assuming the persona of
an old-time woman blues singer, backed by more
subdued guitar accompaniment. Closing the disc
is am original slow blues, "Empty Space," with
powerful vocals and sparse instrumentation
highlighted by flute from Johny Powel.
I
want to hear more from Kathryn Grimm because I
believe there's potential for her to take her
music to the next level. This album could have
benefited from a more subtle hand in the
production at times, but it's a good stepping
stone. Keep an eye out for this one.
--- Bill Mitchell
 The Atomic Road Kings may not qualify as a
blues “supergroup” just yet, but they are
definitely a super group. Led by harmonica ace
Eric “Jailhouse” Von Herzen (Walter Trout,
Social Distortion, Kid Ramos, Junior Watson, and
the 44s) and young multi-instrumentalist Big Jon
Atkinson, and featuring Bill Stuve (bass),
Malachi Johnson (drums), Scot Smart (guitar),
Danny Michel (guitar), Tony Delgado (guitar),
and Robert Welch (piano), the group seems
destined for big things based on their debut
release, Clean Up The Blood (Bigtone
Records).
Atkinson wrote 11 of the 12 tracks, most of
which have a traditional Windy City blues bent,
beginning with the moody, stop-time groover
“I’ve Got Time.” Atkinson’s gruff, earthy vocals
combined with Von Herzen’s harp and Michel’s
lead guitar make for a mighty music. The ominous
slow burner “Rumors” features tasty lead guitar
from Delgado and scorching harp from Von Herzen,
and the mid-tempo “In Arms Reach” has lead
guitar from Smart. Meanwhile, the rumba “Have
Your Way” finds Atkinson playing a bit of
surf-influenced guitar riffs, and the upbeat and
acoustic “My Way Back Home” has a Mississippi
Delta feel.
The
title track is a winner, a slow burning blues
story with Atkinson’s stinging lead guitar and
Von Herzen’s wailing harp front and center. The
rollicking “Candy Man” is next, a great
old-school shuffle. “Ain’t For Me” features more
sharp guitar work and “You Got To Change” is
irresistibly funky. “Vibrations” has a slick
after-hours vibe, with Welch guesting on piano,
and “Back Down South” sounds like a long-lost
Muddy Waters side from the Aristocrat days. The
album’s only cover is the traditional “Two Sided
Story,” a mid-tempo shuffle.
Clean Up The Blood is a most excellent set
of vintage Chicago blues. The recording process,
done live at Atkinson’s Bigtone Studios using
vintage gear and analog equipment from the ’40s
and ’50s certainly helps, but the musicians
obviously have a love for this era of music and
it comes through with every note played.
--- Graham Clarke
 Big Creek Slim (a.k.a. Marc Rune) is a Danish
blues man who fell under the spell of the blues
and has won multiple awards in the Danish blues
industry, performing as a solo, duo (with Peter Nande) and with The Big Creek Slim Band. He
recently moved to Brazil and has fallen in with
some of that country’s finest blues men,
including bass player extraordinaire Rodrigo Mantovani, who was part of one of my favorite
discs of 2017, Raphael Wressnig and Igor Prado’s
The Soul Connection.
Mantovani and Slim have now
released a joint blues effort, First Born (Chico
Blues Records), a dynamite collection that also
features contributions from Prado (guitar), Sidmar Vieira (trumpet), Luciano Leães (piano),
and Yuri Prado (drums).
The album features six Slim originals with
covers of ten classic blues tunes from Roosevelt
Sykes (“Anytime Is The Right Time”), Barbecue
Bob (“Poor Boy A Long Ways From Home”), Bo
Carter (“I’ve Got Blood In My Eyes For You”),
Sleepy John Estes (“Drop Down Mama”), Big Joe
Williams (“Baby Please Don’t Go”), Charley
Patton (“Some Of These Days”), Sonny Boy (John
Lee) Williamson (“Million Years Blues”), Blind
Willie Johnson (“Motherless Children”), Peetie
Wheatstraw (“Sugar Mama”), and Hambone Willie
Newbern (“Rollin’ and Tumblin’”).
The originals from Slim include the
hard-charging opener “Teddy’s On A Sunday
Night,” the stomper “Honey Time,” the
Delta-flavored title track, which features some
nice slide guitar from Slim, the hypnotic slow
blues “How Come You Hold Your Head So High,”
“VW-Van Blues” (another Delta rambler), and the
lively closer “I Love My Baby.”
