|
 Deb
Ryder has been on the blues scene for quite some
time, but her latest album, Memphis Moonlight
(Vizz Tone), has grabbed me like none before. Like
her past albums, this one rocks the blues as she
shouts out vocals with an edge of roughness and a
lot of power. She's not only a strong-voiced singer
but also a gifted songwriter, having written all 13
songs on Memphis Moonlight. She's joined by
an all-star cast of musicians, with notable names
like Los Lobos stars Steve Berlin and David Hidalgo,
all three of the Delgado Brothers, Ronnie Earl, and
Alastair Greene. Produced by drummer Tony Braunagel,
this album shows that Deb Ryder is ready to take the
next step forward in her blues career.
Ryder's voice absolutely soars
on the first cut, the mid-tempo soulful blues,
"I'm Coming Home," with plenty of horns. This
one just absolutely cooks, as does the equally
raucous "Hold On," with blues harmonica from
Pieter Van Der Pluijm. Ryder gives us the sound
advice that we all just need to hold on and wait
out the bad times we've all been experiencing.
Greene does one of his two guest
appearances on "These Hands," contributing very
nice slide guitar while Ryder puts more bass in
her voice as she sings about everything her
hands have done. everything her eyes have seen,
every feeling her heart has experienced, and
every sound her voice has emitted. Greene and
his slide are back later on the album on the
rather unique "Devil's Credit Line," on which
Ryder sings about pushing everything to the edge
and how the devil is going to take her in the
end. More stellar harmonica by Van Der Pluijm on
both of these numbers.
Ryder shows she is capable of
handling a slow blues on "Love Is Gone," with
subtle and tasty guitar from Ronnie Earl. She
later sings at the same tempo on a ballad,
pleading her blues on "Most of All," with Earl
making his second appearance and a strong
gospel-like chorus contributing to the power of
the number.
The title cut gets an acoustic
treatment, with Johnny Lee Schell playing both
guitar and tambourine on a song that wouldn't be
out of place on just about any urban street
corner. "Standing at the Edge" gets more of a
jazzy treatment on a exquisite blues shuffle,
especially considering the monster B3 solo we
hear from Mike Finnigan and strong horn work
from sax player Joe Sublet and trumpeter Mark
Pender.
Another favorite is the Cajun/conjunto-style
stomper, "Second Chances," with the East L.A.
bunch (Hidalgo, Berlin and the Delgados) all
wrapped in, highlighted by Hidalgo's accordion.
This song will remain in your memory banks for
quite some time.
Memphis Moonlight is a
keeper, and another step forward in the blues
career of Deb Ryder. Her music is smokin' hot!
--- Bill Mitchell
 One
of the side effects of the recent pandemic has
been an increase in the number of solo/duo
recordings with less production and backing
instrumentation, especially with stuff that
could be recorded at home. While that's not
necessarily the case with Chicago singer /
guitarist Donna Herula, since she headed
to North Carolina to record the self-released
Bang At The Door, this fine album still
nicely fits into that groove that we've been
hearing over the last year. There are just a
handful of backing musicians behind Herula,
including her husband, Tony Nardiello, playing
his Gibson guitar on a couple of tracks, but
this is undoubtedly Herula's show from start to
finish.
If you like the sound of a slide
on vintage guitars, then you are going to love
the music here, because Herula pulls out the
slide on just about every number. She's good at
what she does, too, and sings with a pleasant
yet often forceful voice.
To begin this review I'll go
right to the album's last cut, Willie Johnson's
"The Soul Of A Man," because this was the number
that I chose to play on my radio show in
debuting the album. It's very soulful and
spiritual, with plenty of solid slide riffs.
Another highlight in the same vein is Herula's
cover of Bukka White's "Fixin' To Die," with
absolutely amazing slide guitar on a 1935
National Steel Triolian. This is a pure emotion,
especially with White's frequent references to
his children watching him die. At one point,
Herula sings, "... I know I was born to die, but
I hate to leave my children cry ..."
