The Blues Broads concept started a few years back
when singer Tracy Nelson would join Angela Strehli
and her band for gigs, using a home base of Rancho
Nicasio in Marin County, CA. Club owner Bob Brown
encouraged them to add additional vocalists,
allowing each singer a moment in the spotlight then
bringing them all together in different
combinations. Singers like Maria Muldaur, Carlene
Carter, and Linda Tillery often joined the group,
but the group really seemed to gel when singers
Dorothy Morrison (lead singer on the Edwin Hawkins
Singers hit, “Oh, Happy Day”) and Annie Sampson
(from the Bay Area band Stoneground).
The Blues Broads’ self-titled debut CD/DVD set
(Delta Groove Music) is taken from a live
performance at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill
Valley, CA in November of 2011. Backed by a strong
supporting band (Gary Vogensen – guitar, Steve
Ehrmann – bass, Paul Revelli – drums, Mike Emerson –
keyboards, and Honorary Broad Deanna Bogart –
keyboards, vocals, and tenor sax), the Broads turn
in a pleasing set that mixes familiar tunes
associated with each lady and some brand new songs
written for the occasion.
The set opens with afine version of Nelson’s “Livin’
The Blues,” with Nelson and Strehli alternating lead
vocals. Sampson and Morrison split the vocals on the
soulful “Bring Me Your Love.” Morrison shines on a
funky cover of “River Deep/Mountain High,” and
Nelson knocks Oliver Sain’s “Walk Away” out of the
park.
Though a mainstay of the Austin, TX music
scene, Strehli is criminally underrecorded, and her
strong vocals are on full display as she deftly
handles her own “Two Bit Texas Town,” and is joined
by Nelson and Morrison on another one of her classic
compositions, “Blue Highway,” just before Bogart
joins Sampson, Nelson, and Morrison for a stirring
“It Won’t Be Long.”
The set closes with Morrison leading the quartet
in the Spinners’ classic gospel-flavored “Mighty
Love,” before moving completely to the church with
the final two tracks, an a capella reading of “Jesus,
I’ll Never Forget” (with Bogart lending her voice),
then closing with Morrison reprising her classic
vocal on the hit, “Oh, Happy Day.”
The DVD includes the same ten songs, in somewhat
different sequence, adding Sampson’s stirring solo
reading of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now Baby
Blue.”
The Blues Broads’ debut release is an excellent
set by four remarkable talents, bring nearly two
centuries of musical experience in a broad range of
genres. Hopefully, these ladies can bring all this
enthusiasm and energy to the studio for a future
release.
--- Graham Clarke
Southern soul master Mighty Sam McClain enjoyed
some local success during the ’60s, recording in
Muscle Shoals for Atlantic, Malaco and other labels.
He faded from the music scene for about 15
years, working regular jobs in Nashville and New
Orleans, before several Crescent City musicians
helped him restart his career with a single for the
Orleans label and an appearance on Hubert Sumlin’s
comeback album for Black Top in 1987, which led to
his participation in a subsequent Sumlin tour.
Although he was 50 years old before he recorded
his first album, he has been very prolific since
then, releasing 13 albums since that time.
Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey) (Mighty
Music) is McClain’s14th release, and it’s a dream
release for fans of southern soul. With his powerful
vocals (one might even say they are “mighty”),
McClain brings to mind legendary artists like Bobby
“Blue” Bland, Solomon Burke, and most definitely
Little Milton. He also developed into a fine
songwriter over the years, co-writing 11 of the 12 tracks with guitarist Pat Herlehy, plus one
with Allen Toussaint.
McClain’s new release still features that strong
seven-piece band, but also adds elements of funk, at
least more so than on previous albums. The songs are
still excellent examples of old-school soul, with a
good share of gospel sprinkled in for good measure.
They run the gamut from mid-tempo “I Wish You Well”
and the aching soul of “Missing You,” to the
optimistic “Can You Feel It?,” one of those tracks
that incorporates funk into the mix (“Stand Up!,”
“Hey Baby,” “Dance,” and “Rock My Soul” are some of
the others).
