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 The Lucky Losers, led by Cathy Lemons and
Phil Berkowitz, continue their hot streak (five
wins at the 2021 Independent Blues Awards) with
their latest release, Standin’ Pat (VizzTone),
featuring 11 original tracks of their signature
mix of blues, soul, and roots. The album, their
fifth since 2014, finds the band (Lemons –
vocals, Berkowitz – vocals/harmonica, Ian Lamson
– guitar, Chris Burns – keys, Endre Tarczy –
bass, Jon Otis – drums/percussion) at Greaseland
Studios with Kid Andersen behind the controls
(also playing guitar, banjo, and organ).
The
opening track, “Pack Up The Bags,” has a lively
New Orleans feel with horns from guests Mike
Rinta (trombone), Michael Peloquin (sax), and
Brian Cantania (trumpet) and Burns’ piano.
“Somewhere In The Middle” is a gritty, funky
blues with Berkowitz bemoaning the general
discord among the public in today’s world.
Next, Lemons’ narrates the country-flavored
“Rich Strike,” the tale of the longshot winner
of this year’s Kentucky Derby, and the Crescent
City vibe returns with “Try New Orleans,” a cool
tribute to the city with vocals from Lemons and
Berkowitz (and an introduction from John Blues
Boyd).
“Down In Memphis Town” paints a picture of the
Bluff City while capturing the essence of the
city with a greasy, gritty musical backdrop. The
pair team up on vocals again for “You Can’t Lose
With A Winning Hand.”
“Rust Belt Blues” has a vintage blues vibe, with
Lemons really nailing the vocals on this
swinger, and “High Two Pair” deftly mixes soul
and country (with vocals from both). “Finish
What You Started” is a sweet soul burner sung by
Berkowitz (who adds some splendid harmonica
between verses).
Lemons turns in a superb vocal on the rootsy
“They Wrecked My Town,” with Berkowitz supplying
harmonica. The album wraps up with the title
track, an uplifting soul burner with Terry Hanck
guesting on sax. The pair share vocals again on
this one. Their vocal styles may be different,
but their harmonies work together seamlessly.
Standin’ Pat is another winner for The Lucky
Losers. Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz have
formed a great musical partnership and continue
to be a winning bet with their performances and
their songwriting. Standin’ Pat is their
best to date.
--- Graham Clarke
 Drums, Roots & Steel (Little Village
Foundation) is slightly different from most
sacred steel albums. What DaShawn Hickman
with
Charlie Hunter have done is take the style
to its basic beginnings (steel guitar,
tambourine, percussion) and added a taste of
West African music, using the shekere, djembe,
bongos, tambourine, and cowbell. Many modern
sacred steel arrangements focus more on the band
backing the steel guitar, sometimes taking away
from the beauty and nuance of the guitar.
Hickman and Hunter return the focus to where it
should be, which is on Hickman’s pedal steel
guitar.
The
results are at times breathtaking. The opener,
“Saints,” starts out with Hunter setting a deep
bottom on bass as Hickman soars in with that
familiar melody (“When The Saints Go Marching
In”) and the percussionists (West Africans Atiba
Rorie and Brevan Hampden) give the instrumental
track a unique feel. “Just A Closer Walk With
Thee” continues along the same lines, with
Hickman’s pedal steel front and center …. the
percussion really adds a lot to the performance,
which goes into an extended jam that fits the
song well.
Hickman’s wife Wendy (who also plays tambourine
throughout) sings on three tracks, beginning
with “Shout,” a jubilant call to listeners
that’s bound to stir the soul of believers.
Hickman joins his wife for the cautionary tale
“Don’t Let The Devil Ride,” on which their
vocals and the guitar’s “vocal” really balance
each other quite effectively, which is part of
the allure of sacred steel music. On the funky
“Morning Train,” Hickman’s guitar mimics the
sounds of a train behind his wife’s vocal, but
really takes off as the song nears its end.
The
slow burner “Precious Lord” simmers and
percolates, along with the percussionists laying
down a steady, understated rhythm as Hickman’s
smoldering, expressive slide work slowly builds
in intensity. The closer, “Wade In The Water,”
concludes the album in rousing fashion.