Most of the songs here are
Herula originals, with a strong one being "Not
Lookin' Back," which has our star opening the
number with Hawaiian-style resonator guitar
before later trading the spotlight with pianist
Doug Hammer. The opening title cut is another
creative original, with Herula singing about
that man who keeps coming around and trying to
get in to see her. There's plenty of energy
here, and Herula eventually tells that intruder
to not come around any more.
One of the more creative
original compositions is "Movin' Back Home," a
country blues in which she laments having to
move back in with her parents due to financial
hardships. What's interesting is that her old
room is just like she left it, complete with a
Bert & Ernie poster, a Snoopy blanket, a Rubik's
Cube, vinyl records scattered around, and a bed
in which she no longer fits. I love it! She's
encountering a different issue on "Who's Been
Cookin' In My Kitchen," finding out that some
other woman has been preparing meals for her
man, but in the end she takes control of the
situation, all framed with Herula's wonderful
fingerpicking guitar.
The last cover version is a
rendition of Lucinda Williams' "Jackson," a
pleasant slow tune as Herula backs Nardiello's
vocals with her tasteful guitar picking.
Bang At The Door is
really growing on me the more I listen to it.
There's plenty more than what I mentioned, but
trust me when I saw it's all very good blues.
I'm digging all 14 cuts, and I strongly believe
that you will, too. I had never heard of Donna
Herula before this album showed up in my
mailbox, but I'm sure glad it did. She's now on
my "A" list of acoustic blues artists.
--- Bill Mitchell
 I've
had Deep In My Soul (Ruf Records) by
North Carolina soul/blues singer Big Daddy
Wilson (aka Wilson Blount) on my pile of
albums to review for quite some time, and for
some reason it kept slipping down the queue.
He's a very fine singer, possessing a deep voice
with just a hint of charcoal to it. Perhaps I
didn't get it done before because while there's
some good stuff here, not all of the music on
this album got me excited. And it should have,
with the recording taking place in the legendary
FAME studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and
produced by Jim Gaines. The always outstanding
guitarist Laura Chavez is just one of the many
fine musicians backing Wilson on the disk. It's
just that not everything here brought out the
pure pleasure that good soulful blues is
supposed to do, with some of the recordings
sounding too formulaic for my tastes. I
sometimes use the term "schmaltzy" to describe
songs like this, and I found myself writing that
term several times in my notes.
There are some really good songs
here, starting with the one that continually
runs through my head since I played it on one of
my recent radio shows. "Crazy World" is a slow
blues, with more force and emotion in Wilson's
vocals than we hear elsewhere, and it's
complemented nicely by subtly tasteful guitar
from Chavez. I'll go out on a limb and say that
this song alone is worth the price of the whole
album. Another very strong soulful number, "Deep
in My Soul" pretty much describes where Wilson
is reaching down to get the emotion here, while
Chavez gets a bit funkier on the guitar parts.
Another winner.
"I Know (She Said)" is pure
southern blues like many of the classic Malaco
recordings, with plenty of horns and female
background singers while Wilson sings praises
for his woman, especially pointing out how she
makes him feel with her good old-fashioned
loving, not to mention her cooking that includes
neckbone stew and apple pie.
Wilson closes the album with a
very short, heartfelt gospel number, "Couldn't
Keep it To Myself," with the only backing being
acoustic guitar and a very fine male chorus.
I want to hear more from Big
Daddy Wilson, because I think there's a better
album inside of him waiting to come out. In the
meantime, I'll listen to Deep In My Soul
for the highlights.
--- Bill Mitchell
 As promised, we now have
the second collection from the New Moon Jelly Roll
Freedom Rockers 2007 session, appropriately
entitled Volume 2 (Stony Plain Records). The players
included Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North
Mississippi Allstars (the session organizers), along
with their father Jim Dickinson, Charlie Musselwhite,
Alvin Youngblood Hart, and Jimbo Mathus. Volume 2
offers more of the same as Volume 1, a roots music
fan’s delight mixingn blues classics with
well-crafted originals from Musselwhite, Hart, and
Mathus.
