![Best of the Blues](images/bestofb1.jpg)
The TV film series may be over, but a collection of companion items
for The Blues series have
now flooded the market. In all, 25 CDs with nearly 500 songs have been
released. One of the most popular will be Martin Scorsese Presents The
Best Of The Blues (UTV Records), which contains
recordings made between 1927 and 2003. For 76 minutes, listeners
experience a random sampling of the music and artists featured in the
seven
movies. It isn’t necessarily the best that the blues has to offer. This CD
is a musical journey that closely parallels the film’s voyages and themes.
As per the liner notes, ‘blues never came in a single shade, sound or
gender.’ Thus, you explore the great Delta bluesmen, Chicago’s heyday, the
British invasion, rock and roll and recreated blues classics via
contemporary pop’s biggest stars. At times, the journey advances too fast
(jumping from 1936 to 1954), gets stuck in a certain era (the '60s) and
does not give due justice to certain decades ('70s and '80s). Many of the
artists that appear on this collection are part of the blues pantheon.
Don’t forget to honor the backing musicians, including Jody
Williams, Willie Dixon, Otis Spann, Jimmy Ray Johnson and Andrew Love,
among countless others. Folklore surrounds Robert Johnson’s "Cross Roads
Blues," while Son House’s brilliance is rediscovered on "Death Letter
Blues." Scenes from the movies will instantly come to mind upon hearing
Skip James and Bessie Smith. Etta James displays Muscle Shoals in its
heyday with an emphasis on vocals and the groove. B.B. King delivers the
quintessential recording on "The Thrill Is Gone." Surely those who heard
Eric Clapton’s "All Your Love" realized they were experiencing something
new which was bound for glory. Listen again and hear the blues change
music as we knew it. Jimi Hendrix expands the blues’ audience on "Red
House." Chuck D states, ‘Hendrix put the blues on steroids.’ If so, modern
master Keb’ Mo’ puts Delta blues on a well-balanced diet on "Am I Wrong."
One of the series’ most prominent artists, Blind Willie Johnson, and the
genre’s greatest contributing city, Memphis, are completely omitted. The
blues’ influence on rock music is not ignored but too many rockers appear
on this disc.
The CD exhibits the qualities that makes the blues so relevant in any era.
They include: expressing inner feelings, being unpretentious, outbursts of
emotion, painful truth and hope for a better tomorrow. If you can’t relate
to the blues, then you are just an illusion. Most of the material has
previously been released. Thus, the disc doesn’t offer much to those
already devoted to the riches of blues. It is, however, a notable overview
of blues history and a powerful marketing tool for The Blues companion
items. Blues newcomers who want a safe-keep of the series or simply want
some blues in their collection will be thrilled. To this audience Scorsese
states, ‘your life is about to change for the better.’ The blues
pure-at-heart will do better seeking the CD box set, movie soundtracks or
artist collections.
For CDs and information, contact:
www.pbs.org/theblues,
www.thebluesonline.com,
www.legacyrecordings.com,
www.hip-o.com/blues,
or www.yearoftheblues.org.
Editor's note: Another review of this CD follows.
--- Tim Holek
As I am writing these reviews, the much-vaunted Martin Scorsese-produced
series about the blues is about to start tonight: I wouldn’t miss it for
anything. I don’t know if it will change the perceptions of the
public-at-large, nor if I’ll learn that much I didn’t already know, but I
expect to be entertained. What about the accompanying plethora of CDs:
should we expect them to be anything more than merely entertaining? In the
case of Martin Scorsese Presents the Best of The Blues, the answer is
clearly 'No.' How could it be any other way? A single CD, 21 tracks in all,
to summarize the history of the blues? No surprises there: all songs are
very widely known, and only absolute neophytes will find anything
revelatory there. The first 17 tracks span a 70-year period, from 1927
(Bessie Smith’s “Muddy Water”) to 1997 (Susan Tedeschi’s “Just Won’t
Burn”), with a strong emphasis on the '60s, with tracks associated with
the British blues boom, the folk-blues revival and the birth of American
electric blues-rock. The last four cuts were recorded specifically for the
series and give an indication that this compilation, instead of being the
compiler's selection of “the best of the blues,” might in fact represent
“the best of The Blues series.” The only other series-related CD I had a
chance to listen to is an entirely different affair. The Soul of a Man is
the second film in the series, Wim Wenders' account of how the lives and
work of Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and J.B. Lenoir affected him as a
young man. For his film, Wenders had modern performers, many of them from
outside the blues circles, record modernized versions of songs by his
three heroes; Martin Scorsese Presents The Soul of a Man is a 20-track
compilation of the music used in this film. Aside from one original song
per blues hero each, plus John Mayall’s “The Death of J.B. Lenoir,” all
the other tracks are brand new. They cover a wide array of styles, from
sultry jazz-blues (Cassandra Wilson) to punk-garage (The Jon Spencer Blues
Explosion), from post-modern acoustic blues (Lucinda Williams, Alvin
Youngblood Hart) to avant-garde deconstruction (Marc Ribot). It is
probably stylistically too diverse to make for convenient listening for
most listeners, but it is a revelation to even the most ardent blues
follower. Individually these modernizations work very well, and together
they paint a picture that says that the blues (the best of it anyway) is
still a major source of inspiration to important artists. Entertaining,
yes, and then some. (More info at
www.thebluesonline.com.)
