The BluesPowR Blog

A year after his death, Willie Big Eyes Smith still helping to keep the blues alive; new CD captures performance by blues legend accompanied by friend Roger Hurricane Wilson

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Mike

A while back, we told you about a Kickstarter project aimed at helping with the costs of a live recording from Muddy Waters band alumnus Willie “Big Eyes” Smith and Georgia bluesman Roger “Hurricane” Wilson. Though the Kickstarter campaign didn’t quite reach its goal, we’re pleased to report that the album has indeed come to fruition, with Live Blues Protected by Smith & Wilson (Bluestorm Records) now available on CD Baby, Amazon, and elsewhere.

Recorded in Harrisburg, PA, during the pair’s 2009 tour, the album offers what may well be the last good look we’ll get at the immense talent of the late, great Smith, who died just over a year ago (but whose legacy fortunately still lives on through his son, another pretty talented musician: blues drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith). Of the 13 tracks included on Live Blues, four are of the Muddy Waters variety (“Long Distance Call,” “Got My Mojo Workin’,” “Hoochie Coochie Man,” and “Can’t Be Satisfied”), with other covers including songs from Sonny Boy Williamson (the opening “Eyesight to the Blind”), Slim Harpo (“Scratch My Back”), and Leroy Carr (“How Long Blues”).

You’ll also hear a couple of gems in the form of Smith’s signature “Born in Arkansas,” creeping instrumental “Dreamin’,” and artful, “way back in the day” blues of “Rub My Back,” with Wilson’s guitar nicely complementing Smith’s harp and vocals through most of the album. Wilson’s laidback Southern vocals add a bit of a country flavor to songs like “How Long Blues” and “Can’t Be Satisfied,” as well as the eight-and-a-quarter minute Wilson original “You Do Your Job” that features some particularly fine solos from Smith.

Perhaps the best display of the duo’s collective talents, however, comes just after that, with Wilson providing tough backing vocals to Smith’s lead on the Waters classic “Got My Mojo Workin’,” while “I Just Want to Be Your Man” and the instrumental closer “Willie’s Boogie Finale” with the audience clapping along also help to elevate Live Blues to true treasure status. Whether doing their own songs or someone else’s, Smith and Wilson made for one heck of an enjoyable pairing.

On behalf of all who never got the chance to experience the two artists together – and, most likely, those who did – deepest thanks to Roger “Hurricane” Wilson for seeing this project through and, in doing so, helping to preserve – and indeed protect – both a remarkable night and genre of music.

Posted in Albums | Tagged Kenny Beedy Eyes Smith, Roger Hurricane Wilson, Willie Big Eyes Smith | Comments Off

This weekend: Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania’s CD release party – Blues from the Burgh III

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Mike

If you’re looking to take in some live blues around the ‘burgh this weekend, we can’t imagine a better place to be than Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale Sunday afternoon. That’s where you can catch the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania‘s (BSWPA) CD release party for Blues from the Burgh III, the organization’s latest compilation showcasing the region’s deep blues talent, from the solo acoustic strains of Chris Yakopcic’s “Done Lost My Freedom” and Izzy and Chris’ “Steady Rollin Daddy” to the rocking ” Leave Your Key” from Melinda, boogie sounds of the Rumpshakers’ jazzy “Shake It Up,” and impressive, full-band grooves of Wayne and Wild Root’s “I Can’t Change.”

With the exception of a slightly overzealous Janis Joplin-ish track from Angel Blue and the Prophets, all the selections here are solid, with other highlights including a gritty, Johnny Sansone-like “Whiskey House” from Eugene Morgan and the Nightcrawlers, Jill West & Blues Attack’s “Bye, Bye Baby,” a live “Bound to Pay” from the Rich Harper Band that sounds like it could have been taken off one of the Jack Bruce/Robin Trower collaborations, the grainy shuffle of the Nancy McKeen Bluz Machine’s “Slow Burn,” and a soulful and socially conscious closer in “Somebody Gotta Love Them” from Jimbo and the Soupbones.

They say the third time is a charm, and volume 3 may indeed be the BSWPA’s best collection yet, so even if you can’t make it to Jergel’s to pick one up or aren’t from the ‘burgh, you’re going to want to get yourself a copy of this fine recording.

All but two of the acts (Chris Yakopcic and the Igniters, both of whom had previous engagements) from the CD are slated to perform half hour sets starting at 2 pm Sunday, with proceeds from the album benefiting the BSWPA’s community projects such as Blues in the Schools, the Veterans’ Blues is a Healer tour, the annual Blues Challenge competition, and Blues Goes Pink Divas shows, among others. Tickets for the Sunday show are $10 for the public and $8 for BSWPA members, a small price to pay for seven hours of some of the best blues the Burgh has to offer.

For more information on Sunday’s event or to order a CD, visit the BSWPA website.

Posted in Albums, Shows | Tagged Angel Blue and the Prophets, Blues Society of Western Pa., Chris Yakopcic, Eugene Morgan, Izzy and Chris, Jill West & Blues Attack, Jimbo and the Soupbones, Melinda, Nancy McKeen Bluz Machine, Rich Harper, Rumpshakers, the Igniters, Wayne and Wild Root | Comments Off

Quick takes: some mighty sweet new releases from Mighty Sam McClain, Sugar Blue

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Mike

We couldn’t decide which of these blues legends’ great new albums – both released this week – we wanted to tell you about first, so what the heck, here’s both!

