At last, a long awaited new album, Compelled To
Play (Blue Falcon Music), from Albuquerque’s
guitar master Stan Hirsch. Unusually, Stan Hirsch
includes some good cover versions of blues
standards, done in his own inimitable style, whereas
most of his earlier albums were all original work.
He still includes some songs of his own, but he
covers “Got My Mojo Working,” Walking Blues,” Baby
Please Don’t Go,” Mystery Train” and “On The Road
Again.”
I have to admit that I had to play this CD a few
times to get a handle on what it is that Stan Hirsch
is doing here – his previous CDs have been pure
enjoyment based on their simplicity of good blues.
I’m pleased to say that I didn’t give up, and after
a few plays it came through to me – this is a
musician who is his own man – he can take an old
standard and completely change it to his own style,
without losing the flavour of the original – a bit
akin to what Eric Clapton did with Robert Johnson’s
“Crossroads.”
It might take a while to get a the idea of what Stan
Hirsch is trying to do, but persistence is
worthwhile and you’ll get a lot of pleasure from
listening to this album.
I’ve never heard “Got My Mojo Working” done as slow
as this before, and the first time I played it, I
thought, “What is this?” After a couple of plays I
found that the song had a whole new slant on it, and
that is the same for the other covers, too – not one
of them is a direct copy of the original –
refreshing!
Of the original numbers, I would buy this CD for
“Guilty Of Boogie” alone – I’m fearful that I might
wear out this portion of the CD.
If you haven’t heard this man before, then you’ll
probably get the point a lot quicker – I had
preconceptions from listening to earlier albums and
from seeing him play live. But if you haven’t heard
him, then take this opportunity because here is a
guitar master at work!
---
Terry Clear
Point Blank Blues Band seems to go from strength to strength, and
each CD is a little better than the one before. It
makes me wonder how long they can keep improving!
If you haven’t heard any of their previous CDs, or
read reviews of them, this is a band from the former
Yugoslavia, based in Belgrade in what is now Serbia.
These are extremely competent musicians, who very
obviously know and love the blues. How easy can it
be composing and singing the blues in a language
that isn’t the one that you were brought up
speaking? That the blues the band produces is high
on the scale of excellence is even more amazing.
Here then is the band’s latest offering, A Whiter
Shade Of Blue (PGP Records_ --- 12 tracks of original blues all
written by the mainstay of the band, and man who
calls himself Dr. (Dragoljub Crncevic).
The album opens with “The Devil, God & I,” a medium
tempo track with some really well played keyboards
from Darko Grujic laying down a base for the guitar
work from Dr.
Maybe I should mention at this stage, that the six-piece Pointblank Blues Band are joined by
eight guest
musicians playing a variety of instruments,
including mandolin, dobro and gusle – no, I hadn’t
heard of it either! (it’s a single, or sometimes
two, stringed instrument quite popular in the Balkan
region).
Track two, “Belgrade Blues,” slows down just a little,
and is pure blues that could come from anywhere in
the USA, if it wasn’t for the reference to Belgrade
The lyrics, and the vocals, on track three, “A Song
For V,” are reminiscent of some of Leonard Cohen’s
better material, slow and moody, and well put
together, and maybe mixed with a hint of Chris Rea.
Track four, is a strange mix of sounds from a radio
which just didn’t work for me at all, but it’s only
just over a minute long, so I can’t criticize the
band for this little indulgence, and it leads into
“Golden Arrows” which is a rock-blues number built
around the keyboards and haunting guitar.
“Last Pain,” which is track number six, is best
described as Balkan blues, I guess, as it includes
some east European violin playing – this adds an
interesting flavour to the track, and I found it
compulsive listening and a really refreshing look at
the blues.
Track seven lifts the tempo to a shuffle beat on
“Mama I Blew It,” and then “No Pride” takes you by
complete surprise with a country flavour supplied by
pedal steel guitar, courtesy of guest musician Mirko
Tomic. A good track, but maybe a little out of place
here amongst the really good blues material.
My favourite track on this album is a choice between
“Belgrade Blues” and the largely instrumental “Roll
On,” which almost had me out of the chair and
dancing! However, I think “Belgrade Blues” just
takes the place as my favourite.
Listen to this CD and hear from refreshing changes.
--- Terry Clear
Pleasure & Pain (Blue Rock Records) is the fourth album that
Dennis Jones has
produced, but it’s unfortunately it’s the first one
that’s reached my ears. Pleasure & Pain follows
Fallin' Up (2003), Passion For The Blues (2005),
and Humdrum Virtue from 2007, so he must be doing
something right if he’s producing a new album every
two years.
