There are days when I think a Harper album
and a bottle of tequila are all I’d need on a desert
island to get by. Then I realize I’d need a couple
of more things that are better off not being
mentioned at this point. Harper’s new album on Blind
Pig Records, Stand Together, is probably his
most eclectic set yet…and that’s a good thing. So
let’s get to it.
Our first tune out of the box is “I Never Want” and
we find Harper a contented man. He’s got everything
he needs --- the sun, the wind, the stars above his
head --- and he’s happy with that. We should all be
that lucky. “I never want anymore…I never want
anymore…I never want anymore!” “Looking at You”
finds Harper emphasizing with a friend of his. “I
just don’t seem to understand the fascination…you
take the money that they all give…it’s in the
rapture…it’s the way to live…your hair is
perfect…you’re looking fine…do you believe yourself
all the time? Seems she’s taking life for granted
when it really is right there in front of her.
“We Stand Together” is a call for unity.
Collectively we can all accomplish more together
than apart, so why not try? “I can’t believe you
don’t understand…we’re all united with the dust and
the sand…all it take me is not my choice…we stand
together as one great voice!” Harper’s happiness is
in the here and now, he’d much rather stand together
than leave.
Our next cut, “Love=Peace=Freedom,” espouses the
good that could be accomplished if we all worked
together. “Wouldn’t it be something…if we could all
get along…there would be no hunger…and the world be
so strong…no need for an army…there’d be no one to
fear!” Definitely an optimistic view of the
world…don’t know if we’ll see it in our lifetime,
but the world could definitely be a better place
than it is now. “You Know What You Got” finds Harper
trying to enlighten a friend of his. “You’ve got to
try and change the things that you do…you know it’s
going to be good for you…you’re going to lose
everything you got…and I don’t know if you’re ready
or not. Sounds like his friend is in for a tough
lesson that Harper’s trying to help him avoid.
Gregg Leonard’s guitar lays the groundwork for
Peter’s harp in our next cut, “No Problem.” “Don’t
even try to understand…don’t even think they could
be your brother, man…it’s all too easy…fade
away…believe me…everything they say is true…don’t
listen to them…can’t you see…it’s not your problem!”
Harper is trying to save his friend from some
serious problems by encouraging him to at least be
cautious. He’ll stay out of a lot of trouble if
he’ll listen and realize, “it’s not your problem,
just walk away!”
Harper’s harmonica provides the intro to our next
song, “Weaker Man.” “You sure did have a real nice
trip…but you were sailing on a sinking ship…well,
you’re a weaker man.” Harper’s friend doesn’t have
the strength to realize he’s being played in several
situations and being taken advantage of. His lack of
internal strength will be his downfall. “Not My
Brother” finds bad influences trying to affect the
work ethic and life that Harper is building. “I can
tell you’re not my brother…tell your story to
another…please understand as I walk away…it doesn’t
make a difference all the things you say…don’t want
to tell you to get up and drive…I guess we just lead
different lives!” Harper’s theme of doubt and
mistrust continues in his rendition of “Chill Out.”
“Why don’t you leave me alone? Can’t you see I can’t
stand being around you…got to chill out now…got to
chill out now…you never meant that much to me.”
“Take These Arms” finds Harper extending the gifts
of friendship and shelter to a friend who needs it.
“When you have a problem…I’m there at your door…no
need to worry…cause that’s what friends are for…take
these hands…no need to worry…take these hands.”
Definitely my favorite tune on the disc, we all
should be so lucky to have a friend like that to see
us through the very tough times. Peter’s counsel
continues in “What Are You Gonna Do?” Decisions have
to be made, they all have consequences and faced
with tough choices, “What are you gonna do?”
The final cut on Stand Together is “Damn
Shame,” another tune dealing with tough choices and
tough situations. “You know you really threw me…you
said you’d get back to me…I thought that you were
trying…but now I see you’re lying…I don’t know how
you’re sleeping…with all the lies you’re
keeping….damn shame!”
Stand Together is Harper’s third disc on
Blind Pig and this one took some time to get my arms
around. Peter’s focus has always been on building
relationships; his themes of distrust and a general
lack of human kindness are darker muses than he’s
tackled before. But it makes for interesting
listening and I can vouch from experience that a
Harper show is not to be missed if he and the band
are in your area.