“Feel So Good-Feel So Right” is textbook soul,
down to the punchy horns and sweet backing vocals
from Concetta, while “Tears” is equally effective,
but has more of an early ’70s feel, probably due to
the clavinet and Fender Rhodes accompaniment, and
“Real Thing” (co-written by McClain and Allen
Toussaint) is similar. The title track is a bit
misleading until you hear it. When McClain quit
drinking years ago and began sharing his faith, he
noticed that after a while his friends stopped
coming around. He found that they were turned off by
his testifying about his faith instead of pouring
their drinks.
Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey) is another
winner for Mighty Sam McClain. He’s not only
maintained his consistency over the past couple of
decades, but he’s managed to improve and expand his
range in the process. If you don’t have any of his
other recordings, pick them up after you’ve listened
to this one.
--- Graham Clarke
Inspired by the likes of Albert King, Eric
Clapton, the Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan,
the Black Crowes, and Martin Sexton,
singer/songwriter/guitarist John Fries has been
heavily involved in the Northeastern U.S. since the
mid ’90s, playing in various blues, R&B, funk, and
rock bands over that span, and releasing three
critically acclaimed albums of his own over the past
five years. With his latest release, U.S. 50, Fries
has unleashed a sterling set of rocking blues that
transcends genres and will appeal to a large base of
listeners.
The seven-track EP consists of tracks written by
Fries and performed by Fries and his band (Pat Perry
– bass, Ron Lewis – drums and percussion), plus
support on assorted tracks from Nancy Parent (pedal
steel guitar and backing vocals), Kerry Pulaski
(keyboards), Curt Ramm (trumpet), and Bill Holloman
(tenor and baritone sax).
The opening cut, “Another Love,” starts innocently
enough with a gentle and hypnotic country guitar
riff, but soon transforms to a roaring electric
slide track. “Defeat” reminds me of an Allman
Brothers track, with the harmony guitar work and
“Revival”-like peppy rhythms which belies its somber
theme. “My Dearest” is a story of betrayal that
moves back and forth between gentle to crunching
guitar riffs.
“We Can Lie” is a strong R&B tune that adds horns to
Fries’ expressive and soulful vocals. “Technicolor
You” features a unique lyric about how the vision of
his former lover remains frozen as it was during the
good times while his world remains entrenched in
reality. It’s one of the highlights of an album
loaded with them. “Soaring” is appropriately titled,
with Fries’ guitar work fitting the title extremely
well, along with the backing vocals. The title track
closes the disc. It’s a country-flavored melancholy
ballad about the longtime cross-country route,
called “The Loneliest Road in America.”
Though only seven songs long, U.S. 50 offers up a
strong set of blues and roots music covering affairs
of the heart. Fries is a talented wordsmith and
guitarist and his weather-worn vocals are excellent.
This highly recommended set will not only please
blues fans, but will touch fans of other genres as
well.
--- Graham Clarke
Austin guitarist David Ducharme-Jones’ latest
release, A LOUD Guitar (Blissed Out Productions)
continues his musical journey along the road of
American music. Ducharme-Jones’ musical influences
encompass blues, rock, soul, country, and even jazz.
The tracks range from straight rock and roll (“Long
Way to Fall”) to “Left Undone,” a country rock
track, like the following track, “Earth Rolls Over,”
to the countrypolitan twang of “Welcome to
Nashville.”
Ducharme-Jones wrote or co-wrote the bulk of the
nine tracks, several were collaborations with Andy
Van Dyke, his former bandmate in the Rainravens,
including “My Soul and You,” an R&B-flavored track,
and “Ruby,” a country-rocker that would be on
regular radio rotation in a perfect world. “I Ain’t
Never Going Home,” a solo Van Dyke track, has a funk
backdrop with some engaging guitar work.
There are also two covers, David Zollo’s dreamy
ballad, “I Am A Diamond (Anyway),” and a lengthy
take of Traffic’s “The Low Spark of High Heeled
Boys,” which allows the band the stretch out into
jazz-fusion territory.
Ducharme-Jones produced, arranged, and played
most of the instruments on the disc (with help on
assorted tracks from Ian Bailey – drums, Julieann
Banks – vocals, Richard Bowden – fiddle, Anne
Ducharme-Jones (vocals), former Rainraven mate David
Evertson – bass, and Michael Kopp – drums). A Loud
Guitar is an original and diverse set of blues-based
roots music that will please guitar fans who like a
lot of variety in their collections.