Also aiming for a varied presentation of the blues, but much more rooted
in tradition, is the compilation Classic Blues Vol. 2 from Smithsonian
Folkways Recordings, which just came out, four months after the release of
the similarly titled Classic Blues from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
(In the rest of this paragraph, I’ll refer to these collections as “Volume
1” and “Volume 2.”) Together, these two records present 48 tunes culled
from the massive and essential archives at the Smithsonian Institution;
they are mostly culled from the recordings made for Moses Asch labels,
mostly Folkways, from 1941 to 1994 – but most of these tracks were
recorded in the 50’s and early 60’s. Moses Asch was a New York folk
activist who recorded numerous folk and (generally acoustic) blues
artists, usually without regard to the commercial potential (or lack
thereof) of said artists. In addition to studio recordings, his labels
issued many albums of field recordings. One such endeavor was the 1959
self-titled album by Lightnin’ Hopkins that re-launched his career after a
few years away from the studios. Two tracks from that celebrated LP (one
on each volume) are here, as well as songs by major names Big Bill Broonzy,
Leadbelly and Josh White, Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon, Roosevelt Sykes
and Little Brother Montgomery, Honeyboy Edwards and Son House, Sonny Terry
and Brownie McGhee, etc. But there are also songs from obscure bluesmen
such as William Carradine, a.k.a. Cat-Iron (on both albums), Warner
Williams, Thomas McFarland, a.k.a. Barrelhouse Buck, Shortstuff Macon (on
Volume 2) and K.C. Douglas (on Volume 1). The styles will range from
vaudeville blues (Vera Hall is heard on Volume 1, Edith North Johnson on
both albums) to electric blues (The Chambers Brothers have a track on each
album). Barry Lee Pearson’s notes are informative and read well (though
they will seem repetitive to those who have both albums); one has to
regret the absence of session notes, although Pearson’s text solves this
problem in a majority of cases. As a source of little treasures and rare
performances, these albums are priceless; as a listening experience, their
folkie quality and occasional raw sound may prove a bit tiresome. Still,
anyone who is interested in the blues as a historical style rather than as
a commercial sound owes it to himself to check out these collections. For
more info, or to order any record in the Smithsonian Folkways archives, go
to www.folkways.si.edu.
OK, I give up: I can’t keep up with Duke Robillard, who just released a
new record on Stony Plain Records, Exalted Lover. The Rhode Island guitar
stylist has been heard from so often recently as a performer, producer and
guest musician that I seriously doubt his mortality. The guy probably
hasn’t slept in two years, and the people at the Guinness Book of Records
should look into it. With a horn section that includes baritone star Doug
James and tenor man Sax Gordon, plus impeccable playing from Robillard and
vocal guest turns from Pam Tillis and Debbie Davies, Exalted Lover is
another quality release from Robillard, this time showing his love for old
R&B and Swing as well as his well-known blues skills. Robillard’s voice
takes some getting used to, but he’s particularly efficient on his duet
with the technically superior Tillis; more and more, his singing reminds
me of Dr. John’s, another limited singer who never allows better singers
to steal the show when duet-ing with him. The main (sole?) weakness of
Robillard is his writing; though all his songs show his deep knowledge of
all styles in which he chooses to compose, his lyrics rarely improve on
age-old clichés. Luckily, the excellence of every musician involved and
Robillard’s own skills as a producer (and song selector) mean that this
new album is very close to the top of the heap. (More info at
www.stonyplainrecords.com.)