Jones hails from Baltimore and started playing drums
until the guitar took over as his passion at the age
of 13. He honed his skills playing with bands in
Germany during his military service, and then headed
for Los Angeles in 1985 where he fronted a funkadelic band for a while, before deciding that
the blues was his music of choice.
This CD has 11 tracks, all original and written by
Jones, and it opens with “Brand New Day” with a big
band feel to it, courtesy of guest artists on
saxes, trombone and trumpet. Personally, I’m not a big
fan of blues with a brass section in the band, but
this track is good, and anyway track two, “Don’t Worry
About Me,” is the trio of Jones, Michael Turner and
Tony Ruiz, and much more to my liking. The brass
section is only used on the opening track, and the
rest of the album features the trio, with the
exception of track seven, “Home Tonight,” which adds
harmonica from guest artist Jimmy Z (who,
incidentally, provide the saxes on track one).
Jones shows that he can write some good material and
that he can also play some fine blues guitar.
There’s a good selection of different tempos and
styles here, a bit of something for everyone,
whatever your particular taste in blues.
I think my favourite has to be the moody track four,
“Kill The Pain” – this is the track that I’ve been
playing the most on the CD, although the boogie beat
“Try Not To Lie” (track eight) comes very close.
The album closes with the semi-humorous “Hot Sauce,”
which had me grinning at the lyrics, tapping my
feet, and wanting more!
Not a bad way to close the album, is it?
Give this a listen.
---
Terry Clear
Baltimore native Dennis
Jones first made noise in the music world when he
led the L.A.-based hard rock & funk band, Blackhead,
but he turned to the blues in the ’90s when he
formed the Dennis Jones Band and started
playing house-rocking blues with rock influences
like the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page,
Santana mixed in with the blues of B.B., Albert, and
Freddie King and R&B in the tradition of Al Green
and Motown. The results are summarized pretty
clearly on Jones’ third release, Pleasure & Pain
(Blue Rock Records).
Jones is backed by a
sturdy rhythm section (Michael Turner – drums, Tony
Ruiz – bass) and with Jones’ stinging, searing leads
and fills, that’s all that’s needed. He doesn’t
overplay on his solos…..there’s not an extra note or
anything out of place. Jones’ vocals are smooth, yet
forceful, with just the right amount of tension in
the background. He also wrote all of the songs for
the disc, putting an original and contemporary twist
in his lyrics.
Highlights include the
swinging opening track, “Brand New Day,” driven hard
by a horn section, the only track on the disc to
features horns. “Kill The Pain,” a slow blues with
some of the best guitar on the disc, tackles
substance abuse. “ “Blue Over You” is about a love
that’s out of reach, and “Sunday Morning Rain” is a
downhearted track that would be a seamless fit in
either blues or country circles.
“Try Not To Lie” is a
hard-rocking number about deception in a
relationship, and “I Want It Yesterday” is a topical
tune that perfectly captures today’s generation
obsessed with instant gratification. The thundering
closer, “Hot Sauce,” provides a perfect conclusion
to an impressive set, with Jones quoting “3rd Stone
From The Sun” as things wrap up.
Pleasure & Pain
shows that Dennis Jones is not only a monster
performer, but also an excellent composer as well.
Check out this CD at
CDBaby or visit Jones’
MySpace page to hear more.
--- Graham Clarke
Chicago blues fans,
young and old, veterans and newcomers, will want to
grab Chicago Blues: A Living History (Raisin’
Music), a superlative two-disc set of vintage tunes,
ranging from 1940 to the ’90s, presented by a
stellar cast of current Chicago blues artists,
including Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy
Branch, and Lurrie Bell. The set, produced by Larry
Skoller, serves as a loving tribute to this music
and its pioneers by their contemporaries.
Wisely, the album
foregoes the familiar Chicago standards for the most
part, so fans won’t be as familiar with most of
these tracks. The songs are represented as
faithfully as possible with only a few modern
flourishes here and there, but sound as fresh and
new as if they were recent compositions, thanks to
the inspired performances.
The 21 songs are
distributed pretty evenly, with Arnold taking on his
hero Sonny Boy Williamson I’s “My Little Machine,”
Tampa Red’s “She’s Love Crazy,” Big Bill Broonzy’s
“Night Watchman’s Blues,” Memphis Slim’s “Memphis
Slim U.S.A.,” and his own “I Wish You Would.” Primer
does a couple of songs associated with his mentor,
Muddy Waters (“Feel Like Going Home” and “Sugar
Sweet”), along with Howlin’ Wolf’s “Moanin’ at
Midnight,” Jimmy Reed’s “Can’t Stand To See You Go,”
and Sonny Boy Williamson II’s “Your Imagination.”