Since I first heard Robert Randolph and the
Family Band nearly 20 years ago, I’ve always
enjoyed sacred steel music. With Drums, Roots
& Steel, I think I appreciate the role of
pedal steel guitar in the music more than
previously. DaShawn Hickman and Charlie Hunter
have placed the emphasis on this fascinating
instrument more than usual, and fans of the
genre will have an even greater appreciation for
it after hearing this wonderful album.
--- Graham Clarke
 Ivor
S.K.
(a.k.a. Ivor Simpson-Kennedy) is
originally from Australia, but recently
relocated to New Orleans. The freewheeling
Mississippi Bound is his first release since
relocating and was crafted during the pandemic.
It features 15 original tunes, all written,
arranged, and performed by Ivor, pretty much
covering the gamut of blues and roots while
incorporating other music styles along the way.
The
jaunty title track opens the disc. It has a
light Caribbean flavor and serves as a great
soundtrack for rolling down the highway. “I
Don’t Roll” is a sparse southern blues
showcasing Ivor’s slide guitar, while “Get Up”
is a deeper, electric blues.
The
sardonic “Talkin’ Shit Again” is a stripped-down
tune that will amuse. “Kiss On My Blues” is a
driving, acoustic blues with a hypnotic rhythm
and deft fretwork, and “Sex, Drugs & Cigarettes”
is a fun tune that rolls along at a nice pace.
Ivor can tell a nice story, and this song works
well with his weathered vocal style.
“Wheelin’”
has a real swampy feel with Ivor’s slide guitar,
while “Taste Your Lips” takes on more of a
reflective vibe, dealing with isolation and
loneliness. Meanwhile, “100 Dollar Bills” picks
up the pace and the mood. Some foot-tapping is
guaranteed with this selection.
“Tomorrow Night” is an easy, shimmering slow
blues that will settle down the soul, and the
lively “Down The Road” is another song that
works extremely well as one travels down the
highway.
“Slow Down” is an easy-going blues that
encourages all of us to, well, slow down and
take in the world all around us. “Sweet ‘n’ Low”
is a catchy soulful track and you can’t help but
clap along with Ivor, leading into “No Friend of
Mine,” a cool downhome song and a great example
of Ivor’s distinctive songwriting.
He
saves the best for last on the closer, “Dead
Pig,” a harrowing slide-driven tale that leaves
a mark.
Ivor
S.K. has only been relocated to the U.S. for
about five years, but he has absorbed the sounds
of blues, soul, and roots more than a lot of the
natives who’ve been here all their lives.
Mississippi Bound serves as a great
soundtrack for fans of the above-cited genres.
Plug it in on your next road trip and you’ll be
good to go.
--- Graham Clarke
 Keyboardist extraordinaire Dave Keyes
returns with his sixth album, Rhythm Blues &
Boogie, his first for Blue Heart Records.
Keyes’ penned nine of the ten tracks, which fit
the album title perfectly. Keyes is joined by a
host of musicians, including drummers Bernard
“Pretty” Purdie and Frank Pagano, guitarists
John Putnam, Early Times, Popa Chubby, and Doug
MacLeod, bassists Jeff Anderson and David J.
Keyes, tenor saxophonist Chris Eminizer, and
trumpeter Tim Ouimette.
The
rousing “Shake Shake Shake” gets the album off
on the right foot, with Purdie setting a shuffle
pace and a nice sax break from Eminizer. “That’s
What The Blues Are For” is an upbeat number with
terrific guitar work from Putnam backing Keyes’
piano. “Blues and Boogie” is a good-time R&B
track with a lot of swagger. Keyes goes solo for
the next track, delivering a fine reading of
Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away,” the
album’s lone cover, before heading down to New
Orleans for the second line rhythms of “Ain’t
Doing That No More.”
“Ain’t Going Down” is a strong song about
determination to prevail through tough times and
difficulties that mixes soul and R&B most
effectively. The solo instrumental, “WBGO
Boogie,” is named for the blues and jazz radio
station in Newark, with Keyes really tearing
into it. The Latin- flavored “Not Fighting
Anymore” finds Keyes struggling with a
relationship.
Keyes and MacLeod join forces for the humorous
acoustic blues, “Invisible Man,” an amusing look
at the challenges of growing older, before the
keyboardist wraps up the album with “7 O’Clock
Somewhere,” a rollicking tribute to the
frontline heroes who served during the pandemic.
