Personally, I love “samplers” – they give you a
chance to listen to a lot of different artists and
get an idea of their style etc., before you decide
on buying their CD. The Future of the Blues, Vol.
3, from Canadian label NorthernBlues, is no
exception – unless you count the fact that it will
probably persuade you to buy CDs by most of the
artists featured, if you don’t already have them! In
the US it comes out at $7.98, which is unbelievably
good value for a CD of really excellent blues.
Some of
the songs on the CD are from albums already reviewed
in Blues Bytes, so you only have to go to the
previous reviews to find out what they’re like –
others are new and maybe haven’t been reviewed yet.
Watermelon Slim has three tracks on the CD, and all
of them are up to his usual high standard – one,
"Blue Freightliner," is a track that was recorded
for the album No Paid Holidays but didn’t
make it onto the CD, so there’s a bonus for his
fans! I’d love to know why the track wasn’t included
on No Paid Holidays because I think it’s a
great one.
I’ve
reviewed the recent CD’s by Homemade Jamz Blues
band, Moreland & Arbuckle, Samuel James and Carlos
del Junco, and there are tracks on this CD from all
of them, and all of them are good picks – whoever
put this sampler together knows his (or her) stuff.
Tracks
that really stands out to me are “Mr.Blues” by Eddie
Turner, from his album Miracles & Demons. So
far I don’t have this CD, but that’s about to change
after listening to this track! There’s a nice
jump-jive blues style track from J.W. Jones,
“Tickets On Yourself,” and a downhome blues from Zac
Harmon, “Hattie Mae.”
This CD
has so many styles of blues that it’s difficult to
classify, but it is very good value (as I said
above) and it gives a good insight into what
NorthernBlues is about and how good their stable of
blues stars is – Watermelon Slim, Mem Shannon,
Homemade Jamz Blues Band, Moreland & Arbuckle,
Samuel James, Eddie Turner, the list just goes on –
this CD has 15 excellent blues tracks.
---
Terry Clear
Cuban-born, Canada-based Carlos del Junco is
one of the foremost harmonica players of the moment,
having won the Maple Blues Award for harmonica
player of the year FOUR TIMES! In addition, he has
won two gold medals at the Hohner Harmonica
Championships in Germany, which all goes to prove
that he knows his stuff when it comes to playing the
harp.
Steady Movin' is
his eighth CD since 1995, and
his second on the NorthernBlues label, so he’s
obviously a productive musician. His last CD, Blues Mongrel (also on Northern Blues)
deservedly received good reviews, and I personally
think it was a bit better than his latest release.
That’s
not to say that this is a bad CD by any means, but
the previous one was certainly more to my taste, and
a bit bluesier. There are definitely tracks on this
CD that should be listened to, and that really give
the listener a good idea of what this guy can do –
try the opening track “Diddle It” or ”Bailey’s
Bounce” to see what he’s about.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Another review of this CD follows later on this
page.
---
Terry Clear
I’m a
huge fan of Dorothy Ellis – aka Miss Blues –
songwriter, singer and author, and this album,
Bad Prospects, is, to my mind, her best yet.
Miss Blues had been gigging for somewhere in the
region of 60 years before she released her first
recording, and it’s just a pity that she waited so
long – why didn’t she start recording 40 or 50 years
ago??
This
latest CD, Bad Prospects, comprises nine tracks in total, seven of
which are written by Miss Blues – one of the others
is written by Chris Henson, who plays guitar on the
track, and the other by Don Skinner, who contributes
the bass playing and some of the vocals. Henson and
Skinner also appear on most of the other tracks on
guitar and bass. All of the musicians featured here
are top class. As well as Henson and Skinner the
others are worthy of mention too – Rob Hibbard, Mark
Lyon, Ron Harmon, Joe Skinner, Mike Hardwick, T.Z.
Wright, Robert Riggs, Frank Zona and Jim Johnson.
