Johnny Burgin Live

Johnny Burgin
Live
Delmark Records

Rockin' Johnny Burgin notes that this new live recording is his first in 20 years, and first since he moved from Chicago to the West Coast. It was recorded in January of 219 at the Redwood Café in Cotati, California. His regular band of Chris Matheos on bass and Steve Dougherty on drums is augmented by Kid Andersen on guitar, harmonica players Aki Kumar and Charlie Musselwhite, saxophonist Nancy Wright, and vocalist Rae Gordon. Kid Andersen and Robbie Yamilov and was mixed by Andersen at Greaseland Studios. The 14 selections include twelve brand-new originals performed, as Burgin observes, "by artists who don't play together regularly… ."

This collection of performances is a very good collection of West Side Chicago style blues. Burgin has definite appeal as a vocalist with his high pitched, heartfelt singing. He may not be a great singer, but there is a marked absence of a harsh vibrato or false emoting in his straight-forward, fervent vocals. This is matched by his guitar playing that evokes early Buddy Guy, Jody Williams, and (especially) Jimmy Dawkins in his top-notch, imaginative soloing. From the opening "You Got To Make a Change," whose melody evokes early Clifton Chenier on Specialty, with Kumar's outstanding harp until the closing "Jody's Jazz," an instrumental dedicated to Jody Williams that hints at "Lucky Lou" and also showcases Wright's chicken scratching sax, Burgin impresses.

There are echoes of early Buddy Guy in his fiery fretwork "Can't Make It Blues," while one of the covers is a choice rendition of Earl Hooker's "The Leading Brand" where Burgin's slide guitar dances with Kumar's harp. Vocalist Rae Gordon surprises with her robust singing, whether enlivening a duet with Burgin on "I Got to Find Me a Woman" or pouring her heart, and asking a lover to come home in "Late Night Date Blues." Nancy Wright makes notable contributions to these performances. Backing her vocal on "You Took the Bait," Burgin lays down one of his most stunning solos before Wright adds her raspy sax. This song borrows from the melody of Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson's "Kidney Stew." Charlie Musselwhite joins Burgin with some brilliant harmonica on the torrid paced cover of Jimmy Rogers' "Blues Falling." It is followed by another hot shuffle, "California Blues," where Burgin sings about moving to California, and the three-in-the-morning slow blues, "When a Bluesman Comes To Town."

With so many first-rate performances, Johnny Burgin's adds to his fine body of recordings.

I received my review copy from Delmark. Here is a video of Johnny and Aki Kumar performing "When a Bluesman Comes To Town."

Tony Holiday Porch Sessions

Tony Holiday
Porch Sessions
VizzTone

I am not familiar with harmonica player Holiday and guitarist Landon Stone, but the two have been traveling around the country, playing with and recording with a variety of blues folks. With Kid Andersen adding his bass, they ended up with this enjoyable recording with 13 tracks. They hook up on this recording with such artists as Charlie Musselwhite, James Harmon, John Nemeth, John Primer, Bob Corritore, Kid Andersen, Aki Kumar, Rockin’ Johnny Burgin, Kid Ramos, and Mitch Kashmar for a collection of enjoyable, informal blues performances.

Holiday is on harmonica on these tracks but is glad to have others take the spotlight starting with James Harman's whose amusing shuffle "Pickpocket Fingers," has a fine vocal and Kid Ramos adds his guitar. Holiday takes the harmonica chair on Harman's excellent vocal on "Special Friend," while he and Holiday both are heard on a nice country blues styled shuffle, "Goin' To Court." Bob Corritore adds harp behind John Primer's superb Muddy Waters' styled blues "They Call Me John Primer," with a terrific vocal and slide guitar in the vein of Waters with whom Primer played with. Primer also sounds terrific on Howlin' Wolf's "Tell Me Baby" with Corritore wailing on harmonica. Jake Friel sings gruffly on "A Woman Named Trouble" with John Nemeth adding harmonica along with Holiday. Nemeth takes a strong vocal on "Blues Hit Big Town," with Holiday's harmonica taking the tune out.