Branch handles Little
Walter’s “Hate To See You Go,” and offers funky
versions of Junior Wells’ “Hoodoo Man Blues,” and
Muddy Waters’ “One More Mile,” and backs Primer on
harmonica for “Sugar Sweet.” Bell does a fiery
version of Elmore James’ “I Believe,” and his vocal
on Otis Rush’s “My Love Will Never Die” will raise
chill bumps. Singer Mike Avery does a fine job
covering his cousin Magic Sam’s “Out of Bad Luck,”
and B.B. King’s “Three O’clock Blues.”
The only quibbles on the
set are the two closing tracks. John Lee Hooker’s
connection to Chicago is somewhat tenuous (though he
did record for Chess and VeeJay) and “The Healer,”
sung by guitarist Carlos Johnson, is a fine effort,
but maybe a song from his earlier catalog might have
been more appropriate. Ditto the Buddy Guy selection
(“Damn Right I Got The Blues,” well-presented by
Lurrie Bell).
Piano man Johnny Iguana
is one of the unsung stars of this set. He does an
excellent job on piano and keyboards, and gets the
spotlight to himself on Big Maceo’s “Chicago
Breakdown.” The other unsung star is guitarist Billy
Flynn, who does a great job on tracks like “She’s
Love Crazy,” and is featured on the incredible Earl
Hooker instrumental, “Hooking It.” The rhythm
section (Felton Crews on bass and Kenny “Beedy Eyes”
Smith on drums) along with harmonica player Matthew
Skoller (brother to producer Larry Skoller) are
top-of-the-line.
It’s somewhat disturbing
to think that of the artists here, supposedly
representing the contemporary Chicago blues scene,
well over half of them are in their 50s, with Primer
and Arnold in their 60s and 70s, respectively.
Hopefully, there will be some younger guns emerging
from the shadows in the near future.
Despite that sobering
thought, blues fans should love Chicago Blues: A
Living History. It will lead younger fans to
seek out the original classic versions and even
seasoned vets will want to play this one over and
over. This is a fabulous set of songs with dynamite
performances.
--- Graham Clarke
Eddie C. Campbell
has been a part of the blues scene for over 50
years, appearing onstage with Muddy Waters as a
12-year-old, and learning guitar firsthand from
Water, Otis Rush, and his good friend Magic Sam. He
served as a sideman for Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter,
Mighty Joe Young, Jimmy Reed, and Koko Taylor before
serving a stint in Willie Dixon’s Chicago Blues
All-Stars. During his time with Dixon, he recorded
the now-legendary King of the Jungle.
Campbell was known
around the Windy City for his outrageous hair
styles, his red guitar, and his purple motorcycle.
He spent nearly a decade in Europe in the ’80s,
still recording and performing while there, but
returned to the U.S. in 1992. During his time
overseas, he continued to improve as a highly
original and unique guitarist and composer, but he’s
seemingly disappeared from the scene from time to
time.
Campbell’s latest
release, for Delmark Records, is called Tear This
World Up, and it plays like a typical Campbell
set, with his sometimes humorous, sometimes surreal
lyrics, his clever and distinctive guitar work, and
a few well-done covers. Though Campbell’s roots run
deep in the West Side style, his lyrics and guitar
work are often done with a look toward modern
sounds.
Campbell’s original
compositions include “Makin’ Popcorn,” a funky John
Lee Hooker-like boogie track, with some frenetic
guitar work, “Big World,” a hilarious look at sexual
doings (and non-doings), and the eerie “Voodoo.” The
closer, “Bluesman” is an autobiographical acoustic
outing, and “All Nite” is a bouncy instrumental.
Campbell also covers two Magic Sam tracks, “Easy
Baby,” and a “Love Me With a Feeling,” Howlin’
Wolf’s “My Last Affair,” and a breezy interpretation
of the Gershwins’ “Summertime.”
In support of Campbell
is Mojo Mark Cihlar, who blows a mean harp on
several tracks, as well as a tight rhythm section
(Dario Golliday – bass, Marty Binder – drums, Karl
“Lil’ Daddy” Outten and Marty Sammon – keyboards)
and four tracks are augmented by a horn section (Sam
Burckhardt – tenor sax, Chuck Parrish – trumpet,
Juli Wood – baritone sax). Dick Shurman’s production
is excellent, providing the perfect backdrop for
Campbell’s talents.