Sugar Blue – Raw Sugar (Beeble Music)

Though few may recognize him by name, nearly anyone who has listened to music in the past 35 years will likely be familiar with the stylings of blues harmonica master Sugar Blue, having played on the 1978 Rolling Stones disco-rock mega-hit “Miss You.” And while a sizzling extended version of that song does appear on Blue’s latest album, the live, 2-CDRaw Sugar, there’s plenty more here also worth checking out, with Blue adding an extra lump or two of blues in the form of such classics as a 14-minute “Hoochie Coochie Man” and perhaps the smoothest version of Junior Wells’ “Messin’ with the Kid” you’ll ever hear, thanks in large part to Blue’s silky vocals and harp as well as some particularly fine work from Damiano Della Torre on organ.

Recorded during the band’s 2011 U.S. tour, the set starts off with the red hot licks of a swinging, Blues Brothers-ish “Red Hot Mama” (“and a nice cold bottle of beer”) before moving into a romping version of “One More Mile” followed by Muddy Waters’ “Hoochie Coochie Man.” Blue’s playing is of course exquisite, lively and playful throughout, and infused with just the right amount of grittiness on tunes like “Hoochie Coochie Man.”

Having reached what Blue terms the “melting point” (“you know when Sugar starts to melt, it gets real sweet”), Blue and the band next offer up a jazzy tribute to fellow harp legend James Cotton in “Cotton Tree,” providing Blue a nice opportunity to demonstrate the range of his vocals, with other jazzy numbers “Walking Alone” and the closing instrumental “Swing Chicken” helping to bookend a rocking “Bluesman.”

Disc two picks up with Blue playing his 365 (“That’s the big one, girls”) on the slow blues of “Another Man Done Gone,” then moving to the shuffling “Krystalline” about “a strange white lady…krystalline cocaine.” From there, he segues nicely to the next song: “Now, speaking of krystalline, there was a little band I used to play with, out of England, called the Rolling Stones. And we cut a song…it was called ‘Miss You’. And we’re gonna’ do it like I did it – somewhat – with the Stones back in the old days, and then we’re gonna’ put our spin on it,” with their spin being a seven-plus minute funkier R&B version of the tune before the band launches into “Messin’ with the Kid.” The first of two bonus tracks, the simmering blues of “Bad Boys Heaven,” features some wailing harmonica as Blue – who’s been called the Jimi Hendrix of harmonica – again trades licks with Della Torre on keys, also one of many songs to include a solo from guitarist Rico McFarland (with drummer James Knowles and bassist/co-writer Ilaria Lantieri rounding out the tight and talented band). The set closes on the pointed but smooth R&B grooves of “Lip Service & Lies.”

Whether you’ve heard Sugar Blue many times before or “Miss You” is currently the extent of your familiarity with the harp ace, Raw Sugar, you’ll find, is a pretty sweet way to experience him again.

Mighty Sam McClain – Too Much Jesus, Not Enough Whiskey (Mighty Music)

Here at the BluesPowR Blog, we generally go out of our way to avoid the subjects of religion and politics, but have to say we found the latest release from Mighty Sam McClain – Too Much Jesus, Not Enough Whiskey – all too appealing. With a voice rivaling such greats as Bobby “Blue” Bland, Solomon Burke, and Little Milton, McClain works through 14 originals on the new CD, offering up plenty of soul, R&B, and funk along the way. Despite the album’s title, many of the lyrics are indeed of a spiritual nature, easing in with words of hope, prayers, and believing – accented by some soulful vocals (both of the lead and backing varieties) and swinging horns – on the catchy opener “I Wish You Well” before fully immersing himself in messages of faith and good works on songs like “Wake Up Call,” the groovy, organ-driven “Stand Up,” and the funky “Can You Feel It?”

“Missing You” is one of several fine slow R&B ballads you’ll hear, along with “Tears,” the cracklng “Use Me,” and “So Into You,” with McClain also shining brightly on the Allen Toussaint co-written “Real Thing” and such funkier numbers as the bluesy “Feel So Good, Feel So Right” and a Prince-worthy “Hey Baby.” A little smoother than you might expect in a song of its name, the title track is another strong one, including some nice strings and backing vocals, with the rapping vocals and Dr. John-like sounds of “Rock My Soul” also helping to place it among the disc’s highlights before percussion and horns help usher in the funky disco sounds of the closing “Dance.”

Backed by an extensive and talented group of musicians led by longtime collaborator and guitarist Pat Herlehy, who also co-produced the project and co-wrote and arranged many of the songs, McClain, it seems, has found just the right balance of friends, faith, and flavors to make Too Much Jesus nothing short of a divine outing.

Now, about that upcoming Presidential election…

Posted in Albums | Tagged Mighty Sam McClain, Sugar Blue | Comments Off

With new Almost Always Never, Joanne Shaw Taylor almost never fails to delight

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Mike

U.K. blues-rock guitar-slinger Joanne Shaw Taylor may not have come away from last weekend’s British Blues Awards with any prizes, relinquishing the best female vocalist honor she’s held for the past two years to Chantel McGregor this time around, but she’s certainly got a winner of an album in her brand new Almost Always Never, released this week on Ruf Records.

