MonkeyJunk is a band
from Ottawa, Canada. Their music is a combination of
swamp R&B, soul, blues, and funk. Their name comes
from a remark made by Son House years ago (“I’m
talkin’ ‘bout the blues. I ain’t talkin’ about
monkey junk”). They’re a three-band, with Steve
Marriner on vocals, harmonica, keyboards, guitar,
Tony D (lead guitar), and Matt Sobb (drums). After
years of playing on the Ottawa blues circuit in
different bands, the trio decided to get together a
couple of years ago and things have happened pretty
quickly since then. They were nominated for Best New
Artist at Canada’s Maple Blues Awards, despite not
having an album of any kind in print, and
represented Ottawa at the 2009 IBC in Memphis,
placing third overall. Their debut release, Tiger
In Your Tank, won Best New Artist at the 2010
Blues Music Awards.
The band is now with Stony
Plain Records and their second release, To Behold,
should help explain what all the fuss is about.
These guys may not have been together very long, but
you’d never know it by listening. Their musical
chemistry is certainly impressive. They rock hard on
numbers like “Mother’s Crying” and “You Don’t Know,”
but also shine on the slower tracks, too, like on
“All About You,” “While You Are Mine,” and “Let Her
Down.” “Right Now” is a funky rocker, and “With
These Hands” dips into soul territory.
The buoyant “Running in the
Rain” has a shuffling country feel and cool backing
vocals. Marriner was once considered a teen prodigy
on the harmonica and on the impressive instrumental
closer, “The Marrinator,” he shows that he’s still
got it. The album’s lone cover is a bluesy version
of Hank Williams’ “You’re Gonna Change (or I’m Gonna
Leave).”
MonkeyJunk shows that their
debut release was no flash in the pan with To
Behold. Based on this release, it’s safe to say
that these guys are here to stay, which is good news
for us blues fans.
--- Graham
Clarke
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne’s
debut release for Stony Plain Records, An Old
Rock on a Roll, is his first in five years.
Produced by Stony Plain mainstay Duke Robillard, who
also plays guitar, the album is chock full of high-spiritied
blues and R&B. Wayne has been making music since the
late ’60s, starting out in Los Angeles on the
soul/R&B scene with Billy Preston, Delaney and
Bonnie, and the Doobie Brother. He eventually
settled in Vancouver in the early 80’s, where he has
built a solid reputation as a blues and
boogie-woogie piano man, strongly influenced by Fats
Domino, Johnnie Johnson, Amos Milburn, and Bill
Doggett.
Fans of blues piano will find
tons to love on this set, which opens with the
rousing “Searching For My Baby.” From there, the
pace rarely slows….witness the breakneck pace on
“Fantasy Meets Reality.” Even on mid-tempo tracks
like the title cut, “Howlin’,” and “Heaven, Send Me
An Angel,” it’s hard to sit still. The straight
blues cuts, like “Don’t Pretend” and “Bring Back The
Love” give Wayne an opportunity to stretch out on
the keys a bit.
“Run Little Joe” has a swampy
Louisiana feel, and “Way Overdue” has roots in the
Crescent City. “Wild Turkey 101 Proof” sounds like a
vintage ’40s track on the evils of drink, with
Robillard providing liquidy guitar in support.
“Rocking Boogie Party” really needs no explanation.
Just get up and get moving. The closing
instrumental, “Give Thanks,” is an uplifting tunen
that features Wayne on organ and closes things out
on a high note.
Most of the usual Stony Plain
suspects are present to lend Wayne and Robillard.
They include Mark Teixeira (drums/percussion), Brad
Halle (bass), Doug James (baritone sax), Sax Gordon
(tenor sax), Doug Woolverton (trumpet), and Carl
Querfurth (trombone). They specialize in this type
of music and give Wayne plenty of room to do his
thing.
Five years is a long time
between releases, but if all of Kenny “Blues Boss”
Wayne’s future releases are this strong, they’ll be
worth the wait.
--- Graham
Clarke
I’ve sung the praises of the
documentary M for Mississippi quite a bit
here at Blues Bytes and at my
blog. One of the real surprises of the film was
the closing sequence with L. C. Ulmer. Ulmer
almost missed filming due to some family issues, but
fortunately for everyone Jeff Konkel and Roger
Stolle went the extra mile and Ulmer ended up on the
film, playing the lovely track, “Rosalie,” which
sounded like a long-lost Mississippi John Hurt side.