There’s little, if any,
difference in quality between the two sets. Musselwhite takes the lead for
a pair of his own songs, the loping opener “Blues
For Yesterday” and the mesmerizing “Black Water,”
which paints a stunningly vivid picture of the
Mississippi both lyrically and musically. Hart rips
through a rowdy take of Doug Sahm’s “She’s About A
Mover” and his own “Millionaire Blues (If Blues Was
Money),” a wonderful country blues that pulls out
all the stops (we need a new recording from Mr. Hart
soon, please). Mathus’ “Searchlight (Soon In The
Morning)” sounds like vintage Chicago blues and his
salacious old school “Greens and Ham” is a lot of
fun.
The elder Dickinson, who passed away a couple of
years after this session, takes the mic for four
tunes --- Charlie Mingus’ “Oh Lord, Don’t Let Them Drop
That Atomic Bomb On Me,” which manages to be
downhearted and boisterous at the same time, the
Junior Wells standard, “Messin’ With The Kid,” which
provides a wonderful showcase for Musselwhite’s
masterful harmonica, Jimmy Reed’s “Can’t Stand To
See You Go,” featuring some great barrelhouse piano,
and a somber, slow-burning read of the Mississippi
Sheiks’ “Blues Is A Mighty Bad Feeling,” which
closes the album.
Luther Dickinson, who along with drummer Cody
Dickinson and bassists Chris Chew and Paul Taylor
provide superb musical support throughout, gets a
moment in the spotlight with a killer version of
Earl Hooker’s instrumental, “Blue Guitar.”
Simply put, if you already have
Volume 1, you must
have Volume 2 if you don’t have it already. If you
haven’t listened to the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom
Rockers yet, you’re missing out on some of the most
down-and-dirty, rough-and-ragged Mississippi blues
recorded in the past couple of decades.
--- Graham Clarke
 Al Basile’s latest release,
Last Hand (Sweetspot
Records), is the story of a May/December romance
told from the man’s perspective as he deals with
aging, insecurity, reassurance, and eventually,
despair. Basile, as usual, penned all of the songs,
but he produced this release himself for the first
time, keeping things pretty simple. He’s backed by
Duke Robillard’s trio (Bruce Bears – piano/organ,
Brad Hallen – bass, and Mark Teixeira – drums), and
only plays his cornet on two of the 12 tracks.
His vocals tell the tale quite effectively,
conveying all the above-mentioned emotions
perfectly.
As the story begins with “It Ain’t Broke,” while our
hero still has confidence and self-assurance he’s
reaching an age where he doesn’t seem to be able to
attract the attention of the fairer sex (“Invisible
Man”). However, he meets a younger woman who seems
interested, but he doesn’t want to get his feelings
hurt (“Don’t Toy With Me”) and eventually rejects
her advances and is surprised when she seems
genuinely hurt (“What Would You Be Doing?”). He
decides to give in, soon falling in love, and
hopefully is in it for the long haul (“I Could Get
Used To This” and “Don’t”).
Not wanting to reveal the whole story, let’s just
say that things get rocky along the way as concern
for his significant other’s long-term future takes
over and then doubt and insecurity, threatening
the relationship’s future. A host of emotional
twists and turns run throughout the second half of
the disc, leading to an unexpected, gut-wrenching
conclusion which will leave some listeners
emotionally drained, especially if they’ve lived
through a similar circumstance.
If you’re familiar with Basile as a composer, you
already know that this is a riveting story and that
you will be completely embroiled in it yourself. As
stated, he delivers the goods both vocally, as if
he’s lived this story himself, and with his cornet.
The backing trio’s musical accompaniment moves
deftly between blues and jazz. Last Hand is a
superlative set of authentic real-life blues from
one of the genre’s master craftsmen.
--- Graham Clarke
 It’s been a while since we’ve heard from
The
Christopher Dean Band (2014’s Call Me Later), but
his fans should agree that his new release, Songs
from French Street (Lost World Music), was well
worth the wait. Dean has always mixed his brand of
blues with deep southern soul, but this effort finds
his merging of the styles coming to full fruition
with 14 stunning tracks, six written by Dean,
that blend seamlessly with the well-chosen covers.