Last we heard from Taylor back in 2010 with her Diamonds in the Dirt, you may recall we likened her to a hurricane. Having since relocated to Texas and switched to a new producer in Mike McCarthy, that comparison is perhaps even more fitting on Almost Always Never. Recorded in Austin, the album reminds us of all that we admire about Taylor, from the breathy vocals and evocative lyrics to the fire of her playing, which burns all the more intense on this outing, with Taylor often achieving Joe Bonamassa-like heights of impressiveness, beginning with the thrashing guitar solos and powerful riffs of the opening “Soul Station” and continuing with such rockers as “Tied & Bound” and “Standing to Fall” and the hypnotic “Maybe Tomorrow.”

But power is not of course all you’ll get from Taylor, who displays a versatility on guitar well beyond her 26 years, ranging from the tender quiet strains of Robert Cray on “Beautifully Broken” to bluesy echoes of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix (“Piece of the Sky”), Led Zeppelin (“Army of One”), and Pink Floyd (on her slow, thick-as-mud cover of the Frankie Miller ballad “Jealousy”), among others. Almost Always Never also finds Taylor backed by a talented trio of musicians, comprised of J.J. Johnson (Tedeschi Trucks Band, John Mayer Trio, Doyle Bramhall II) on drums, Billy White on bass and acoustic slide, and David Garza on keys, the latter’s finest moments including some downright pretty piano on the closing “Lose Myself to Loving You” and work on organ that adds a neat swing to the breezy “A Hand in Love.”

With its smoky vocals and “it’s not you, it’s me” attitude, the dark, catchy “You Should Stay, I Should Go” is easily as good as any song you’ll hear on pop radio today, as can also be said about both the quiet ballad that is the album’s title track and the aforementioned “Beautifully Broken.” If Taylor didn’t take the world by storm through either of her previous albums, the dozen strong tunes – all but one originals – and plenty of smoking guitar on Almost Always Never certainly will.

Batten down the hatches, my friends: this one will blow you away.

Posted in Albums | Tagged Joanne Shaw Taylor | Comments Off

Generous servings of guitar, family-style blues help define 2012 Heritage BluesFest

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Mike

There was a whole lot of guitar-slinging in Wheeling a few weekends back, where the annual Heritage Music BluesFest took place – from the solo acoustic sounds of Samuel James and local act Adrian Niles to the triple threat of the Brooks Family Blues Dynasty to the electrified blues of Nick Moss and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Sure, the talented Deanna Bogart helped move the spotlight to keyboards for one set Saturday afternoon, while the Joe Krown Trio brought a nice taste of New Orleans for Sunday’s attendees – but even that tended to be somewhat dominated by the guitar and vocals of Walter “Wolfman” Washington.

If there was a second main theme on the weekend, it would have been that of family, with the offerings including not only the father (Lonnie) and sons (Ronnie and Wayne Baker) combination of the aforementioned Brooks family, but the powerful two brothers/one sister acts of Trampled Under Foot and the Homemade Jamz Blues Band.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

We weren’t able to make it to the Friday night performances – which included sets from Robert Cray, Peter Karp and Sue Foley, and Southern Hospitality, among others – but here’s what we saw and heard the rest of the weekend, starting – a bit unconventionally perhaps – with the Sunday headliner, the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, which closed the festival with a rocking set spanning from their first album Ledbetter Heights (“Deja Voodoo,” “Shame, Shame, Shame”) to their new How I Go, kicking off, as the album does, on the powerful “Never Lookin’ Back.” After a short visit back to the Trouble is…album with “Somehow, Somewhere, Someway” and “Everything is Broken,” the band – which includes the talented lead vocalist Noah Hunt and drummer Chris Layton – returned to its newer music with “Butterfly” and its take on the Beatles’ “Yer Blues,” also hitting “Dark Side of Love” a bit later in the program, with “True Lies” and the instrumental “While We Cry” helping to close out the set. Of course, no Kenny Wayne Shepherd show is complete without a little “Voodoo Child,” which served as the finale in an encore that also included “Blue on Black,” “I’m a King Bee,” and “Oh Well.”

Trampled Under Foot

Preceding Kenny Wayne Shepherd on stage were the Schnebelen siblings, better known as Trampled Under Foot, who, after a solo warming up from older brother Nick on simultaneous guitar and drums, hit on such classics as a Danielle-sung “Never Make Your Move Too Soon,” a powerful “It’s a Man’s World,” and Nick on vocals for “Killing Floor,” interspersed with many of their own tunes, closing on a truly rocking “Rock & Roll.”

Homemade Jamz

Of course, Trampled Under Foot wasn’t the first brother/sister trio to grace the Heritage Music BluesFest’s stage this year, with the Homemade Jamz Blues Band beating them to it the previous afternoon, beginning on a soulful “I’ll Play the Blues for You” before getting to a few songs from their latest album The Game with “Burned Down the House” and the slow, groaning blues of “Gotta Bad Bad Feeling.” Other highlights of the set included a nice take on “Ain’t No Sunshine” and the band’s gritty new tribute to their home in “Mississippi Hill Country” with references to R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Jessie Mae Hemphill, and others, with brothers Ryan (20) and Kyle (18) stepping out to mingle with the crowd and show off their smoking, homemade (light-up!) muffler guitars for a while before sister Taya (13) forced them back to the stage with a terrific drum solo. Not quite ready to call it a day, the Perrys responded to the audience’s calls for more with John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom.”