--- Graham Clarke
British blues rocker Joanne Shaw Taylor has been
wowing audiences for over a decade, since Eurythmics
founder Dave Stewart discovered her in 2002 and
added her to his supergroup D.U.P. Possessing
amazing guitar chops and a ragged but right vocal
style well beyond her years, Taylor has released two
impressive albums for Ruf Records and has toured
ceaselessly in both the U.S. and Europe, also
accompanying Stewart’s Eurythmics mate Annie Lennox
for her performance at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
at Buckingham Palace in June.
Taylor’s latest Ruf release, Almost Always Never,
is a bit of a departure for the talented performer.
Her previous two efforts were produced by Jim Gaines
and recorded in Tennessee. For this latest effort,
Taylor turned to Mike McCarthy, who has previously
worked with Patty Griffin, Spoon, and the group And
You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. The cast of
musicians is a bit different as well….David Garza
(Fiona Apple, Blues Traveler, Juliana Hatfield) on
keyboards and mandolin, Billy White (Heartless
Bastards, Craig Finn, Dokken) on bass and acoustic
slide, and J. J. Johnson (John Mayer Trio, Tedeschi/Trucks
Band, Doyle Bramhall II) on drums.
There’s also less emphasis on guitar
pyrotechnics. The first cut, “Soul Station,” is
really the only track with a no-holds-barred molten
steel guitar solo. The rest of the disc features
more diverse guitar work, especially on the rhythm
side. Fans of her previous work shouldn’t fret,
however…..there’s still plenty of dynamic fretwork
throughout the disc, as on “Tied and Bound,” which
features some rock-edged riffs, and the slow-burning
rocker, “Standing to Fall.”
“You Should Stay, I Should Go” is a neat shuffle
with a catchy groove, “Army of One” is a lovely
acoustic track with Taylor exchanging leads with
White’s sparkling acoustic slide, “Jealousy,” from
British singer Frankie Miller, is a great cover, and
“A Hand in Love” has an almost pop feel.
Vocally, Taylor gets better with each release…her
powerful vocals are as formidable as her guitar
prowess, and her songwriting continues to improve as
well. With Almost Always Never, Joanne Shaw Taylor
seems to be making an effort to expand her talents,
maybe even moving beyond blues into a new direction.
The result is an album that will appeal to her
growing fan base and bring in a few new listeners in
the process.
--- Graham Clarke
Live Long Day (FreeNote Records) is the third
release by the New York-based band Willie McBlind.
This CD pays tribute to the train by sending the
listener on a blues-fueled journey that is at times
exhilarating, at times somber, at times powerful, at
times haunting, and at all times interesting. The
band’s roots are firmly planted in the Mississippi
Delta, but they combine that with a harmonic blues
sound using microtonally fretted and fretless
guitars, capping it off with a powerful and
effective vocal style, courtesy of guitarist/singer
Jon Catler (one of the world’s best Harmonic
guitarists) and vocalist/autoharp Meredith “Babe”
Borden.
From the opening notes of Track One, “Sittin’ In
The Train Station,” you know this one is going to be
something special. Catler’s guitar work is
breathtaking and the vocal harmonies are almost
otherworldly. Catler’s guitar work is worth the
price of admission as he swoops and soars through
these songs (his slide work sounds amazing). The
rhythm section of Mat Fieldes (bass) and Lorne
Watson (drums) also do a fantastic job.
The disc includes ten tracks. The title cut and
“Anywhere” have an almost ethereal quality (thanks
to multilayered vocals by Borden). “Slow Moving
Train” is more uptempo and rocks pretty hard. “One
Thing” is a midtempo rocker with some interesting
slide work mixed in, and “Down The Road” may be the
most impressive song, sort of a cosmic rockabilly
tune with some outstanding fretwork. “Boogie Train”
is a close second, really serving as a guitar
showcase for Catler.
The disc’s lone cover is of Robert Johnson’s
“Love In Vain,” and, of course, Willie McBlind
completely transforms it. Catler’s guitar
electrifies the old tune and Borden gives the vocals
a sultry edge.