Check our Harper’s website at
www.harper.biz and grab a copy of Stand
Together while you’re there, it will keep Harper
out on the road touring and that’s a good thing.
--- Kyle Deibler
The
full title of Grady Champion's 2008 Earwig
Records CD is Back In Mississippi Live At The 930
Blues Café, and it features guest artist Eddie
Cotton Jr. This is the first Grady Champion album
that I’ve heard, and it makes me wonder what I’ve
been missing! Champion, the youngest of 28 children,
started his musical career as a rapper, but quickly
realized that his musical love lay in a different
direction.
His debut album, Goin’ Back Home, came out in
1998, and he was picked up by Shanachie Records
before transferring to Earwig Records. In January
2010 he won the 26th International Blues Challenge
in Memphis. So it’s pretty certain that he knows his
stuff from that background – what about the CD?
I’m a bit of a sucker for live recordings,
especially when they are well recorded and catch the
flavour of the performance – this recording fits
both categories. The album contains five covers and
eight original tracks, written or co-written by
Champion, and they are all good – although some are
better than others.
The CD opens with Willie Dixon’s “I’m Ready,” before
launching into a mix of Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You
Want Me To Do” and “Bright Lights, Big City.” The
first original track, “You Got Some Explaining To
Do,” follows, written by Grady Champion and Dennis
Walker, and it’s equally as good as the previous
tracks. It's also slightly better than the next
track, “1-800-Blu-Love,” a Champion original. Next
up is “Policeman Blues,” to my ears more soul than
blues but a good song nonetheless slightly marred by
a bit of rap near the end.
Then it’s back to the covers with Howlin' Wolf’s
“Spoonful.” Champion makes a good job of covering
this old standard, with some very tasteful harmonica
playing thrown in for good measure. From then on
it’s a mixture of a couple of covers, an excellent
version of “Lonesome Bedroom Blues” and B.B.King’s
“Why I Sing The Blues,” both very well performed,
and five more original tracks, the best of which has
to be “Wine and Women,” a bouncy up-tempo number
with lovely guitar work, backed up with feeling by
piano and keyboards.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the CD, and I’m
looking for Grady Champion’s earlier albums right
now!
--- Terry Clear
I
put this CD into the machine and immediately thought
, “Wow!” Don't Let The Devil In is the debut
album on Earwig records for Canadian musician Les
Copeland, and it features Dave “Honeyboy”
Edwards on a couple of tracks, so you just know that
Copeland has some respect from other musicians.
Don't Let The Devil In opens with “That
Needing Time,” a track that puts me in mind of Blind
Willie McTell --- absolutely fantastic, with great
guitar work. The album has 14 original tracks and
one cover, “Anna Lee,” a Robert McCullum (aka Robert
Nighhawk) song. Track two is an instrumental titled
“Ry Cooder” and it’s easy to see why – lots of Ry
Cooder influence, and I guess he’d be proud to be
associated with it. The track showcases Copeland
guitar playing ability, especially with the slide.
It’s followed by “What’s Your Name,” a folk/blues
track full of atmosphere thanks to some great
harmonica playing by Michael Frank.
Track four, “Distant Train,” is a gentle blues, a
little reminiscent of John Hurt, as is the guitar
playing on “Riding The Sky Train,” a catchy mainly
instrumental slide guitar number. The Cover of “Anna
Lee” follows and it is a delight to listen to, with
guest Honeyboy Edwards contributing lots of
additional flavour of his own. This just has to be
the best track on the album (and that’s not just
because Honeyboy is a big favourite of mine).
“Long Lost Love” is another track with a John Hurt
feel to it, gentle, good lyrics, and nice guitar
picking, and then Copeland launches into a Wes
Montgomery style jazz number – very well played, but
a little out of place for a blues CD.
He reclaims the blues, however, with “How’s That
Drummer,” another track with Honeyboy Edwards
helping out before he seemingly loses direction
totally with “I’m The Little One.” I’m totally
unable to work out in my mind what this track is
doing here. It’s about “feeling his mummy’s tummy,”
“buying a first puppy,” a bit like a nursery rhyme.