Wayne Baker & Lonnie Brooks

Soon after, headliners the Brooks Family Blues Dynasty also put on one hell of a show, starting off with a few numbers from Wayne Baker Brooks, then Ronnie Baker Brooks, including “Make These Blues Survive” and a medley of his own “Born in Chicago” along with “Catfish Blues” and “I Just Want to Make Love to You.” Then the brothers welcomed their father – the legendary Lonnie Brooks – to stage, where the three joined in playing such gems as “Going Back to Louisiana,” at one point lining up side-by-side-by-side to play each other’s guitars – and “Sweet Home Chicago.” Already a few hours past our peak and with a bit of a drive before us, we weren’t able to stick around to hear the encore, but we’re hoping (both for the sake of those who were still there and our own, in the event the video happens to find its way to our computer) that it might have included a little something called “Don’t Take Advantage of Me.”

Deanna Bogart

In between those family affairs were a few other terrific sets, first from the talented Deanna Bogart, then Chicago guitarist Nick Moss. Again proving a triple threat on vocals, keyboards, and sax, Bogart offered several songs on keys before moving on to the horn, venturing well into the crowd and most of the way up the steps of the ampitheater. Returning to both the stage and her piano, she proceeded to present the soft ballad “Blue by Night” and a heartfelt take on Stevie Wonder’s “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers,” followed by “In the Rain” from her new Pianoland album, and a encore of “Still the Girl in the Band.”

Moss was the next to take the stage, with Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly) direct descendant Michael Ledbetter helping to provide some soulful vocals when Moss himself wasn’t at the mic for songs like “Tear ’em Down,” the powerfully inspirational “It’ll Turn Around” and the encore “Katie Ann (Slight Return).”

Samuel James

Earlier in the afternoon, Samuel James presented a nice solo set of originals including a new “Nineteen” as well as classics such as Bukka White’s “How Long Before I Change My Clothes” and Yank Rachell’s “Hobo Blues” that saw him playing his guitar from the left, right, on his lap, and even vertically, with a Bob Dylan tune “Meet Me in the Morning” for an encore. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the weekend for us came in the form of a funky rocking set that followed from Kentucky guitarist Tee Dee Young and his four-piece band, which included such treasures as “Why I Still Play the Blues,” “Proud Mary,” and “How Blue Can You Get,” also the first of three artists to step out into the crowd that day.

The Nancy McKeen Bluz Machine and Izzy and Chris took turns keeping the music going on the second stage, with songs like “Fixin’ to Die,” “Catfish Blues,” “Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” “Gimme Some Loving,” and “Every Time I Roll the Dice” mixed in with some originals and other covers. Second stage honors Sunday went to solo act and International Blues Challenge semi-finalist Adrian Niles, who recently had a few of his songs featured on F/X’s Justified, and an undeniably talented group of young men from Ohio who call themselves the Brighter Side Band and whose originals such as “Louisiana Woman” may surpass the covers like “Rollin’ and Tumblin'” and “Diving Duck” they do remarkably well for their youthfulness.

Also putting on quite a show Sunday in the form of some powerful soul was Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges, with his often B.B. King-like guitar work accenting such tracks as “Woke Up This Morning,” the Sam Cooke-sounding “In Your Arms Tonight” (probably not coincidentally followed by “A Change is Gonna Come”), and the catchy “Bluesman” before closing his set with “Take Home Pay.”

Hadden Sayers

Likewise, Hadden Sayers and Sean Carney each contributed some nice string action earlier in the day, with highlights of the Texas native (by way of Columbus, Ohio) Sayers’ easy-flowing set including the slow grooves of the Blues Music Award-nominated “Back to the Blues,” “Take Me Back to Texas,” a soulful “Bring It on Home to Me,” and for an encore, a slow blues version of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” After a funky show from the New Orleans-based Joe Krown Trio (with Krown on organ, Walter “Wolfman” Washington on vocals and guitar, and Russell Batiste on drums) that included jazzy takes on such tunes as “Can I Change My Mind” and “Last Two Dollars,” it was Ohio guitarist and International Blues Challenge winner Carney’s turn to command the stage, where he and harmonica player Omar Coleman shared vocals, with highlights of the set including Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “Looking Back” and the closing “She Wants to Sell My Monkey” (Tampa Red).

Sean Carney

Off the stage, plenty of non-musical artists were also present, in the form of food and craft vendors peddling their products, which ranged from pulled pork barbecue and catfish sandwiches to crabcakes and cold drinks, to jewelry, hats and shirts, and blues society memberships, to the striking artwork of eastern PA’s Dane Tilghman, who we’ve seen now at quite a number of festivals and does such a nice job of capturing the likenesses and emotions of bluesmen such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan, James Cotton, Eric Clapton, and others. Check out his website to see what we mean, and for a few more looks at this year’s on-stage performances, be sure to check out our own BluesPowR Gallery.