We
don’t get nearly enough piano-based blues albums
these days, so it’s always a pleasure to hear
one, especially one as good as Rhythm Blues &
Boogie. Dave Keyes has given blues fans a
keeper with this release, loaded with great
songs and performances.
--- Graham Clarke
 Peter Green’s name doesn’t come up nearly enough
in the discussion of great white blues
guitarists. The late guitarist spent time with
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, appearing on
Mayall’s A Hard Road (plus two live
appearances recently issued from early 1967),
before leaving to found Fleetwood Mac with
fellow Bluesbreakers Mick Fleetwood and John
McVie. After recording three excellent albums
with Fleetwood Mac, Green began a long battle
with drugs and mental issues, leaving the music
scene altogether the early ’70s, resurfacing
sporadically until the late ’90s, when he began
playing and touring with the Peter Green
Splinter Group. He passed away in July 2020, at
73.
Modern music lovers may not be familiar with the
early sounds of Fleetwood Mac, one of the most
formidable of the British blues-rock bands, but
fortunately Nevada guitarist Rick Berthod
has remedied that with a wonderful new release
called Tribute To Peter Green, which
focuses on ten of those early Fleetwood Mac
recordings and captures the essence of that
group and Green’s sound as well as it’s ever
been done. Berthod is backed by Ronee Mac
(bass/vocals), Billy Truitt (keyboards), and
Brett Barnes (drums/percussion) as well as
several guest guitarists
Among the songs covered by Berthod are the
terrific opener, “If You Be My Baby,” which also
features Junior Brantley on piano and vocals,
“Black Magic Woman,” one of Fleetwood Mac’s
first hits which Carlos Santana carried to even
greater heights, Duster Bennett’s “Jumping At
Shadows,” Little Willie John’s “Need Your Love
So Bad,” and a great version of “Oh Well” and
“Rattlesnake Shake,” both from Then Play On,
considered the pinnacle of early Fleetwood Mac
albums.
The
gentle instrumental “Albatross” features slide
guitar from John Zito, and “Stop Messing Around”
features three additional guitarists (Stoney
Curtis, Chris Tofield, and Mike Varney) and some
tasty guitar work reminiscent of Albert Collins.
“Driftin’” is a longer, slow-burning track, on
which Berthod turns a great performance on
vocals and guitar, and the musicians get a
little space to jam. The album closes with
“Loved Another Woman,” a nice Windy City-styled
blues.
Berthod does a wonderful job interpreting these
tunes, hewing closely to the originals but
adding enough original flourishes to the songs
to keep longtime Green fans listening and,
hopefully, lead newer listeners to check out the
original versions. It’s obvious he has a love
for the original material, and that will carry
over to listeners for sure. Blues fans are
strongly encouraged to check out the excellent
Tribute to Peter Green, one of the best
British blues guitarist ever.
--- Graham Clarke
 Michael Doucet and Tom Rigney collaborated
on a wonderful album, Cajun Fandango,
back in 2016. At the time I reviewed in for the
June 2016 issue of Blues Bytes, I remarked
“Hopefully, they will do it again soon.”
Well, the pair recently reunited for a second
album, Roll On (Parhelion Records),
another excellent set of Cajun, blues, and roots
music that’s bound to put a hop in your step.
This time around they are joined by a host of
guest artists, including Marcia Ball, Jon
Cleary, Chad Huval, John R. Burr, and Flambeau,
Rigney’s current band.
Doucet, of course, is the leader of the Cajun
band BeauSoleil, and Rigney was the
founder/leader of the Swamp Rock band The
Sundogs prior to founding Flambeau. Rigney
penned five of the 12 tracks, Doucet two, and
the pair collaborated on one track. There are
also four covers, including a jaunty
country-flavored take on J.J. Cale’s title
track, which opens the album and features Ball
on piano. Rigney’s spirited instrumental
“Hounded” follows with the two fiddlers really
going to town, and Jon Cleary joins in on piano
for Doucet’s somber ballad “Fais Pas Ca.”
Ball
contributes piano and co-lead vocals with Rigney
on a spicy second line version of her crowd
favorite “That’s Enough Of That Stuff,” and
Cleary returns on Wurlitzer for “The Blue Hour,”
a jazzy instrumental with a Latin flair.