The
album opens with the Miss Blues original, “Blood
Running Cold,” a song about a relationship going
wrong (as in most of the best blues songs down
through the years) – the song is full of expression
and emotion, and if you didn’t know before, then you
know now that this woman has lived the blues.
“Billie’s Blues” follows up --- a slow, moody,
atmospheric, number so representative of this
woman’s talents.
Track
three is the title track of the album, a number
about poverty and the struggle to stay afloat in
life, and then the tempo picks up with track four,
“Rub Board Boogie” – and I have to say that Miss
Blues is a rub board maestro! Joe Skinner comes to
the fore on the organ here and I really wish that
the track was far longer than it’s one minute and
forty nine seconds.
“Trapped” is the fifth Dorothy Ellis penned track –
and it’s at least as good as the previous four, if
not better. This is the blues at it’s best – not
reliant on cover versions, but using the familiar
themes of love and relationships as people have done
since the blues started.
The only
instrumental comes up next, “Midnight City”, written
by Chris Henson – smoky, jazzy, bluesy and good.
Saxophone from Frank Zona adds to the flavour of the
piano and organ supplied by T.Z.Wright and Chris
Henson’s guitar above the rhythm section of Don and
Joe Skinner.
Miss
Blues resurrects a couple of numbers from earlier
CDs – “Sinking, Sinking, Sinking” and “Cold
Mountains,” and gives both of them a slightly
different feel, and Don Skinner adds “It’s Gonna
Rain” where he and Dorothy share the vocals to very
good effect – this track has a compulsive driving
beat to it, with Ron Harmon on the organ and Chris
Henson laying down some more good guitar.
Bad
Prospects is one CD that every lover of the
blues should have a listen to.
---
Terry Clear
Liz
Mandeville recently released her fourth CD for
Earwig, Red Top. Mandeville (who formerly
performed as Liz Mandville Greeson) has put in two
decades of touring in the U.S. and Canada, as well
as branching out into the European countries in
recent years, and has dazzled all comers with her
sassy songwriting and smooth vocals. Red Top
may be her best effort yet.
Recorded
in two different sessions, Red Top features
an impressive group of Chicago-area musicians,
including keyboard player Allen Batts, drummer Twist
Turner, and former Magic Slim guitarist Michael
Dotson (who lays down some sinewy fretwork on “My
Baby’s Her Baby Too”). Sax legend Eddie Shaw also
drops by for a couple of tracks, including the rowdy
“Guilty or Rockin’ All Night.” Mandeville also
employs a full horn section on several tracks and
even features a gospel choir (The Black Roses Gospel
Choir) on one track.
Adept in
blues and swing, Mandeville gracefully blends the
two genres together. The swinging title track opens
the disc and sets the bar pretty high. Fortunately,
Mandeville reaches and exceeds it several times.
“Corner Bar Blues” is a groovy Chicago shuffle,
which is followed by “Dog No More,” which packs a
powerful groove thanks to bass player Andre Howard,
drummer Janet Cramer, and guitarist Luke Pytel.
“Scratch
the Kitty” is the best of several salacious tracks
and is one of three tracks where Mandeville plays
lead guitar. “Bad Man Blues” is a swinging R&B track
and features Mark Wydra on guitar, while “Hold Me,”
the first track that features Shaw, is a deep soul
ballad. The closer, the Chuck Berry-esque “Little
Queen,” closes the disc on a high note.
Red Top
is a great addition to Liz Mandeville’s catalog,
with plenty to offer fans of high-energy blues and
swing.
---
Graham Clarke
Since
the late 1980’s, Travis “Moonchild” Haddix,
the pride of Hatchie Bottom, Mississippi, has
released album after album featuring his own special
brand of hot urban blues mixed with contemporary
soul. In addition, he’s penned several classic tunes
recorded by other blues artists like Michael Burks,
Son Seals, Jimmy Dawkins, Lee “Shot” Williams,
Charles Wilson, and Artie “Blues Boy” White.