The 82-year-old Ulmer has
played music for decades in California, Chicago, and
Mississippi, even appearing at the 2008 Chicago
Blues Festival and releasing a live CD (recorded in
Italy) a couple of years ago, Long Way From Home.
His latest release, Blues Come Yonder (Hill
Country Records) features nine original songs plus
covers of “Trouble No More” and Hank Williams’ “I
Saw The Light.”
Ulmer’s guitar playing brings
to mind the Hill Country sound with its trance-like
groove, on songs like “Hard To Get Along,” “Peaches
Falling,” and “Left Me Standing Behind.” “There Go
All My Dough” and “Hip Shake” are more upbeat and
lively. “Get Along Cindy” is a blend of a couple of
folk songs (with lyrics from “Oh Susanna”). The
title track percolates with Ulmer’s spacey picking
backed by drummer Wallace Lester’s percussion
resembling a train rolling down the tracks. He also
plays mandolin and banjo on selected tracks.
In addition to Lester, the
backing musicians include bass player Justin Showah
(who also produced the disc) and Jimbo Mathus who
adds drums on a few tracks. Sprinkled throughout are
various comments by Ulmer before and after tracks,
and there’s a bonus snippet at the end of the disc
with Ulmer playing piano. This is just an enjoyable
recording from a man who truly loves the music.
Hopefully, we will get to hear more soon.
--- Graham
Clarke
Chicago Blues: A Living
History - The (R)evolution Continues (Raisin
Music) is a sequel to the 2009 double-disc set,
Chicago Blues: A Living History. Like its
predecessor, the new disc provides neophytes with an
introduction to this great music, and it offers
longtime fans a fresh take on some familiar Chicago
classics.
Many of the same artists return
on the new disc --- Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer,
Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, Carlos Johnson, Billy
Flynn, Carlos Johnson, Johnny Iguana, and Felton
Crews --- but there are some additional guest stars
this time around. Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Zora Young,
James Cotton, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Mike Avery
all make guest appearances.
The songs selected are a broad
representation of Chicago blues from the early '40s
(Lonnie Johnson's "He's A Jelly Roll Baker,"
courtesy of Arnold) to the late '90s (Ronnie Baker
Brooks doing his own "Make These Blues Survive").
Some of the tunes will be familiar (Jimmy Rogers'
"Chicago Bound," by Primer, Magic Sam's "Easy Baby,"
from Sam's cousin Mike Avery, Elmore James' "Yonder
Wall," from Branch), but there are some outstanding
tunes here that may be unfamiliar to most blues
fans, such as Floyd Jones' "Stockyard Blues" (by
Lurrie Bell), Tampa Red's "I'll Be Up Again Someday
(by Arnold), and a great cover of Robert Lockwood
Jr.'s "My Daily Wish, featuring Arnold, with
guitarist Flynn and piano man Iguana.
The guest stars also shine on
their tunes. Buddy Guy reprises his hit, "First Time
I Met The Blues," as only he can. Magic Slim is
reunited with longtime bandmate Primer on Chuck
Willis' "Keep A-Drivin'." James Cotton raises the
roof on "Rocket 88," with Iguana and guitarists
Flynn and Rico McFarland. There are several
heartfelt tributes, with Zora Young pays tribute to
her mentor, Sunnyland Slim, on "Be Careful How You
Vote," Baker Brooks covering his father Lonnie's
"Don't Take Advantage of Me," Carlos Johnson's nod
to Otis Rush ("Ain't Enough Comin' In"), and Lurrie
Bell honoring his dad, Carey, with "Got To Leave
Chi-Town."
Closing out the disc is a
rollicking version of Muddy Waters' "The Blues Had A
Baby (And They Named it Rock and Roll)," with the
four principals (Branch, Arnold, Bell, and Primer)
each taking the mic and ending things in fine
fashion. This is a great sequel, possibly even
better than the original, due to the wide range of
covers, many rarely heard. The presence of some
rarely covered tunes on this collection will appeal
to longtime listeners and hopefully will open the
eyes (and ears) of some younger blues fans.