Aki Kumar sings on "That's All Right" with Charlie Musselwhite and Holiday also on harmonica. Rockin' Johnny adds his guitar on this entertaining, informal jam of a blues classic. It's like the other performances, fun and very entertaining if not classic. Holiday is an able singer as displayed on "Three Way Party" where the third person at the party is a bottle of Jim Beam with Mitch Kashmar and Ronnie Shellist both adding harmonica accompaniment and solos. Rockin' Johnny adds atmospheric guitar behind Holiday on "Coin Operated Woman," a nicely sung humorous lyric. "Hip To It" is a harmonica trio with some intriguing interplay between Kashmar, Shellist and Holiday.

While most of the recording is of Chicago styled blues, the closing track is a small group rendition of an old Bobby Bland number, "This Time I’m Gone For Good," that the late Johnny Adams recorded on his final album. William G. Kidd, a blue-eyed soul-blues singer, who is originally from Virginia, is excellent on this with Ronnie Shellist on harmonica. It is the highpoint of this CD along with the Primer tracks, but the level of these informal recordings is high. One does wish that the packaging provided more detailed information on who was doing what on each selection, and also that Holiday showcased himself up front a bit more, but few will listen to this and not be highly entertained.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. Here is one of several videos from Tony Holiday's Front Porch Sessions, Ali Kumar singing "That's All Right" with Charlie Musselwhite and others on Musselwhite's Front Porch.

 

Whitney Shay A Woman Rules The World

Whitney Shay
A Woman Rules The World
Little Village Foundation

There is something about a recording that makes one take notice, especially when it is by an artist that one was previously unaware of. San Diego vocalist Whitney Shay made that impression when I first started listening to her assertive "Ain't No Weak Woman," that opens up this new release of modern urban blues and classically oriented soul. Supporting her expressive singing is the excellent support that producer and guitarist Christoffer 'Kid' Andersen has provided. On this she is supported by a studio band that includes Jim Pugh on keyboards, Kedar Roy on bass, Alex Pettersen on drums and 'Sax" Gordon Beadle on saxophones with Igor Prado and Aki Kumar among those guesting on selected tracks.

"Ain't No Weak Woman" is one of four songs Shay co-wrote with Adam Eros, and she vigorously delivers her lyric that having a weak moment does not make her a weak woman. It is a moving vocal set against a driving groove with a superb Sax Beadle tenor sax solo. More raspy sax opens a lesser known Dinah Washington number "Blues Down Home." The terrific horn arrangement and her superb vocal suggests she could handle a straight jazz recording as well as she handles the blues and soul here. This track also has Jim Pugh's greasy organ accompaniment, a nice harp break from Aki Kumar and booting sax that evokes Eddie Chamblee and the like. After a hint of New Orleans on another original, "Don't You Fool Me No More," Igor Prado adds his slashing guitar and a  vocal on another original, the funky "Love's Creeping Up On You."

The title track was Denise LaSalle's answer to James Brown's "It's a Man's World." Sdt against the firm accompaniment, moaning and shouting, she delivers another knockout vocal. Andersen's sitar helps open her fervent blues shouting on a reworking of Little Richard's "Freedom Blues," followed by a strong deep soul interpretation of Candi Staton's "Get It When I Want It," with Sax Beadle's baritone sax a significant part of the backing. Among the other selections is the low-key original lament, "Empty Hand," where her phrasing and vocal dynamics stands out.

Another driving Little Richard number "Get Down With It," closes this recording. The terrific studio band and Andersen's production along with Shay's powerful, nuanced singing result in a superb recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. I have made some stylistic edits to the review that originally appeared in the July-August Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 379). Here is a video of Whitney Shay performing.

Howlin' At Greaseland

Various
Howlin' At Greaseland
West Tone Records

Some veterans and new names join together for a tribute to Howlin' Wolf that was recorded at Kid Andersen's' Greaseland studio and has a cover inspired by Wolf's Rockin' Chair album. Assembled for this besides Andersen on guitar, bass and piano, are Rick Estrin and Aki Kumar on harp, Lorenzo Farrell, Jim Pugh and Henry Gray on piano, Rockin' Johnny Burgin, Johnny Cat, and Chris James on guitar; Joe Kyle Jr, Patrick Rynn, Robby Yamilov and Vance Ehlers on bass; Derrick Dmar Martin, and Junior Core on drums; and Terry Hanck on sax, with vocals from Gray, Hanck, Alabama Mike John Blues Boyd, Lee Donald and Tail Dragger on vocals.

