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February 2010 CD Reviews
Various Artists “It Ain’t Over! 55 Years Of Blues”.Delmark 2009.(CD & DVD) To talk about Delmark records is to talk about an important piece of the history and jazz and blues development, not only as musical genres but also as the legacy and important heritage of Afroamerican culture. Bob Koester founded the label in 1953 in Chicago. His original idea was to give a useful platform for Chicago black community to express his music through records and spread it further up Illinois state. He immediately got an enoumous success and what was first conceived as a small business daily was growing up with an increasing catalog of artists. The original Koester’s idea of a label exclusively including pure genuine blues only devoted to blues fans, gradually opened to other more innovative and carefully selected sound but, over all, including much more contemporary blues music. The list of artists who along the years have recorded for Delmark would never end, so I will only mention some of the most outstanding ones: Big Joe Williams, Sleepy John Estes, Curtis Jones, Yank Rachell, Roosevelt Sykes, Magic Sam, Carey Bell, Luther Allison, Junior Wells, Little Brother Montgomery, Sunnyland Slim, Pete Johnson, Otis Rush, Jimmy Johnson, Eddie Clearwater, Little Walter, Lonnie Brooks, Albert Ammons, Big Walter Horton, Memphis Slim, Arthur Crudup, Jimmy Burns, Big Time Sarah… on an endless list.
To celebrate their splendid fifty-five years of lively blues, Delmark Records have published a cd and this excellent dvd, which include remarkable live performances with nine of the most prestig representative and popular artists of their catalogue, along eighty minutes of pure hot flaming blues. You will see on your TV screen a good number of Chicago sound bright stars like Zora Young, Jimmy Johnson, Aaron Moore, Little Arthur Duncan, Barry Dolins, Lurrie Bell, Shirley Johnson, Eddie Shaw and Tail Dragger who represent the most valid actual blues you can find. The selection is really accurate with a variety of instruments that include guitars, piano, harmonica and sax, with priceless solos and backing the amazing voices of the performing artists who have already left their prints in the history of American popular music and twe can now discover and enjoy.
The Alex Dixon Band “Rising From The Bushes”. Dixon Landing Music 2009. With a small spoken introduction of his grandfather Willie Dixon, begins the cd his grandson Alex has recorded and entitled “Rising From The Bushes”. Piano player, song-writer and producer Alex Dixon captivates listeners with ten songs, eight own compositions and two standards coming from his grandfather, “Down In The Bottom” and “Spoonful”, where he shows he is a gifted song-writer with contemporary blues, soul and Americana influences and an able piano player too, with a remarkable technique he has known from his masters Leonard ‘Baby Doo’ Caston and Lafayette Leake. Dixon has chosen a good bunch of musicians to back him on the cd, so you will find two drums aces, James Gadson (Marvin Gaye, B.B. King, Ray Charles) and Alvino Bennett (Koko Taylor), Gerald Johnson (Steve Miller, Crosby, Stills & Nash) on bass and vocals, Alan Mirikitani, a.k.a. BB Cheng King, on guitar and vocals, Michael Fell on harmonica and the backing voices of Mercy Levi, a.k.a. Marcella Detroit (Eric Clapton, Shakespeare’s Sisters) and David Dills. The result is an elaborated cd with an excellent final production, which makes as a result an ambitious project where Alex Dixon shows his personal vision of how should be XXIst. Century blues.
José Luis Pardo & The Mojo Workers “Country & City Blues”. Gaztelupeko Hotsak 2009. A new album of Argentinian singer and guitar player José Luis Pardo where he gives us his most unknown hidden facet, his other face, his most intimist rural and accoustic blues side. After his previous albums where the electric work prevailed over other aspects, now we are facing a delicious one, where the stress is on the blues origins, always from an honest brave and sincere point of view. This does not mean you will listen to a totally acoustic CD, because it combines electric and acoustic styles and Pardo gets totally involved into his love and respect for this kind of music. Time has gradually given him a huge experience and forged a personal own way on the difficult music career. José Luis plays this lively emotional and expressive music called blues with great doses of intense passion and he does it with mastery skill. Besides Pardo on vocals and guitars, you will also find Mariano Llopis on acoustic bass, Gustavo Lazo on harp, Juan Codazzi on acoustic guitar, Gonzalo ‘Mono’ Martino on drums, Martín ‘Cipi’ Cipolla on electric bass, Maximiliano Romanellm on piano and Hammond organ, and finally Giuseppe Puopolo on saxo. A cool gratifying cd I am sure you will completely love.