Give Walter Trout credit: he’s self-knowledgeable enough to realize that
his strength is his ferocious, indomitable presence on a stage. His Live
Trout album from 2000 still surpasses anything he’s done in the studio,
and his last studio effort, Go the Distance, was so over-the-top that it
left this listener shaking his head and feeling ill at ease. So Trout and
his band, The Radicals (long-time member Jimmy Trapp on bass and newcomers
Sammy Avila on B-3 and Joey Pafumi on drums), went and recorded a whole
album of 14 brand new original compositions in front of an audience, on
the stage of the Paradiso in Amsterdam. The result, Relentless (Ruf
Records), is a very strong addition to Trout’s discography. Inspired by
the live setting, the musicians give very strong performances; at the same
time, since this isn’t intended as a regular “live” record, the audience
participation is kept to a minimum (the applause at the end of songs has
been edited out), which means that the momentum is never lost between
tracks, which is often the reason why some people don’t particularly
appreciate live recordings in the first place. In a word, you get the best
of both worlds: the live energy that makes Trout thrive, and the focus and
attention to details you expect with well thought out studio releases.
Interesting from a lyrical point of view is “Cry if You Want To,” in which
a father explains to his son that it’s OK to cry, no matter what the other
boys are saying. “Jericho Road,” with Trout going at it on his acoustic
guitar, has a very catchy tune, but the most poignant song is definitely
“Collingswood,” which may or may not be autobiographical, about a
childhood spent too close to a violent, drunken father; on the other hand,
“Chatroom Girl” should have remained in the can. But with so many songs
addressing the loneliness of the road warrior that he is, you can’t help
but be moved by the conviction Trout puts in his singing and his playing.
(More info at www.rufrecords.de.)
Another Ruf recording artist and hotshot guitarist is Yugoslavia born Ana Popovic, who gets my vote as the sexiest woman in blues. That young woman
is a stunner! She’s also a good blues-rock guitarist and singer,
compensating her evident limitations in range with a come-hither sexiness
that’s hard to resist. What makes her most recent CD, Comfort to the Soul,
interesting, though, is her willingness to explore some new sounds within
the confines of standard blues-rock, as heard of the David Z-produced half
of the record. (Jim Gaines produced the other half, and these songs are
the usual guitar-fest.) On many David Z songs, you’ll hear modern drum
pattern, funked-up rhythms, which feel so much more in sync with Popovic’s
young age. Which is not to say that they feature stinging guitar solos or
that Popovic is inching towards a “pop” sound; they’re just evidence that
blues-rock doesn’t have to be the same thing to today’s youth as it was 20
years ago. But I digress. The most surprising cover is a successful version of
Steely Dan’s “Night by Night,” although the fact that Howlin’ Wolf’s
“Sittin’ on Top of the World” turns out to be such an utter failure is
almost as big a surprise; there is also a very strong (new?) composition
from Shannon Curfman, “Fool Proof.” If Popovic herself can come up with
stronger material in the future (or work with better co-writers), she
might reach superstardom, for she’s otherwise a “complete package.” But
for the time being, her best composition is by far the instrumental
“Navajo Moon,” which shows a jazzy feel not apparent elsewhere, except on
the closing “Jaco.” Still, keep an eye (or two!) on her. (More info at
www.rufrecords.de.)
The American public is still mostly unaware of Gordie Johnson’s talents,
but in Canada, where he is better known as the leader and only constant
member of blues-rock-cum-reggae band Big Sugar, he is widely regarded as
the most talented blues-based guitarist (favoring a double neck guitar) on
the country’s rock scene. Hit and Run (Universal Music Canada) is an
interesting concept for a career retrospective: the first (or “Hit”) CD is
a 16-track chronological overview of Big Sugar’s career, from
straight-ahead and very loud blues-rock band to reggae-dub enthusiasts,
including three brand new tracks, while the second (or Run) CD is a
selection of previously unreleased live performances recorded in 2000 and
2002. Luckily, no track was selected from Big Sugar’s misguided attempt at
cutting a French album, 2001’s Brothers and Sisters, Etes-vous Ready? In a
country where the blues has never been a major commercial force, Big Sugar
achieved widespread recognition and became an important and well-respected
rock band, never shying away from blues structures and/or themes; this
compilation is a good introduction to the band’s recorded output. Just
don’t forget to turn down the volume a bit. (More info at
www.umusic.ca.)
