Billy Flynn Takes the Lonesome Highway

Billy Flynn
Lonesome Highway
Delmark Records

As Tom Hyslop observes, for all the recordings Billy Flynn has played on for Delmark over several decades “it is hard to believe” that this release is first his for the label as a leader which places him in the spotlight, not simply as the fluid, straight no chaser, blues guitarist (and harmonica player and percussionist), but as a songwriter and an able vocalist. With a core backing band of Roosevelt Purifoy on keyboards, E.G. McDaniel on bass and Andrew ‘Blaze ’ Thomas on drums, Flynn contributes sixteen idiomatic originals along with a cover of “The In Crowd.” Several tracks employ horns and Deitra Farr duets with him on two selections.

Flynn has provided a nice variety of songs which provides him a chance to display his versatility as a guitarist with a dash of harmonica as well. There is a rock and roll flavor to his guitar (evocative of Chuck Berry who just passed away as I write this) on the opening “Good Navigator,” which is a delightful duet with Farr. “Small Town” is a nice, low-key performance with a sober vocal and guitar suggestive of Earl Hooker with a dash of harmonica for good measure. The title track is a strong Otis Rush styled West Side Chicago blues with a strong vocal and some superb Rush-like guitar soloing, while the instrumental take of The ‘In’ Crowd" is a driving instrumental (shades of Jimmy Dawkins) with some strong organ under Flynn’s funky mix of chords and single note runs. Another solid West Side Styled blues is ”The Lucky Kind."

“Hold On,” with more harmonica, is another duet with Farr set to a Jimmy Reed groove with crisply played guitar (echoes of Eddie Taylor) and harmonica breaks. “Jackson Street” sounds inspired by Robert Nighthawk’s “Jackson Town Gal” and Flynn adds some solid Nighthawk influenced slide guitar, while the rollicking “Long Long Time” is akin to J. B. Lenoir’s “How Much More.” The funky “I Feel ‘Um“ opens with Christopher Neal’s booting tenor sax with some jazz-inflected playing akin to Fenton Robinson. The instrumental ”Blues Express“ finds Flynn’s string-bending suggesting Freddie King, while his guitar playing and deliberate vocal on ”Sufferin’ With the Blues” is modeled after Albert King, and his playing emulates B.B. King on the closing “Christmas Blues.”

In addition to his chameleon like ability to suggest a number of legendary blues guitarists, Flynn’s idiomatic originals,  choice harmonica playing and  natural, heartfelt singing, make this a gem of a recording. It does not hurt to have such crisp backing throughout on this gem of a new blues album.

I received my review copy from Delmark. Here is Billy Flynn in performance.

Mary Jo Curry Impresses

Mary Jo Curry
Guitar Angel Records

A veteran of touring theater companies, Mary Jo Curry discovered a love for the blues five years ago. Now she has an eponymously titled debut album produced by James Armstrong comprised of four originals and five covers. Curry wrote two of the originals and her husband Michael Rapier wrote two as well as shares guitar duties with Armstrong. Others on the album are bassists Darryl Wright and Lawrence Baulden, drummer Andrew Blaze Thomas, keyboardist Brett Donovan, a horn section of Dick Garretson (trumpet), Mike Gillette (sax) and Larry Niehaus (trombone) and backing vocals from L.A. Davison.

Curry impresses as a singer throughout this nicely produced straight-ahead set of blues. Her pitch, her phrasing and dynamics underlie her very expressive and soulful vocals. The backing is also very nice, handling a nice range of material from the opening Curry original jump-blues shuffle, "Ooooo Weeee," where she celebrates her wrong-doing man having left and she is finally free to Rapier's closing, funky "Smellin'," where she confronts her cheating man who is smelling like sex again with nice slide guitar from him as well. Themes of relationships in trouble are also present on Rapier's "Husband #2," an urban blues with some solid guitar (thinking it may be Armstrong taking lead here) and riffing horns, as she advises watch one says and do, as she is looking for Husband #2.

Covers include a nice rendition of Junior Wells' "Little By Little," as well Koko Taylor's "Voodoo Woman," although she doesn't quite match Koko's original (which few could reach in any event). "When a Woman's Had Enough"  originally recorded by Bettye Lavette and later by Shemekia Copeland, on which Curry produces a fine vocal that perhaps best displays her vocal range on thismarvelous song. Not previously having heard of Mary Jo Curry, this listener were delighted by this solid debut. Kudos to James Armstrong for the tight, uncluttered production and to the musicians who played on this fine recording.
I received my review copy from a publicist.Here is a clip of her performing in public.