Nick Moss

Tee Dee Young

Posted in Shows | Tagged Adrian Niles, Brighter Side Band, Deanna Bogart, Eugene Hideaway Bridges, Hadden Sayers, Heritage Music BluesFest, Homemade Jamz Blues Band, Izzy and Chris, Joe Krown, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Lonnie Brooks, Nancy McKeen Bluz Machine, Nick Moss, Omar Coleman, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Samuel James, Sean Carney, Tee Dee Young, Trampled Under Foot, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Wayne Baker Brooks | Comments Off

The original rollin’ stone, Muddy Waters jams with the Stones on Checkerboard Lounge DVD

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Mike

Muddy Waters and the Rolling Stones – Live at the Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981 (Eagle Rock Entertainment)

You know that question you’re sometimes asked during job interviews about “If you could go back in history and meet anyone, who would it be?” (frequently also followed by “and why?”) The answer for me – and countless other blues fans, no doubt – would have to be the legendary Muddy Waters, with the “why” having a lot to do with the story of Muddy’s musical journey from the Mississippi Delta to the clubs of Chicago, where he helped inspire a whole new generation of musicians both home and abroad, among them, a group of lads from London who took their name from Muddy’s “Rollin’ Stone” and would become one of music’s biggest acts ever.

Having never had the chance to experience a true live performance from Muddy, I’m always interested in new videos of the master in action. So when I heard that this one also included guest performances from fellow blues greats Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, and Lefty Dizz, I knew I’d have to check out. And oh yeah, that group of lads from London is here as well.

Recorded at Buddy Guy’s first club, the Checkerboard Lounge, in Chicago in late-November 1981, the DVD captures a truly historic night of blues. Starting with a few warm-up numbers from Muddy’s band in the form of “Sweet Little Angel” and “Flip Flop and Fly,” both sung by pianist Lovie Lee, it’s then “star time,” as Muddy takes the stage to the slow blues of “You Don’t Have to Go” and superb slide guitar work of “Country Boy” before bursting into “Baby Please Don’t Go.” No one, of course, is going anywhere, with Muddy and the band all in fine form, including some terrific piano from Lee, harmonica from George “Mojo” Buford, and guitar from John Primer and Rick Kreher, not to mention the arrival of the Rolling Stones just minutes into Muddy’s third song. A few more minutes later, Muddy has already called Mick Jagger to the stage to help on vocals, with Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood also joining on guitar by the song’s end (both walking across the table to get there). Despite the shrinking size of an already tight stage, Mick somehow finds the room to dance around, as he and Muddy lead the way – testifying to each other’s vocals – through such other classics as “Hoochie Coochie Man” and an inspired “Long Distance Call.”

It’s fun to watch the interaction between the two singers – Mick’s flamboyance and energy serving as a stark contrast to Muddy’s more laidback, seated country style – yet you can easily sense the mutual admiration these men hold for one another, each fully aware of the debt owed the other: Muddy, for introducing Mick and so many others to the blues, and Mick, for introducing Muddy’s music to the rest of the world, helping Muddy and other bluesmen get the attention they so rightly deserved (and may not have ever received otherwise).

By the time they get to “Mannish Boy,” it’s obvious that Muddy is feeling quite inspired by the Stones’ presence and probably somewhat flattered by their admiration, moving him to his feet to do a little bit of dancing as well. It’s also at this point that Muddy brings yet another big name to the stage in the well-dressed Buddy Guy, whose first order of business is provide Mick a big hug. With Muddy to his right and Buddy on his left, Mick is visibly awestruck as the two blues greats trade vocals, with Buddy then taking his place on guitar as Junior Wells and Lefty Dizz come to stage for a turn on vocals.

With Muddy and Mick ready for a break, Junior Wells takes over the show on vocals and harmonica with “Got My Mojo Workin’,” also now joined by the Stones’ Ian Stewart on keys, as Buddy, Keith and Ronnie tear things up on guitar. An impressive guitar solo from Buddy kicks off a fiery “Next Time You See Me” that provides a couple of nice jams between the host and the Stones guitarists, with Junior relieving Buddy on vocals partway through while Lefty more than holds his own on guitar.

Having now reached his turn on vocals, Lefty’s fine playing continues on the humorous “One Eyed Woman,” performed with so much energy that he at one point backs right into Keith. An instrumental “Baby Please Don’t Go” also allows Lefty to break things down nicely on guitar, including some great interplay between the bluesman and Ronnie, before Muddy returns to the stage with “Clouds in My Heart,” where he directs an auditory smorgasbord on guitar with solos from Keith, then Ronnie, then Primer, and finally, Lefty, for one of the night’s most memorable segments.

Another pretty memorable moment comes just a short time later when Muddy is again joined by Mick for the disc’s closing “Champagne & Reefer,” during which someone produces a stash that Muddy picks up and sniffs, prompting first a look of surprise, then amusement. Of course, there’s no need for champagne or reefer when the music is this good, and those left hoping for more will be glad to learn that the DVD also includes two bonus tracks: a “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone” from the same night that provides another nice look at Muddy’s band, with Primer on vocals as well as guitar, and the Stones performing “Black Limousine” during a 1981 show on a much bigger stage at the Hampton Coliseum.

Although the size and crowdedness of the stage and club itself don’t allow for a whole lot of artistic camerawork, the photographers did manage to collect a rather nice variety of angles and shots to capture both the intimacy of the setting and these artists at work, with plenty of close-ups of the singers and musicians throughout the night and fuller stage and audience/stage shots when needed. The truth is, this DVD would qualify as a treasure even if the camerawork were only half as good, allowing those of us who weren’t there to still serve as witness to the historic gathering.