--- Graham
Clarke
Brad Vickers & His
Vestapolitans have taken their listeners on a
fun-filled journey through American blues and roots
music since his first CD, Le Blues Hot, was
released in 2008. That release, coupled with 2010’s
Stuck With The Blues, offered up a delightful
mix of originals and covers that spanned the blues,
ragtime, rock & roll, and country blues. Vickers’
third release, Traveling Fool (ManHatTone
Records), offers up more of the same good times.
The title track, written by
Vickers, opens the disc and it’s a great slice of
’50s blues/R&B with special guest Bobby Radcliff
rocking the house on guitar, and Arne Englund
channeling Johnnie Johnson on the ivories,
punctuated by a tight horn section. Vickers wrote or
co-wrote 10 of the 15 tracks, and they are a diverse
set of memorable tunes, ranging from the old school
rockers “Because I Love You That Way,” “Don’t Take
My Cadillac,” and “Fourteen Women.” Tracks like
“Leave Me Be” and “Without Moolah” swing more toward
the blues side, and “Glad Rags,” “In My Dream,” and
bass/fiddle player Margey Peters’ “Skeeter Song”
lean toward ragtime. There’s also a dandy pair of
instrumentals, the R&B flavored “Uh Oh!” and the
appropriately titled “Rockabilly Rumble,” that
closes the disc.
The four cover tunes are
familiar, but are presented in slightly different
formats. Sonny Terry’s “Diggin’ My Potatoes” is
freshened up by the addition of fiddle and clarinet,
which is also present on Tampa Red’s “No Baby, No.”
There’s also a punchy remake of J. B. Lenoir’s “Low
Down Dirty Shame,” and a fairly straight remake of
Leroy Carr’s “How Long Blues,” with Vickers on slide
guitar.
In addition to Radcliffe,
Peters, and Englund, a hat tip has to go to the
outstanding horn section (Jim Davis – tenor sax,
clarinet, Matt Cowan – baritone sax), drummer Bill
Rankin, and guitarist V.D. King. Guitarist Dave
Gross returned to produce Traveling Fool and
also plays bass on a couple of tracks.
Brad Vickers & His
Vestapolitans’ latest disc is easily their best so
far. Each disc has improved upon its predecessor,
but this one will be hard to top.
--- Graham
Clarke
You may not be familiar with
Jackie Johnson, but chances are that you’ve
heard her if you follow soul music. She started a
couple of decades ago backing singers Shirley Brown
and Barbara Carr, and has recorded a couple of
gospel albums. She’s performed for years overseas in
Belgium, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Spain, and
Switzerland. Most recently, she’s been a member of
Huey Lewis’ band, singing on his recent Soulsville
tribute album. She’s also managed to release her
debut soul recording, on Catfood Records, Memphis
Jewel.
Johnson makes it sound mighty
easy on tracks like the opener, a cover of the
Gladys Knight and the Pips’ hit, “It Should Have
Been Me.” She also effortlessly handles covers of
tunes by Smokey Robinson (a neat rearrangement of
“Tears of a Clown”) and Betty Wright (“Clean Up
Woman”). There are also some fine originals here,
including a pair that Johnson co-wrote with her
husband, Van Johnson (the sensual “Do Ya” and “Will
You Be Mine”).
Other standout tracks include
the jazzy “Nothing Lasts Forever,” written by
Catfood Records chief (and bass player) Bob
Trenchard, the second-line strutter, “Brightside,”
the lovely “Rain,” and “Wash Your Hands” (also
written by Trenchard). Johnson shows that she can
sing the blues, too, with her duet with labelmate
Johnny Rawls, “Love You Still.” The gospel tune,
“Keep The Faith,” another Trenchard tune, closes the
disc in rousing fashion.
Produced by the legendary Jim
Gaines, Memphis Jewel is an impressive debut
release for Jackie Johnson, loaded with great songs
and performances. She promises to be a major player
in the ongoing Soul Music revival.
--- Graham
Clarke
Over a 30 year career, Bill
Bourne’s muse has taken him from folk to world beat
to Cajun to funk to blues. He has worked solo and as
part of acts such as Tannahill Weavers, Bourne &
MacLeod, Tri-Continental, Elvor Palsdottir, Lester
Quitzau, Madagascar Slim, and Bop Ensemble. He’s won
awards in Denmark and Canada for producing and
playing on albums.