Maybe he realized the error of his ways, as he
slowly eases his way back into what the CD is about
with “Everyday People,” sounding like Steve Payne,
both with the voice and with the lyrics. Then it’s
on to “Wet Paper Bag,” a throwback to early 1920s
blues, the title track “Don’t Let The Devil In,”
which sounds to me as though it has early Rolling
Stones influence with the phrasing, and then the
final track, “Crying For An Angel,” which is a
beautiful instrumental ballad.
All in all, a very good CD, if you can forget about
track 11!
--- Terry Clear
Rob
Stone features on the new Chris James/Patrick
Rynn CD, and the two of them return the compliment
by backing him on his own CD, the newly released
Back Around Here (Earwig Records), and all 12
tracks on the album were written by these three
guys. Chicago-based Stone plays some great
harmonica, as well as providing the vocals on top of
the song writing collaboration with James & Rynn.
There are also some special guest artists featuring
on the CD – Sam Lay, Willie Hayes, David Maxwell and
Rodney Brown, the latter who plays sax on three of
the tracks.
It’s taken seven years for Stone to follow up his
last Earwig release, Just My Luck, mainly
because he’s been too busy working to get into the
studio. This gap isn’t totally a bad thing, it’s
given Stone the time to add flavour and fullness to
his music, and these 12 tracks reflect that with a
nice mix of tempos and influences.
“You’re No Good For Me” is the opener, and when you
listen to this track you just know this is going to
be a good CD. David Maxwell provides the well above
average piano work here, and on track three, “Love
You For Myself,” which shows how good Stone’s
harmonica playing is as well as on two more tracks
later in the album.
The tracks change tempo and influence all the way
through the album, keeping the listener interested
and alert to the next change – from the Jimmy
Reed-influenced harmonica on “I Need To Plant A
Money Tree” to the big band feel of “Chicago All
Night” to the New Orleans boogie woogie feeling of
“Sloppy Drunk Blues.” But there isn’t a bad track on
the CD as far as I’m concerned.
Track 10, “Dragon Killers,” is an instrumental full
of good blues and it turns out to be my favourite on
the album, but it’s a close run thing with a few
others! It’s followed by a jump blues, “Can’t Turn
Back The Clock,” and then into the last track of the
CD, “No Strings Attached.”
What a good album!!
--- Terry Clear
As
far as I know, Built Right On The Ground
(Earwig) is Andy Cohen’s debut album, and
he’s taken a whole load of old blues songs and
worked them in his own particular way. His style is
very much that of Mississippi John Hurt and the
other old blues guys of that era, and his music has
a nice gentle feel to it.
This man has obviously researched his genre pretty
thoroughly, as he’s pulled some real old gems out of
the bag here – this is the type of blues that you
don’t hear much anymore, and it’s a great thing that
Cohen has chosen to resurrect it.
The CD opens with the title track, “Built Right On
The Ground,” very much in the style of the original
by Teddy Darby, who recorded it in 1931. The opening
track is followed up by Sam McGhee’s “Railroad
Blues,” which Andy Cohen has updated with some
references to voting for Obama (rhyming with Mama!).
The album has some real gems, and a mixture of
tempos and styles, even a couple of piano rags
played as guitar numbers, some piano boogies –
amongst tracks by Memphis Minnie, Big Bill Broonzy,
Meade Lux Lewis, Woody Guthrie and others.
For me, the favourite track has to be “Honky Tonk
Train” with some magical honky tonk piano, which
just goes to show that Andy Cohen can play the piano
at least as well as he can play the guitar.
The blues world could do with more CDs like this to
keep these old songs in touch.
--- Terry Clear
Raising
the Bar marks the 20-year anniversary of
Magic Slim and the Teardrops’ association with
Blind Pig Records. Like the band’s previous seven
releases for the label, their latest is another
no-frills, uncompromising batch of Chicago blues.
For Magic Slim, playing this brand of blues is as
natural as breathing.