Haddix’s most recent output, from his own WannSonn
label, has been hampered by distribution problems,
so he’s had problems being heard by a wide audience
(though he is popular in Europe), but his latest
release from earlier this year, Daylight At
Midnight, has been picked up by Chicago’s Earwig
Records, as well as his previous WannSonn output.
Haddix
has been around the blues all his life. His father,
Chalmus “Rooster” Haddix, was a Delta bluesman who
played piano, fiddle, harmonica, and guitar at
Saturday night fish fries, and when he was eight
years old, his brother Hal took him to see B. B.
King. Seeing King (and hearing him play every day on
WDIA out of Memphis) inspired Haddix to learn to
play the guitar. Over the years, he played with
several bands in the Cleveland area, including Chuck
& the Tremblers and Ernest & the El Roccos, where he
earned his “Moonchild” moniker from the title of one
of their singles.
Daylight At Midnight will not disappoint his
fans, who have become accustomed to his clever
songwriting, B. B.-inspired guitar work and his
gritty soul-drenched vocals. On “Backward Baby,”
Haddix admits he’s lived the blues so long that the
only time he’s truly happy is when he’s sad. “Who
Could I Be” is a classic soul ballad with a
twist….the only person Haddix wants to be is who he
is already, because of his lady’s love. “Way Back
Into the Country” is an autobiographical song full
of wit and wisdom and “Good Buddy Blues” tackles a
familiar blues theme, the good buddy who hits on his
best friend’s gal. Haddix wrote the title tune
describing a town he played several years ago in
northern Finland.
Haddix
is at the top of his game on this release. Vocally,
he’s never sounded better and his guitar work is as
consistently fine as ever. He enjoys superlative
backing from members of his Cleveland band,
including Greg Nicholson (bass), Gil Zachery
(keyboards), Jeremy Sullivan (drums), and a
fantastic horn section (led by trumpet player Jeff
Hager and featuring David Ruffin on tenor sax, Gus
Hawkins on alto sax, and T. J. Fortunado on baritone
sax). Additional musicians include Ray Deforest
(bass), Mike Calhoun (lead guitar), Bob Frank (lead
guitar and harmonica), and Robert “Red Top” Young
(Hammond B3).
As
stated above, Daylight At Midnight will
please Travis “Moonchild” Haddix’s longtime fans,
but thanks to Earwig, he now has the opportunity to
reach a wider audience that will surely appreciate
what he has to offer.
---
Graham Clarke
Chris
James and Patrick Rynn are probably best known
as the leaders of their group, the Blue Four, and
for their work with artists like Sam Lay, Dennis
Binder, Jody Williams, Dave Myers, Bob Corritore,
and Rob Stone. The pair has branched out on their
own (is it possible for a duo to go solo?) and have
released a new disc on the Earwig label, Stop And
Think About It, which is a superb mix of classic
covers and faithful original tunes.
James is
a first-rate singer and his guitar work pays tribute
to those classic performers of the ’50s and ’60s
while mixing in a few modern flourishes here and
there. Rynn anchors the band on bass and also
co-authored the five original tracks, which blend
effortlessly with the covers. The highlights include
“Mister Coffee,” a fresh take on an old blues
subject, the rousing “You’re Gone,” the slow groover,
“I’d Like To Write A Letter,” and the title cut,
which sounds like an old-time Chicago shuffle.
The
seven covers include four Elmore James tunes, a
favorite of both artists. Chris James’ slide guitar
work is impressive on these tracks, especially on
“Hawaiian Boogie” and “Early One Morning.” According
to the liner notes, James reports that Jay McShann’s
“Confessin’ The Blues” was one of the first blues
songs he remembered learning all the words to. It’s
obvious it’s one of his favorites, given his
impassioned vocal. Another highlight is a
hard-driving version of Bo Diddley’s “Mona.”
James
and Rynn are backed by a stellar group, including
Corritore, Stone, David Maxwell, and Lay on a few
tracks. Fellow Blue Four member Willie Hayes adds
drums to one track.
Stop
And Think About It features plenty of good,
solid blues just like it was played in the Windy
City years ago. These guys learned their lessons
well and here’s hoping there will be plenty more to
come from them.