If you’re not familiar
with Eddie C. Campbell, give this disc a listen. I
can promise that you’ve never heard anyone quite
like him and you’ll enjoy what’s offered on Tear
This World Up.
--- Graham Clarke
As promised, the team of
Broke and Hungry Records, Cat Head Delta Blues &
Folk Art, and Mudpuppy Recordings has delivered a
second volume of recordings from last year’s
wonderful documentary, M for Mississippi. The
good news is that there’s not a trace of filler
material included on this set. It’s as strong a set
of Mississippi Delta blues as the first volume was.
The same artists are
featured on Volume 2 as on Volume 1, except for the
late Wesley Jefferson, whose band backs a local
Clarksdale singer, Miss Gladys, for a smoking
rendition of “Walking the Back Streets.” Robert
“Bilbo” Walker gets the chance to shine on his
unique and highly personalized version of “Johnnie
B. Goode” (Chuck Berry’s attorney’s banned the use
of the song on the documentary, but the licensing
rules for video don’t apply to audio). The
mysterious Mississippi Marvel reappears (with
support from Lightnin’ Malcolm) for a typically
emotionally charged take on Muddy Waters’ “Evil.”
Pat Thomas gets two
tracks this time around, the instrumental “Leland’s
Burning Down,” and the idiosyncratic “What a Way It
Used to Be.” T-Model Ford goes acoustic with “Hi
Heel Sneakers” (check out his most recent release,
Jack Daniel Time, for more of his acoustic
guitar). R. L. Boyce tones things done a little bit
from his boisterous selection on the initial volume
with a relatively sedate “Over the Hill,” with
Malcolm that features some entertaining banter with
his house party audience.
“Cadillac” John Nolden
teams with Bill Abel for “Hard-Headed Woman,” and
the one-man-band Terry “Harmonica” Bean performs the
lively “I’m Going Down South,” which was recorded at
Ground Zero. Bentonia bluesman Jimmy “Duck” Holmes,
who has a new recording coming out soon on Broke &
Hungry, covers John Lee Hooker’s “Mr. Lucky,” and L.
C. Ulmer, an octogenarian guitarist who really
deserves a recording of his own, offers more of his
beautiful liquid tone and some haunting slide guitar
on “When I Was In Trouble.” The disc closes with a
“Front Porch Version” of the title cut, courtesy of
its composer, Big George Brock.
M for Mississippi
has already carted off a boatload of awards
(including this year’s BMA for Best DVD). It looks
like Volume 2 of the soundtrack will continue the
hot streak. If you liked the first volume, you’ll
love the second one. Both sets provide ample proof
that the Mississippi Delta blues scene is alive and
well, and worth making the trip to see and hear.
--- Graham Clarke
Hill Country Revue
consists of two members of the North Mississippi
Allstars (drummer Cody Dickinson, stepping out front
on guitar, and bass player Chris Chew), along with
Kirk Smithhart (slide guitar), Daniel Robert Coburn
(harmonica/vocals), and Edward “Hot” Cleveland
(drums). Their sound puts some of the familiar
Allstar trademarks (hip-hop, funk, etc.), if not off
the page, at least on the backburner, replacing it
with a harder edged sound.
The Revue got their
start in 2004 as the moniker for the expanded
Allstars lineup performing at that year’s Bonnaroo
Festival, but Dickinson and Chew are also using the
name for this side project (formed during Luther
Dickinson’s leave of absence to join the Black
Crowes), Make A Move (Razor & Tie), which
features a powerful mix of Hill Country blues and
Southern rock. Think R.L. Burnside meets Duane
Allman and you have the idea.
The Revue leaves most of
the songwriting to Burnside’s son, Garry. Burnside’s
songs are pretty basic, but he has a way with a
catchy hook, which is good because the emphasis here
is on the music, with its dirty, ragged edge and
primal rhythms. Songs like “Dirty Shirt,” “Ramblin’,”
“Let Me Love You,” and “Growing Up In Mississippi,”
hold up well with the actual R.L. Burnside tunes
covered here (“Alice Mae” and “Georgia Woman”).
Garry Burnside also
appears on guitar, bass, and vocals, along with
brother Duwayne (guitar), Aaron Julison (vocals),
and Luther Dickinson (electric and slide guitar).
The Dickinson’s father, Jim Dickinson, is listed as
“director,” and the disc has a real gritty, swampy
feel. You can almost hear the crickets chirp on a
few of the tracks.