Rigney’s “Gator Boy” is another lively
instrumental, this one also including accordion
from Chad Huval and slide guitar from Marc
Brinitzer. Doucet takes the vocal on a fun and
funky reading of Fats Domino’s “It’s You I
Love,” featuring Ball on piano.
Rigney’s tasty instrumental “New Nola Blues”
really captures the feel of the Crescent City,
the fiddlers working wonders with Cleary’s piano
and Wurlitzer and the locked-in rhythm section
(Steve Evans – bass, Kevin Hayes -drums) helping
them along. Doucet’s “Bunk’s Blues” is a superb
blues that features the pair working with
Flambeau (Anthony Paule – guitar, Caroline Dahl
– piano, Sam Rocha – bass, and Hayes), and
Rigney’s “Swamp Feet” is another dazzling
instrumental.
Clarence Garlow’s swamp blues standard “New Bon
Ton Roula” never gets old, a nice fit on any
album of Louisiana music, as this version really
cooks. Doucet and Rigney collaborated on the
album closer, “Allons Échapper!!,” bringing the
album to a rousing conclusion.
Doucet and Rigney began work on Roll On
on March 12, 2020, the day before the pandemic
caused the lengthy shutdown. Thank goodness they
persevered and were able to complete this fine
album, which should find a place in any music
lover’s collection.
--- Graham Clarke
 Serabee is a singer/songwriter originally
from Kiln, Mississippi. She was drawn to singing
while performing in her evangelist father’s
revivals, also learning to play drums,
keyboards, and guitar. As she grew older, she
began to explore other music that interested
her, performing in clubs and casinos on the Gulf
Coast.
She
connected with producer Gary Katz, who served as
her mentor, and by 2004 she had released two
albums (as Sera Buras). She was also writing
songs, including “Crazy Chick,” which became a
major hit for Charlotte Church. In 2011, she
became a contestant on The Voice, advancing to
the semi-finals.
Serabee recently released her fifth album,
Hummingbird Tea (Rabadash Records), a
stunning release that captures her southern
roots perfectly, a mix of blues, soul, R&B,
gospel, and roots. She wrote all 14 songs and
co-produced the album with Rabadash head John
Autin, who played keyboards on selected tracks.
She’s also backed by Shane Theriot (guitar),
Nick Necaise (keys/guitar/mandolin), Dave Easley
(pedal steel guitar), Cassandra Falconer (bass),
and Eric Boliver (drums), plus additional guest
musicians on various tracks.
“Bayou Baby,” the first single released on the
album, kicks things off. It’s a soulful
autobiographical track about her beginnings,
where she is and where she hopes to go.
“Tennessee” is a country-soul ballad about
leaving troubles behind for a new start. “I’m
Closed,” which could be called a happy breakup
song, really showcases her vocals, which are a
smooth fit with either country or soul, but she
goes straight into the blues on the powerful
“Drunk Woman’s Words.”
“Find Another Boyfriend” is a bright, mid-tempo
soul track punctuated by the horns and B3, while
the ballad “I Need Saving Too” has a country
feel, thanks, in part, to the efforts of Willie
Nelson’s harp man Mickey Raphael. The
horn-fueled “Anything Like The Boy” is greasy,
funky Memphis soul at its best.
“Hush (Little Baby)” is a sweet ballad, and
“Loves To Love A Woman” and “Burn” really show
the range and versatility of her voice, but she
does a marvelous job on “Fair Weathered Man,’
wringing every ounce of emotion out of the song.
“War and Peace” and “Has Anybody Told You” both
tread the thin line between country and soul,
and the superb “Moonchild” closes the disc.
Serabee’s performance on this final track will
compel listeners to hit “replay.”
Most
listeners will actually be hitting “replay” on
the entire album. For anyone who enjoys the
music of Muscle Shoals, Memphis, Nashville, or
New Orleans, Serabee has just what you’re
looking for. She’s a remarkable singer and
songwriter, and it’s all on display with
Hummingbird Tea.