Joining Dean on this effort is his core band (Dave
Hollingsworth – drums, June Thomas – organ, Rob
Fraser – bass), along with his longtime friend
Johnny Rawls, a first-rate horn section (James
White, Steve Lombardelli, and Joe Mixon), and Lost
World Music label chief and keyboardist
extraordinaire “Chicago” Carl Snyder.
Rawls guests on the opening track, his own “Can I
Get It,” sharing lead vocals with Dean and
contributing guitar on the funky, upbeat tune. Next
is “Without You In My Life,” formerly an early ’70s
hit for soul-blues legend Tyrone Davis. Dean’s
cover captures the feeling of Davis’ earlier
version to a tee. “My Woman Tonight,” a Dean
original, is a tasty, romantic slow burner with
White featured on sax, and “You Walked Away,”
another Dean song, features his crisp guitar work
backed by a catchy Latin backdrop.
Dean overs
Otis Rush’s “Keep Lovin’ Me Baby,” giving it a
swinging arrangement with great West Side fretwork.
He also wrote the supremely soulful “Watching Me
Watching You,” which could have made the charts back
in the day, and “Walls,” which has a nice retro ’70s
R&B feel. Next are two excellent covers, first Omar
Cunningham’s ballad “Send Her To Me,” and Curtis
Mayfield’s civil rights “This Is My Country,” which
retains a lot of the original’s style, followed by
Dean’s funky soul shuffle, “Not That Kind Of Man,”
“Let Me Be,” and a wistful take of Nat King Cole’s
“I Miss You So.”
There are two bonus tracks that focus on the pure,
unadulterated blues, featuring Dean, Snyder, and
Hollingsworth in an intimate setting. Muddy Waters’
“Gypsy Woman” features strong guitar from Dean and
some great piano from Snyder, channeling Otis
Spann. A lively take of Memphis Minnie’s
“Nothin’ In Ramblin’” closes the disc.
All of Christopher Dean’s releases are worth a
listen, but with Songs from French Street, he really
seems to have locked in on the sound he’s been
looking for. His songs stand up very well to the
choice covers on this set, and his vocals and guitar
work on the album are the best I’ve heard. Blues and
soul fans will find a lot to savor on this
outstanding set.
--- Graham Clarke
 Good Life (American Showplace Music) is Hurricane
Ruth LaMaster’s fifth release, and it’s her best
yet. The singer may be diminutive in stature (five
feet tall), but her vocals are anything but, and her
nickname is well-deserved. She co-wrote eight of the
ten tracks here, many of which have an
autobiographical feel, and she’s backed by a
powerhouse band (Scott Holt – guitar, Calvin Johnson
– bass, Bruce Katz – keyboards, Tony Braunagel –
drums) on this album that provides the best
reflection of her talent.
“Like Wildfire,” the torrid opener, is a honky
tonking blues stomper that gets the album off to a
rousing start. “Dirty Blues,” co-written by LaMaster
with Tom Hambridge is a driving hard rocker fueled
by Holt’s hot fretwork, and “What You Never Had,”
also with Hambridge, is a shuffle about making the
best of what you’ve got. The title track is a moving
ballad based on a conversation LaMaster had with her
late mother shortly before she passed away. Gary
Nicholson penned “Torn In Two,” a catchy rocking
shuffle that LaMaster makes her own.
The funky “She’s Golden” describes a woman
successfully rising above adversity, and the rugged
blues rocker “Black Sheep” finds LaMaster fully
embracing her inner badass. On the declarative “Who
I Am,” she declares she’s a changed person to her
old friends and she “don’t get down like that no
more.” The shuffle “Late Night, Red Wine” was
inspired by a friend coming off a rough night, and
the closing track, “I’ve Got Your Back,” is a
standout, with LaMaster turning in a wonderfully
soulful performance fueled by the optimistic words
and music.