This time around, Slim offers up 11 tracks, three
originals and eight diverse covers. After all, Magic
Slim is known as “The Human Juke Box,” boasting a
repertoire of over 1,000 songs. Tracks like Clay
Hammond’s “Part Time Love” and the Memphis standard,
“Breaking Up Somebody Home,” take things as close to
a soul direction as possible, but Slim makes them
his own, as usual.
Other tracks focus more on the early Chicago blues
of Elmore James (“I Can’t Hold Out”), Robert
Nighthawk (“Gonna Move To Kansas City”), and J. B.
Lenoir (a rousing “Mama Talk To Your Daughter”), and
the blues of the Mississippi Delta are conjured up
on tracks like “Cummins Prison Farm,” a lively
reading of Little Milton’s “4:59 A.M.,” and the
disc’s best track, Slim’s incredible take on
Roosevelt Sykes’ “Sunny Road Blues,” a slow,
smoldering blues that you hope never ends.
Slim’s own three compositions blend well, and stick
to the basics. “Do You Mean It” has that familiar
churning guitar rhythm, “Shame” is a reworking of a
longtime favorite (“Gotta Love Somebody”), and the
closing track, “Treat Me The Way You Do,” is a
keeper as well.
This edition of the Teardrops (Jon McDonald –
guitar, Andre Howard – bass, B. J. Jones – drums) is
a typically strong edition, well-versed in Slim’s
style of music. There’s nothing new here…..if you’re
a Magic Slim fan, you know exactly what you’re
getting before you unwrap it. It’s the Chicago blues
that Magic Slim does best and has been doing for
over half of his life. To borrow a quote from a
co-worker, sometimes it’s not what you say, but how
you say it that stands out. That certainly applies
to Magic Slim, and may he never change.
--- Graham Clarke
Elvin
Bishop has been playing the blues for over 45
years. For most of that time, he’s played the blues
on a cherry-red 1959 Gibson ES-345 guitar that he
dubbed Red Dog, which serves as inspiration for the
title of Bishop’s second release on Delta Groove
Records, Red Dog Speaks. In fact, the title
track opens the disc and Bishop introduces Red Dog,
who gets plenty of opportunity to speak his peace.
The set list includes familiar tunes from a variety
of sources, all done in the inimitable Elvin Bishop
manner. On the swampy “Neighbor, Neighbor,” John
Nemeth contributes soulful vocals and Bishop rips
loose on some scorching slide guitar. Jimmy Cliff’s
reggae anthem, “Many Rivers To Cross,” gets a
sensitive reading with vocals from Nemeth and some
understated slide work from Bishop, and the
instrumental “Doo-Wop Medley” is just that with
Bishop being joined by guitarist Kid Andersen, who
also team up for a lovely instrumental version of
the gospel tune “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.”
Bishop’s own tunes are all enjoyable, full of his
usual good humor. Tracks like “Fat And Sassy” and
“Clean Livin’” will put a smile on your face. “Blues
Cruise” is a fun track that was recorded off the
coast of Mexico during the 2009 Rhythm & Blues
Cruise, and features a stellar lineup of guitarists
(Ronnie Baker Brooks, Tommy Castro, Roy Gaines)
along with Buckwheat Zydeco, Nemeth, and Sir
Reginald Master Dural.
It’s hard to go wrong with an Elvin Bishop disc. You
always get plenty of good songs, lots of fun, and
great guitar…..plus you’re always a little
disappointed when it ends. Just hit “replay” and
raise a glass of your favorite beverage in tribute
to Bishop (and Red Dog) for giving us another
fantastic release.
--- Graham Clarke
Watermelon Slim is at it again, twisting,
shaping, and reshaping musical genres into one
cohesive unit. Not that he hasn’t been doing that
for years already…..it’s just that he’s been making
you hip to his actions over the past few releases.
His latest release, Ringers (NorthernBlues),
is a worthy successor to his previous country/blues
effort, Escape From The Chicken Coop, as Slim
teams with some of Nashville’s finest players for a
disc of electric and acoustic numbers.
As stated previously, Slim owes as big a debt to
Merle Haggard as he does to Willie Dixon. That has
been apparent from the get-go. His own compositions
have offered the blues from the perspective of a
truck driving man and also provided narratives about
everyday people and their trials and travails.