There are solidly played and sung performances in the manner of the originals, if not quite of the level of the originals. After all, there was only one Howlin' Wolf. Alabama Mike sings with urgency on "Meet Me In The Bottom," with Estrin's harmonica and Farrell's piano featured while "Smokestack Lightning," has the first of Boyd's vocals with Estrin doing a nice evocation of Wolf's harp over the solid vocal. Boyd also recalled seeing Wolf in 1956 visiting a school friend of his before launching into a rollicking "Riding in the Moonlight," with the spirit of Willie Johnson suggested in the guitar backing. After recalling, his father booking Howlin' Wolf in the sixties in suburban Chicago, Terry Hanck handles "Howlin' For My Darling," with a fine vocal and strong sax, while Johnny Cat emulates Hubert Sumlin.

Tail Dragger has a couple of recollections of Wolf here along with performances of "I'm Leaving You," and "Don't Trust No Woman," with his slightly muffled vocals with strong accompaniment from Rockin' Johnny Burgin on guitar, and Aki Kumar on harp. Henry Gray, who spent 14 years in Wolf's band, is backed by Chris James, Patrick Rynn, Ali Kumar (who shares the vocal) and Junior Core, doing a solid "Worried Life Blues." I believe this is the only song here not identified with Wolf. Also, Gray sings and plays "Little Red Rooster, with Kid Andersen's acoustic guitar the only other backing.

I am not familiar with Lee Donald, who is the strong vocalist on "Forty Four," and Boyd sings robustly on "Spoonful" that closes "Howlin' At Greaseland." While there is nothing earthshaking here, this is a fine, straightforward homage to one of the icons of the blues.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is John 'Blues' Boyd singing a Wolf classic not on this album, "Back Door Man."

John Boyd The Real Deal

John Boyd
The Real Deal
Little Village Foundation

In his brief notes to this debut by John Boyd, Rick Estrin speaks of his stylistic range at times reminiscent of shouters like Big Joe Turner and Wyonnie Harris and other times like blues crooners like Junior Parker and early B.B. King. I am not sure I agree, although listening to this I agree with the Rick Estrin penned opening track where Boyd proclaims "I Am The Real Deal," that he certainly is. I assume Estrin is the harp player on this selection while Aki Kumar is also heard on this album. Others here include Kid Andersen, Big Jon Atkinson and Robert Welsh on guitar; Jim Pugh, Welsh and Andersen on keyboards; Dave Chavez, Danny Michel and Andersen on bass; June Core, Atkinson and D'Mar Martin are among those on drums; while horns include the saxophones of Eric Spaulding and Terry Hanck. Andersen produced and recorded this at his Greaseland Studios. Boyd wrote ten of these songs

After emphatically letting us know he is the real deal, Boyd takes on a hot rocking shuffle "I Will Discover" that suggests classic Junior Parker with some blistering guitar in the vein of Roy Gaines backing Bobby Bland on Duke whereas the following "I'm Like A Stranger To You," has the feel of a Percy Mayfield Tangerine recording. Whoever did the arrangement here is to be commended, while Boyd again shows just how fine a singer he is. There is plenty of humor in Rick Estrin's ode to big-legged woman "That's Big!" with a bass line that evokes Jimmy McCracklin's "The Walk." Another hot shuffle, "That Certain Day" features some outstanding guitar in the vein of classic Freddie King.

An Estrin-Andersen collaboration "Dona Mae" takes us to Chicago in a performance in the manner of vintage Muddy Waters, while the musical setting of "I'm So Weak Right Now" evokes B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone," as Boyd sings about not being able to get himself together as his lady has gone. Then there is a terrific slow blues with some haunting sax at the opening "Screaming in the Night" with a great vocal and backing evocative of an unissued Otis Rush Cobra side, whereas musically "(Have You Ever Been To) Marvin Gardens" is reminiscent of the Willie Dixon Argo album by Walter Horton. Unlike the limited vocal of the late harmonica wizard, Boyd handles the vocal with plenty of personality and there is some fine harp here.