Previously, Hurricane Ruth seemed to inhabit her
songs as much as she performed them, which has
always been one of the attractions to her music, at
least to these ears. Never has that been truer for
her than on Good Life, which features great
performances and songs and stands as the singer’s
finest hour.
--- Graham Clarke
 Las Vegas-based guitarist
Rick Berthod has shared
the stage with a host of blues luminaries, including
B.B. King, John Mayall, Gregg Allman, Robben Ford,
Etta James, Savoy Brown, and the Yardbirds, just to
name a few. He has performed at festivals in the
U.S., Europe, and Canada and was inducted into the
Las Vegas Blues Hall of Fame in 2017. He’s also
released eight albums over his three-decade career,
the most recent being Peripheral Visions. Berthod
provides lead vocals and guitar with support from
Smiley Lang (bass/vocals), Justin Truitt (drums),
and Billy Truitt (keys), with guest appearances from
P.J. Barth (guitar on two tracks) and Ron Anaman
(vocals on two tracks).
The ten-song set covers a broad range of blues and
rock, beginning with the tasty opening instrumental
“Seeing Sideways,” which is a smooth combination of
blues and R&B in a Motown vein. “Love Hungry” is a
stomping blues rocker, “One More Chance” is a
mid-tempo blues, and the slow burning “Memories” is a
highlight with stellar work on the keys from Billy
Truitt, while Berthod’s guitar playing gives a nod
to Albert Collins (who helped the guitarist put
together a band in the late 80’s) on the sparkling
“Much Love,” and “Treat Her Right,” is an upbeat
rocker that features superb instrumental
contributions from Berthod and the band.
From the opening notes of the seven-minute blues
ballad, “Fly On,” listeners will know they’re in for
a treat, as Berthod and company take their sweet
time putting this masterpiece together. Goosebumps
should ensue from his excellent fretwork on this
track and Anaman’s lead vocals on this track and the
following mid-tempo blues rock workout “High Dollar
Girl” are great. Berthod breaks out the slide for
the southern rock-flavored “Hard On My Heart,” and
the whole band shines on the funk/jazz instrumental
that closes the disc, “Broken Middle Finger.”
A talented and versatile guitarist and fine
vocalist, Rick Berthod also receives outstanding
support from the whole band on Peripheral Visions, a
rock-solid effort that offers an interesting blend
of blues, soul, and rock.
--- Graham Clarke
 Up-and-coming singer/guitarist
Eddie 9V recently
released Way Down The Alley (Live at Blind Willie’s)
(Echo Decco Records), a pretty impressive
11-song set recorded in January, 2020 at the
legendary Atlanta club in front of an enthusiastic
and appreciative audience. Backed by a tight band
that includes Lane Kelly (bass), Colin Dean (drums),
Jackson Allen (harmonica), and Chad Mason (keys),
Eddie 9V offers a fun ten-song set (the track called
“Technical Difficulties” is just that) that mixes
new songs, songs from his previous album, and a few
tasty covers.
A relative youngster by blues standards, nevertheless
Mr. 9V has put together a savvy set here to go along
with his equally savvy mix of blues with an added
healthy measure of soul. The smooth urban blues
opener, “36 & Main,” swings along at a relaxed pace
and the band stretches out behind 9V, who provides
strong fretwork and vocals. Next is a solid cover of
“Look Over Yonder Wall,” followed by the slow burner
“Bottle And The Blues,” featuring crisp lead work
from 9V and keyboards from Mason, the funky and
soulful “New Orleans,” and the Motown-flavored R&B
of “Lo-Fi Love.”
“Cod’s Song” is a slower-paced blues where Eddie 9V
enjoys a little interaction with the audience,
breaks out some slide guitar, while Allen blows a
mean, extended harp solo. “Goin’ Down Slow” takes on
a brisker pace than the original, but it works
really well, while “Left My Soul In Memphis,” the
title track from 9V’s recent studio effort, is a
jaunty little slice of Bluff City soul and blues.