--- Graham Clarke
 Lil’ Red & The Rooster advanced to the I.B.C.
finals in 2019 in the solo/duo category, and
perform regularly at Buddy Guy’s Legends as a
duo for the acoustic dinner set when they’re in
Chicago. Lil’ Red (Jen Milligan – vocals/rhythm
guitar) was born in Columbus, Ohio, while The
Rooster (Pascal Fouquet – guitars/gitjo) was
born in Normandy, France. They’ve worked as a
duo since 2010, perfecting a brand of modern
blues that keeps one eye focused on the
traditional brand, on full display on their
second release, Keep On! (Blue Heart
Records).
“Cool Trap Boogie,” a cool blues swinger with an
interesting beat, opens the disc, followed by
“Whisky Sip of Time,” a seductive track with a
smoldering Latin groove. Harmonica master Billy
Branch joins Lil’ Red on vocals, also providing
his usual stellar harp work on the sauntering
country blues “Keep On Lovin’ You.”
Lil’
Red tells an amusing story on the old-school
tune “Love The Hell Right Out Of Ya,” which is
followed by “Shakin’ Em Up,” an instrumental
with The Rooster going into surf guitar mode and
Jean-Marc Labbé wailing on baritone sax.
The
somber “Bootstraps Break” looks at the disparity
between rich and poor, punctuated by The
Rooster’s understated guitar work. The album’s
lone cover, “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” is given
an up-tempo treatment with the Rooster’s gitjo
really adding punch to the tune. The swinging
“Back of the Bus” pays tribute to Rosa Parks and
encourages others to follow her example.
“American Made” mixes blues, hip-hop, and R&B as
it looks at American foibles past and present,
and the rollicking “Little Girl” is a message of
encouragement for women.
The
album wraps up with a smoking blues
instrumental, appropriately entitled “Step It
Up.”
Lil’
Red & The Rooster, with excellent support
(Branch, Labbé, Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith –
drums, Felton Crews – bass, with Jeff Morrow,
Caroline Carson-Rau, Sara Castro, and Marco
Castro – vocals), really shake the trees with
Keep On!, their sophomore release of
contemporary blues that keeps one foot planted
in the traditional sounds of the genre.
--- Graham Clarke
 Janice
Harrington’s most recent album was nearly 40
years in the making. The 80-year-old singer has
mastered a variety of styles over her long
career, notably blues, jazz, gospel, disco, and
R&B. One of her previous releases was a tribute
to Dinah Washington. She’s lived in Scandinavia
since 1980, and over that time she’s continued
to perform. She recorded multiple sessions in
Norway, Denmark, Germany, and Austria between
1982 and 2022. Those recordings have been
collected in 80 Years of International
Friendship (Hip & Happy Records).
The
set list varies from blues to jazz to R&B. The
musicians backing Harrington are all very good
and, despite the disparity in recording dates,
none of the music really sounds dated and blends
very well together. Ms. Harrington sounds great,
singing with plenty of power, passion, and soul.
The
1988 Danish sessions feature Harrington backed
by guitar (Kenn Lending, who played with
Champion Jack Dupree), keyboards, bass, and
drums, and includes several fine blues
performances, including “Work Your Magic,” “7
Day A Week Man Blues,” “Making Plans,” and
“Telephone Blues.” Lending’s guitar work behind
Harrington is superb.
The
Norwegian session (1985) features Harrington
singing behind two bands, the Helge Iberg Band
and the Tor Welo Band, and includes nine tracks.
“Listen To Me” is a tough, traditional blues,
“Wheeler Dealer” is a playful track that marries
blues/R&B/and a little bit of hip-hop, “It’s Too
Soon To Tell” and “Mirror Image” are soulful
ballads, “The Hex” and “Blues Rocking” are funky
R&B, “Learn To Live Without You” is pop-flavored
jazz, while “Norwegians Got Soul” is a fun
Latin-esque tribute to Harrington’s home country
of 42 years.
Harrington recorded the excellent cover of the
Ray Charles classic “Hallelujah I Love Her So”
in Austria (1994), where she served as guest
soloist at a live concert with backing by the
Rat Big Band. The two tracks recorded in Germany
were done in 2022, the opening track “Old Age,”
and a cover of Louis Armstrong’s “What A
Wonderful World.” Harrington’s husband, Werner
Gürtler, backs her on tronbone for the latter
track, which closes the disc in marvelous
fashion.