The Rusty Wright Band “Playin’ With Fire”. Sadson Music 2009. This is a superb band of energetic rock-blues and southern rock, with flaming electric guitars in the path of Allman Brothers Band and the first J. Geils Band. The cd has a faultless final production, thanks to the good work of producer and sound technique Al Hurschman who has done other recognized recordings for well known bands (Grand Funk Railroad, Ted Nugent, Blackfoot, Ike & Tine Turner… and so on). The Rusty Wright Band offer us ten dynamic alternative songs, with such and intensity that sometimes reach an schizoid paroxysm, thanks to the mastery performng talent of Rusty Wright and the rest of musicians, all them able and efficient artists who have totally involved themselves on this musical project. You will find Rusty Wright on guitars and vocals, Laurie LaCross-Wright on vocals and guitar, Dave Brahce on keyboards, Hammond B-3 and guitar, Andy Barancik on bass, Pete Haist on drums and Eddie Lester on sax and `percussion. A convincing piece of work thanks to the whole musicians passion, originality and deep feeling.
Scott Sharrard “Ante Up”. Self Production 2008. Scott Sharrard is a singer, guitar player, producer and song-writer with a great charisma and powerful feeling, not only as a singer but also as guitar player. Eight excellent perfoming come along this cool versatile album so, if you like groove, funk, blues, soul and rock, in the path of Prince, then Scott is your artist. Gifted with mastery guitar technique and an imaginative fast phrasing, Sharrard plays with an extreme taste and passion his own songs, together with different versions of B.B. King, Stevie Wonder or Robbie Robertson among others. Besides Scott Sharrard himself on vocals and guitar, you will also find Jeff Hanley on bass, Diego Voglino on drums, Jay Collins on tenor and baritone sax –who also has done horn arrangements-, Chuck MacKinnon on trumpet and Brian Charett on Hammond B-3. Sharrard shines at a very high level thanks to his excellent guitar work, where he shows a huge knowledge of the instrument that allows him to play many and different styles. Enjoy with this hard splendid record coming from a new talent you may discover, Scott Sharrard. Remember his name because he will not disappoint you.
Roger Cotton “A Long Way Back”. Note Music 2008. British blues owes a lot to this legendary man called Roger Cotton, producer, song writer, well known musician of huge talent and great sensitivity (those of you who listen to this tremendous fantastic record will immediately realize what I mean). “A Long Way Back” is the first one he has recorded under his own name and includes fifteen excellent own songs. Roger also plays keyboards and guitar along the whole cd, to back a bunch of high quality bright British musicians like Buddy Whittington, Papa George, Marcus Malone, Paul Cox, Val Cowell, Fay Hallam and Alan Glen. For some years Roger Cotton was member of Peter Green’s Splinter Group and he also has played with John Mayall, B.B. King, Santana and Buddy Guy to only mention four great aces. As a studio musician (he is the owner of Roundel studios) he has been responsible of some Paul McCartney, Eric Bibb, Dr. Feelgood and Peter Green recordings. In short words, it is an ambitious magnificent work that will surprise listeners much more they have expected. The cd also includes a bunch of great musicians that give the best of themselves along the whole album.