The last two tracks are from the Muddy Waters
songbook, the downhome “Catfish Blues” and a raucous
read of “Got My Mojo Workin’,” which sounds like a
real crowd pleaser.
Eddie 9V’s previous effort had a homemade
quality. He recorded and produced it, playing most
of the instruments himself, and it was a pretty
strong effort, allowing the limitations with such an
undertaking. The live versions with a working band
naturally give the songs added “oomph,” but it’s
obvious that the songs were there to begin with and
so were Eddie 9V’s vocals and guitar. He recently
signed with Ruf Records, so blues fans will be
hearing much more from Eddie 9V soon. In the
meantime, you are strongly encouraged to give Way
Down The Alley (Live At Blind Willie’s) a spin or
two.
--- Graham Clarke
 A few years back,
CD Woodbury and band were on top
of the world. Their debut CD, Monday Night, was a
finalist for Best Self-Produced CD at the I.B.C. and
the band twice made the semifinals (earning the tag
“Kings of Beale Street”), and Woodbury has won 11
Best of the Blues awards from the Washington Blues
Society and five Electric Blues Guitar awards. In
2018, the guitarist battled a host of health issues,
went through a relocation that had him considering
giving up the music business altogether. Thankfully,
he has returned to the scene with a memorable 2020
appearance at the I.B.C. and a new album, World’s
Gone Crazy.
The opening track, “Follow The River Home,” kicks
off with splendid four-part acapella harmony from
Woodbury and band (Don Montana – drums, Patrick
McDanel – bass, Mike Marinig – keys, sax) before
launching a hill country stomper driven by
Woodbury’s slippery slide guitar. “Walk Around
Music” is a swinging tribute to the soul music that
has inspired him, the driving rocker “I Didn’t Know”
is a tale of betrayal featuring Marinig’s punchy
saxophone as a centerpiece, and “Emerald City Blues”
is a smoky slow burner, while “Memphis Heat”
describes the band’s adventures on Beale Street.
The title track definitely has a swampy vibe with
Woodbury’s eerie slide guitar as he reflects on the
state of affairs in the world, the funky rocker
“South of South Hill” will put a hop in your step
(Montana’s drumming is awesome on this track), and
on the humorous shuffle “Can’t Eat That Stuff No
More,” Woodbury laments his recent frustrating
forays into the world of Slim Fast, Nutrisystem, and
Weight Watchers.
The last five songs are all covers, beginning with a
rollicking version of the Chicago blues standard
“Wang Dang Doodle,” sung with gusto by Montana, and
continuing with Tad Robinson’s soulful shuffle “Last
Go Round,” the jazzy “Adeline” (penned by Kevin
Andrew Sutton, Woodbury’s fellow Northwestern blues
man), a cool remake of Hendrix’s “Hey Joe”
(featuring great solos on sax and guitar), and Joe
Louis Walker’s “Preacher And The President,” a frank
look at corruption and politics that holds as true
today as it did when Walker penned it in 1998.
It’s great to have CD Woodbury back on the scene, and
World’s Gone Crazy is a lot of fun with fantastic
music, great original tunes, and well-chosen covers.
Hopefully, those health issues have been addressed
and we will hear more soon.
--- Graham Clarke
 Jackie Neal was a rising star on the southern
soul/blues circuit when her life was tragically
ended after being shot by her ex-boyfriend. Ms. Neal
was the daughter of Raful Neal, and one of eight
siblings who worked as musicians, including Kenny
Neal. She released four albums between 1995 and 2005
and was preparing to launch a European tour before
her tragic death. Ms. Neal’s loss has been mourned
by the blues world for some time, and recently Stevie
J Blues, via PK Music Group, has assembled a tribute
album to her work, A Jackie Neal Celebration,
featuring more of rising stars in the soul and blues
fields.
The upbeat opening track, “Nookie Thang,” is ably
handled by Jonté Mayon, who’s currently serving as a
vocalist in the new Urban Ladder Society group. Ms.