---
Graham Clarke
Tulsa
native Scott Ellison grew up during the
city’s emergence as a blues/rock hotbed. In the ’70s
Tulsa was home to Eric Clapton’s and Freddie King’s
bands, as well as home to Leon Russell’s Shelter
Records, which was King’s label in his later years.
Ellison was heavily influenced by the British
Invasion bands, the Motown sound, and the Memphis
soul music of the time. In the late ’70s, he toured
as a guitar player with Jesseca James (Conway
Twitty’s daughter), and subsequently joined
“Gatemouth” Brown’s band as rhythm guitarist in
1981. Since the ’90s, Ellison has led his own band
and opened for countless acts, including B. B. King,
Buddy Guy, Joe Cocker, Roy Orbison, Leon Russell,
Bobby Bland, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Ice
Storm is Ellison’s sixth release and his first
for Earwig Records and it consists largely of
performances from his earliest releases, most of
which have been hard to find in recent years. The
performances range from 1997 to 2007, but there’s
not much difference in the quality or intensity of
them. Ellison is a powerhouse guitarist and a strong
vocalist and he wrote or co-wrote all 12 tunes here
and they are fine examples of blues/rock.
“Steamin’”
kicks off the disc on a high note, and “Big Blue
Car” is one of four tracks that feature horns. The
best of the tracks with horns has to be the title
cut, a swinging instrumental that ends way too soon.
“King of the Blues” is a another solid rocker driven
by Tom Canning’s groovy B-3, while “I’m In Trouble”
is more of a straight slow blues number with some
impressive guitar and one of the best vocal turns on
the disc. “Cadillac Woman” is another straight
blues, this time a shuffle featuring a searing
guitar break.
Ice
Storm is a sturdy, well-crafted set of
blues/rock. With his guitar chops to go along with
his songwriting and vocal talents, Scott Ellison
shows himself to be among the cream of the crop in
the blues/rock genre, and by reaching back into his
catalog, Ice Storm shows that he’s been there
for a while.
---
Graham Clarke
Born in
Cuba and raised in Canada, Carlos del Junco
is one of the outstanding harmonica players in the
world. While he is comfortable playing the blues,
his style envelopes many different genres, including
jazz, country, funk, and roots rock. He plays a
ten-hole diatonic harmonica using the recently
developed “overblow” technique, which gives him a
more expressive tone. All of this technical talk may
not mean a lot to some of you, but listening to del
Junco’s latest release, Steady Movin’ (NorthernBlues
Music) will tell you all you really need to
know……this cat can blow some serious harp!!
The
opener, “Diddle It,” is an enticing funk workout
featuring del Junco, Kevin Breit (Norah Jones) on
guitar, and bass player Marc Rogers. “Dull Blade”
plays like a spy movie theme, with Denis Keldie’s
keyboards bubbling in the background, while “Jersey
Bounce” is a loose jazzy piece, with del Junco
taking a relaxed approach. “Mashed Potatoes Canada”
is a light-hearted Canadian tribute to James Brown,
featuring veteran blues singer John Dickie on vocals
and del Junco pays loving tribute to the legendary
Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) on the dazzling
“Movin’ Down The River Rhine,” which also features a
playful vocal turn.
The
breezy “Paradise” has a country feel to it. “Amazing
Grace” is a solo track that really shows del Junco’s
virtuosity on the diatonic harp. “Bailey’s Bounce”
is another tribute, this time to one of the pioneers
of the harmonica, Deford Bailey. The album closes
with “Doodle It,” a jaunty reprise of the opening
cut.
Speaking
of pioneers, Carlos del Junco is taking the
harmonica in astonishing directions. Though the
harmonica has long been underappreciated in most
musical genres (excepting blues), del Junco promised
to change all that and gets closer to doing so with
each release. Steady Movin’ should remove all
doubt that he is one of the finest harmonica players
ever.