While you can of course purchase just the DVD, you’d be crazy not to spring an extra five clams for the DVD/CD set, with the CD (previously available only as a bootleg) including all of the songs found on video except for “Country Boy” and the instrumental “Baby Please Don’t Go” and being as pleasing aurally as the DVD is to watch. Or, if you want an even more authentic sound, wait for the DVD/LP set due out in early September, but one way or another, you’re going to want to add this one to your collection.

Posted in Albums | Tagged Buddy Guy, George Mojo Buford, John Primer, Junior Wells, Keith Richards, Lefty Dizz, Lovie Lee, Mick Jagger, Muddy Waters, Rolling Stones, Ronnie Wood | Comments Off

Spring/early summer can really hang you up the most; Quick Takes: new(ish) music from Johnny Rawls, Albert Castiglia, Liz Mandeville, and The Nighthawks

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Mike

Anyone who says the blues is dying probably ought to take a look at the stack of new blues releases we’ve managed to accumulate over the recent months, many of which we may never be able to even begin thinking about writing about.

That said, here are a few recent releases we’d be remiss in not mentioning:

Albert Castiglia, Living the Dream (Blues Leaf Records)
As tempted as we were to limit our review of Albert Castiglia‘s latest album Living the Dream to just three words – “Walk the Backstreets,” which is the only track you’ll need to hear to realize this is yet another good one from the all-too-underrecognized Castiglia, we knew that wouldn’t do justice to the many other fine tracks on this project, from the catchy opening title track and rollicking instrumentals “Freddie’s Boogie” (Freddie King) and Castiglia’s own “Fat Cat” to the swaying, keyboard-infused ballad “Directly from My Heart to You” (Little Richard) to the rocking closer in Mose Allison’s “Parchman Farm.”

A former band leader, guitarist and singer for the great Junior Wells, Castiglia has long had a knack of combining soulful, often country-tinged, vocals reminiscent of Van Morrison and Jimmy Buffett with fiery blues guitar riffs and solos, not to mention the clever lyrics you’ll hear on such songs as “The Man” (“Oil man came from across the sea, spilling pain and misery/ One year later, without a word, five dollars a gallon and giving me the bird”), one of five songs on the album penned by Castiglia.

In addition to the nine-minute, simmering, down-the-alley blues of Little Milton’s “Walk the Backstreets” (Sandy Jones) – which probably should come with some kind of warning that it could lead listeners to hit the replay button time and again, you’ll also want to be sure to check out “Sometimes You Win” with its quieter, Led Zeppelin-sounding guitar solo and Castiglia’s take on Paul Butterfield’s “Lovin Cup,” featuring some blistering guitar work from Castiglia as well as harmonica from Sandy Mack.

Liz Mandeville, Clarksdale (Blue Kitty Music)
Liz Mandeville is no newcomer to the blues, having already recorded four albums on Chicago’s Earwig Records. The first on her own Blue Kitty label, Mandeville’s latest album Clarksdale, however, serves as a remarkable new beginning for the Chicago singer and guitarist – one likely to receive a good deal of attention when the next round of Blues Music Awards nominees is announced.

Dedicated to the late Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, who not only encouraged Mandeville to start her own label, but also played both drums and harmonica on several of the album’s best tracks – including the fun, swinging opener “Roadside Produce Stand” and instant classic “Walking & Talking with You,” which also adds some nice piano from Leandro Lopez-Varady to complement Mandeville’s smoky vocals and nifty guitar playing, Clarksdale offers a little bit of everything you could hope for in a blues album, from the acappella gospel-blues “No Fear/Everything” accompanied only by Mandeville’s snapping, to the boogeying “Sweet Potatoe Pie” featuring Howlin’ Wolf horn man Eddie Shaw on tenor sax, to the rocking “My Mama Wears Combat Boots” with Nick Moss on guitar and Mandeville playing washboard.

With vocals that range from the sweet and tender tones of “Mama & Daddy Blues” and “A Soldiers Wife” to the powerful growl of “Clarksdale/Riverside Hotel Blues” with its piano and Robert Johnson-style guitar intro, Mandeville proves she can do it all, with many of the songs also serving as statements on such topics as the war on drugs (the solo acoustic “4:20 Blues”), relationships (“Bye Bye Blues”), and flooding (“Sand Baggin”).

Johnny Rawls, Soul Survivor (Catfood Records)
If it’s a little soul you’re seeking, there’s perhaps no one more dependable than Johnny Rawls, who follows up last year’s acclaimed Memphis Still Got Soul with another scorcher in the form of Soul Survivor. Produced by Rawls and bassist Bob Trenchard, Soul Survivor includes nine original tunes, all written or co-written by Rawls and/or Trenchard, as well as one from Rawls’ mentor O.V. Wright in “Eight Men, Four Women,” which makes particularly nice use of background singers Jessica and Jillian Ivey.

When it comes to Rawls, there’s little need for much detail: everything here is soulful, from the catchy opening title track to the slow, swaying “Drowning” and swinging “King of Hearts,” one of many songs further buoyed by some fine horns, keyboards, and background vocals. A bit smoother and more tempered in his vocal delivery than say a Curtis Salgado, Rawls is at his very best on songs like the funky “Bad Little Girl” and more uptempo “Hand Me Downs,” also contributing musically on the instrumental “J.R.’s Groove” and the country-tinged closer “Yes,” on which Rawls provides bass and guitar tracks, respectively.