Mayon also gets fed up with her lover’s roving eye
on the world-weary “He Don’t Love Me.” Meanwhile,
Stephanie Luckett pours her heart into the soulful
ballad “Right Thing Wrong Man,” and positively nails
the slow burner “In Love With Your Stuff,” while
singer Tiffstarr Haywood’s vocal on “Juke Joint” is
a near-perfect match of Ms. Neal’s original.
Tammy D’s simmering take on the funky “Down In Da
Club” is first rate, and Tamera Tate’s popping
version of “Twerk It” will get feet on the floor for
sure, while Trish May closes out the disc in fine
fashion with “That’s The Way We Roll.” Producer
Stevie J. Blues couldn’t let the ladies have all the
fun, so he (with assistance from Rashad the Blues
Kid) let loose with a rip-roaring cover of “Zydeco
Party.”
A Jackie Neal Celebration not only pays tribute to a
fine vocalist who was taken away from soul and blues
fans far too soon, but it also reveals that there’s
a lot of impressive young talent poised to fill her
shoes.
--- Graham Clarke
 The Belgian group,
Walter Broes & the Mercenaries,
combine blues, rockabilly, and roots to great
effect. Guitarist/singer Broes began his career at
16 with the neo-rockabilly band, The Ratmen, in the
late ’80s before spending 16 years with The Seatsniffers, who released seven albums and played
1,500 shows all over Europe. Recently, Broes and The
Mercenaries (drummer Lieven Declercq and bassist
Clark Kenis) released a single on the Rootz Rumble
label. The A-side, “Nice and Neat,” is a rollicking
roots and rockabilly raver that gets a lot done in
just over two minutes, harkening back to the glory
days of the music. The B-side, “Smokin’,” is a
hard-rocking instrumental that would be a great fit
on one of those surf guitar compilations you see
online. Both tracks will have fans of these genres
looking forward to a full album of this great music
from Walter Broes & the Mercenaries soon.
--- Graham Clarke
 Wily Bo Walker and Danny Flam previously
collaborated on 2015’s Moon Over Indigo, which
earned consideration for a 2016 Grammy. Hailing from
Glasgow, Scotland, Walker’s music spans several
genres --- blues, gospel, soul, R&B, rock, and jazz
---
while Flam, who leads the New York Brass, has won
multiple Grammys and is known for his work with Kanye West, Jay-Z, and others. Their latest
collaboration, Ain’t No Man A Good Man (Mescal
Canyon Music), features ten tracks, eight written or
co-written by Wiley, and a host of musical
collaborators too lengthy to list.
The title track opens the disc, a horn-fueled affair
that brings to mind the horn-driven rock sounds of
the early ’70s, followed by the driving blues rocker
“Fool For You,” reprised from Walker’s Almost
Transparent Blues release in 2018. The
rollicking shuffle, “Did I Forget,” has a
swinging Crescent City vibe, as does the second
line-charged “Velvet Windows (Treme Trippin’).” The
ominously funky “Walking With The Devil” features
eerie slide guitar teaming with Walker’s low rumble
narration.
On “Night Of The Hunter,” the band really locks into
a great groove with stinging guitar from Mike Ross,
those punchy horns, and Walker’s noir-like lyrics
and vocals. “Ain’t Hungry No More” manages to throw
a little reggae rhythm into the mix, and “Time To
Forget You” has an after-hours R&B feel, about as
after-hours as this album gets. Meanwhile, the
standard “St. James Infirmary” gets an up-tempo --- REALLY
up-tempo --- reworking that makes it sound like a totally
different song.The stunning closer, “Build My
Gallows (Ain’t No Return),” features slide guitar
from Troy Redfern, haunting background vocals, and
the Cenovia Cummins String Quartet.
Ain’t No Man A Good Man is not your ordinary blues
album, but it wouldn’t have come from Wily Bo Walker
and Danny Flam if that was the case. If energetic
blues/R&B with blasting horns and a hard rocking
edge is in your wheelhouse, then this is one that
needs to be heard.
--- Graham Clarke
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