Big Creek Slim has a big ol’ voice perfectly
suited for this brand of blues and he does a
fine job on both covers and originals. He also
skillfully plays dobro, 12-string acoustic,
banjo, electric and acoustic guitars, along with
harmonica on a couple of tracks. Mantovani
provides his usual rock-steady backing on the
upright bass, also playing sousaphone, maracas,
and jug on selected tracks. Igor Prado provides
stellar electric guitar support on “Million
Years Blues,” backing Slim’s harmonica.
I always enjoy a well-done set of traditional
blues, and any recording that I’ve heard from
this group of musicians from Brazil over the
past few years has been an absolute delight.
First Born keeps that streak alive and I hope
it’s a streak that continues for a long, long
time.
--- Graham Clarke
 New Jersey-based harp master
Vin Mott’s latest
release, Rogue Hunter, was recorded live in a
makeshift studio. As Mott explains in the liner
notes, “Blues listeners often forget that what
makes the music great and gives it charm is its
flaws and lack of heavy production.” Indeed,
this 12-song set of original tunes is rough,
ragged, and righteous as Mott continues to prove
that he is one of the finest harmonica players
currently practicing. He’s backed by his
powerhouse working band (Dean Shot – guitar,
Steve “Pretty Boy” Kirsty – bass, Matt
Niedbalski – drums), who are more than up to the
task of recapturing the vintage feel of
traditional blues.
Mott opens with “Car Troubles Made Me A Good
Blues Singer,” a wry, modern look at his own
path to the blues, a bit different path than
normal. “Give Me Cornbread” is a, pardon the
expression, tasty Windy City shuffle, while the
title track is a hard rocking boogie that
showcases Shot’s slide guitar, and “Ice Cold
Beer” is a driving party tune that’s bound to
inspire audience participation at Mott’s live
shows. Meanwhile, “Honey” is a steady rolling,
playful country blues, and the optimistic
“Whistlin’ By The Graveyard” moves along nimbly.
“Paterson is Crumblin’” is a sober look at life
in the northern New Jersey Third Ward community,
with Mott painting a vivid picture of abandoned
streets and factories and rampant crime. “I Got
The Blues On My Mind” is a lively shuffle
punctuated by Shot’s crisp guitar work, and
“Countin’ On Them Chickens” has a nice old
school blues feel. Speaking of old school, the
ballad “Fire To Your Flame” sounds like a slice
of vintage R&B from a couple of eras ago.
The
album closes with the Robert Johnson revisit,
“Please Mr. Devil,” where Mott pitches a deal
with Satan for mad harmonica skills, and a cool
instrumental, “Greaser,” which features Mott’s
harmonica backed by a Link Wray-like guitar
riff.
Vin Mott’s harmonica playing and his nimble
vocals are superb, and his highly original
songwriting and his great band help make Rogue
Hunter must-listening for traditional blues
fans.
--- Graham Clarke
 I first heard
Tomislav Goluban last year when
reviewing Velvet Space Love, an interesting
collaboration with a fellow Croatian,
keyboardist Toni Starešinić, which could best be
described as “future blues.” While that release
embraced a lot of styles --- funk, hip-hop, electronica, and jazz
--- Goluban’s contributions
on harmonica gave the project firm blues roots.
Goluban returns this year with a more
blues-based solo effort, Chicago Rambler (Spona),
featuring support from some of the Windy City’s
finest --- Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith (drums), E.G.
McDaniel (bass), Eric Noden (guitar), and fellow
harmonica ace Joe Filisko.
The influence of a battery of Chicago’s finest
harp masters as well as many other legends can
be felt on these 12 tracks, all
written by Goluban. Little Walter comes through
loud and clear on the snazzy opener, “Pigeon
Swing,” which was originally intended as a bonus
cut but was hot enough to be deemed the
lead-off track (Goluban’s nickname is “Little
Pigeon”). “Locked Heart” has the easygoing swamp
blues feel of Slim Harpo’s “Rainin’ In My
Heart,” and “Bag Full of Troubles,” one of two
tracks that teams Goluban with Filisko, is a
solid South Side shuffle.