---
Graham Clarke
Scissormen consists of slide guitar wizard
Ted Drozdowski and drummer R. L. Hulsman. Based in
Nashville, this duo has taken the Mississippi Hill
Country sound to a whole new level over the past few
years, with a couple of CDs and their mind-blowing
live shows to help spread the word. Guitarist
Drozdowski counts as his mentors a diverse group of
musicians including R. L. Burnside, Jessie Mae
Hemphill, Junior Kimbrough, and Sonny Sharrock.
Their
latest release for VizzTone, Luck In A Hurry,
is their first disc to be distributed
internationally, and listeners will find that
although Hill Country blues is at the heart of
Scissormen’s sound, Drozdowski’s searing slide
guitar adds another dynamic to the genre. In
addition, they’re not afraid to add a few other
flourishes as well.
The
opening track, “Tupelo,” kicks off with, of all
things, a xylophone intro, before Drozdowski’s
blazing slide and plaintive, desperate vocal leaps
to the forefront. “Mattie Sweet Mattie” adds fiddle
and piano to the mix, and Drozdowski’s slide knocks
their cover of Son House’s “Death Letter” out of the
park. “Junior’s Blues” is a tribute to Kimbrough
with more fiddle provided by Dan Kellar. The
blistering “Whiskey and Mary Jane” features Mighty
Mighty Bosstones leader Dicky Barrett on vocals.
The
focus on the final four tracks is on Drozdowski’s
incredible slide work, as he’s accompanied only by
Hulsman or Larry Dersch on drums. On tracks like
“The Devil Is Laughing” and “When The Devil Calls,”
it’s almost like his guitar takes on a life of it’s
own, or is at least channeling the songs’ topic,
while on “John The Revelator,” Drozdowski
incorporates a far-out “Bo Diddley on Mars” beat.
Drozdowski’s vocal style reminds me of a mixture of
Bob Dylan and Mason Ruffner, understated but still
charged with emotion.
Luck
In A Hurry propels the raw, ethereal sounds of
Mississippi Hill Country blues into the 21st Century
with Scissormen’s take-no-prisoners approach. Simply
put, if you’re a Hill Country blues or slide guitar
fan, this disc will blow your doors off their
hinges.
---
Graham Clarke
Lluis Coloma is a fixture on the European
blues scene. He started out playing classical piano,
but soon fell under the spell of Jerry Lee Lewis,
Roosevelt Sykes, and British keyboardist Alan Price.
He taught himself rock & roll, blues and boogie
woogie. Currently, he serves as artistic director of
the Barcelona Blues Festival. Boogie Portraits
(Swing Alley) is his fourth release and features
Coloma in a series of duets with some other
prominent blues and boogie piano legends, including
Mitch Woods, Carl Sonny Leyland, Barrelhouse Chuck,
Frank Muschalle, Bob Seeley, and Mark “Mr. B” Braun.
The
opening track, the dazzling “Coloma’s Boogie,’ is
the lone solo track here, but it’s definitely an
attention-getter. Other highlights include a great
barrelhouse version of “Just A Closer Walk With
Thee,” featuring August Tharrats, and a
Fess-inspired “Red Beans” with Woods on piano and
vocal. Ivory Joe Hunter’s “I’ve Got To Learn The
Mambo” gets the mambo treatment, courtesy of Coloma
and Julien Brunetaud, who also provides the vocal.
Coloma teams with Muschalle for the fast-moving
“Honky Tonk Blues Bar Boogie,” and Barrelhouse Chuck
plays and sings effectively on Floyd Jones’ “School
Days On My Mind.”
The
sound is magnificent, with Coloma’s piano coming out
on the left channel and the guest piano player on
the right All the duets were recorded at the Nova
Jazz Cava Terrassa and Centre Cultural Barradas
L’Hospitalet between September, 2007 and January,
2008.
For fans
of blues and boogie woogie piano, Boogie
Portraits should earn a permanent spot in your
collection. For more on Lluis Coloma, check out his
website (www.lluiscoloma.com)
or search for him on
YouTube.