Gordon Smith “The Essential”. Note 2009. Excellent British bluesman with a long wide music career in his back, totally consolidated with endless shows in bars, pubs and taverns around United Kingdom and many European countries. For recording this new album, Gordon Smith has recruited a bunch of good British musicians, such as Dino Cocia on drums and percussion, Alan Glen and Wust Weston on harp –who plays piano together with Bob Adheri-, Bernie Pallo on accordion, John O’Reilly on guitar and the bass players Jim Mercer, Rod Demick, Jim Ydstie and Lakis Economou. All them give the perfect support to this restrained well qualified album of pure explosive blues, performed with passion, feeling and devotion to this musical style few artists nowadays posess. The blues appears and flows in every single note Gordon Smith and his musicians play, not only in their own songs (“Ladybird”, “Hey Renes”, “Rev-ing Up”), but also in versions of classic songs coming from Muddy Waters, Lery Carr, Robert Lockwood Jr, Lowell Fulson, Sleepy John Estes or Reverend Gary Davis among others. In short words here comes an album conceived under the basis of deep love to the blues.
Theodis Ealey “Live”. IFGAM 2009. Southern soul and rhythm and blues music are lucky to have on its files a fantastic representant called Theodis Ealey. After some years into the music business and southern soul market, Ellis has gradually introduced himself to the highest names of that kind of music. Bobby Rush, Shirley Brown, Clarence Carter, Latimore, Marvin Sease among other outstanding names, are some of the great artists he has got an artistic and personal relationship. The cd was recorded live from a club in Atlanta, Georgia, and brings us an effective able singer and guitar player who inspires himself on one of his heroes, Mr. B.B. King. He is backed by a faultless band and tasteful restrained vocal arrangements of drummer David L. Wilmont plus the voices of Willie Hill and Theodis’ wife, Linda Ealey. If you love such great artists like Little Milton, James Brown, Latimore, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed or Bobby Rush, then you will not be wrong if you buy this album.
Tas Cru “Grizzle N’ Bone”. Self Production / BlindRaccoon 2009. Amazing blues and rhythm & blues music… Good… good… very good. The main idea focused on the whole album is food… food… a lot of food. Tas Cru is an expert ‘gourmet’ who loves good cooking. It does not matter it is creole, cajun, Cuban, Mexican or of a reputed chef, the important thing is toi find good and delicious food. Musically speaking, it is an excellent album because Tas Cru is a versatile multi-colored artist (singer, guitarist and song-writer) with a wide cultural experience and an elegant cool and mastery style. His bsnd, The Slow Happy Boys, give a passionate performing, putting all their energies in Tas’ project. Also the voices of the Stacked Deck Singers back most of the cd songs with an extreme good taste and feeling. Thirteen songs of quite different musical styles but with the common thread of blues in its most varied faces, aspects and sensitivities, from upbeat country blues to funky groove blues, red-dirt roots, smooth swing beat lament, thick medium tempo ballads or country gospel blues. As you can easily imagine, the album is a real pleasure for the finest palates. A delicious menu!!.
Nick Moss & The Flip Tops “Live At Chant’s Vol.2”. Blue Bella 2009. The best intense passionate respectful and lively Chicago blues your can listen nowadays has a name and this name is Nick Moss. Moss lives for the blues, he is an honest vitalist musician with an enviable respect and sense of responsibility for this kind of music. His knowledge, skill and commitment have given him the admiration and recognition of most musicians in Chicago and surrounding area, but also of blues lovers around the world. Guitar, bass, harmonica player, singer and song-writer, Nick is a bright musician totally devoted to his work he does with the faithfulness of those people who have been born to spend their lives with the blues. His new album gathers ten cuts with eighty intense minutes and includes shuffles, upbeat tempos, funky and lowdown dirty blues. Backing Nick, you will find Gerry Hundt, Willie Oshawny, Bob Carter, Lurrie Bell and charming beautiful sexy (with her husband permission) Kate Moss. If you like Otis Spann, Muddy Waters, Eddie Boyd, Jimmy Rogers and other fifties Chicago Southside sound monsters, then you have certainly found what you were looking for. It is a cd nobody should miss to slowly enjoy. You will love it!!.