Philadelphia Jerry Ricks became friends with
Goluban after he and his wife moved to Croatia,
with “Jerry Ricks On My Mind” being a tender tribute
to the late blues man who passed away in
Croatia in late 2007. This tribute appears as a
rumba-styled rocker and later in acoustic form.
“Can’t Find Myself” is a splendid slow blues
with mournful slide guitar from Noden, and “Home
Made Honey” has a real beach music feel.
“One Way Ticket” is a good old train song, down
to Goluban’s imitation which introduces the
tune, and “Do The Right Thing” takes on that
classic Bo Diddley beat.
“Little Pigeon” is the second Goluban/Filisko
collaboration, and it’s a great Muddy
Waters-styled slow Chicago blues with Filisko
backing Goluban’s vocal just like Little Walter
used to back Waters. “Searchin’ For My Baby”
isn’t the old Sonny Boy Williamson tune, but
rather a
delightful old timey country blues. The
album closes with a swinging remake of a
traditional Croatian folk song, “Išel buden v
kleticu,” which means “I’ll Go To My Cottage.”
Chicago Rambler is a fine tribute to traditional
Chicago blues, featuring Tomislav Goluban’s
excellent harp backed by some of the Windy
City’s finest musicians.
--- Graham Clarke
 Steve Conn has collaborated with a variety of
musicians over his career, frequently with Sonny Landreth (appearing on Landreth’s recent
Grammy-nominated effort Recorded Live In
Lafayette). He’s also toured with Albert King,
played accordion for Levon Helm, and even
appeared on The Tonight Show with Shelby Lynne.
A Louisiana native, Conn played small clubs in
Louisiana before moving to Colorado where he
formed the band Gris Gris. He also spent time in
Los Angeles in that city’s music scene,
returning to Colorado where he was musical
director for the NPR show eTown before settling
near Nashville.
Conn plays keyboards, accordion, and alto sax,
his singing voice is vulnerable and supremely
soulful, reminiscent at times of Boz Scaggs, and
he’s one heck of a songwriter. All of these
talents can be savored on his latest --- fifth
overall --- release, Flesh and Bone (Not Really
Records). The opening track, “Famous,” is a New
Orleans-styled track that finds Conn reflecting
on his life, wanting the accolades he thinks
he’s earned before it’s too late. Next is the
title track, which is a jazzy shuffle that has a
mid-career Miles Davis feel, followed by “Doing
The Best That I Can” taking a regretful look at a
broken relationship, and “You Don’t Know,” which
is hopeful for better days ahead.
“Annalee” is a sentimental ballad about a lost
love from long ago, a theme that’s revisited
later by another exceptional ballad, “Forever
Seventeen,” a tune that will touch anyone who
looks back and ponders what might have been.
Anyone who’s had a bad day can certainly relate
to “Let Me Cry,” a funky New Orleans blues. Conn
picks up the accordion for the zydeco-flavored
“Around and Around,” which takes a look at the
ongoing debate between religions in the world
(one of two tracks featuring Landreth’s slide
guitar). “Sing Me To The Other Side” is a somber
look at life’s end, and “Satisfied” reflects
discontent when all around is as good as can be.
“Good Times are Coming” combines Professor
Longhair keyboards with ’70s-era R&B and funk,
telling the story of a young child who is moved
from place to place with the promise of better
things ahead. The album closes with one of its
most powerful songs, “Without a Trace,” a
mysterious and moving tale of an apparent
suicide.
Conn and Joe V. McMahan co-produced the disc,
which was recorded in Nashville, and features
musical contributions from McMahan (guitars),
Bryan Owings (drums), and Dave Francis (bass),
among others.
Flesh and Bone is a stunning piece of work from
a talented musician and songwriter. Most
listeners will find a piece of themselves in
some, or all, of Steve Conn’s songs.
--- Graham Clarke
 Back in the
’70s Texas-born piano man Glen
Clark co-founded Delbert and Glen, a southern
rock and roots group, with Delbert McClinton,
recording a pair of albums for Atlantic. Clark
also toured with and wrote songs for Kris
Kristofferson and Willie Nelson during the ’80s,
and he also appeared in several of
Kristofferson’s movies during that same period. He
toured and recorded with Bonnie Raitt during the
’90s and continued to have success as a
songwriter for McClinton, Wynonna Judd, Buddy
Guy, John Mayall, Etta James, Lee Roy Parnell,
and many others. He’s also worked as a producer,
served as musical composer for the series
According To Jim, performed with the Blues
Brothers, and cut a reunion album with McClinton
in 2014.