One
thing is for sure --- Ms. Harrington hasn’t lost
an inch off her fastball in the 37 years between
the first of these tracks and the last. She
still sounds great. 80 Years of International
Friendship is a fine set of blues, R&B, and
soul from a talented lady who knows her way
around all three genres.
--- Graham Clarke
 Honest
Lies is the latest release from the Canadian
blues, rock, and roots ensemble, the Justin
Saladino Band. Saladino (vocals/guitar)
wrote or co-wrote all ten of the tracks, which
deal with relationships, dealings with self, and
even a little bit of politics. The album is
produced by Ariel Posen (The Bros. Landreth),
and musical contributors include Denis Paquin
(drums), Gabriel Forget (bass), Gabriel Bertrand
(keys), with backing vocals from Courtney Fox,
Melissa Pacifico, Britanny Kennell, and Posen.
The
mid-tempo rocker, “Sink or Swim,” gets the disc
off to a fine start, as Saladino recounts his
difficulties during the pandemic and his
determination to pervail. “Let You Go” is a
soulful ballad, and “Blind Faith” is a funky,
bluesy track. Meanwhile, “Fan The Flames” mixes
rock and R&B, and the title track ups the
intensity a bit with Saladino’s fretwork and a
message about being honest with each other and
ourselves as well.
“Won’t Say No” has a playful, pop feel with a
catchy refrain that found me singing along, and
“Half-Heartedly” and “Let Me In Again” both have
a country/folk vibe with the acoustic guitar
work and gentle melody and backing vocals.
“Can’t Have You Around” is a strong blues
rocker, and “Don’t Worry About It” is a hopeful
country rocker encouraging listeners to just
wade through the tough times.
Saladino is a fine tunesmith and a powerful
singer and guitarist. His musical support is
spot on for this well-rounded set of blues, rock
and roots. Honest Lies is another fine
addition to the Justin Saladino Band’s
increasingly impressive catalog.
--- Graham Clarke
 Billy
Truitt has played up and down the West Coast
with a variety of bands such as Jack Ely and the
Kingsmen and Easy Chair, also working in
production with Curb Records and getting
involved in the honky tonk scene in Los Angeles
and Bakersfield. He moved to Las Vegas in the
’90s, and eventually settled in with the Vegas
Strip Kings. Recently, the keyboardist/guitarist
released a solo album, Abstract Truth (Gutbukit
Music) that features several of the Vegas Strip
Kings making contributions.
The
album opens with the boisterous “Who’s Been
Trying,” with Al Ek on harmonica and Jimmy
Carpenter laying down a tough solo on baritone
sax. “No Light Blues” is a mid-tempo number with
bluesy guitar work and soulful B3 from Truitt,
and “Truth Come Home” has a Latin-flavored
rocker with excellent support on guitar,
accordion and saxophone.
Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore Blues” is covered,
with Truitt transforming the song into an upbeat
blues shuffle. On James Booker’s “True,” he
remains pretty faithful to the New Orleans piano
wizard’s original rendition, which is perfectly
fine.
The
intriguing “Salvation or Hell and Famous
Potatoes” has a reggae feel, with Carpenter and
Elk providing superb backing on sax and
harmonica, respectively, while Truitt takes a
nice keyboard break. “Life Like Art” ventures
down to Louisiana with a glorious second line
rhythm and accordion driving the song along.
Steve Eaton takes vocals on this track. On the
countrified swinger, “Hobo Flatts,” Elk plays
guitar and lap steel, also joining Truitt on
vocals. “Preacher Stole My Angel” picks up the
pace considerably with more lap steel and a
driving beat.
The
album wraps up with a fine instrumental,
“Ragtime Eastern Cowboy ’22’,” which allows the
band to stretch out for some fine musicianship,
notably Ek on harmonica, Truitt on keyboards,
Tofield on guitar, and Mike Seifrit on bass.
Abstract Truth is a fine musical journey
through a variety of styles, all with one foot
planted in the blues.
--- Graham Clarke
 The
busy Jackson, Mississippi bluesman Stevie J
Blues recently re-released his wonderfully
funky blues version of Charles Brown’s “Merry
Christmas Baby” (PK Music). The track features
some tasty guitar work from Stevie J to go along
with his playful vocals, as well as a dynamite
rhythm track that grabs you and refuses to let
go.