Bourne’s latest project is with
a collection of musicians dubbed The Free Radio
Band. Bluesland (Linus Entertainment) is
a mix of folk, rock, and country music, all drenched
with the electric blues. Basically recorded live in
the studio, with Bourne’s son Pat playing fiery lead
guitar, Pa Joe on electric smooth jazz guitar, Moses
Gregg on bass, and Miguel Ferrer on drums, the disc
kicks off with the smooth “Deep Dark Woods,” then
rocks hard on “Home.” “On The Sunny Side” slows
things down to a more pensive mood and showcases
Bourne’s songwriting.
Bourne’s harmonica drives the
country-tinged “Forever Truly Bound,” while
“Columbus Stockade Blues” leans toward rockabilly.
“Who’s Knockin’?” offers some surf-based guitar
fills over a jazz backdrop, and “Daily Bread” is
straight-ahead electric blues. The disc closes with
a robust version of Bob Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm,” the
album’s lone cover.
Bluesland is a
pleasingly diverse set of interesting tunes that
will appeal to fans of blues and folk.
--- Graham
Clarke
David LaFleur is
a talented singer/songwriter who also plays guitar,
mandolin, dobro, and dulcimer. He has toured the
mid-Atlantic region and the East Coast for over 20
years, performing a unique and entertaining blend of
blues, folk, Americana, and Appalachian, mixed in
with a healthy sense of humor. LaFleur’s latest
self-released effort is called Them Bones and
is an amazingly diverse collection of folk music,
both old and new.
The opening track, “Rovin’
Gambler,” is a country-based tale with LaFleur
playing acoustic guitar. “Pleasantville” is an
original composition, a cowboy song, that keeps that
same feel, but with LaFleur on mandolin. “Double
Down or Fold” veers more toward the blues side, with
some excellent slide guitar. “The Quilt Song” is a
melancholy song of lost loved ones, with
accompaniment by Camilo Perez-Mejia on cello. “Oh
Freedom” features a hearty vocal and some spirited
work on the dobro.
“The Last Thing” is a tune
about a last effort to save a romance. It features a
heartfelt vocal from LaFleur and stellar backing
from Bill Wallach on mandolin, Bill Starks on piano,
and Antoine Sanfuentes on percussion. The mood
lightens considerably with the humorous rocker,
“Shepherd’s Pie Revisited.”
“Darlin’ Corey” is a tragic
story with suspense heightened by LaFleur’s
emotional vocal and fretful (no pun intended)
guitar. “Dunolaigh” ventures into Celtic territory,
as does a stunning version of Robert Burns’ old
tune, “My Luv Is Like A Red Red Rose,” truly one of
the standards by which all love songs are measured.
The title track is one I remember from my youth and
it brought back some fond memories to hear LaFleur’s
amusing recreation here.
LaFleur is considered by some
to be a master of the dobro, and there are two
instrumental tracks here that offer verification.
“Big Bad Bro” is an up-tempo workout, while the
album closer, “Paco’s Lullabye,” is just that…..a
gentle, sweet tune.
David LaFleur’s Them Bones
is an excellent set of blues, folk, and Americana.
Acoustic guitar fans will absolutely love this disc.
--- Graham
Clarke
Heather O’Neill’s A
Feminist Manifesto is not the typical blues
album that I review each month. O’Neill is a
Chicago-based singer/songwriter/guitarist whose work
I was not familiar with prior to receiving this
disc. Her approach is blues leaning toward jazz and
even pop in some cases. Her vocals are pleasant,
sometimes seductive, sometimes whimsical, always
interesting. Her songs, in the case of this
recording, touch on the subject of misogyny,
particularly in the recording industry. However, the
lyrics are never heavy-handed and she mixes in a
healthy dose of humor.
The six songs on this EP are
beautifully rendered, with Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu
Orchestra, Dixie Dregs) contributing some exquisite
violin, Dave Uhrich on electric guitar, Terry
Connell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Wally Hustin on
bass, and Rick Vitek on drums. Connell’s flugelhorn
is prominent in the opening cut, the light, but
sensuous “Ballerina in a Bullfight.” “Tiffany Town”
is more pop/rock-based, and “1,000 Springs” is a
standout with some sterling interplay between
O’Neill’s vocal and Goodman’s electric violin.
“Monique” is a sober tune that leans toward the jazz
side of the blues. “Black Paint” is another somber
piece, but with more of a country feel. The closer,
“What a Way” picks up the pace a bit. It’s a funky
piece with O’Neill taking the guitar duties
accompanied only by bass and drums.