Clark’s new release, You Tell Me (Glenco
Records), is his first solo album since 1994. It’s a dandy, consisting of ten superb tracks of
blues, soul, country, and rock n’ roll. Clark
(keyboards, guitar, vocals) is backed by a fine
group of music vets (John Bryant –
drums/co-producer with Clark, Jim Milan – bass,
Sam Swank – guitar) with guests James Pennebaker
(guitar), Jeff Silbar (acoustic guitar), Jim
Foster (trumpet), and Ron Jones (saxophone).
Clark wrote six of the ten tracks with Silbar,
including the country/blues title track that
opens the disc. They also collaborated on the
smooth Memphis R&B burner “Accept My Love,” the
gospel-flavored “Walk On,” the soulful “I’m
Never Gonna Stop Loving You,” the sparkling “In
Search Of,” and the Americana rocker “That’s
Where You Come In.” The funky “I Can Tell By
Looking” was co-written by Clark and the late
Stephen Bruton.
“When The Time Is Right,” co-written by Clark
with Steve Cropper, appeared on Buddy Guy’s
Heavy Love album in the late ’90s, with Clark’s
greasy, Stax-influenced version getting the nod
between the two versions to these ears. Clark
wrote the lovely piano-driven ballad, “Dreamer,”
all by his lonesome and provides a wonderful,
heartfelt vocal. The album’s lone cover is a
Kristofferson track, the reflective ballad “This
Old Road,” with another powerful vocal from
Clark.
Also deserving of notice are the wonderful
backing vocalists on the album --- Pat Peterson and
Benita Arterberry for most of the tracks, and
Paige Clark, Ty Clark, Tracy Truong, Cierra
Franco, and Ryan Franco for “I’m Never Gonna
Stop Loving You.”
Hopefully, Glen Clark won’t wait a quarter
century before blessing soul and blues fans with
another solo effort, because You Tell Me is an
absolute gem of an album.
--- Graham Clarke
 Even though
Trevor B. Power has loved and played
music for most of his life, he was never
inspired to play and write his own music until
he met Bobby Whitlock (Derek and The Dominos)
and Whitlock’s wife Coco Carmel. Around the same
time he became a DJ at the New Jersey radio
station WNTI (91.9 FM), really opening his
eyes to music particularly the blues. Over
time, with lots of practice and determination,
he began performing gigs with the WNTI Band and
Trevor B. Power & The Treblemakers, sharing the
stage with such blues luminaries as Trudy Lynn,
Dave Fields, Johnny Charles, and Steve Krase.
Now, the Trevor B. Power Band (Power –
vocals/guitar, Billy Gensch – guitar, Mark
Enright – bass, Tom DiCianni – drums) has
released their debut album, Everyday Angel, a
fine set of blues, rock, and soul originals that
was a quarter century in the making. The album
was produced by Power and Anthony Krizan (Spin
Doctors) , with guest artists Whitlock, Carmel,
guitarist Bob Lanza, sax man Nick Conti, and B3
master John Ginty.
“Jack,” the opening track, is a catchy
radio-ready rocker about Power’s dog, “You Ain’t
Acting Right” is a smooth shuffle with guest
guitarist Lanza contributing a nice solo, and
“Future Plans” is an old school rock n’ roller
with Ginty stepping forward with great honky
tonk piano and Conti on sax. “Saddest Things” is
a slow blues with splendid guitar work from
Gensch, and the Diddley-esque “Storm Warnin’”
reflects on current affairs, while Lanza returns
on guitar for the gritty blues rocker “Baby I’m
Through With You,” and Kirzan, who plays
guitar/bass/drums on this track (and several
others), punctuates the driving “I Wrote It
Down” with atmospheric slide guitar.
The stirring “Murder In The First Degree” has
the feel of one of those mid-’80s power rock
tunes, “Lord Have Mercy” has a swampy feel, a
little bit like CCR-era rock, and the title
track, a heartfelt ballad dedicated to Power’s
young daughter closing the disc features
Whitlock on slide guitar, drums, and keyboards
and Carmel on saxophone and backing vocals.