It’s probably impossible to equally love all styles, historical or
geographical, of blues music. But it’s certainly impossible not to like
some jump blues when the need arises to dance a bit, and this style of
music will never fail to put a smile on my face. Now that the ill-named
neo-swing craze has died down, only the most dedicated jump blues
revivalists continue to keep the tradition alive; one such groups is the
Scotty Morris-led Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, which offers up a fine and
oftentimes humoristic '40s-styled record of mostly originals with Save my
Soul (distributed by Vanguard Records, of all labels!). The ensemble is
tight and the players are more than competent, and the Brian Setzer-like
feel is sometimes mixed up with second line rhythms or calypso syncopation
that keep things interesting. As the most common criticism put forward to
bands of this ilk had it during the craze, in 1998 and 1999, the music
doesn’t offer anything that the top bands of the '40s didn’t do with more
enthusiasm and reckless abandon, but it’s still feel-good music of the
highest order. Especially effective is the one-two punch of “Next Week
Sometime,” with the animated piano of Josh Levy, and the traditional title
track, with its impending-doom feel. And to hear up to six horns blasting
away in your headphones while you’re commuting to town with barely awake
zombies is the best remedy for the Monday morning blues I know of. (More
info at www.bbvd.com.)
--- Benoît Brière
For those of you who wondered if Robert
Randolph and the Family Band could top last year’s Live At The Wetlands,
wonder no more. The group’s follow-up effort on Warner Brothers,
Unclassified, is surely one of the best recordings of any genre this year.
Where their live CD focused on jams (six tracks in 70 minutes),
Unclassified (Warner Brothers/Dare Records) is comprised of shorter songs
with even more bite than previously. There are elements of blues, rock,
pop, funk, gospel in the music, and a wonderful combination it is. As on
the previous disc, Randolph’s pedal steel guitar is out-of-this-world
fantastic and he continues to stretch the boundaries of this underrated
instrument. Believe me, this ain’t your granddaddy’s pedal steel guitar by
any means. The rhythm section, Randolph’s cousins Danyel Morgan
(bass/vocals) and Marcus Randolph (drums), along with John Ginty on B-3
and piano, are the secret ingredient that makes this disc go. Ginty’s
tasty B-3 and Randolph’s soaring pedal steel, combined with the cousins’
dead-on funk, brings to mind a collaboration between the Allmans and
Funkadelic. Most of the song lyrics focus on gospel overtones (Randolph
has received flak recently from his church for playing his music outside
of the church, but continues to play in both settings), but they blend
seamlessly with the driving funky music the band is playing. The opening
track, “Going In The Right Direction,” would be a nice fit on the Top 40
station of your choice. The second track, “I Need More Love”, kicks off
with a frantic bass run from Morgan and never relaxes until its
conclusion. Other standout cuts include the instrumentals, “Squeeze” and
“Calypso,” and while their attempts to slow down the pace are not as
noteworthy as their upbeat tunes, they are nevertheless as good as or
better than a lot of what passes for “hits” on the radio these days. If
these guys keep on track, they will be one of the major players in music
for the foreseeable future. This one is a definite must-have.
Chuck Berry will always be considered one of the architects of rock &
roll, but he did find time to cut the occasional blues tune, some of which
are captured by MCA in their collection, Blues. Berry’s guitar is a
signature sound in rock & roll, even today, and its tone is rooted deep in
the blues. 16 songs that Berry waxed for Chess in the '50s and '60s
are here, most of them featuring the inimitable Johnnie Johnson on the
ivories, but with some notable guest stars including Hubert Sumlin, Matt
“Guitar” Murphy and Willie Dixon. The majority of the tunes are covers of
songs made famous by Muddy Waters (“I Just Want To Make Love To You,” with
cheesy backing vocal), Jay McShann (“Confessin’ The Blues”), Charles Brown
(a surprisingly good “Driftin’ Blues,” which shows Brown’s vocal influence
on Berry), and Guitar Slim (“The Things That I Used To Do”). Berry’s own
composition, “Wee Wee Hours,” a classic in its own right, was eclipsed by
its A side on the single, which you might remember as “Maybelline.” This
is one of Johnson’s best performances. Another standout was Berry’s cover
of Big Maceo’s “Worried Life Blues,” though the lead was played by Murphy
in his sublime style. A surprise is the instrumental, “Deep Feeling,” with
Berry on steel guitar, where the blues influences really stand out. Fans
of Berry’s familiar riff will recognize it on such tunes as “House of Blue
Lights” and a rocking cover of “Down the Road Apiece.” Berry’s vocals were
probably a little too sophisticated to compete with the likes of Muddy and
the Wolf for the blues audience at that time, but he would have held his
own. Luckily for us rock & roll fans, he opted for bigger and better
things.