Charlie Morris Band “Ten Tall Tales”. BluesPages 2009. An incredible banquet or, if you prefer, a feast of different sonorities from zydeco to slow rock, mid tempo blues and a lot of good varied Louisiana music, with shuffles, slow blues and a little bit of up-tempo rockabilly. Fantastic Charlie Morris Band new work, a mastery lesson of groove, wild, free and easy dancing along “Ten Tall Tales”, you should enjoy with a glass of whisky or gin in your hand. Charlie sounds brilliant with his Stratocaster and Markus Baumer gives a swinging piano and Hammond B-3 performing. Marco Jeanrenaud on drums and percussion and David Clarke on bass give the perfect background to get a tremendous strong feeling to the ten songs included on the cd, that would shake your home foundations if you raise the volume of your cd player. And, if it happens, please do not say Vicente Zumel did not give you advice.
Big Gilson “Sentenced To Living”. Blues Boulevard 2009. The true thing is Bill Gilson is completely right when he says that if you ask most blues fans who are their favorite musicians and bands, ninety-nine percent would give American names in their answers, without thinking that in other places of the world, there are also excellent musicians who play, not only the most genuine classic blues but also rock-blues and avante-garde blues. Big Gilson is a right singer and a very good blues guitar player. Born in Brazil, he is a direct heir of the style of Jimmy Hendrix, Roy Buchanan and other mythic heroes or seventies amplified guitars. His last work will give real pleasure to listeners, because it includes real genuine rock-blues, performed with the most energetic savage and heartbreaking feeling you can imagine along eleven precious treasures of guitar fireworks, which will get deep into your hearts and souls. The Blues Dynamite back Bill Gilson with Pedro Lèao on bass and Gil Eduardo on drums, together with a long list of guest musicians who give a colorful straigth performing.
Eddie Taylor Jr., Tré & Harmonica Hinds “From The Country To The City”. Wolf 2009. Genuine acoustic blues in this “From The Country To The City”, by the reunion of three habitual musicians of Chicago electric blues scene. This time they show they are a true source of rural blues conception and feeling, as you could find them sitting at any southern farm playing back porch blues, with that particular way of displaying the stories that daily happen in Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama or Tennessee… Pure down home blues with Tré on acoustic guitar and vocals in the songs “Church Bell Blues”, “From The Country To The City”, “She’s The Reason I Shot My Baby” and Eddie Taulor Jr. on acoustic guitar and vocals in “Love Me While I’m Livin’”, “Get Out Of My House”, “I Got To Find My Baby” and “Crawlin’ King Snake”. Finally there is also Harmonica Hinds on harp and vocals in “Can’t Blame Nobody”, “I’m Your Lovin’ Man”, “Tell Me What You Wanna Do” and “Preachers”. This is an amazing treasure of country blues performed by three efficient able musicians who feel, love and play blues with the respectful passionate love of the chosen ones.
Carl Wyatt & The Delat Voodoo Kings “Live At The Entr’ Pot”. DeVille 2009. I was lucky to enjoy some years ago the appetizing Texas rock-blues of singer and guitar player Carl Wyatt, on a live show at the small seaside village of Roses (Gerona, Spain), and it was a real pleasure to discover him. He is a guitar player gifted with an excellent technique and a tasteful voice. In this new record he has included eight swingin’ & groovin’ songs, with long well structured solos that will get right to your heart. Wyatt is backed by his habitual band, The Delta Voodoo Kings, who give the perfect support to make the Carl faultless guitar talent shine at a very high level along more than sixty five minutes of music included in the cd. “Live At The Entr’ Pot” was recorded live from a club in France and it was also done on dvd format snd an excellent sound. Half of the tracks included are Carl’s own compositions. The rest are versions of songs coming from Frankie Lee Sims, Luther Johnson, A.C. Reed and Leadbelly. Can you think of an electrifyed Leadbelly, backed with drums, bass and Hammond B-3? Yes, fellows, you wlll now enjoy it on this cd and the true thing is he sounds cool, actual and lively.