I guarantee that Live Long Day is unlike anything
you’ve heard on the blues circuit this year,
featuring some of the most original and unique
guitar work heard in a long time. Willie McBlind
puts a totally new spin on the traditional sounds of
the blues.
--- Graham Clarke
Back in 2007, noted session guitarist/producer
Tim Tucker formed The Bluesmasters. In 2010, the
band released their first CD, which featured the
standout vocals of former Elvin Bishop/Starship
frontman Mickey Thomas. The CD was a success and
eventually helped Thomas to a resurgence of sorts,
resulting in a subsequent solo release last year.
The Bluesmasters’ sophomore effort, appropriately
titled Volume Two (Direct Music Distribution),
features Thomas on a couple of tracks (a scorching
“Red Rooster,” with the late Hubert Sumlin on
guitar, and “Get Me A Car,” which features the late
Pinetop Perkins on piano), but the primary vocalist
for this follow-up is Cassie Taylor. Taylor, the
daughter of bluesman Otis Taylor and one of the
members of last summer’s Girls With Guitars CD from Ruf, is the featured vocalist on eight of the 12
tracks.
Taylor is a gifted vocalist and really shines on
tracks like the Chess standard “I Just Wanna Make
Love To You,” which she just about makes her own,
starting out with a sweaty, sultry vocal and quickly
building to an impassioned roar. She also transforms
other familiar standards, like Elmore James’ “Talk
To Me Baby,” and the gospel-flavored interpretation
of Don Nix’s “Same Old Blues.” She also shines on
“I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water,” a duet with Thomas,
and Jimmy Reed’s “Honest I Do,” accompanied by
Perkins.
Hazel Miller, a Colorado resident who occasionallly sings with Big Head Todd & the
Monsters, lends her soulful pipes to a pair of
classics, the traditional “Tangoray,” and another
Reed tune, “Big Boss Man.” Both of these tracks, and
many others, feature outstanding harmonica from Doug
Lynn, who nimbly weaves in, out, around, and all
over the place on every song. Singer/guitarist Eric
Gales also appears, dueting with Taylor and playing
guitar on the Studebaker John tune, “Fine Cadillac.”
Dedicated to the memory of Sumlin and Perkins,
The Bluesmasters Volume Two is an impressive and
entertaining listen from start to finish. Tucker’s
guitar work and production is top notch and the
veteran backing band that make up The Bluesmasters
(Lynn, drummers Ainsley Dunbar and Larry Thompson,
guitarist Rusty Anderson, B3 master Ric Ulsky, and
Taylor, who doubles on bass) is superlative. This is
a great set of traditional blues given a modern
makeover.
--- Graham Clarke
It’s worth noting that the above-mentioned Cassie
Taylor recorded a solo CD of her own, Blue
(Hypertension Music), in the spring of 2011. Taylor
puts all her talents on display with this effort,
singing, playing bass and piano. She’s joined by
guitarist James “Rooster” Olson (guitar), Monkeyjunk’s Steve Marriner (harmonica), Jeremy
Colson (drums), Tim Tucker (guitar/producer), Rusty
Anderson, Eric Gales, William “Fat Willie” Whttaker
(Hammond B3), and backing vocalist Hazel Miller,
Denise Gentilini, Lindsay Solonycse, and Alyssa
Clotfelter.
Taylor wrote all ten of the songs here and her
sweet, sensuous vocals owe as much to pop as they do
to blues. The songs range from the upbeat and catchy
opener, “Memphis,” to the country-flavored “Keys,”
to the soul/pop of “Black Coffee,” to the bluesy
feel of “Make Me Cry” and “Disappointment.” “Bought
Borrowed Stolen” and “Waste of Time” are both moody
and mellow pieces, and “Haunted” is another
highlight, with its ominous, shimmering guitar.
Overall, this is a very good CD, which showcases
the blues in more of a pop setting. Taylor’s sweet
and sassy vocals indicate that she would have a good
shot at crossover success if she chose that route,
but she seems to be comfortable playing the blues,
which is a reward for blues fans all over.