Everyday Angel is an inspired debut release from
the Trevor B. Power Band that shows Power is a
rapidly-developing songwriter and artist who
bears watching in the future.
--- Graham Clarke
 The Dee Miller Band is one of Minnesota’s finest
blues bands. Fronted by Miller, known in the
Twin Cities as “The Duchess of the Blues,” the
band also includes the talented Craig Clark
(vocals/guitar), Eric Meyer (bass/vocals), Mike DuBois (drums), and Jesse Mueller (keyboards).
The band advanced to the semi-finals at the 2019
International Blues Challenge and after
listening to Leopard Print Dress, the band’s
third release, one might wonder why they didn’t
advance further. Ms. Miller has a powerful and
supremely soulful set of pipes and the band is
proficient in a variety of blues styles.
The album’s ten tracks are a mix of blues, soul,
and R&B, beginning with the jumping “Hot and
Sweaty,” a rollicking original from Miller and
Clark, then getting funky with Etta James’s (via
Bekka Bramlett and Gary Nicholson) “Strongest
Weakness.” The group transforms the Eagles’
“Take It To The Limit” into a soul burner,
Miller’s power-packed performance giving the
song a new pair of legs. The title track won the
Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame award for Best Song
in 2017; co-written by Miller and Jimi
“Primetime” Smith, this excellent blues rocker
features vocals from Miller and Clark (who
sound great together) and a sizzling slide
guitar run from Paul Mayasich. Meanwhile, the
hard-charging, horn-fueled “Back In The Saddle”
was written by Kelley Jean Hunt.
Clark takes the mic for the Johnnie Taylor hit
“Last Two Dollars” and positively kills it,
while Miller ably handles the swinging shuffle
“I Sing The Blues” (with harp from Steve “Boom
Boom” Vonderharr) and gives a tender but tough
performance on the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s
“Midnight In Harlem,” which also features
Vonderharr along with Toby Marshall on B3.
Clark and the band revisits the funky side of
the blues with a stirring take on Albert
Collins’ “Black Cat Bone,” and Miller closes the
disc with “Steppin’,” a driving blues dedicated
to all her girlfriends done wrong.
Leopard Print Dress is a strong set of blues and
R&B. The vocal combination of Miller and Clark
works really well, with both shining solo and in
tandem, and the band is first rate from start to
finish. Put the Dee Miller Band’s latest release
on your “must hear” list.
--- Graham Clarke
 Over Under Through (Riverwide Records), the new
release from New Hampshire musician Paul Nelson,
is a riveting album that straddles the fence
between blues and roots. Production-wise, it
reminds me a lot of those great albums from
Daniel Lanois in the ’80s, with the music taking
a dark, earthy, often haunting feel. Nelson
wrote 10 of the 11 tracks, plays guitar,
keyboards, and percussion, and is backed by a
host of New England’s finest blues and folk
musicians --- guitarist Kevin Barry, drummer John
Sands, bassists Richard Gates and Paul Kochansky, and trumpeter Jeff Oster.
The opener, “Go Down Ezekiel,” is a
Biblically-based track firmly planted in the
Delta blues with shimmering guitar work from
Barry, and “Ghost In The Basement” sounds like a
moody track from a film noir. “Color It
Blue” is one of my favorites, lyrically packing a punch and featuring Oster on flugelhorn.
Meanwhile, the haunting “Secret” features Barry
on lap steel guitar, while on the somber “Lay A
Little” the protagonist shoulders some of the
responsibility for a failed relationship, and
“Alice Mullin” is is a folk song that takes a
leisurely pace.
Nelson’s cover of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The
Line” is taken almost like a lament. The
slower pace, combined with Nelson’s soulful
vocals (and equally soulful backing vocals from
Kristin Cifelli), will make listeners look at
the tune in a whole new light. “Relative Work”
is probably the most rock-oriented track on the
album, with Nelson singing that “we should make
the best of times.” “Silent Majority” also
rocks pretty hard, imploring listeners to “speak
your piece” and fight for what’s right.
The wonderful title track tells of a spiritual
journey and subsequent enlightenment, and on the
subdued closer, “There Is Weeping,” Nelson asks
listeners to “bring a song of hope to the
world.”