I won’t lie to you…..I wasn’t
sure what to make of this EP upon first listen. It
is blues mixed with jazz and some light pop. O’Neill
has a marvelous voice and writes good tunes about
serious subject matter. The instrumentation is first
rate. Call it a thoroughly modern approach to blues.
Like every other genre, the blues has to look
forward to move forward and that’s what Heather
O’Neill is doing with this release.
Broaden your horizons and give
A Feminist Manifesto a listen.
--- Graham
Clarke
Erick Hovey is from
Iowa, where when he’s not busy tilling the soil as a
fifth-generation farmer, he’s making some really
cool music. Hovey recently released a pair of CDs
that mix blues influences with styles like rock,
jazz, soul, reggae, and funk. Hovey began playing
the blues at local taverns at the tender age of 14,
but has expanded over the years to take in many
venues and festivals around the U.S. Midwest.
The first of these releases,
Blues Farm, is the most blues-oriented of the
two. The opener, “Ball and Chain,” has a slow,
moody, funky backdrop with some terrific understated
guitar work. “Know Who You Are” is more upbeat,
almost blues/rock with Hovey’s ragged but right
guitar, and features some tasty harmonica from Andy
Blumenthal and keyboards from Tom Gary. “Soda Pop
Girl” is a gentle swinger about a girl who drives
our protagonist around town while he drinks, and
“Patchouli” is highlighted by Hovey’s stinging
guitar fills.
Other highlights include the
atmospheric “Runnin’ With A Full Moon,” the jazzy
workout, “Fight That Monkey,” “Missing Part,” and
the guitar-driven shuffle, “I’m Through.” Hovey’s a
fine guitarist and his vocals are solid and suit the
material well, and he gets excellent support from
Blumenthal (harmonica), Gary (keys), Jeff Foreman
(drums), Dan Lodden (bass), and Heather Kelly
(vocals). This is a pretty solid set of Midwest
blues that will please most blues fans.
A lot of the same ground is
covered on Recycled Souls, but with more of a
rock edge, and slightly more emphasis on
songwriting. Highlights on Recycled Souls
include “When Will I See You Again,” “Half Dead,”
“What You Doin’ Here,” “Ain’t Done With You,” “Here
Again,” “Thousand Times,” and “Feels So Good Hurts
So Bad.” It’s a first-rate set of songs, with the
same band in support (plus bass player Andy
Schneider on one track).
One of the highlights of
reviewing CDs for Blues Bytes over the years is that
I’ve been exposed to music that I wouldn’t have
otherwise heard. Over the past few years, I’ve
discovered that the Midwest is a very reliable
source of blues and roots music. Erick Hovey is
another name that I’ve added to the list and he will
be placed toward the top. He’s an excellent
guitarist and singer, a fine composer, and meshes
various genres seamlessly to really make his own
unique musical style. I highly recommend both of
these discs.
--- Graham
Clarke
Mickey Thomas’ last
release was an impressive effort with the
Bluesmasters in 2009 that returned him to his blues
and soul roots that first brought him recognition
for his contributions to Elvin Bishop’s ’70s
classic, “Fooled Around and Fell In Love.” Of
course, most music fans are familiar with his tenure
with Jefferson Starship/Starship and their catalog
of hits in the late ’70s/early ’80s (I can still
remember how blown away my friends and I were when
we first heard him on “Jane”). Thomas’ latest
release, Marauder (Gigatone), is not a
follow-up to his last release……though the blues are
always present in whatever he does, as he pays
tribute to many of his musical influences, some of
his peers, and even those who have followed him.
Like most musicians from his
era, Thomas was heavily influenced by the Beatles,
who inspired him to become a singer. Thomas pays
tribute to them as a group (“Rain,” “Oh! Darling,”
“Across the Universe”) and as individual composers
(a faithful reading of McCartney’s “Maybe I’m
Amazed,” and George Harrison’s “Wah Wah”). Other
artists covered include Bob Seger (“Hollywood
Nights”), Squeeze (“Tempted”), Tom Cochrane (a
unique interpretation of “Life Is A Highway”), AC/DC
(“Moneytalks”), Leon Russell (the Joe Cocker hit,
“Delta Lady”), and Peter Gabriel (“Sledgehammer”).
There’s also more modern fare from the catalogs of
Oasis (“Champagne Supernova”) , Snow Patrol
(“Chasing Cars”), and Muse (“Supermassive Black
Hole”).