---
Graham Clarke
Jo’
Buddy & Down Home King III are a duo from
Finland, who specialize in a unique musical blend of
blues, ragtime, zydeco, ska, country, rockabilly,
garage rock, and soul. Their music is hypnotic and
raw, but has a laidback quality to it, with a touch
of New Orleans mixed in. Jo’ Buddy is actually
singer/guitarist/songwriter Jussi Raulamo, who’s 25+
years of performing has included over 2000 shows in
Europe and Northern America and has opened for or
played with just about anybody who’s anybody in the
blues world. Down Home King III is his 20-something
partner, who provides drums and percussion.
Listening to the duo’s second release, Whole
Lotta Things To Do (Ram-Bam Records) is probably
the best way to understand what makes them tick.
Believe it or not, they manage to squeeze elements
of all the above listed styles into most of these
songs. Jo’ Buddy has a nice soulful voice and is a
first-rate guitarist. He plays guitar through an old
tube radio amp, which gives his guitar an
outer-spacey sound on some tracks. Down Home King
III’s percussion work is right on time and provides
a great backdrop to these tracks.
Highlights include “Howlin’ These Blues,” “Have
Yourself A Ball,” which owes more than a passing nod
to Jimmy Reed, “They Don’t Know What I Do,”
Mississippi Delta blues via Scandinavia, and “Thank
You Mr. Lockwood Jr.,” a shuffle in tribute to
Robert Jr. Lockwood.
As
stated above, this music is raw and hypnotic and
probably different from most blues you’ve heard
before. Combining all of this into one cohesive unit
could have been a disaster in the wrong hands, but
fortunately, the duo is able to pull it off
effectively, making Whole Lotta Things To Do
a successful endeavor.
---
Graham Clarke
For
those of you who’ve never been to Memphis for the
International Blues Challenge, I would strongly
suggest that you make the trip to the Bluff City one
time. As a veteran volunteer for this event, it
consistently gives me the opportunity to see some of
the best amateur bands in the country. These are the
bands that day in and day out are keeping this music
we all love so much alive.
Some of
the buzz surrounding this past IBC centered on the
amazing voice of Jennifer Marriott, and I was
glad to see that she and her band, Odd Sheep Out,
were assigned to my home in Memphis, the Rum Boogie.
I came away from Memphis with a copy of her latest
record, Baa Baa Blue Sheep, and it’s high
time I got around to reviewing it.
The
first cut, "Chicago Blues,” finds our lead singer
out in the cold. Her lover left her behind in
Chicago all alone and she’s finding out the real
meaning of blues in Chicago. “Loving you was a
gamble…don’t know if I win or lose…if you want…make
it happen…play me some of those Chicago Blues!” It
turns out she’s not too heartbroken, “no need to
worry…it’ll be all right…cause you left me in
Chicago on a Saturday night!” I have no doubt that
Jennifer will end up just fine. This theme of
mistreatment continues on the next cut, “I Don’t
Understand.” Jennifer’s a hard working woman and
somehow her man is still finding time to step out on
her. “I work hard at night…come home in the morning
time…found some strange clothes in my closet…they
weren’t mine.” “I’m a good lovin woman…just want to
please my man…why he’s acting so funny…I just don’t
understand.” I don’t understand it either but he
obviously needs to go. Good luck!
Peter
Marriott’s blazing guitar intro leads into his vocal
on the next tune, “Pleasure.” “Come sit down beside
me…why don’t you tell me your name?...cause I’ve
been watching you for so long…and its driving me
insane.” Peter obviously has a major interest in
this object of his affection. And, of course,
Jennifer has an answer for him. “Hello sweet
daddy…Pleasure is my name…every time you flash those
sweet eyes at me…you really…really fan my flame.”
This is definitely one hot connection where the
sparks are going to fly. Probably my favorite song
on this record is “Outrunnin’ the Rain.” Jennifer’s
vocal on this song is just amazing and her words
stay with you, “I’ve been good…I’ve been bad…yes I
have…nothing ever really changes….wherever I go…I’m
outrunning the rain!? Odd Sheep Out is a very tight
band and I hope I get the opportunity to see them
again soon.