The album closes with Boyd's marvelous "John, The Blues Is Calling You," as he sings he knows what must do, because he was born a blues disciple with some greasy organ and more terrific guitar. With the excellent players Kid Andersen assembled, it would be pretty hard to produce something other than a very entertaining recording. When one adds a terrific singer like John Boyd, then one has a stellar recording that is as impressive a contemporary real blues debut as one might have heard in some time.

I purchased this. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371). Here is a video that introduces John Boyd.

Chris James and Patrick Rynn Find That Trouble Don't Last

As Bill Dahl observes in the liner booklet to "Trouble Don't Last," the new Vizztone Records release by Chris James and Patrick Rynn, "the blues tradition has always been central to" their approach to music. Vocalist/guitarist James and bassist Rynn joined forces in Chicago two decades ago and played behind a number of legends as well as established themselves on their own with several choice albums. On "Trouble Don't Last" they are backed by drummer June Core (Robert Lockwood, Jr, Charlie Musselwhite and others) and harmonica players Aki Kumar and Rob Stone who even are both heard on two of the twelve selections.

Starting with the opening "Shameless," the duo give as good a lesson on how to play traditional Chicago Style blues with Core laying down a crisp shuffle groove followed by a strong interpretation of Calvin Frazier's "Lilly Mae" with Kumar's harp wailing behind James' warning to her if he finds her misbehaving on Hastings Street. James is a terrific 'old-school' guitarist and Rynn and Core lay down a solid backing. There is some nice unison guitar-harp playing here on a selection that evokes the early 50s recordings from Joe Van Battle's Hastings Street shop. There's a lively reworking of Freddie King's "Lonesome Whistle Blues," with a dual harp horn section followed by a terrific Muddy Waters' styled "Going Down to the Ocean" which was inspired by the days Rynn played with the Griswold Brothers in Toledo, and with some deep blues guitar from James. The title track is built around some nimble finger picking fretwork with a simple rhythm and Kumar's supporting harp and followed by a strong down-home flavored treatment of R.C. Smith's "Down Drive Me Away." "Good Idea At The Time" is a brooding blues (in a John Lee Hooker vein) with James singing about sitting in jail and no one to blame but himself so he has to do his time.

Sunnyland Slim's reworking of the "Rollin' & Tumblin'" theme, "Roll, Tumble and Slip" receives a lively reworking (with harp solos from both Stone and Kumar) that exhibits not only the excellent musicianship, but strong ensemble playing that is characteristic of this entire recording. James is a straight-forward singer who does a solid job delivering his originals and with Rynn and the rest of the band has provided another blues gem.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. This review appeared in the November-December 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 363). Here is a video of the two in performance.

Rockin Johnny Burgin Greetings From Greaseland California

Rockin' Johnny Burgin has impressed as a vocalist, guitarist and harmonica player who has worked with Sam Lay, Pinetop Perkins and Tail Dragger among others along with his own recordings for Delmark. While in the West Coast he stopped by fellow guitarist Kid Andersen's Greaseland Studio for a session with Andersen, harmonica player Aki Kumar, bassist Vance Ehlers and drummer June Core. The result is "Greetings From Greaseland California" (West Tone Records),  a collection of strong blues covering a diversity of Chicago blues styles.

Burgin is an earnest and solid singer who delivers the songs here without histrionics or artifice. Backed by this strong studio band, he plays Chicago blues with a tasteful, yet strong idiomatic approach so his performances  come off as relaxed and not rushed. The album opens with a terrific shuffle "Love Me Like I Want It." One is struck by the tempo anchored by Core's relaxed groove and Burgin's prickly, stinging guitar. The album concludes with a wonderful rendition of a lesser known Jimmy Reed number "Tell the World I Do," with Kumar's Reed styled harp played in the manner of Reed himself backing Burgin's laconic vocal.