It
goes by quickly at 3:48, so quickly that you’ll
be playing it over and over, again and again.
The prolific bluesman continues to put out
quality music on a regular basis, showing no
sign of letting up any time soon.
--- Graham Clarke
 Ruf
Records sends out a trio of their recording
artists every year or so to perform and record
in Europe and the United States. This year's
Blues Caravan 2022 features Ghalia Volt,
Katie Henry and Will Jacobs.
I
was first made aware of Ghalia Volt three years
ago with the release of her second album,
Mississippi Blend, her second album after
the 2017 release Let The Demons Out.
Completing this trifecta of Ruf releases was
One Woman Band, which came out in 2021. As
the title says, it's all Ghalia playing both
drums and guitar -- the perfect way to record
during the pandemic, taking her back to when she
was a street performer in her native Belgium.
Her style is raw, unadulterated blues with a lot
of rockabilly in her voice.
While the 2022 release On My Way wasn't
Katie Henry's first recording, the impact of it
being on Ruf Records got her in front of a
larger audience, The New York City area pianist
/ singer / songwriter takes her music in a lot
of different directions, be it country, americana,
and blues, but always with one foot in the blues
world.
Will
Jacobs was a new name to me, a Chicago
transplant now living and performing in Germany.
Another newby to the Ruf family, his latest,
Goldfish Blues, shows a strong blues and
blues/rock guitarist and a more than capable
singer.
Blues Caravan 2022, recorded over three
nights at a club in Koblenz, Germany, consists
of 16 cuts of music, and if you buy the CD set
you'll get a second disc with 25 video
performances. The trio share the vocals on the
frantic opening number, "Hop On A Ride," before
regrouping for the final three songs, "Roll And
Tumble Blues," the amazing "Voodoo Woman," and
the Credence cover, "Fortunate Son."
While all three musicians get plenty of time at
the front of the stage, Blues Caravan 2022
represents Katie. Henry's coming out party. She's
outstanding on the four cuts attributed to her,
with each one co-written by her and Barrett Antar
Goodwin. She takes the instrumental lead on
electric piano, but it's her voice that really
shines, showing plenty of range and power,
especially on the outstanding "Bury You," a
mid-tempo number on which she shows a little
more growling sound to her voice. The funky
"Nothing To Lose," "Empty Cup," from her recent
On My Way album, and the slow, soulful
"Carry You" are all solid numbers.
The
real showstopper, with Henry showing plenty of
sass on vocals, is Koko Taylor's "Voodoo Woman."
an up-tempo stomper that might be the best thing
here. Ghalia also sings on this number, but
Henry is the star of this show.
Jacobs shows off on blues/rock guitar on his
three vocal numbers: "I Play The Blues For You,"
an extended version of "Have You Ever Loved A
Woman," and his own "Funky Woman." He's a decent
singer and packs a lot of effects into his
guitar playing.
I've
always felt that Ghalia is as much a rockabilly
singer as she is blues, providing a nice fusion
vibe
to her music. She really kicks it on one her
compositions, the Elmore James-influenced "Reap
What You Sow," showings her melding of
blues and rockabilly, a mid-tempo blues
original, "Release Me," another rockabilly
number, "Hoodoo Evil Man," and the fast-paced
"Squeeze."
Among the other songs on which they collaborate,
the raucous version of the Jerry Lee Lewis hit,
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," will get your
blood pumping faster, and all three singers jump
in on an even more lively version of the blues
classic, "Roll And Tumble Blues."
There is a lot to like about Blues Caravan
2022. Basically, it's just a whole mess of
fun, and it's obvious that the three artists
were having a great time making this music. Be
sure to get this one on at your next party,
after which you just might have to replace the
carpet from the dancing it inspires.
--- Bill Mitchell
 It's
no secret that seeing Vanessa Collier
live a few years ago has been one of the best
shows I've witnessed in recent memory. The
Philadelphia sax player / singer / songwriter
puts on a great live show, which is why we
should all be excited with the release of
Live At Power Station (Phenix Fire Records),
a 10-song show recorded "live in the studio" at
Power Station Studios in New York City in front
of a group of friends and family. She's backed
by a very fine band, with Byron Cage (drums),
Andrew Crane (bass), Laura Chavez (guitar), and
William Gorman (keyboards). The result is a
successful capture of what Vanessa sounds like
in a live setting.