Make A Move is a
strong set, with a great mix of two high-energy
musical styles. It’s the perfect soundtrack to a
hot, humid Mississippi summer. Trust me…….I’ve lived
through quite a few of them and although I’m a
little old to be riding down the road with my
windows down and the music cranked up, this disc is
a perfect fit for that.
--- Graham Clarke
Watermelon Slim
has always wanted to record a country album, and
with his latest NorthernBlues release, Escape
From The Chicken Coop, he’s recognized that
goal. There’s always been a thin line between blues
and country and, of course, if you’re a fan of
Slim’s previous work, you realize that for him, that
line has always been anorexically thin. He’s
absorbed the sounds of Merle Haggard and Hank
Williams as much as he has the music of John Lee
Hooker over the years and his music has always
incorporated both styles. This time around though,
the emphasis leans more toward the country side,
though it could hardly be considered a stretch for
Slim, who makes the transition effortlessly.
For this new release,
Slim works with producer Miles Wilkinson and
composer/guitarist Gary Nicholson, who works a lot
with Delbert McClinton. Nicholson brought in some
outstanding Nashville musicians and split the
sessions, one with a small acoustic group and the
other with a large electric band. The constant is
Watermelon Slim, with his craggy vocals, his
incredible slide guitar, and his harmonica and he’s
never sounded better.
The opening cut,
“Caterpillar Whine,” should be featured on truck
stop juke boxes all over. Slim drove a truck for
years (writing and singing songs to himself to pass
the time on the road) and the lyrics and performance
capture the mood perfectly and his slide guitar is
breathtaking. The whimsical “Skinny Women and Fat
Cigars” will put a smile on your face, as will “It’s
Never Too Hard To Be Humble.” “You See Me Like I See
You” is a fairly mainstream duet with singer Jenny
Littleton. Next up is a somber reading of Roy
Acuff’s “Wreck On The Highway,” with Slim doing lead
and harmony vocals, followed by a spoken-word
original composition, “Friends On The Porch.”
“Should Have Done More”
is a moving track about helping people in need, and
“Hank Williams You Wrote My Life” is a tribute to
one of America’s greatest songwriters and
performers. “America’s Wives” shows Slim’s
admiration for those women who have the thankless
job of keeping families going. More traditional
country fare follows with “The Way I Am,” a
statement of independence, and “300 Miles” is
another trucker tune that features one of Slim’s
best vocal performances and some stunning slide
guitar work as well. The final two cuts, “Truck
Driving Songs” and "18, 18 Wheeler,” are also
trucker tunes. Fittingly, the disc is dedicated to
Dave Dudley, of “Six Days On The Road” fame.
Slim recorded 21 songs
in this session and reportedly had a hard time
culling the set to 13 tracks. Hopefully, we’ll get
to hear the remainder one day. I think Watermelon
Slim fans will enjoy this disc as much as they did
his previous discs. In fact, some might like it
more. Just think of it as a new variation of
“country blues” and enjoy listening.
--- Graham Clarke
Doug Cox and Salil
Bhatt released Slide To Freedom in 2007,
a highly original and entertaining set teaming one
of Canada’s foremost guitarist with a member of one
of India’s foremost guitarists. Bhatt’s father,
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, has recorded with Ry Cooder,
Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, and Taj Mahal, and
received a Grammy Award. He also invented the Mohan
Veena, a 19-string instrument that takes music to an
amazing new level. Salil Bhatt is the tenth
generation of the Bhatt lineage who has been playing
music for over 500 years. He plays the Satvik Veena,
which has 20 strings.
The combination of
Eastern and Western music made for some compelling
music, so much so that Cox and Bhatt decided to
record a follow-up, also for NorthernBlues Music,
called Slide To Freedom 2- Make A Better World.
Percussionist Ramkumar Mishra rejoins the duo for
this set and does an outstanding job as the glue
that holds things together. Bassist Dinah D is a new
face this time around, as is the featured vocalist,
New Orleans jazz vocalist John Boutte. The vocals
were probably the weakest link in the first release
and Boutte’s presence really lifts things up a
notch.
Slide To Freedom 2
features eight tracks, three original instrumentals
(“A Letter Home,” “Blessings,” and “The Moods of
Madhuvanti.”) and one vocal track (“Freedom Raga”)
that lean strongly toward the Eastern side, and five
wide-ranging cover selections that blend the two
genres more effectively. Earl King’s “Make A Better
World” gets an excellent treatment with a wonderful
vocal from Boutte, who also presents a sublime
reading of “Amazing Grace.” The elder Bhatt joins
the duo for a smart version of George Harrison’s
“For You Blue,” with a playful vocal by Boutte.