“Invested in You” brings us back to the reality of
trying to make relationships work. Sometimes we all
make bad choices and the thought of trying to mold a
person into that image we hope for doesn’t always
work out. “You lost the cards…you pawned the
ring…you lost just about everything…wrote hot
checks…all over town…I’m invested in you, baby…why
do you want to treat me this way?” Mike Peace’s harp
work provides the intro to our next cut, “Sweetness
and Delight.” “Said good morning…are you feeling all
right? He had a gleam in his eye and smiled so
bright. Said 'awe baby…don’t look at me that
way'…when you do…all I can say is “Sweetness and
Delight…you’re my Sweetness and Delight!” Sounds
like this is one relationship that is going to make
it.
“Mister…can you spare a little change” is Jennifer’s
inquiry on our next tune, “Spare Change.” “Change is
in your pocket and its spinning on a dime…mister,
can you spare a little change?” Soulful guitar work
by Peter Marriott underscores her need for a just a
little help from this stranger that she’s
encountered. Temptation and bad choices influence
the lyrics in “Long, Slow Spiral Down.” “Take that
first little step…in a stroke of violence…God knows
what else…give up without a sound…Please stop…or you
start the long, slow spiral down!” The price of
being a victim is a heavy one and there are choices
everyone can make in the moment that will keep them
safe.
“Sugar
Daddy Blues” has Jennifer telling us that she’s a
woman who knows what she wants. “I ain’t looking for
my sugar daddy…that’s a rumor…that ain’t right…I
want a man who comes home…keeps me warm at night!”
All the players might as well stay home; Jennifer’s
looking for one good man and nothing less will do.
The final cut on the record, “Blues Plate Special,”
has Jennifer in the kitchen cooking up some great
soul food. “Tell you one thing that will do you some
good…pigs feet, hammocks, hot barbecue…blues plate
special…of some good soul food!”
So shout
out to “Peep and the Sheep!” This was a great record
when I first head it and I’m glad to have the
opportunity to revisit it for Blues Bytes. Bands
like this remind me that we’re lucky to have Blues
in our soul and the opportunity to feel all the
emotions a good Blues song will inspire. The IBC
will celebrate its 25th anniversary next February
and I hope some of you will visit Memphis in search
of a band like Jennifer’s that reaches out and
touches your soul. To learn more about Jennifer and
Odd Sheep Out, visit her website at
www.jennifermarriott.com
---
Kyle Deibler
For
years I’d go to San Diego and ask my friends there
who were the blues players in town that I needed to
hear. Two names came up all the time; Len Rainey,
who I’ve yet to hear, and Tomcat Courtney. I
finally caught up with Tomcat at the 3rd floor bar
of the Redfish in the Gaslamp district, bought a
couple of his self-produced CDs from him at the
show, and I’ve been a fan of his ever since. So I
was glad to see that Tomcat finally got the chance
to put out a national recording, and thanks to the
good folks at Blue Witch Records, we’ve been blessed
with Tomcat’s new record, Downsville Blues.
Tomcat
starts out with “Cook My Breakfast,” and he wants it
delivered in bed. Soulful notes emanate from Bob
Corritore’s harmonica as Tomcat proceeds to lay down
the facts, “Cook my breakfast…bring it on girl to my
bed…when I eat this morning…you know your sweet
daddy been fed.” The morning has to start with
breakfast and Tomcat definitely knows how he likes
it served. We move on to hear Tomcat tell us about
his girl’s ride, “Four Wheel Drive.” “I can’t catch
up with my baby….since that girl got that four wheel
drive…I tried to flag her…but she just won’t let me
ride!” Sounds like this relationship isn’t as tight
as Tomcat thinks it is and his girl definitely has a
mind of her own.