Though this is a rock album
(the closest it gets to blues is the Rolling Stones’
classic, “Gimme Shelter”), Thomas’ roots are deep in
the blues and soul, and he inject plenty into each
of these songs. Unlike many singers, his voice has
improved with age, remarkably still as limber and
versatile as it was over 30 years ago. He’s
performing a set list of songs that he loves, plus
he never gives less than 100% when he’s performing.
All of these factors make Marauder a disc
worth having, and if you’re a Mickey Thomas fan,
it’s a must-have.
--- Graham
Clarke
Indiana-based Dicky James
and the Blue Flames recently released their
second disc, Hard Rain. The disc is made up
of 11 tracks (plus a hidden 12th track), two of
which are covers. Most of the songs were written by
James and the band, with a couple being penned by
Wes “Dub C” Cox, who “sings” on his tune, “Special
To Me,” and the rough and ready instrumental,
“Icehouse Shuffle,” written by Blue Flames harp man
Bob “Icehouse” Freeze. The rest of the band consists
of Dicky James (guitar and vocals), Johnny
“Lightning Boy” Beeson (organ), Mark “P Funk” Ford
(bass), and Will Cox (percussion).
The funky opener, “A Real Good
Blues,” opens the album up on a positive note,
followed by the ominous title track, punctuated by a
full horn section. B. B. King’s “Rock Me Baby” is
next, with the country blues “Bulldog Talking,” with
nice work on the dobro by James. “It’s All True” is
a minor-key blues that features James’ stinging
guitar, some of his best work on the disc, along
with Freeze’s harp and some tasty Hammond B3 from
Beeson. Albert King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign,” gets
an interesting fresh read from the band.
The slow blues, “Low Down Dirty
Dog Blues,” is one of the album’s standout tracks, a
tune of regret and remorse, with some great fretwork
from James and a perfect world-weary vocal. The
horns return for the funky “Game On,.” The
previously mentioned “Special To Me” veers sharply
into reggae territory, but “We Git to Play” closes
the disc on a strong blues-based note, with Elmore
James-styled slide guitar, Freeze’s harp, and those
punchy horns. The hidden12th track, “Roll the
Credits,” where DJ Doc Long reads album credits over
a groovy shuffle, is not to be missed.
James plays some first-rate
guitar and his vocals are a barrel of fun as he
growls, wails, cackles, and even barks his way
through this strong set of songs. The band is
superlative in support. These guys nearly made the
IBC competition last year, just falling short during
the Indiana qualifier. Don’t be surprised if you
hear from them next year in Memphis. Hard Rain
is a rock-solid set of blues that will appeal to any
discerning blues fan.
--- Graham
Clarke
Vocalist/pianist Susan Wylde
is a classically trained artist with influences
ranging from Etta James, Mavis Staples, and Billie
Holliday to Joni Mitchell, Sting, and Joe Jackson.
She’s been nominated for multiple awards on the
Canadian music scene and was a finalist in the
International Songwriting Contest. Her music
straddles the line perfectly between blues and jazz,
and that is apparent on her latest release, In
The Light (Sun, Moon & Stars Entertainment).
In The Light has a dozen
tracks, equally split between originals and covers.
Guitarist Jack de Keyser co-produced the disc with
Wylde and contributes some sterling guitar work
throughout. Wylde touches on a number of blues
styles, playing it straight on tunes like “One Real
Man,” which features stinging guitar from de Keyser
and harmonica from Jerome Godboo, “Love Me All Night
Long,” a sizzling slow version of Johnny “Guitar”
Watson’s “Three Hours Past Midnight,” and a sweet
take on John Loudermilk’s “Turn Me On.”
Other tracks, such as B.B.
King’s classic “The Thrill Is Gone” and the somber
title track, lean more toward the jazz side of
blues, as does the poignant “I Can’t Tell New
Orleans Goodbye,” a tribute to the post-Katrina
Crescent City. Speaking of Louisiana, there’s also a
couple of dashes of Dixieland jazz with tunes like
“Lovely Push-Up Bra,” a song Wylde wrote for the
late Jeff Healey, a fan of the genre. Bessie Smith’s
“Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” also
gets the Dixieland treatment, showcasing Wylde’s
vocal and keyboards with Paul Reddick’s harmonica.