That’s basically the case here with Ringers, with
tracks like “Good Old Boys Never Change,” which
sounds for all the world like a old Nashville
chestnut, but is actually a Watermelon Slim
original, and “End of the Line.”
Slim also tackles a few country standards, ranging
from fun recreations of “Tight Fittin’ Jeans” and
“Truck Drivin’ Buddy,” to a wrenching version of
Jimmy Buffett’s “He Went To Paris.” He hits the
honky tonk scene with “Cowboys Are Common As Sin”
and “Soft Lights and Hard Country Music.”
Listening to Slim’s craggy vocals and his sweet
slide guitar, it’s easy to picture him as part of
the Grand Old Opry scene of maybe 20 to 30 years
ago. Unfortunately, things have probably homogenized
a bit too much on the Nashville scene for someone as
unconventional as he is. Thankfully, he’s got a
place in the blues world for as long as he wants it.
May he continue to bless the blues world with his
talent.
--- Graham Clarke
Michael Packer is a longtime vet of the New
York City blues and folk music scene. In fact, he
got his start playing in Greenwich Village as a 15
year old. He also led a band during the early ’70s
called Free Beer, a name that could have caused
potential headaches for club owners. Free Beer
recorded three albums that all charted on
Billboard’s Top 100. Since then, Packer has returned
to his blues and folk roots and has released a new
disc named in honor of his former band, Free Beer
(Blue Skunk Music).
Free Beer offers an eclectic mix of styles.
The opening track is an updating of the late ’60s
Barry McGuire hit, “Eve of Destruction.” The new
“Eve of Destruction 2008” is chilling in the
parallels to its 40-year-old predecessor. Next is
the Jimmie Rogers country classic, “Jail House Now.”
There’s also some great downhome blues with Tampa
Red’s “Don’t You Lie,” and Riley Fitzsimmon’s “Come
On Honey” (with Dave “Snakeman” Runyan on
harmonica). “Back In Albany” is an acoustic song
about a lost love from years ago.
“E-Blues” is a smooth slice of modern blues
featuring the Michael Packer Band (Ed Jackson –
Bongos, King Bear – Bass, Eddie Souzzo – Drums).
“The Letdown” is a track from Packer’s Free Beer
days with a jazzy NYC swing, courtesy of Ric Frank’s
tenor sax. The closing track, “Salvation,” is a
free-wheeling instrumental which is performed by the
Alferd Packer Memorial String Band.
Free Beer is an enjoyable ride from start to
finish. It’s a seamless mix of the traditional and
modern blues by an artist who knows both styles
inside and out.
--- Graham Clarke
There’s been a steady stream of releases over the
past year or two spotlighting soul music. To most
blues fans, that’s a good thing, since many blues
fans (yours truly among them) actually moved toward
the blues from soul music. In my case, the sounds of
’60s soul from Stax, Atlantic, Fame, Motown, and
others provided a springboard to the blues. That’s
why it’s always a pleasure when a new soul disc hits
the racks.
Julius Pittman & the Revival is one of those
groups keeping the soul sound alive. Based in
Virginia, where most of the members were involved in
the local show band and beach music scene, the
group’s debut release, Bucket List, is a
refreshing walk down memory lane with a great set of
’60s southern soul and ’70s rock and soul.
The disc is a mix of originals and covers. The
covers include a smoking version of Al Green’s
“Tired Of Being Alone,” a pair of tunes (“Don’t Need
No Reason” and “Willing To Learn”) from Jack Mack &
the Heart Attack, a big influence on the band, Bobby
Taylor and the Vancouvers’ “Does Your Mama Know
About Me” (written by Tommy Chong of Cheech and
Chong fame), and Albert Collins’ “A Good Fool Is
Hard To Find.”
The originals range from “Sideshow,” which has a
strong horn section reminiscent of Chicago and Tower
of Power, to “Part Time Lover,” which mixes a bit of
New Orleans second line with the horns and some
tasty Hammond B3 to a pair of soul ballads (“Love
Came Out of Nowhere” and “Love Changes Like The
Weather”).