The Nighthawks, Damn Good Time! (Severn Records)
Where The Nighthawks go, a good time is almost sure to follow. So when the band stepped into its new record label’s state-of-the-art shiny new studio in Annapolis last fall, fresh off its Acoustic Album of the Year win (Last Train to Bluesville) at last year’s Blues Music Awards, you could pretty much bet that the finished product would be something special. Indeed, in both title and content, it’s a Damn Good Time!

Starting on a harmonica-accented version of Elvis’ “Too Much,” the band breezes through a terrific variety of tunes, including a gritty “Who You’re Working For” (written by Pittsburgh’s Billy Price and the late Glenn Pavone), the groovy title track featuring drummer Mark Stutso on lead vocals – with the rest of the band providing some damn good harmony vocals, and such rockers as “Bring Your Sister,” Jimmy McCracklin’s “Georgia Slop” – both sung by bassist Johnny Castle – and the closing “Heartbreak Shake,” one of several songs co-penned by Stutso with Pittsburgh guitarist Norman Nardini, along with “Minimum Wage” and the extremely soulful “Down to My Last Million Tears.”

His first recording with the band since joining two years ago, Stutso’s contributions to the project are many: in addition to singing and/or having written a number of the songs, his drumwork is a nice complement to the consistently strong instrumentation of bandleader Mark Wenner’s harmonica, Paul Bell’s guitar, and Castle’s bass, with other particularly notable numbers here including the band’s takes on Charles Calhoun’s classic “Smack Dab in the Middle” (previously recorded on their 1990 Hot Spot album) and Wilbert Harrison’s “Let’s Work Together,” also a great one to hear these guys do live.

Posted in Albums | Tagged Albert Castiglia, Johnny Rawls, Liz Mandeville, The Nighthawks | Comments Off

Help kickstart the blues! Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Roger “Hurricane” Wilson CD project

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Mike

More and more independent blues artists, it seems, are looking to fund some of the costs of their next (or first) albums through Kickstarter, a crowd funding website for all types of creative projects. One example of a successful blues project currently on Kickstarter is that of rock guitarist Gary Hoey (“Hocus Pocus”), who is in the process of raising money for an album of original blues songs titled Deja Blues. Just past the halfway point in his 30-day drive, Hoey has already surpassed his $15,000 goal, with a promise to include two additional bonus tracks if he receives pledges totaling twice the original goal.

Also currently on Kickstarter, with just a week remaining, is a project from Atlanta-based bluesman Roger “Hurricane” Wilson called Live Blues Protected by Smith & Wilson, with the Smith in this case being legendary Muddy Waters band drummer and harmonica player/singer Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. Recorded during a December 2009 show in Harrisburg, PA, this may be one of, if not the, last chance we’ll have to hear a full album from Smith, having passed in September of last year, just months after receiving a Grammy Award for his Joined at the Hip album with longtime friend Pinetop Perkins.

As Wilson points out on his Kickstarter page: “This is not just another CD, but an actual piece of Blues musical history.” And, with a goal of just $6,000 (to assist with the mastering, manufacturing, artwork, advertising, and radio promotion of the disc), it would be a real shame if this project doesn’t see the light of day or is further delayed by inadequate funds, particularly with more than a quarter of the goal already achieved.

We’ll be doing our part to help make this project a reality; how about you?

Posted in Crowdsourcing | Tagged Gary Hoey, Roger Hurricane Wilson, Willie Big Eyes Smith | Comments Off

Blues Lyrics of the Week: Here I Am

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Mike

In celebration of British blues-rocker Oli Brown‘s mini-tour of the Northeast this month, here’s a closer look at the lyrics of the title track from Oli’s latest release, Here I Am. Both, we think you’ll find, are well worth checking out.

“Here I am with a new intention,
I’ll be just who I wanna’ be.
A little change wouldn’t do any harm,
so I’m gonna’ take a chance and see.
No, I’m not hidin’
from anything else.
Ain’t tryin to be no Jimi or Stevie,
I wanna’ be my goddamn self.
I keep fightin’ voices in my head…

Here I am in front of you.
Hear my voice say,
it’s my choice to be
what you didn’t expect me to.

I’m keepin’ focused and listenin’ close
‘cuz there’s plenty more I need to know.
But don’t tell me who I should be
‘cuz I’m in control of my own show.
No, I’m not hidin’
from anyone else.
I’m sick of hearing I can’t do this,
I can only be my goddamn self.
I keep fightin’ voices in my head…”
– “Here I Am”, Oli Brown and Ron Sayer

Posted in Lyrics | Tagged Oli Brown | Comments Off

Quick takes: Tedeschi Trucks Band, Royal Southern Brotherhood offer great examples of blues power in numbers

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Mike

Recent events and travels have prevented us from writing about much of the great new music that has found its way to our doorstep lately, but here are a couple of the releases that have caught our ear in recent weeks.

