GRADY CHAMPION Payin’ For My Sins

GRADY CHAMPION
Payin’ For My Sins
SHANACHIE (1999)

Young Mississippi blues singer and harmonica player Grady Champion produced his own debut album and impressed enough folks that Shanachie signed him to the label and got Dennis Walker (one of Robert Cray’s producers) to produce his latest album. Richard Cousin’s, Cray’s former bassist is on most of this as well.

He certainly brings intensity to these performances, but his intensity on the opening "I’m Smiling Again" makes him sound still angry at a former love as opposed to be celebrating, while his harp maintains this mood. His somewhat limited vocal attack works more with the boastful "My Rooster is King." Somewhat better is "You’ve Got Some Explaining To Do" which, to these ears, benefits from a wider range of dynamics in his vocal. Particularly nice is a soulful new tune by Dennis Walker, "Good As New," which benefits from a relaxed vocal approach. A bit of country flavoring adds to the appeal of "Roberta."

Several covers are included of which Grady’s reworking of "Goin’ Down Slow," that incorporates a rap about AIDS is particularly moving. "Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City" is a nice rendition of one of Bobby Bland’s Malaco recordings. He also provides a new twist into Sonny Boy Williamson’s "Don’t Start Me Talkin’."

While obviously influenced by Sonny Boy Williamson, his harp and the soul-blues settings on much of this remind me somewhat of Detroit’s Little Sonny. Like Little Sonny, he doesn’t blow you way with his harp playing which functions primarily as embellishments for his vocals. Grady has really impressed many with the fervor he brings his performances. He also writes some very good material. This recording is better than the tone of my comments might suggest, and I suspect he will be viewed as one of the major voices in blues within the next few years.

I believe I received a review copy from Shanachie. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2000 Jazz & Blues Report  (Issue 243). Here is a 2010 performance by Grady.