Pittman does a wonderful job on vocals and plays a
mean Hammond B3. The Revival is a tight six-man unit
(Randy Moss – guitar, Audie Stanley – bass, Chris
McIntyre – drums, John Stanley – tenor sax, Howard
Smith – baritone and tenor sax, Dave Triplett –
trumpet, flugelhorn) and they augmented on several
tracks by more horns (Lee Quisenberry – trombone,
trumpet, Hugh “Chuck” Williams – tenor sax),
keyboards (J. W. Belden – grand piano, synths),
percussion (Alejandro Diequez) and backing vocals
(Sharon Dennis, Curtis Swisher).
Fans of old school soul from the late ’60s and the
great horn bands of the ’70s (Tower of Power,
Chicago, etc.) will want to get their hands on
Bucket List. If you reside in the southeastern
part of the U.S., look for Julius Pittman & the
Revival this summer. Visit the band’s website at
www.juliuspittmanrevival.com.
--- Graham Clarke
Teeny Tucker was born and raised on the
blues. Her father was Tommy Tucker, whose “Hi-Heel
Sneakers” is a blues standard, and she got her start
singing in the choir at her church. After a
well-received appearance at the Apollo Theatre,
Tucker decided to embark on a professional singing
career in the mid ’90s. She has performed at many of
the major blues festivals in the U.S. and Europe.
Her latest release, Keep The Blues Alive (TeBo
Records) is her fourth album and it artfully blends
her gospel and soul roots with the blues.
Tucker wrote eight of the 11 tracks here, mostly
with producer/guitarist Robert Hughes. Her songs
touch on a number of blues-related topics, whether
it’s growing up the hard way (“Ain’t That The
Blues”), affairs of the heart (“I Wish We Could Go
Back”), or paying tribute to those who helped and
influenced her along the way (“John Cephas” and
“Daughter to the Blues”).
The more traditional fare is also strong as well. “I
Live Alone” is a sparkling female version of Billy
Boy Arnold’s “I Ain’t Got You,” and the
tongue-in-cheek “Old Man Magnet” is also a
highlight. The title track is a vocal tour de force
for Tucker as she makes known her mission statement
as a performer.
Other tracks include “Make Room For Teeny,” which
was not penned by Tucker, but would serve perfectly
as her theme song. “Heartbreak” is a bouncy remake
of the very cool 1960 R&B hit by Jon Thomas, and
Tucker injects new life into the tired warhorse,
“Got My Mojo Workin’.”
Miss Tucker has a four-octave range, so naturally
she gets some flak about focusing on the blues from
well-meaning critics. The closing tune, “Respect Me
and The Blues,” lets them and her fans know that
she’s going to continue singing the blues, which is
great news for blues fans everywhere. Keep your eyes
on Teeny Tucker, folks…..she’s just getting started.
--- Graham Clarke
The Vincent Hayes Project made it to the
semi-finals in 2006 and 2007 at the International
Blues Challenge in Memphis. Since that time, the
band has worked with The Steve Miller Band, Joe
Bonamassa, Peter “Mudcat” Ruth, and others.
Traditionally a trio (Hayes – guitar/vocals, David
Alves – bass, Donnie Hugley – percussion), the band
expanded to a five-piece (Christian VanAntwerpen –
keyboards, Steve “Doc” Yankee – piano) for their
newest release, Reclamation (North 61
Records).
The band has a sound that mixes the traditional
sounds of the blues with a shot of soul here, some
rock and roll there, with jazz and funk thrown in
for good measure. The songs, all written by Hayes,
include some standouts like the fierce opener, “Hit
Me High, Hit Me Low,” the rowdy “I Just Want To Get
You High Tonight,” the kiss-off track, “Thank You,”
“Double Talk,” and the slow T-Bone
Walker-influenced, “I’ve Got A Right To Change My
Mind,” one of two magnificent slow blues tracks that
clock in at around ten minutes (the other being
“Some Kind of Fool”).
These two marathon tracks allow Hayes and the band
to strut their stuff. Hayes is an excellent
guitarist and vocalist and the band is equally
impressive in support. The set was produced by Hayes
and Grammy winning producer/engineer Glenn Brown,
who has also worked with Greg Nagy and Root Doctor).