The disc closes with a trio of
cover tunes, Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia On My
Mind,” “The Thrill Is Gone,” and the Etta James’ R&B
standard, “At Last.” Wylde’s relaxed, assured vocal
delivery on these tracks is a change from their
original versions heard by most, but it gives the
songs a renewed energy.
In The Light is a
recording that’s perfectly poised between jazz and
blues. Fans of both genres will find a lot to enjoy
here. There are some wonderfully crafted original
tunes here by Ms. Wylde, as well as some unique
interpretations of familiar classics.
--- Graham
Clarke
Read
Graham's blog
In The Light (Sun Moon &
Stars) is the first that I’ve heard of Canadian
songstress Susan Wylde, although this is not
her first album. Wylde mixes jazz and blues together
to create a unique style of music, and she has some
great backing musicians to help her out. This lady
has a voice that fits the music that she’s chosen
and this CD gives her a great opportunity to show
what she can do.
This CD has an equal mix of
original songs and covers and there’s nothing to
choose between them when it comes to quality,
although the covers are more blues than jazz, and
the originals are the reverse.
Tracks like the Johnny Watson number “Three Hours
Past Midnight,” “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down
And Out” and the song that B.B.King made famous,
“The Thrill Has Gone,” really show that this lady
can sing the blues when she wants to, and tracks
like “Georgia On My Mind” showcase her voice
perfectly.
A great mix of jazz and blues –
have a listen and see what you think!
--- Terry
Clear
Kirsten Thien’s third
album (see
previous Blues Bytes review) is out already, and it’s called Delicious
(Screen Door Records). It features 13 tracks, two of
them are radio edits of existing tracks, and eight
of the tracks were written, or co-written, by
Kirsten.
There’s an unavoidable
comparison with Bonnie Raitt here, both are fiery
redheads who write and sing blues, and track one,
“Love That’s Made To Share,” sounds as though there
is a heavy Bonnie Raitt influence to it. That’s not
a criticism, by the way, as it’s an excellent
opening number and it features one of my favourite
bluesmen, Hubert Sumlin (who appears later in the
album too).
“Nobody’s Ever Loved Me Like
You Do” features some bluesy guitar, but it’s more
of a soul track than a blues number. This is totally
rectified when track three opens. Wow! This is a
VERY bluesy track, it features Hubert Sumlin again
and it really gets into your system. It’s called
“Please Drive” – a story of girl who’s had too much
to drink and wants the man to drive, full of
innuendo and great lyrics.
It seems like track three set
the scene as the following track, “Taxi Love,” is a
good blues as well, although it was originally
recorded by soul man Wilson Pickett. Tommy Mandel
comes to the fore here with some great Hammond
playing, including a hot solo.
The title track, “Delicious,”
is up next, a rocking blues, maybe a little more
rock than blues with guitar work by Arthur Neilson
and some more Tommy Mandel organ. It’s followed by a
gentle soul ballad, “Ain’t That The Truth,” which
again puts me in mind of Bonnie Raitt. Dave Patteron
takes up the guitar with this one, and there’s some
horns in the background, courtesy of Kent Smith and
Andy Snitzer. These two guys know exactly what it’s
all about as they normally back people like Paul
Simon and the Rolling Stones.
The horn section features again
on a rocker “Treat ‘im Like A Man,” with Dave
Patterson and Tommy Mandel again putting in some
hard work.
Track eight is what this album is all about for me.
It’s a “delicious” version of the old Ida Cox song
“Wild Women Don’t Have The Blues” with Thien on
vocal and acoustic guitar and Billy Gibson playing
harmonica. No doubt in my mind that this is far and
away the best track on the CD, and I’d buy the CD
for this track alone!
The following track is another
cover, this time of the Willie Dixon number “I Ain’t
Superstitious,” which I fell in love with when I
heard Howlin' Wolf belt it out. This is a superb
version and it runs the Ida Cox number a very close
second in my opinion.
Things slow down again with “A
Woman Knows,” almost a modern country song, and then
the tempo is up again with “Get Outta The Funk, Get
Into The Groove.” The CD closes with radio edits of
“Treat ‘im Like A Man” and “Taxi Love.” I have to
say that I would absolutely love to hear Kirsten
Thien make a whole album of tracks like the Ida Cox
and Willie Dixon covers.