While this may not be
every blues fan’s cup of tea, Slide To Freedom
will certainly please those blues fans who also
enjoy world music. Guitar fans looking for creative
innovation will also enjoy this release.
--- Graham Clarke
Serbian-born Ana
Popovic has captured much attention within the
blues circuit in recent years with her superb,
multi-faceted guitar work and a solid set of
recordings, a pair for Ruf Records and her previous
release on her current label, Eclecto Groove. Though
her primary focus is on the blues, her guitar work
also features rock, jazz, and funk influences, which
reflects her time spent with her father,
guitarist/bassist Milutin Popovic (who often held
jam sessions at home and exposed his daughter to his
robust blues and soul record collection), and has
also garnered her some recognition from the
non-blues crowd.
Popovic’s latest
release, Blind For Love, should continue the
favorable trends for her. It features 12 tracks,
mixing blues, soul, rock, funk, and jazz in equal
measures. Among the highlights is the kinetic
opening track, “Nothing Personal,” which should
receive some radio play in the U.S. if there’s any
justice in the world. The acoustic slide track,
“Steal Me Away,” the sultry title track, “More Real”
and “The Only Reason,” a pair of moody jazz number,
the soul rocker, “Putting Out The APB,” featuring
some sizzling slide guitar from Popovic and a
gospel-influenced vocal, and the funk workout,
“Lives That Don’t Exist,” are also standouts.
Popovic wrote or
co-wrote all but one of the tracks on the disc. Her
guitar is extraordinary throughout the disc and her
singing is also first-rate. Blind For Love
was produced by Popovic and Mark Dearnley (AC/DC,
Paul McCartney, Tom Petty), and features members of
her touring band (Ronald Jonker – Bass, Andrew
“Blaze” Thomas – Drums), plus a couple of members of
the Phantom Blues Band (Tony Braunagel – drums, Mike
Finnigan (Hammond B3), along with Lenny Castro
(percussion), Joe Sublett (sax), and Darrell Leonard
(trumpet).
For those unfamiliar
with Ana Popovic, Blind For Love is a great
place to start. She’s truly multi-talented; one of
the most skillful and versatile guitarists currently
performing and she’s quickly developing into the
real deal as a vocalist and composer. You’ll be
hearing a lot from Popovic, and Blind For Love,
over the next few months.
--- Graham Clarke
J. P. Soars and
his band, the Red Hots, took home top honors
at the 2009 IBC Challenge, and he won the Albert
King Blues Guitar award. Soars was born in
California, but raised in Arkansas and ended up in
south Florida, where he not only plays with the Red
Hots, but also with the Gypsy Blues Acoustic Revue,
which focuses on the classic jazz material of Django
Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, so you might say
that he’s pretty well-rounded in his musical tastes.
His debut release,
Back of My Mind, focuses on the blues though,
and it’s a keeper.
Soars’ guitar work is
dynamite and his gravelly vocals suit his material
well. The track list consists of four original tunes
by Soars and eight covers. The original tunes
include the autobiographical opening track, “Born In
California, Raised In Arkansas,” which recounts
Soars’ formative years and gives him a good
opportunity to show his guitar chops. The other
originals include the soulful “Will I Ever,” “Call
My Baby,” a funky track featuring Soars’ growling
vocals, some sweet fretwork, and Jon Epstein’s
Hammond B3.
The cover tunes include
Guitar Slim’s “Letter To My Girlfriend,” a buoyant
Willie Dixon’s “29 Ways,” Muddy Waters’ “Gypsy
Woman,” given a bit of a jazzy feel thanks to former
Elvin Bishop saxman Terry Hanck, a hard-swinging
version of T-Bone Walker’s “Low Dirty Deal,” an
acoustic reading of Rev. Gary Davis’ “Cocaine,”
Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “Gangster of Love,” and J.
B. Lenoir’s “Been Down So Long.”
The final two tracks, Soars’ “Baby I Used To Love
You,” and Josef Myrow’s “Blue Drag,” are solid
representations of the Django Reinhart style that
Soars is so fond of and provide a nice change of
pace to close the disc out.
From the sound of
things, Soars has a bright future that might not
necessarily be limited to the blues side of things.
He’s a very versatile guitarist who is well-versed
in several different genres. Hopefully, he will
focus on the blues for a while longer. Back of My
Mind is a remarkable first release that blues
fans need to check out. Visit Soars’
website or his
MySpace page for more information.