--- Graham Clarke
Austrian singer Meena was singing soon after she
started talking and wrote her first song at the age
of seven. Her brother, who passed away when Meena
was 11, gave her first mix tape, a collection of
’70s music that included “Voodoo Chile,” from Jimi
Hendrix. By the time she was15, she was
fronting a psychedelic rock band. After a few
undecided years of wavering between genres while
living in Vienna, Thomas Ruf took the promising
young singer under his wing, flying her to Memphis,
the Mecca of the blues, to record her CD with the
legendary Jim Gaines as producer.
That first release, Try Me (Ruf Records), shows
Meena to be a voice to be reckoned with. She’s
equally comfortable with soul sounds (the title
track, a fine cover of the James Brown classic, or
“Just As I Am,” the Luther Allison tune) as she is
with the blues (“Put Your Hands Out of My Pocket,”
“Send Me A Doctor,” with Eric Sardinas on guitar )
or pop (“Sorry” ) or blues/rock (“Nothing Left” and
“I’m Leaving You,” both with guitarist Joanne Shaw
Taylor).
Sardinas and Taylor are just a couple of the
guest guitarists on Try Me. Coco Montoya sits in on
“Just As I Am,” with Meena and Shakura S’aida
sharing vocals. Sardinas and Erja Lyytinen team up
on “I Shoot You Down,” and Donna Grantis joins Meena
on a wonderful cover of “I’d Rather Go Blind.”
Taylor backs Meena on four songs, including the
title track and “Let Your Sweet Love Shine On Me.”
Also lending their formidable skills to the
proceedings are Dave Smith (bass), Rick Steff
(keys), Steve Potts (drums) and Chris Fillmore
(guitar), who also co-wrote several of the tunes
with Meena. The backing singers are Vickie Atkins,
Sandy Carroll (who co-wrote “Just As I Am,” with
Allison), and Amyee Bragg.
Try Me is a wonderful showcase for an up-and-coming
vocalist who acts like she’s been singing the blues
for years. It will be interesting to see what’s next
for Meena.
--- Graham Clarke
Leo Hull might have been born in Oklahoma, but
that will be forgotten with one listen to the Texas
swagger of his new CD, Bootleggin’ The Blues. Hull
has been a part of the Texas music scene since the
early ’60s, and he’s built a solid reputation for
his tough, hard-rocking blues and his songwriting,
which reveals his interesting perspective on life.
Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have a superlative backing
band like the Texas Blues Machine (Buddy Whittington
– guitar, Ron DiIulio – keyboards, Jerry Hancock –
bass, Larry Randall – tenor sax, and Chuck “Popcorn”
Lowden and Warren Dewey – drums) in support.
One thing you will notice when listening is that
one of Hull’s favorite artists and influences is
Jimmy Reed. He gives Reed several shout-outs,
including the autobiographical title track, which is
reminiscent of some of Reed’s recordings. The
cautionary tale, “The Hustler,” is next with a
couple of stories about hard luck living. “Road
Hard” is a hardcore boogie tune, as is “Blowtorch
Boogie,” a tribute to the merits of a certain “red
hot mama.”
“Whiskey and Women” has a fiery slide guitar
break and a relentless groove, and “The Road” is a
roadhouse rocker. “Pistol #69” is a slow
country-flavored blues with that infectious slow,
steady Jimmy Reed groove. “Running Away Again” is a
rocker with some hilarious lyrics, and the closer,
“Between You and Me,” is a tribute to some of Hull’s
musical influences who have passed on.
Hull’s guitar work is excellent, and his warm,
weathered vocals are ideal. The tough, road-tested
band is also first-rate. Bootleggin’ The Blues is a
great little CD that hopefully will garner Leo Hull
some much-deserved attention.
--- Graham Clarke
Tall Paul Webner was born in Canada, but grew up
in Washington D.C., where he started playing guitar
at the age of ten. He later migrated to Arizona,
where he formed a blues trio, the Tall Paul Band,
and got his big break with a gig backing Sam “The
Man” Taylor in 1998. Since that time, the band has
worked to hone their sound, powerful blues/rock that
is equally at home with the more traditional blues
fare as well.