Looking for something different that will make you smile and tap your
toes? Well, The Bluff City Backsliders and their self-titled recording
from Yellow Dog Records might have the remedy for what ails you. The
Backsliders, out of Memphis, play acoustic blues with a taste of early
jazz and old-time country, all the while sounding thoroughly modern in
their approach. The instruments range from banjo, fiddle, mandolin,
trombone, resonator guitar and piano, so it’s a very rootsy sound. Jason
Freeman handles most of the vocals, and he sings in a flamboyant,
rockabilly-style that is well-suited for the Backsliders’ sound. Another
member of note is guitarist Mark Lemhouse, who also has an excellent
release on Yellow Dog. The songs are all covers of tunes by such notables
as Howlin’ Wolf (“.44 Blues“), Charley Patton (“Pony Blues), Blind Willie
McTell (“Let Me Play With Your Yo-Yo”), and Sleepy John Estes (“Everybody
Ought To Make A Change”). There are several tunes from Memphis legends W.
C. Handy (“Careless Love”) and the Memphis Jug Band. All of the songs are
taken at a relaxing tempo that’s guaranteed to make you tap your feet.
This is a fine CD suitable for fans of old-time country and blues and more
modern fare as well. Go to
www.yellowdogrecords.com and check out this
release as well as the rest of their great catalog.
Shrimp City Slim is back with another great CD, this time recorded over a
two-year period in various locations with his killer band. The CD, Highway
17, Lowcountry Blues: Live (Erwin Music). Shrimp City Slim (a.k.a. Gary
Erwin) is a singer and piano player and wrote most of the songs on the
disc, an entertaining set for sure. Like the title says, the disc is
advertised as lowcountry blues, which Slim describes as “sunny, melodic,
witty, sometimes swampy, and usually danceable. It’s blues on the beach.”
Highlights of the set include the swampy “Lowcountry Mama,” the soulful
“Hittin’ On You,” the lively opening track, “See Can I Find Me A Woman,”
and the title track, which has a strong Chicago feel. Besides Slim on
piano and vocals, the band includes Silent Eddie Phillips on guitar, John
Etheridge on drums and backing vocals, and Chuck “The Cat” Morris, who
blows some serious harp and contributes a couple of lead vocals. They keep
things grooving and mesh so well together that you would never know that
the disc was recorded over several different dates. This is a rock-solid
disc and will make you want to learn more about the lowcountry blues
sound. Go to
www.amazon.com, www.cdbaby.com, or
www.cdstreet.com to pick
up your copy now, or visit Slim’s website,
www.shrimpcityslim.com. It’ll
sound great at your next party.
Patrick Hazell, the Godfather of Iowa Blues, bills himself as “The One Man
Band” and his music as “Midwestern Blues, Boogie, and Cornbelt Zydeco.”
Intrigued? You should be. Hazell’s recent CD, Rollin’ In The Moonlight
(Blue Rhythm Records) is a fine introduction to his talents. Hazell, from
Iowa, plays keyboards, harmonica, and percussion with his feet, all at the
same time. He’s considered to be a legend on the Iowa music scene and is a
member of the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame. His repertoire consists of not only
the music described above, but also jazz and R&B. He wrote 13 of the
14 tracks here, the only non-original being a cover of Lil Green’s
“In The Dark.” This is not what you would ordinarily think of when you
imagine a one-man band. He is the real deal, with well-composed songs and
a relentless boogie beat on most of these tracks, along with some of the
best harmonica you’ll hear on disc. In addition, he is an excellent
keyboardist and his raspy vocals complement the music very well. It’s
exhilarating to listen to and I have to imagine it’s even more exciting to
see him in person. Go to Hazell’s website,
www.patrickhazell.com and check
him out.
Last month, I reviewed Deacon John’s latest CD,
Deacon John’s Jump Blues.
I mentioned that there was an accompanying DVD with the disc, but that I
had not seen it yet. Now that I have viewed it, I want to recommend it as
strongly as I did the CD. Most of the songs are the same on the DVD as the
CD, plus there are five or six additional tracks featured. Among the best
of these is the opener, a cover of Professor Longhair’s “Big Chief,” with
Henry Butler pounding away on the ivories. In all, four piano men are
featured: Butler, Davell Crawford, Allen Toussaint (who does a beautiful
solo version of “Lipstick Traces”) and Dr. John. They each show why the
piano is the primary focus of most New Orleans Rhythm and Blues,
particularly Butler, who only has two songs, but makes the most of them.