Brown owns the “Muscle Shoals 1978 8098 Neve mixing
board, which was used on recordings by Bob Dylan,
the Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Bobby “Blue”
Bland, and many others.
Looks like the Vincent Hayes Project is continuing
the tradition of fine recordings made using this
board. Reclamation is an exceptional set of
modern blues.
--- Graham Clarke
I’ve sung the praises of Danish guitarist Tim
Lothar for several years now, about how he
picked up the guitar in an extraordinarily brief
amount of time after playing drums for several
Danish blues bands including Lightnin’ Moe. He’s
previously released two stunning solo guitar discs,
most recently In It For The Ride, which was
one of my favorite releases of 2009. Currently,
Lothar serves as drummer for fellow countryman
Peter Nande in The Peter Nande Band. Nande is a
top notch harmonica player and singer in his own
right.
The pair have released a disc of country blues
standards and originals called Two For The Road
(Straight Shooter) and, frankly, whoever had this
idea deserves a medal, pure and simple. The duo rips
through a dozen songs, mostly originals that sound
for all the world as authentic as the old tunes they
cover, like “Baby Blue,” “Done Left You,” and “Rough
Ride.” The cover tunes include the wonderful Tampa
Red classic, “You Can’t Get That Stuff No More,” Al
Simmons’ “Ain’t Too Old,” and the traditional “Poor
Boy.”
Lothar’s guitar work is breathtakingly diverse,
highly percussive, and rhythmic. Vocally, he
captures the sense of Delta blues incredibly well.
Nande’s harmonica playing is also excellent and he,
too, is a strong vocalist. On selected tracks,
Lothar and Nande are joined by James Harman, who
produced the disc and contributes vocals to songs
like Tampa Red’s “You Can’t Get That Stuff No More,”
“You Got To Choose,” and the hilarious “Pa-Ta-Nin’
Ta’ Jook-Jernts.”
Fans of acoustic blues guitar and harmonica will
really want to get their hands on this recording.
Two For The Road shows that Tim Lothar and Peter
Nande can more than hold their own with their
American counterparts.
--- Graham Clarke
Rocky Jackson started playing guitar in the
1960s. Over time, he played rock and roll music in
Detroit, worked as a roadie for the Austin-based
country band, Freda and the Firedogs (Freda being
Marcia Ball), and moved to Los Angeles and became a
part of the Southern California blues scene. For
nearly a decade, he was a part of the Magic Blues
Band in L.A., backing many area artists (Johnny
Dyer, George “Harmonica” Smith, Paul Butterfield,
Coco Montoya). After the Magic Blues Band broke up,
Jackson started his own group. His second disc, on
High Life Records, is a scorching set of modern
blues called Testify!
The opening cut, a lusty version of Muddy Waters’ “I
Just Want To Make Love To You,” features Jackson’s
stinging leads over a hypnotic beat. “Big Legs Don’t
Mean Fat” is a lively shuffle, while “Voodoo Spell”
is a strong dose of swampy funk. Jackson approaches
Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breakin’ Down” in a
traditional delta fashion, with some smooth slide
guitar accompanied by Michael Fell’s harmonica.
“Like Magic” takes us to the West Side of Chicago
with a nice instrumental tribute to Magic Sam.
Other standout tracks include the upbeat “I Wanna
Testify (About My Baby),” Sonny Boy Williamson I’s
“Early In The Morning,” which features some more
stellar interplay between Jackson and Fell, and
“Never Should Have Left Texas,” a marathon slow
blues that is easily the best track on the disc, and
serves as a blues guitar clinic. “Chicken-Legged
Woman” changes the pace a bit….a country blues track
with Jackson overdubbing two guitar parts. The
closing track is “LA to Austin” and serves both as
an autobiographical piece and as a tribute to Hound
Dog Taylor, who inspired Jackson to pick up slide
guitar in the '60s.
With fine support from Fell, Eliot Witherspoon
(drums), Joel T. Johnson (bass), and Hans Van Sickle
(bass), Rocky Jackson has released a first-rate set
of blues with Testify! A terrific guitar
player and an excellent vocalist, Jackson’s
sophomore release will please any discerning blues
fan. Visit CDBaby
and give this new disc a trial run.
--- Graham Clarke
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