In between these two songs are the instrumental "Havana Rocks' with terrific harp at the opening and a tempo change midway leading to strong guitar playing; "She's a Hit" another classic Chicago blues; a cover of a lesser known Robert Lockwood number, "Western Horizon" with Burgin's guitar evoking the the late blues legend; a rendition of Junior Parker's "Telephone Angel" in the manner of Son Seals; a "Tribute to John Wrencher" that conjures up that one-armed harp player; and "Empty Bed Blues," the album's highpoint in which a Josh White song is rendered as if by Earl Hooker.

"Greetings From Greaseland California" is another strong recording by Rockin Johnny Burgin that fans of Chicago blues will savor.

I received my review copy (as a download) from Johnny Burgin himself. Here Johnny does Otis Rush's "Homework."

Jackie Payne I Saw The Blues

 

It has been too long since most of us have heard from Jackie Payne, which is remedied by a new CD on Blue Dot Records, "I Saw The Blues." Payne first came into prominence with a recording on Jetstream led to him joining the Stax Revue. Moving to the West Coast he was featured with Johnny Otis for 15 years. Then he recorded for JSP before starting a partnership with Steve Edmondson which led to three more terrific recordings and a Blues Music Award for Soul Blues Album of the year. Now, nearly a decade later, he returns with this soul blues gem recorded and mixed by Kid Andersen who also plays as part of backing group that includes guitarist Anthony Paule, keyboardists Lorenzo Farrell and Bob Welsh, harmonica player Aki Kumar, trombonist Ed Early; trumpeter Jeff Lewis; and tenor saxophonists Frankie Ramos, Jack Sanford and Eric Spaulding.

Payne contributed six originals for a terrific urban blues recording with a heavy dose of Texas and Muscle Shoals in feel. Think about those terrific recordings Payne made with Steve Edmondson, those by Frankie Lee or the stunning Frank Bey-Anthony Paule recordings. Payne was in terrific voice when he made these sides showing little evidence of having aged since he first recorded decades ago. The brassy backing and Welsh's piano sets the mood for Payne's delivery on "Back To Normal," a moody number from J Barnett, C. Whitsett and Dan Penn as he displays his power and vocal dynamics and Andersen takes a crisp solo break. The title song by Payne has autobiographical references with Payne singing about being born in Georgia and in New Orleans saw the blues again. Farrell and Kumar taking solo breaks here. Payne's woman acts real strange on "Full Moon Blues," a Payne-Paule original with Paule adding slide guitar along with Kumar's harmonica to provide a down home feel.

"When the Blues Comes Knockin'" is a Texas to West Coast shuffle with Andersen taking the guitar lead as Payne warns listeners that the blues will try to persuade you he is your best friend. Billy Ray Charles' "Wife, Woman, Hootchie" is a terrific Malaco styled blues that sounds like it was recorded in Muscle Shoals, while "Kicking Back With the Blues" has a laid back groove with Paule on the guitar lead while Early's trombone is spotlighted on a superb performance. "Six Million Dollar Man" is a tough blues with Payne shouting that he has love, more than one can stand, and "if love was money, I would be a Six Million Dollar Man." I would not be surprised to see this number covered by other singers, but they would have to go far to come close to Payne's original. "Rock Me With a Steady Roll" is a superb slow blues suggestive of the Pete Johnson-Big Joe Turner classic "Cherry Red," with more fine down-in-the-alley trombone as well a terrific tenor sax solo from Eric Spaulding.

"I Saw the Blues" closes with a superb extended rendition of Ollie Nightingale's hit "I'll Drink Your Bathwater Baby," concluding an hour's worth of varied blues and soul, superbly sung and terrifically played. This is one of the best recent blues recordings this writer has heard. Jackie suffered a major stroke in 2014 which held up production and release of this recording, and while recovering is still unable to sing. We wish him well and a benefit will be held for him at Biscuit & Blues in San Francisco on May 31. I am sure there will be ways for those who cannot make it there can support him.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the May-June Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 360).  Here is Jackie singing with Steve Edmondson some years ago.