However, the star of the show is the Deacon himself, with his solid vocals
and his expert showmanship. He willingly shares the stage with the piano
men and singer Teedy Boutté and saxophonist Amadee Castenell, who plays
every solo like it might be his last. The DVD is beautifully filmed and
the music sounds great. There are lots of cameos by New Orleans
celebrities in the audience, such as Dave Bartholomew, Irma Thomas and
even the family of Professor Longhair. For all you 'extra feature' junkies,
there is also a 10-minute special, Behind-The-Scenes, with Deacon and the
band rehearsing Ray Charles’ “Jumpin’ In The Morning,” and some interviews
with Toussaint and Dr. John, along with a couple of audio tracks. All in
all, if you have purchased the CD already, you owe it to yourself to find
this DVD. This is as fine a tribute to New Orleans Rhythm and Blues as
you’ll ever see.
--- Graham Clarke
Not long ago a couple of fellow blues cronies of mine and I were having a
couple of cold ones and discussing the music that we love so much, when I
posed
the question: “If you could go back in time and be anyone in blues
history, who
would you choose to be?” The usual array of legends were the answers I
received along with a couple of odd looks along with “Who is he?” when I
said I
would choose Alan Lomax. For those of you who don’t know, Alan Lomax was
the
fellow who recorded scads of blues, folk and bluegrass artists for the
Library Of
Congress and was responsible for the first ever recordings of the immortal
Woody Guthrie and Muddy Waters. The men and women he met, and at times
lived
with, along with the music he was witness to and recorded are the stuff
dreams are
made of. This particular recording, Blues In The Mississippi Night
(Rounder)
is a very informal look at three Mississippi Delta legends in their own
time,
Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Slim and the original Sonny Boy Williamson.
Lomax
brought the three to New York City as part of the Midnight Special series
of
concerts he was producing at Town Hall in 1947 and got them into Decca’s
recording studio. What you will find contained within is not just some
great
unrehearsed music but a fascinating, candid insight through the dialogue
amongst
them, into what inspired the blues and what it was like to live the life
of not
only a bluesman but as a person of color in the deep south and the
hardships
that came along with the territory. Lomax asked “Tell me what the blues is
all
about,” as these three gentlemen had lived the blues all their lives. It
was the
last time he opened his mouth for the next two hours as his question was
answered with song and conversation. Memphis Slim’s crying rendition of
“Life Is
Like That” starts things off with his smooth piano amid Williamson adding
some
silky fills on harp. The three then begin discussing the origins and roots
of
the blues, with the conversation segueing into a spiritual entitled “Long
Meter Hymn,” which is performed by an unknown congregation. This was added
by Lomax along with other traditional African-American folks songs at a later
date
for illustrative purposes. “I Could Hear My Name Ringin” is next, with
Williamson showing why he was the premier harmonica player of his time,
accompanied only by
Slim on piano for a tale of deceitful love. The trials and tribulations of
the
work/rock/levee/prison camps are discussed next, with Slim and Broonzy
each
singing bits and pieces of some of the tunes that pervaded such places. A
stirring version of “Stackalee” have all three joining together for the
best
track on the album. “O’Berta” is another of Lomax’s field recordings done
on
Parchman Farm in Mississippi, performed by Bull and Group on vocal and hoes,
as is
“Murderer's Home” and “Don’t You Hear Po' Mother Callin.” Memphis Slim
pulls
some amazing but all too short piano riffs out of his pocket on “Slow
Blues,”
and then kicks things up a few hundred notches for “Fast Boogie,” a
blazing
workout that will make you sweat just from listening. A previously
unreleased
number from Bill Broonzy, “Black,Brown And White Blues,” pretty much sums
up
what the blues are really all about with its poignant lyrics that explore
the
color boundaries that once existed and still do in a few dark places in the
world. When Slim, Broonzy and Williamson heard these recordings played back
they
begged Lomax to never tell anyone they made them because “You don’t
understand, Alan. If these records came out on us, they’d take it out on
our folks
down home --- burn them out and Lord knows what else.” They all insisted that
their
identities be kept secret. Lomax agreed and used the recordings for
broadcast
on the BBC Network and issued these recording on United Artists records in
1959. But he never revealed the identities of the artists and disguised
the
location they were made until a 1990 reissue on Rykodisc. Blues In the
Mississippi Night is not jam packed with music. On the contrary, the music
serves as a
backdrop for a history of the blues told by three men who actually lived
it.