--- Graham Clarke
Izzy & Chris won
the Appalachian Blues competition in 2007 and made a
respectable showing at the IBC in Memphis in 2008.
They’ve played on the main stage at many blues
festivals and have opened for acts like Keb’ Mo’,
Watermelon Slim, Buckwheat Zydeco, Robert Cray,
Charlie Musselwhite, Johnny Winter, and Buddy Guy.
Izzy is Israel Stetar
(guitar, Dobro, and vocals) and Chris is Chris Nacy
(harmonica). Their debut recording, Preachin’ The
Blues Vol. 1 (80/20 Entertainment), offers an
earthy, but melodic take on acoustic blues.
Stetar wrote 10 of the
11 songs on the disc, all dealing with familiar
blues subjects. Among the highlights are “Steady
Rollin’ Daddy,” which sounds like early Muddy
Waters, the autobiographical “Shame, Shame, Shame,”
about a sour relationship, “Back To Memphis,” the
timely “Flat Broke and Busted,” “If You Hear Me
Cryin’,” and the spirited title track, which closes
the disc. Nacy’s harmonica work is first-rate and
serves as a perfect backdrop to the songs and
guitar.
Izzy & Chris capture the
atmosphere and sound of country blues perfectly.
It’s impressive to find a debut release of country
blues with all original tunes recorded with such
confidence and passion. We’ll be hearing more from
this duo.
--- Graham Clarke
Missy Andersen
grew up in Queens, New York listening to her
parents’ extensive music collection, which included
selections by Soul & R&B singers like Gladys Knight,
Aretha Franklin, Teddy Pendergrass, James Brown, and
the Staples Singers. In time, she moved to Dinah
Washington, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughn, then
to O.V. Wright, James Carr, Little Milton, Ray
Charles, Irma Thomas, and Ann Peebles.
Andersen broke into the
music business as a rapper (Denyce “Flip” Isaac),
but eventually went back to singing and worked
several years as one of the Juke Joint Jezebelles, a
gospel, soul, and blues quartet that also did
background vocals for San Diego bluesman Earl
Thomas. Recently, she decided to step out on her own
and her self-titled debut recording, on Main Squeeze
Records, is a spellbinding retro mix of blues and
soul.
The disc features eight
songs, two originals and six very satisfying cover
tunes, including a dynamic reading of the O.V.
Wright standard, “Ace of Spades,” an atmospheric
take on Ann Peebles’ “I Can’t Stand The Rain,” and a
reading of Don Nix’s “Same Old Blues” that has
Memphis Soul written all over it. She also handles
the straight blues of Junior Wells’ “Little By
Little” with ease. The two originals are “New Feet,”
a peppy R&B track, and the funky “Stand Up And
Dance,” which also features Nathan James on dobro.
Also lending Ms.
Andersen a hand are her husband, guitarist Heine
Andersen, drummer Asmus Jensen, organist Jeppe Juul,
and bassist Søren Bøjgaard. The Andersens also
produced the disc, capturing the vintage Memphis
blues/soul sound to perfection. Fans of deep
Southern Soul, particularly the Memphis variety,
will want to give Missy Andersen a listen.
--- Graham Clarke
Michaela Rae is a
14-year-old guitarist who has been playing for 10
years. She has played with musicians like Kenny
Neal, Bob Margolin, Billy Branch, and Colorado
guitarist Dave Beegle, and even got to play at this
year’s IBC in Memphis. She recently released her
first CD, called Blues With A Backbone (Hapi
Skratch Entertainment).
Her guitar work is
pretty impressive. She’s obviously influenced by
Stevie Ray Vaughan, judging by some of the tunes
covered (“The Phonebook Song,” “Mary Had A Little
Lamb,” and “SRV Shuffle”), but she’s not just a SRV
imitator. On tunes like “Green Onions” and Robert
Berry’s “Never Too Young,” she shows she is
developing her own style as well. She also wrote a
couple of songs as well (with Beegle, who also
produced the disc, played guitar and Hammond B3),
the blistering instrumental title track, “Sin Nombre,”
a Latin-flavored instrumental, and “Big Easy Blues.”
Vocally, she’s still a
work in progress, but the main thing she seems to
lack is confidence. That will come with experience.
When it does, watch out! There’s no lack of
confidence involved with the guitar however, so
blues guitar fans will find plenty to enjoy here.
Check Micheala Rae out at her
MySpace page and visit
Mile High Music Store to pick up this disc.