Intricate fretwork by Chris James leads us into the
next tune, “Wolf That Howls.” “I’m the old
wolf…everyone’s wondering…where I prowl…they don’t
see me all day long…but every night they hear me
when I howl!” True to his nickname, Tomcat still
gets out and howls at night…still going strong at 79
years young. We should all be so lucky. “Shake It Up
Baby” finds Tomcat still in the mood. “I say shake
it to the left…shake it to the right…shake it up
mama 'til you get it right…we’re going to shake it
up, Mama…cause we’re going to have a ball tonight!”
I’m not convinced Mama can hang with the Tomcat but
I’m she he wants her to try.
The
tempo picks up as we hear Tomcat inquire as to where
his woman might be in “I Wonder.” “Lord, I
wonder…will I see her any more?” Soulful harp notes
in the background underscore Tomcat’s desperation to
have this woman come home. “When she left me…she
must have left with someone else…and if she don’t
come back to me soon…believe I’ll leave this house
myself.” Up next is the title cut, “Downsville
Blues.” “I was raised…in a shack…down by a railroad
track…that old train came along…I boarded on…never
looked back.” The house of Tomcat’s youth has since
been torn down and he discovered that when he
finally decided to make a trip back home to Lubbock,
Texas. “I knocks on the door…old neighbor I used to
know…he didn’t seem to recognize me no more…its been
so long…since I’ve been back home.”
Our next
tune, “I’m So Glad,” finds Tomcat in hot pursuit of
the woman he loves. “I’m so glad, darling…girl, I
had to run you down…I’m so glad, darling…I chase you
all over town.” For the time they’re together all is
good and Tomcat’s in love. “I’m so glad…glad you
love me too.” All the chasing that Tomcat did was
definitely worth the reward. “Disaster Blues” finds
Tomcat bemoaning the fate of a stranger he’s just
met. “I met a homeless man this morning….he was
looking very sad…I lost everything in the
world…everything in the world that I had.” A refugee
from Louisiana, Tomcat’s friend’s fate was sealed
during the onslaught of a hurricane. “You know the
wind was blowing…the rain was coming down…you know
the levee broke…and it flooded the low end of the
town!” “Meet Me in the Bottom” finds Tomcat in a
hurry to start looking for his woman who’s got a
mind of her own. “I got a little bitty woman…you
know the girl like to travel all the time….you know
there ain’t no telling…what’s on my little girl’s
mind…I’ve got to find my baby…I’ve got no time to
lose!”
Slide
guitar licks serve notice on our next cut, “Crying
Won’t Help You,” that sometimes there’s just nothing
that can be done to fix a broken situation. “Cryin
won’t help you now, baby…cause you’ve been so mean
to me…the way you’ve been treating me…you just reap
what you sow!” This theme of mistreatment continues
in “Bottle It Up and Go.” Sometimes it’s just better
if things end and you move it on. “You and I sneak
to the river…I grabbed an alligator and rode him
like a hoss…bottle up and go. Man these high powered
women, they got to bottle up and go!” Tomcat closes Downsville Blues with “Railroad Avenue.” Here
again, a woman is causing ole Tomcat some pain.
“They had a party the other night…they were drinking
wine and smoking crack…when she get with her so
called friends…you know it’s a shame….the way she
acts.” This woman is just not going to meet up the
standards of what Tomcat needs in his woman and its
time to let her go.
Downsville Blues definitely captures the essence
of the Tomcat Courtney I know. He’s still this old
Texas gentleman, holding court in a room full of
friends and taking great delight in sharing his 79
years of wisdom as only he can. Those in the know
have been aware of Tomcat Courtney for a while now,
the rest of us are lucky to get this rare glimpse
into the soul of one of San Diego’s greatest blues
treasures. An excellent supporting cast of Chris
James, Bob Corritore, Patrick Rynn, Brian Fahey and
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith gives Tomcat the opportunity
to do what he does best, which is to regale us with
songs that share Tomcat’s world through his eyes.
This wonderful record can be found at
www.bluewitchrecords.com. You’ll be glad you’ve
added it to your blues collection.
---
Kyle Deibler