Included are the original liner notes by Alan Lomax, along with the
transcribed
conversations that took place, as well as brief biographies of the three
participants. With Congress declaring 2003 as the Year Of The Blues it was
only
fitting that this historic recording was once again reissued. Anyone who
hears
this insightful record and is a fan of recordings from the Blues’ golden
age of
the '20s and '30s will never hear them quite the same way again after hearing
this.
Fans of hard rocking Texas blues are going to love the latest record from
Chris Duarte entitled Romp (Zoe/Rounder Records). Hailing from San Antonio
Texas,
Duarte moved to Austin when he was 16 and cut his teeth listening to
and
learning from other Austin legends like the Vaughan brothers, Denny Freeman
and
Derek O’Brien. Leading his own band since the early '90s, Duarte has
incorporated a bit of jazz, funk and grunge into his work to give him his
own unique
style. Junior Kimbrough’s “Do The Romp” serves as the album’s title track,
which Duarte describes as “that funky North Mississippi thing they’ve got
going on,” and is metallic juke joint blues that assaults your senses with
its
screeching guitar work and thundering beat. Chris pays homage to Hendrix
on
“101,” the first of three instrumental numbers that borders on the
psychedelic
with its wild frenetic soloing. Fizzled relationships are the focus of
“Fire’s
Gone Out,” a funky strut that gives way to “Like Eric,” a pyrotechnic
instrumental salute to fellow Austin-ite Eric Johnson that sizzles with
intensity set
against a fast shuffling backbeat. A tight haunting cover of Bob Dylan’s
“One
More Cup Of Coffee” allows Duarte to stretch his vocal pipes a bit before
kicking things back into high gear on “Bb Blues,” a romping instrumental
shuffle
accented by Duarte’s slicing guitar .”Last Night,” has shades of Jim
Morrison
running rampant through its nine+ minutes running time, while “Mr.
Neighbor” allows Chris’ admiration for the writing talents of Elvis
Costello to
peek through. Duarte wraps up with “Take It To The Lord,” a spiritually
influenced number that wraps around a volcanic guitar solo. Chris Duarte
is a great
blues guitarist who is not afraid to try something different. While many
critics have knocked his work for lack of direction, I’ve found it
stimulatingly
different as it’s not the same 12-bar blues rut that many artists fall
into.
This is a very good record from a gentleman that is breathing a new and
different life into the genre while keeping a strong foothold in its
roots.
--- Steve Hinrichsen
What a pleasant surprise is the new CD, Take
Me Back (To The Old School Party) (Monkey Wrench Records), from Walt
Love. After a brief intro by emcee Cadillac Jay Butler, Walt
launches into the title song, "Take Me Back (To The Old
School Party)," an old-fashioned song that mentions many cities I presume
he
had fond memories of and some of the singers he admires. One of those
singers mentioned is Clarence Carter, and Walt does his best Clarence
Carter chuckle. A fun song and one that you will want to come back to. It
is followed by a very Tyrone Davis sounding "I Had To Change (She Threw A
Monkey Wrench In My Game," a tune with a good hook that will stick in your
mind. This is a remix off his equally fine Don't Go CD from 2000. At the
opening of "Lord Knows I Do," with its spoken intro, Jerry Butler and his
incredible "For Your Precious Love" immediately comes to mind;
it has that
same early '60s R&B sound. It sounds like slow dance time on prom night
circa
1961. I'm a sucker for this kind of music. The fourth song, "Mr. Love," is
his namesake song, and it too has a spoken intro and that evil Clarence
Carter chuckle. " I Played the Fool" is a nice ballad with a spoken
interlude, and should get some airplay. The sixth track, "I Really Need
You,"
is Jerry Butler dead-on. This is a good thing as there were very few
singers as soulful as Butler.
"I Made Up My Mind" is a ballad about leaving a cheating woman, also with
a
very soulful spoken break. "If You Don't, Somebody Else Will" reprises the
C.C. chuckle. The tenth song, "My Old Lady Left Me For My Girlfriend," is
self explanatory, with a fine spoken break by his old lady this time. She
says "...since you could be with her, I figured I could be with her too..." The
excellent and topical "New Millennium Blues" sounds like Curtis Mayfield in
his Superfly days. The CD ends with another reprise from his Don't Go CD,
a social commentary song, "He Loves You," with its very Marvin Gaye-ish
"What's Going On" message.