--- Graham Clarke
I have to admit that Seth Walker’s publicist
wrote a pretty ambitious description of Seth’s
music. To wit, “with a sound that sits comfortably
between James Hunter on one side and Keb Mo’ on the
other…” Seth’s new record, Leap of Faith, is
a very soulful Blues record and will stand on its
own without the expectations heaped upon Seth by his
own publicist. Let’s see what it sounds like.
“Can’t Come With You” finds Seth in a dilemma. His
doctor wants him to rest and stay off his feet while
his spirit finds him drawn to going out dancing with
his baby. What’s a man to do? “Can’t come with
you…baby when you go…but here I come again…knocking
at your door.” Needless to say, Seth headed out for
another night of dancing with his baby. Moving on,
Jim Hoke’s saxophone sets the tone in “Rewind” as
Seth finds himself wishing he could go back in time
to correct a wrong. “Loving in rewind…trying to get
back to where we were before…loving in rewind.”
We’ve all made mistakes we wish we could go back and
change. Sometimes the opportunity presents itself
and other times you just move on. It doesn’t sound
like Seth is going to get that second chance.
The title track, “Leap of Faith,” is up next and
Seth’s guitar is at the forefront as he laments the
end of his relationship. Moving on is tough and you
have to be willing to risk love again. “I had no way
of knowing…what would come from our first
kiss…scares me now to just think about…all the good
love I might have missed!” All it really took for
Seth to be happy was to take that step, “a leap of
faith.”
Our next tune, “I Got a Song,” has an orchestral
feel to it with a lazy piano solo by Kevin McKendree
in the background. Seth fell in love despite his
better judgment and it ended the way he thought it
would, “How I loved and I lost and paid the cost…I
knew all along it was going to go wrong…but at least
I got a song.” Seth’s take on the Percy Mayfield
song “Memory Pain” is up next. “When I come in the
evening…that woman would be gone…and when I get up
in the morning…Lord, she’d just be coming home.”
Seth’s woman treated him badly and she had to go.
Now all that’s left is the painful memories that
Seth is dealing with.
For whatever reason, Seth continues to dwell on the
inner workings of relationships and he continues
this thought process in “Dig a Little Deeper.” “I’ve
got to dig a little further into the man I have
been…I got to dig a little deeper…to get out of this
hole I’m in.” Self-examination takes time and at
least Seth appears willing to do the work.
A sweet acoustic guitar intro leads us into our next
number, “Lay Down (River of Faith)." “Lay down my
soul for thee…my soul for thee…got to lay down…”
“Lay Down” has a spiritual feel to it as Seth goes
through the steps necessary to cleanse his soul and
renew his faith. The tempo picks up as we head into
our next cut, “Lately I’ve Let Things Slide.” Seth’s
been having a rough go of it lately and just hasn’t
been up to par with living. “The evidence is
clear…piled high and wide…about how lately…I’ve let
things slide”.
Seth’s fear of dancing is threatening the success of
his relationship in our next tune, “I Don’t Dance.”
“I do the bush…the mash potato…tried the shag
alligator…two-step….jitterbug…I never did know to
cut a rug…there’s only one way I’m going to get a
chance…she’s making me dance…and I don’t dance!”
Tough it out, Seth, it will work out.
“I need you to run…to give me something fast to
chase…give you a good head start…and I’ll catch you
just to let you get away!” Seems it’s all about the
chase in “Something Fast” and Seth is eager to
pursue the object of his affection hoping she’ll
make the chase interesting. A heavy bass beat leads
us into the next tune, “In the Dark.” Here we find
that Seth is lost and confused, and can’t find his
way. “If you’ll shed a little light on me…how
grateful I will be…been in the dark so long….I can
hardly see.” Love has left Seth confused and
unfortunately, figuring it out is a journey he’s
going to have to make by himself.
Leap of Faith closes with a sweet ballad,
“Falling Out of Love.” “I know all too well…that
you’ve moved on…the best thing for me to do…is leave
you alone…falling out of love with you…is way too
far to fall…can’t believe you’re gone…” Here we find
that Seth truly loved this woman and moving on is
just way too hard, but at least he’s trying and
eventually the pain will go away.
Leap of Faith has been a refreshing listen
for me. Seth Walker definitely has soulful roots and
they’re on display all over this record. Given what
I’ve heard today, Seth is definitely an artist on
the rise and one I hope to see in the near future.
More information about this soulful Texas bluesman
can be found on his website,
www.sethwalker.com. He’s worth the look.
--- Kyle Deibler