Over Under Through is a gentle and stunningly
personal release from Paul Nelson that touches
on the blues with soul, funk, folk, and gospel
mixed throughout. It’s also a rewarding
listening experience.
--- Graham Clarke
 A few months ago, I got an email and Soundcloud
link from a 22-year-old musician from Atlanta
named Brooks Mason, who told me that he had just
released his first blues album which was
recorded at his house with him playing all of
the instruments (guitar, bass, drums, and horns)
and singing. The project, called Eddie 9V,
features a dozen songs, mostly originals, and
show young Mason to be a most impressive
multi-instrumentalist and arranger.
Tracks like “Yonder’s Wall,” “Don’t Test Me,”
“Bottle and The Blues,” and the driving boogie
of “Whiskey and Wimmen” show that Mason has a
real knack for traditional blues, mixing crisp
guitar work with youthful but savvy vocals.
There’s also plenty of excellent guitar work on
the instrumental “Bending With The Kings,” which
pays a nod to the holy blues trinity of the
three Kings, and he shows off his slide guitar
skills on “I’m Worried” and “1945 (Cocaine and
Rum).” He also proves to be a pleasingly soulful
vocalist on the slow burner “LoFi Love.”
Eddie 9V won’t be available until July, but be
sure to keep an eye out for this release from a
fine new blues guitar talent.
--- Graham Clarke
 Blues Bytes head honcho Bill Mitchell made
Katarina Pejak’s recent Ruf Records release,
Roads That Cross, the Pick Hit for February.
After giving it a listen, it’s obvious that he
has a pretty keen ear. The young Serbian learned
to play piano at an early age and fell in love
with the blues after raiding her dad’s record
collection. She earned a scholarship to Berklee
College of Music and has already released
several albums but this one should definitely
not be missed, with 11 stunning tracks and
musical contributions from Laura Chavez
(guitar), Lonnie Trevino, Jr. (bass), and Damien Llanes (drums),
as well as sterling production from
Mike Zito.
Hitting the high spots (there are no “low
spots”), I really like the variation in styles
here, from the opener “Nature Of The Blues,”
which has a cool ’60s swinging retro vibe, to
the freewheeling “Cool Drifter,” to “Moonlight
Rider,” which has a haunting southern rock
feel right down to the Allmanesque slide guitar
throughout the song. The slow and soulful “Old
Pain” is right out of Memphis with Pejak’s keys
really adding to the mood, and she rocks the house
on “Chasing Summer.”
“Down With Me” mixes reggae rhythms with the
blues quite effectively, and “She’s Coming After
You” mixes a variety of themes, blues, Latin,
and a little surf guitar thrown in for good
measure. Meanwhile, the somber title track tells
the story of a relationship coming to an end,
and the album closer, “The Harder You Kick,” is
a solo piano/vocal track that serves as a bit of
a sequel to the previous track as Pejak vows to
move forward with her life.
There’s also a dandy pair of covers
--- Janis
Joplin’s “Turtle Blues,” a fine slow blues, and
a moody take on Joni Mitchell’s “Sex Kills.”
I like Pejak’s vocal style and her songwriting,
plus her mad skills on the keys. The band gives
her fantastic support. If anyone hasn’t already
picked up Roads That Cross after Bill’s fine
review, you are advised to make up for lost time
and check it out right now.
--- Graham Clarke
 The Japanese jump blues and swing band
Bloodest
Saxophone has previously worked with a pair of
legendary blues artists, including Big Jay McNeely and
Jewel Brown (check out their 2014 collaboration
with Ms. Brown, Roller Coaster Boogie, and
prepare to be blown away). Dialtone Records
chief Eddie Stout and the band came up with the
concept of teaming up with some of the finest
female voices in the Lone Star State. The result
is Texas Queens 5 (Dialtone/Vizztone Records),
which features the band backing Diunna
Greenleaf, Lauren Cervantes, Angela Miller, Jai
Malano, and Crystal Thomas.