This is a high quality release and it's apparent that a lot of TLC went
into making it. You can obtain copies of this CD, and also his Don't Go
CD,
from Walt Love. His e-mail is
newmillenniumblues2004@yahoo.com or
write to him at P.O.
Box 851566 Mobile, AL 36685.
--- Alan Shutro
I will never forget the phenomenal keyboard performance of
Jon Lord with
Deep Purple on the House of Blue Light tour when I saw him play at Deep
Purple's Detroit stop. On the DVD release, Live at the Basement
(Thames/Thomson), the master plays organ alongside Australia's Hoochie Coochie Men, and introduces one of his stunning, baroque episodes
into "Green Onions," turning the rock 'n' soul chestnut into a barnburner.
Lord is very comfortable in the small club and talks to the audience
before nearly every song, delivering many humorous anecdotes from his past
with Deep Purple and more. This DVD of the Sydney concert includes, as a
special feature, an Australian TV appearance by Lord and the group. Jimmy
Barnes is on hand for three songs ("The Hoochie Coochie Man," "When a Blind
Man Cries" and "12 Bar Blow Jam"), making those standout tracks. Other
notable segments include the performances of "Strange Brew" and "The Money
Doesn't Matter." It appears the mastering was not the best, leaving rather
low volume, for instance, but this is overall an excellent concert DVD.
Little Worlds (Columbia) is actually a three-CD concept album from the genius of
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones. What I have
here is a nine-song promotional sampler of the project, merely the shadow
of the monument itself. What I hear is that Fleck stretches out in so many
different directions, that the force is dissipated as sophisticated genre
dabbling. Maybe we should just take this in small bites, such as the side
dish serving I have. Even that is a complex blend of many different
seasonings. There is a strong jazz flavor here, like the funky "Snatchin'"
with excursions in klezmer soul ("Bill Mon") and a spirited Gaelic reel
("The Leaning Tower"). This is probably best though of as a constellation
of songs spinning in space, each track is like visiting a special little
planet, its own "little world."
The lead instrument on Let's Cool One (Estrus Records), from the Iowa City instrumental combo
The Diplomats of Solid Sound, is the Hammond B3 of Nate "Count" Basinger. Taking cues from Booker T. & The MGs and Medeski,
Martin & Wood, this group swings it low and easy. The group calls its
instro blend an "action soul sound" and, sped up to 45RPM, it could be the
cop funk that is the soundtrack to your favorite '70s chase scene, while it
is also a James Brown barnstormer minus the vocals and horn section. This
is the hip kernel of rock 'n' soul.
The Countdowns was a band that backed risqué R&B shouter André Williams.
Brian Waters of The Countdowns is part of The Flash Express, on vocals and lead guitar,
on Introducing the Dynamite Sound of The Flash Express (Hit It Now! Records).
This disc is giving us
some rock 'n' soul that would certainly earn Mr. Williams' blessing.
Waters takes that R&B energy into a rock direction, ending up with an
MC5-like finished product but more rhythmic. This is an exciting and
energetic debut.
While Danny Barnes may be obscure to you, you know his co-conspirators
on Dirt on the Angel (Terminus Records). He has none other than Darol Anger on violins, jazz-folk guitar
maestro Bill Frisell and Check Leavell (Rolling Stones,
Allman Brothers) on piano and organ. The album is a great addition to
modern Americana, with memorable songs like the self-deprecating "Life in
the Country" and the biscuits-and-gravy bucolic ballad "Get It While You
Can." The band also has immense fun with covers, like when this former Bad
Livers banjoist leads the group through Beck's "Loser" and "Ooh La La"
from The Faces. Covers aside, this album shows Barnes' songwriting has
leapt up to a new tier since his previous Terminus release.
There was a revival of Southern-tinged hard rock boogie that crested in
the late '80s. Raging Slab rode that wave to major label success. Now,
Raging Slab is a has-been and the sheen of the new-old angle on this has
faded. Five Horse Johnson arose out of Toledo from the aftershocks of that
revival to be premier members of a third wave of hard rock with a rootsy
feel and pronounced bottom. On The Last Men on Earth (Small Stone), Five Horse Johnson
fails to add some new twist to give this tired beast a much-needed shot in
the arm. The greater number of guitar solos signal regression, not
progression. However, I am being too hard on this album because taking it
off the timeline, this is an excellent album of that big-sounding
blues-rock that also speaks to us from the early ZZ Top albums and the
early Black Crowes.
--- Tom Schulte
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