Collier and band re-do a selection of songs from
her previous four albums. No new material, but
there doesn't need to be because every number
sounds fresh and different from the studio
originals. The pacing of the show is good. If
there's a complaint, it's that the sound quality
is not impeccable, which I would have expected
being recorded in a studio. You have to listen
very carefully, but at times the recordings
aren't as full and rich as expected. Again, you
have to listen carefully, so my recommendation
is to just crank up the volume and enjoy.
I
particularly like the version of Ann Peebles' "I
Can't Stand The Rain," stretched out here to 8
minutes and 37 seconds, giving time for all of
the players, Collier included, to stretch out
with their solos. We also get a longer (6
minutes and 16 seconds) of a favorite, "Sweatin'
Like A Pig, Singin' Like An Angel," from the
Honey Up album. It's funky and Chavez does a
fine job on guitar.
Collier does some of her best sax work on
another hot and funky tune, "Tongue Tied," which
also features Gorman on organ. "Love Me Like A
Man" really stretches out, lasting more than 14
minutes but never gets boring, especially when
Chavez lays down her spectacular guitar breaks.
Other Collier standards include "The
Run Around," Whiskey And Women," When It Don't
Come Easy," Icarus," and "When Love Comes To
Town," and she closes the show with a rousing,
up-tempo version of Two Parts Sugar, One Part
Lime."
While we all wish we could see Ms. Collier on
tour more often, especially those of us on the
other side of the country, we'll be happy
listening to Live At Power Station until
the next time she shows up at a nearby venue.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Behind The Sun (independent) is the second
album that I've heard from harmonica player
extraordinaire Grant Dermody, and it's
more than what I expected. I think of Dermody as
strictly a harp player and singer sticking
closely to country blues or Piedmont blues, but
on this new album he plows a lot of different
fields, making for a very enjoyable set of 15
numbers. He's a good enough singer for the
material here, and is backed on most songs by
multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell and
occasionally by bass player Lee Allen Zeno and
drummer Gerard St. Julien. The presence of those
latter two names gives a hint that Dermody has
now relocated to Lafayette, Louisiana, with that
Cajun country influence showing up at times.
Let's go first to my favorite cuts, starting
with the absolute gem of the album. "Time Ain't
Due" is a old-school gospel song written for
this album by Dermody. It's a simple tune with
no instruments other than harmonica played
through the vocal mic, with the song made richer
by the addition of background singers Teka
Briscoe, who also co-wrote lyrics, and Ahyris
Navarre. The strong voice of Ms. Briscoe takes
the vocal lead at one point to add even more
power to this song. This alone is worth the
price of the album.
"Clotilda's Got Soul," written by Zeno and St.
Julien, is a funky electric blues started with a
very good harp solo. That Lousiana influence
shows up again on the mid-tempo blues shuffle,
"Tell Me," with Corey Ledet guest starring on
accordion.
If
you're looking for something more rootsy,
check out Dermody's best Sonny Terry imitation
on the traditional "Lost John." No vocals, no
other instruments. Just making the harmonica
talk and sing. The album opens with a Muddy
Waters classic, "Trouble No More," a raw country
blues that fits well here. The rapid-fire "Don't
Boss Me," written by Rick Estrin, gives Powell
the chance to flex his chops on both guitar and
piano.
We
can never get enough Muddy Waters, so another
cut not to miss is Dermody's version of the raw
downhome blues, "Louisiana Blues," with only
harmonica and guitar backing his vocals. It
doesn't stray far from the original version, but
it doesn't have to with a song this wonderful. Dermody also does a pretty good Jimmy Reed
imitation on "Honest I Do," playing harmonica
just like Jimmy.
Dermody takes it to Chicago for the final two
numbers, covering Kim Wilson's upbeat
blues shuffle "Learn To Treat Me Right,"
with his voice sounding stronger here. Powell
shines on piano in this ensemble setting. The
closer is another solid Chicago number,
Otis Rush's slow blues "So Many Roads," with
Dermody playing exquisite blues harp.
There's more here, and trust me when I say it's
all good music. We should all be supporting
independent releases like Behind The Sun,
so please check it out. You won't regret it.
--- Bill Mitchell
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