--- Terry
Clear
I Sing The Blues (Blue
Beet Records), the latest offering from Richard
Ray Farrell, a man who really knows how to play
the blues, and every album he produces is totally
different from the last. This latest CD has 12
original tracks, all of them written by Farrell, and
all of them excellent.
The album opens with “Ol’ Man
Blues,” a slow blues with a bit of New Orleans
flavour to it – in fact in the opening few lines
Farrell sounds like Dr John. This track has Farrell
on vocals, guitar, and harmonica, and there is some
lovely tinkling piano from Bill Heid.
The tempo picks up for “Cherry
On The Cream,” all about a wonderful woman, the
sweetest little girl that he has ever seen. And the
tempo picks up even more with “Bad As You Wanna Be,”
a jump blues with upright bass to the fore, played
by Mike Lampe. There’s no way that you can listen to
this track and sit still!
I’ve long thought that this man
Farrell is at his very best when picking and sliding
on the guitar, and here he really pushes that point
home with the delightful “Memphis Bound” – you could
easily buy this CD for this one track, and then the
other 11 tracks would be a fantastic bonus.
Things slow down with a nice
ballad on track five, “Starting Over Again,” an
unusual mix (for Richard Ray Farrell) of blues and
soul. This CD is such a mix of different styles and
tempos, that it catches your ear and it doesn’t let
go until the very end of track 12. “Listening To The
Falling Rain” sounds like it could have come
straight from the pen of Van Morrison, a moody
ballad with haunting piano work and great lyrics.
On to “Leisure Man,” a slow
blues that could easily have come from the late
1950s, all about a man who lets a variety of women
look after him. Richard Ray showcases his harmonica
playing to good effect on this track.
Farrell takes us back to the
jump blues route with “Steady Eatin’ Woman,” a song
with some really great humorous lyrics about a woman
who is eating her man out of house and home. The
just when you think you’ve heard all that this man
has to offer with different styles, he hits you with
a rocking blues called “Little Suzie” straight from
1955 – jiving music at it’s best! And then he does
it all again on track ten with a jazz-influenced
“Sweet Dreams (of you).”
The album finishes off with a
jump blues instrumental called “Skitchin’,“ followed
by a 1920s flavoured “Ride That Freedom Train” with
Brian Cox on sousaphone – he was also playing this
instrument on track one, but it stands out a lot
more on this track – and some vocals from Jeannie
Brooks, Carol Brooks and Georgie Bond.
If I had to make just one
comment on this album, I’d say “it won’t let you get
bored,” but there’s a lot more to it than that – so
many different styles and influences.
---Terry Clear
I
knew there was something vaguely familiar about the
name K.K. Martin when his new album, Naked
Blues, Vol. II (Ranell Records), arrived in my
mailbox last month. Digging through the Blues Bytes
archives, I found this review from the
February 2000 issue --- a avorable critique of
the first Naked Blues disc. I called it a
nice traditional blues disc with a selection of
pleasant country blues numbers from a man who at the
time was making the transition from rock and pop to
blues.
I don't know what Mr. Martin
has been doing in the dozen years since the first
Naked Blues CD came out, but it's obvious that
he still has a good feel for playing traditional
blues. Vol. II is more of the same, with 12
well-chosen covers from artists like Tom Waits,
Blind Lemon Jefferson, Johnny Winter, Charlie
Musselwhite, and more. This is stripped down blues
--- one could say that it's truly naked blues ---
with Martin playing solo throughout. Just the man
with his voice and guitar.
The CD opens with a very good
version of Peter Green's "Rattlesnake Shake," with
Martin showing he's got a slide for his guitar and
knows how to use it. He's a good singer, not a great
singer, but certainly good enough for the material
here. He follows with a Guy Davis ragtime number,
"Slow Motion Daddy," with its suggestive lyrics and
easy tempo.
The two Tom Waits songs (it's
always a pleasure to hear his material), "No One Can
Forgive Me" and "Gin Soaked Boy," are also
highlights with Martin getting the appropriate rasp
in his voice and also contributing good guitar
picking.
Closing the album is a nice
version of Blind Lemon Jefferson's "See that my
Grave is Kept Clean," a slow, foreboding tune packed
with emotion.
K.K. Martin is an artist that
deserves a wider distribution for his music. Here's
hoping his CDs find a wider audience someday. In the
meantime, check him out on his
website.
--- Bill
Mitchell