For the band’s debut release, Sleeper, the band
offers up nine original tracks and two covers. The
original tunes range from the funky, churning title
track that opens the disc, to “Ridin’,” a tough
shuffle based on the motorcycle Webner is pictured
riding on the back cover of the disc, to the
hypnotically cosmic instrumental, “Space Race.”
“That’s For Sure” is a smooth slow blues with a
touch of T-Bone in the guitar work, “Going Back
Home” is a straight blues track with some tasty
harmonica served up by Webner, and “Don’t Leave” is
a jazzy instrumental that closes the disc. The two
choice covers are Ike Turner’s “Matchbox,”
transformed into a rockabilly rave-up highlighted by
two scorching solos from Webner, and a moody take on
the Earl Randle classic, “Come To Papa.”
The rest of the trio (Kevin Heiderman – bass and
Les Merrihew – drums) provide rock-steady bottom,
giving Webner ample room to stretch out with some
impressive guitar. Sleeper will please fans of
blues/rock with its diverse set of tunes and dynamic
guitar work. Check out the band at their
website for
more information.
--- Graham Clarke
For their latest CD, Midnight Sun (Lost World
Music), Mike Mettalia & Midnight Shift continue
their mastery of American roots music with a great
set of 14 tracks (nine originals and five
covers) that sometimes venture into rockabilly and
country, but most often stay firmly rooted in the
blues, working expertly with several different
variations, from Chicago to Texas to New Orleans to
swamp and jump blues).
Mettalia’s harmonica work is front and center on
blues-fueled tracks like “Work Don’t Work,” “The
796,” “Love Reaction,” “Built For Speed” (which also
features harp from Mikey Junior), and “Cheat You
Fair.” Guitarist Mike McMillan’s background is in
rockabilly and he really gets to strut his stuff on
the Chuck Berryesque “Calabash,” “Magic Touch,”
“Mama’s Little Baby,” the churning “Sun Record
Sleeve,” and the rumbling “Heartsick.”
“The Blues Comes Around” is a countrified tune
(written by Hank Williams) with some nice guitar
work and a sweet vocal duet from Mettalia and April
Mae. Other guest stars include octagenarian sax
blower Jimmy Cavallo (who also penned the humorous
“Leave Married Women Alone”), pedal steel guitarist
Jim Callan, and keyboard aces Dan McKinney and
Chicago Carl Snyder. Steve Guyger joins the group on
the live bonus track, Jimmy Rogers’ “What Have I
Done,” playing harmonica with Mettalia and taking
lead vocals.
Six of the tracks were recorded at Sun Records
Studio in Memphis, plus songs like “Sun Record
Sleeve,” and the easygoing title track also pay
tribute to the label. Like the legendary record
label, Midnight Shift shows that they are equally
adept at playing vintage rock and roll, rockabilly,
and country as they are playing the blues. I really
like their ongoing efforts to expand their sound
into different genres and I can’t wait to hear what
they do next.
--- Graham Clarke
Vance
Kelly is the prototypical Chicago journeyman
blues player. He seldom tours outside the Windy City
but is a regular at blues clubs and festivals
throughout Chicago. As a guitarist, the former A.C.
Reed band member stays fairly true to his Chicago
roots but also doesn't hesitate to veer into a more
funky sound when the mood strikes.
Tell Me Why (Wolf Records) compiles 11 of
Kelly's previous recordings, covering the
period from 1987 to 2008, plus four new songs
recorded in 2011. It's a mixture of straight Chicago
blues (such as a very nice slow blues numbers
"Highway Here I Come" and "Tell Me Why") to covers
of blues/soul classics like "Members Only" and "You
Steppin' Out."
Also included is the uptempo danceable Chicago
blues, "Wall to Wall," which garnered some radio
airplay for Kelly when it was released by Wolf in
1994 on the Call Me album. One of the better
covers is Kelly's version of "Drivein Wheel" --- he
stars on both guitar and vocals here.
I would have preferred that the album had been
shortened to a dozen cuts --- I could have done
without the version of "Purple Rain," and does
anyone really need more covers of "Mustang Sally"
and "Hey Joe"?
But overall, Tell Me Why is an enjoyable
collection of solid Chicago blues.
--- Bill Mitchell