Greenleaf gets the disc off to a rousing
start with a thunderous cover of Big Maybelle’s
“I Got A Feeling.” It’s her lone solo appearance
on the disc, but certainly one to remember. Next, she
teams with the other four Queens for a funky
take on “I Just Want To Make Love To You.” Each
of the ladies take lead on a verse and share
terrific background vocals on the chorus and
bridge. Crystal Thomas, who actually hails from
Shreveport and was at one time the trombone
player in Johnnie Taylor’s band, does a splendid
job on the Dr. John-penned R&B classic “Losing
Battle” and a Latin-tinged shuffle remake of
Roscoe Robinson’s “Don’t Move Me.”
Jai Malano sings lead on three tracks and really
delivers on a sizzling take of Rufus Thomas’
“Walkin’ The Dog,” Charles Sheffield’s swamp
blues classic “It’s Your Voodoo Working,” and a
sassy read of Amos Milburn’s “I Done Done It.”
Lauren Cervantes takes on the Louis Jordan hit,
“Run Joe,” which is given an upbeat island
rhythm that the band knocks out of the park, and
the fantastic swinging boogie “The Grape Vine,”
ably assisted by Angela Miller. Miller, who
works with Cervantes in an Austin-based soul
group, the Soul Supporters, sings lead on the
Mable John soul burner “Don’t Hit Me No More.”
Bloodest Saxophone (Koda “Young Corn” Shintaro –
tenor sax, Coh “Colonel Sanders” – trombone,
Osikawa Yukimasa – baritone sax, Shuji “Apple
Juice” – guitar, The Takeo “Little Tokyo” –
upright bass, and Kiminori “Dog Boy” –
drums/congas) provide superlative backing, with
additional contributions from Nick Connolly
(piano/organ), Kaz Kazanoff (tenor sax), and
Johnny Moeller (guitar). The band gets their
moments in the spotlight throughout and on a
pair of wonderful instrumentals --- the wild,
swinging original “Pork Chop Chick” and a steady
rolling cover of Lafayette Thomas’ “Cockroach
Run.”
Fans of jump blues and swing will find a whole
lot to love with Bloodest Saxophone and Texas
Queens 5. It’s a blast from start to finish.
--- Graham Clarke
 Karrin
Allyson - Right Here Right Now and I Like
That-Some of that Sunshine - Kasrecords ’18
Here’s a review of her concert tour behind this
album:
Met the quartet backstage, all very friendly,
not nervous, very sociable. Karrin asked how I
was going to introduce her. Well, didn’t have
time to tell crowd, but told her about the 2002
Chuck Niles compliment along with Kitty
Margolis: “Don’t remind me how many years ago!”
She’s still young. Classy. Lewis Nash was her
drummer this evening. I have a politically
CORRECT statement that this lady is HOT STUFF
because critics, the public, and other musicians
all like her.
This
Sunshine is her first all-original
words/music album. She did several numbers as a
stand-up singer to start.
Playlist: “Wish You were Mine,” friendly and
into it. Home, “Sunshine.” SECURE. I recalled
liking her performance broadcast live one NPR
Toast of the Nation NYE broadcast, I believe she
played all piano that night? But seeing her Live
most definitely did it, I was already a convert.
The ballad “Just As Well” has saxophonist
Houston Person on the record. “Shake it Up,”
inspired by Obama’s "Democracy zigs and zags.”
Break for Rogers & Hammerstein pairing: “Happy
Talk,” then she took over at piano, regular
player switching to Rhodes for good layering and
effect. “Got to be Taught,” obscure immediate
post-war from South Pacific.
“And
here we are today.” Todd Straightlo wrote the
ballad “I Can do Anything.” Staying at piano,
“Nobody Said Love was Easy.” A Mose Allison
followed by a Paul Simon tune, something about
what the little girl played on sax in Simpsons?
One number along here she really projected
unlike her records. And I got to that spot where
the music was allowed to consume me, up to then
didn’t know if it could or would. Back to
stand-up singing, “Sophisticated Lady” let her
get down to lower register, and when that ended,
she looked up as to God, Duke or someone, and I
got touched so that I removed glasses to wipe
eyes. Brazilian “Little Boat (Paquino),” “Happy
Now.” Miro Sprague played piano, Jeff Johnson on
bass.
About her style? You know it’s her, credit for
that originality. Her closing comments: “Just
about to release you, resume your evening, go
sit by a cactus? I would.” “Right Here Right Now
and I Like It” stays in head long after the
concert.