Tedeschi Trucks Band, Everybody’s Talkin’ (Sony Masterworks)
While nothing compares to seeing and hearing the 11-member Tedeschi Trucks Band in the flesh, this live double disc set is perhaps the next best thing, featuring just the right mix of songs from the band’s Grammy Award-winning debut Revelator in addition to covers of tunes from Bobby “Blue” Bland (“That Did It”), Elmore James (“Rollin’ and Tumblin'”), Joe Cocker (“Darling Be Home Soon”), and Stevie Wonder (“Uptight”), among others, as well as a brand new track in “Nobody’s Free.”

A soulful take on Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talkin'” opens the set, reminding us within the first ninety seconds of some of the things we like so much about the band, including Tedeschi’s gripping voice, tight instrumentation in the form of guitar and drums, fine back-up vocals, and horns – all long before Trucks’ first solo on slide guitar. Many of the Revelator tunes have been enhanced with new parts or arrangements, such as the quiet “Swamp Raga”/”Little Martha” intro to “Midnight in Harlem,” the expanded horns and guitars on “Learn How to Love,” a nearly 13-minute “Bound for Glory” with some particularly fine interplay between keyboards, guitar, and horns about midway through, followed by some pretty glorious guitar work, and a funky, 11-minute “Love Has Something Else to Say” that also allows trombonist Saunders Sermons a turn on vocals with the addition of Bill Withers’ “Kissing My Love.”

As good as the band sounds together, it’s often the individual touches that help this ensemble rise to a whole ‘nother level, as demonstrated in moments such as the three and half minute slide solo from Trucks that closes “Midnight in Harlem,” Kofi Burbridge’s flute solo during the powerful “Nobody’s Free,” and Tedeschi’s gritty guitar work to match her husky vocals on disc two’s opening “That Did It,” also one of the band’s tightest numbers. The fifteen-and-a-half minute “Uptight” is a true combination of parts, with horns given a prominent role early on, followed by a jazzy solo from bassist Oteil Burbridge before the track culminates with a four-minute drum solo.

A soft, slow take on “Darling Be Home Soon” nicely showcases the band’s background vocals and, again, horns, with the 11-song set closing on the gospel sounds of the traditional “Wade in the Water,” a perfect way to wind down from the energy heard throughout most of the rest of the recording. With two superb albums now under their belt in only their first year, it’s looking pretty certain that everybody will be talkin’ about the Tedeschi Trucks Band for a long time to come.

Royal Southern Brotherhood, Royal Southern Brotherhood (Ruf Records)
Even though it doesn’t have quite as many members as the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Royal Southern Brotherhood doesn’t pack any less of a punch. Another celebrity gathering of sorts made up of guitarists Devon Allman (who father Gregg states in his recent memoir “can play the fucking blues”) and Mike Zito along with percussionist Cyril Neville of Neville Brothers and The Meters fame, joined by Charlie Wooton on bass and Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band) on drums, Royal Southern Brotherhood makes a strong statement on their self-titled debut (Ruf Records).

Produced by the legendary Jim Gaines (Luther Allison, Albert Collins, Blues Traveler, George Thorogood, Albert Cummings, Joanne Shaw Taylor) at Louisiana’s Dockside Studio, the album is a rich, cohesive collection of blues-rock sounds that could very easily have come across like a various artist compilation but doesn’t, with Allman, Zito, and the 63-year-old Neville all sharing in vocals as well as contributing musically on each of the dozen tracks. It starts, fittingly enough, on a smoky “New Horizons” with Rolling Stones-styled riffs in addition to some other fine guitar work and vocals, before moving to the Santana-like tones and Spanish percussion of “Fired Up!” Having previously collaborated on the writing of the 2010 Blues Music Award-winning Song of the Year in Zito’s “Pearl River,” Zito and Neville again worked together to pen a number of tracks here, including “New Horizons,” the flowing R&B sounds of “Moonlight Over the Mississippi,” and a slow, gritty “Ways About You” that also benefits from Zito’s appropriately anguished vocals.

The 36-year-old Allman’s soulful “Left My Heart in Memphis” is another slow but steady number, with Zito contributing some nice country-tinged blues on “Hurts My Heart.” While some might be ready to declare the power ballad “Gotta Keep Rockin'” as the band’s anthem, it’s hard to do any better than tracks like “Sweet Jelly Donut” with its funky New Orleans sounds and lyrics or the modern-day Bob Marley-like take on “Fire on the Mountain” (Mickey Hart, Robert Hunter), also previously covered by the Neville Brothers. One of the tastiest examples of double entendre we’ve heard in quite a while, the swinging, Neville-penned “Sweet Jelly Donut” takes you on a wild ride through the Crescent City, encountering the likes of Dr. John, Kermit Ruffins, Trombone Shorty, and the Soul Rebels, all accented by some neat percussion and guitar; it may not exactly satisfy your appetite, but it certainly will satisfy your soul.

Throughout it all, the band is solid but never overbearing, with two more strong numbers before the album’s close, in the Zito-led “All Around the World” and the snazzy instrumental “Brotherhood,” featuring some particularly catchy bass work from Wooton along with a nice mix of percussion and guitar, including some of the Allman Brothers-sounding variety.

Here’s hoping this Brotherhood enjoys the same type of longevity and recognition as the bands that already bear some of its members’ last names.

Posted in Albums | Tagged Cyril Neville, Derek Trucks, Devon Allman, Jim Gaines, Mike Zito, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Susan Tedeschi, Tedeschi Trucks Band | Comments Off