Jazz recordings:
Christian Sands-This pianist’s preview EP
was a drastic sweep between studio fireworks and
live extended technical calisthenics. We only
like four tracks off this late 2018 release. Mr.
Sands is not showing his promise. We’re out with
the tricky time signatures, pseudo-smooth jazz,
this guy is talented and we’ve heard him really
play with fire. All we have here is kindling. We
rate because in past offerings he’s been Tyner
and Jamal, here he’s Hancock. The concluding
track deals with meditation, just how deep we
can’t yet say.
 Xavier
Davis - Rise Up Detroit (Detroit
Music Factory ’18) - This piano player is
happening, McCoy Tyner-like.
Christian McBride - New Jawn (Mack
Avenue ’18) - Despite the tracks of fill and
sketches, the creativity of open spaces,
fragmentations serious improvisational
statements and drive make this close to the
attitude of a Max Roach or Elvin Jones ensemble
sound. Bassist McBride shines as the obvious
leader.
Yelena Eckemoff - Better than Gold (L
& H ’18) - She’s a pianist. This material has
impact just from an instrumental standpoint.
It’s more than technique or talent, it’s a
philosophy and positive attitude applied through
playing styles. We don’t know who’s rising to
the occasion here --- soloists, horns or rhythm
section parts --- but suspect the pianist is the
ringleader. Vocals of the Psalms are simply
icing on the cake. Studious progression is
obvious, noticed and appreciated.
Ernesto Cervini’s Turboprop - Abundance
(Anzic ’18) - Toronto drummer/composer and his
band. Appreciate the concept but want to re-name
the music “turbo BOP.” Harmony of the horns
create that impression, harkening slightly back
to what you might hear as POST post bop?
OJT (Organ Jazz Trio) - Happening stuff,
good original material and musicianship. Not too
deep on groove or grease comparatively.
Marcus Strickland - Tenor sax tone and
technique, use of bass clarinet notable. Good
and strong as a sideman on the recent Christian
McBride release, but where is the force on his
own outing? Nothing from this album useable.
Latin recordings:
Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton
Marsalis- Una Noche con Ruben
Blades (Blue Engine ’18) - Good amalgam of
everyone, ensemble with conductor/custom rhythm
section/front man. The orchestra disciplined and
proper compared to the abandon of a Puente or
Machito big band, Wynton’s trumpet sounds good
over the rhythms, Ruben Blades tears it up,
especially on the English language American
standard popular material.
 Chucho
Valdez - Jazz Bata 2 (Mack Avenue
’18) - Outstanding, spectacular. Pared-down
instrumentation appreciated, more piano and
energy on this Chucho record than some of his
live appearances at least as sideman. Story of
how this is sequel to his father’s 1952
recording commendable. Impressive outing. I’ve
seen him and his son, didn’t know Bebo Valdez
was his father until recently. Bata’s were
originally for ceremonial purposes only in the
Santa-Ria “religion.”
Harold Lopez Nussa - Un Dia Cualquiera
(Mack Avenue ’18) - Concert review of tour
behind this release: Lopez-Nussa’s accompanists
nice guys, drummer Ruy liked I knew his name. A
hundred at best filled the theater, I a little
out of shape on winging pronunciations while
introducing the trio. Roughly translated album
on sale is Just Another Day, a bold
statement with pretty melodies. “Mantacera
variations.” Then a 6/8 base medium but busy in
parts, a peculiar recorded vocal beginning,
middle, end. Next was the hit "danzon" from the
album. A cojunto/piano duo, up and substantive.
They played a Bebo Valdez tribute, just recently
learned that’s Chucho’s dad. An uncle, maybe his
brother, composed the next number, “Lowell Cha.”
Then a damn melodica, fortunately played sparse
on melody only, by drummer blowing into a tube
which made a good photo anyway with
keyboard on lap. Next selection they called “Hi
Ya Leah,” for a Miami ‘hood. The program seemed
a little short of 90 minutes, never moved into
to my subconscience, not consumed or meditative
as some shows here perhaps due to the lugubrious
nature of Cuban piano and percussion music. For
encore the pianist played a locked hands ballad.
They sold and signed CDs in lobby and those who
stayed were interested and welcoming.
--- Tom Coulson
I play all discs I review on radio. Search for
Hacksaw Jazz.
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@FHacksaw
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