Dave Keyes The Healing

Dave Keyes
The Healing
Keyesland Records

I am familiar with Dave Keyes from his work as a sideman behind the likes of Slam Allen, Alexis Suter and a Johnny Copeland tribute than as a leader. This is apparently his 6th album and a good one indeed. He is backed by Frank Pagano on drums (with Steve Rushton on some tracks) and bassist David J. Keyes with guests guitarists Popa Chubby and Arthur Neilson, singers Vaneese Thomas and Alexis Suter, and harmonica player Rob Paparozzi. Keyes penned 9 originals along with two covers on a program that includes soul-drenched rock, blues and boogie with some gospel touches.

What immediately struck this listener was the level of Keyes' vocals. I knew he had serious keyboard chops, but the quality, diction, dynamics, and authoritativeness of his vocals was a very pleasant surprise. This can be heard on his very intriguing reworking of Robert Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues," and Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Strange Things Happening," both of which he places a personal stamp on. It is also true of his originals including his duet with Vaneese Thomas on the soulful "Ain't Looking For Love," with its chugging rhythm, nice harmonica from Paparozzi and its refrain of some people looking for love and some just looking for sex. Suter and the Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir provide vocal backing on the gospel-tinged "Faith Grace Love And Forgiveness," another performance which illustrates the honesty and conviction Keyes invests his singing with.

Keyes instrumentally is solid throughout whether as part of the rhythm section or playing rollicking solo boogie woogie on "Boogie For Stefan." Furthermore, his songs have memorable lyrics and are well played by the studio band resulting in this terrific recording. After listening to this, I would love to see Dave Keyes as a leader, not simply a sideman.

I received my review copy from Dave Keyes. Here Dave is performing "Blues For Stefan."

Shemekia Copeland Outskirts of Love

Shemekia Copeland
Outskirts of Love
Alligator Records

Returning to Alligator Records, Shemekia Copeland has just issued "Outskirts of Love," an album of blues, roots rock, and R&B that certainly will appeal to her many fans. Produced in Nashville by Oliver Wood, who plays guitar and adds backing vocals, the recording also includes Jano Rix on drums, percussion and keyboards and Lex Price on bass, with guest appearances by Billy Gibbons, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Robert Randolph. Also heard are guitarist Will Kimbrough and Arthur Neilson (from Shemekia's touring band), and steel guitarist Pete Finney. Wood and Executive Producer John Hahn (and Shemekia's manager) collaborated for a number of three songs and Hahn also collaborated with Ian Siegel on another. There are also renditions of songs from Shemekia's late father, Johnny Copeland, along with Albert King, John Fogerty, Jessie Mae Hemphill amongst others.

The title track is a rocking number that would not be out of place on an album rock station which Shemekia quickly lends her vocal authority to the Hahn-Wood lyrics. A highlight is the reworking of her father's "Devil's Hand" with a smoldering backing that builds in intensity along with her assured, blues shouting. Alvin Hart lends some down-home blues flavor with his guitar and vocal to the Hahn-Siegel "Cardboard Box," where she has no pillow, "mine is made out of rocks," and the "blues come calling, no it never knocks, life is so simple, in a cardboard box." "Drivin' Out of Nashville," is a country rocker although the tagline "country music ain't nothing but blues with a twang," may be memorable, if not true.

Shemekia's take on Orville Couch and Eddie McDuff's "I Feel a Sin Coming On" transforms this country classic into an intense slice of deep southern soul that sounds like it was recorded in Muscle Shoals. Jesse Winchester's "Isn't That So" is a tough shuffle with a New Orleans groove, while Billy Gibbons adds guitar to the remake of Z.Z. Top's hard rock "Jesus Left Chicago." John Fogerty's songs have recently been inspiration to various blues women (Vaneese Thomas) and Shemekia's maturity as a singer is evident on her interpretation of "Long As I Can See The Light."

After a fresh take on Albert King's "Wrapped Up In Love Again," the album closes with her rendition of Jessie Mae Hemphill's plea "Lord, Help the Poor and Needy," in this land. Its a pretty straightforward vocal enhanced by swampy feel of the backing. Shemekia's phrasing and use of dynamics elevate her beyond simply being a shouter. The performances on "Outskirts of Love" may span musical genres, but throughout, Shemekia Copeland is compelling throughout them.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records. Here is Shemekia Copeland performing "
Drivin' Out of Nashville."

Kirsten Thien's Blues and Soul Infused Pop

Singer- songwriter Kirsten Thien caught the R&B and blues bug while a student at Georgetown University, and after relocating to New York City, found she preferred the thrill of performing in public and abandoned a potentially lucrative career in banking and investment for a creative one in singing and songwriting. She formed a band and issued an album in 2001, then woodshedding on guitar and songwriting, issued a second recording. Now she has issued a third CD, Delicious (Screen Door Records), which has her backed by producer Erik Boyd on bass with the core being her road band of David Patterson (guitar), Johnny Pisano (bass) and Dylan Wissing (drums). Also present are session cats from her 2006 recording, Steve Holley (drums), Tommy Mandel (keyboard and Hammond organ), Kent Smith (trumpet), Andy Snitzer (saxophone) and Mike Freeman (vibraphone). Spice is added by the addition of Arthur Neilson (guitar), Billy Gibson (harmonica) and Hubert Sumlin (guitar) on some of the 11 selections here, eight or which she wrote or collaborated on.

Listening to this CD, I have mixed reactions. Musically there is plenty to like. There is a good mix of blues and blues-infused material and the band is pretty strong. Arthur Neilson is fine as usual and Sumlin lens his distinctive guitar. However, I am ambivalent about Thien as a singer. Not that there is anything forced about her performances. It is that her vocals sound sort of like how Olivia Newton John might have sounded like as a blues-oriented singer. One example is listening to enunciate that her man’s love is ‘delicious’ on the title track. To these ears it is similar to listening to cajun french sung with a Bronx accident. Even on the attractive opening truck, where Neilson and Sumlin trade riffs, “Love That’s Made to Share,” her phrasing is of a pop-oriented vocalist who also imparts plenty of passion in her singing. 

Nobody's Ever Loved Me Like You Do is a lovely rendered soulful ballad. Please Drive, with a nice stop-time groove, benefits from Sumlin’s distinct, quirky guitar as she affects a sultriness in her raspy, whispering styling here. Taxi Love, penned by Charlie Feldman and Jon Tiven, is a soul-infused number about getting it on in a yellow cab followed by the pop-oriented title track with its lyric about “eve came to adam with an apple and tempted him to take a little bite.” Ain’t That the Truth,” is a very attractive soul ballad and love song, followed the driving rendition of Treat ‘im Like a Man, has a pretty interesting lyric about treating her man with respect and as her best her friend as opposed to controlling his every move.

Ida Cox’s Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues, is done as a duet with harmonica Billy Gibbons’ harmonica accompaniment in addition to Thien’s vocal and acoustic guitar. There is a folkiness in the performance, but also the vocal might have benefited if Thien kept her vocal delivery relaxed throughout. A fresh arrangement graces her rendition of Willie Dixon’s I Ain’t Superstitious, and Neilson lays down a hot solo, although her vocal doesn’t sound convincing to these ears. Her ballad A Woman Knows, has an appealing country flavor while Get Out The Funk, Get Into the Groove, is a funk, dance number. The CD concludes with radio edited versions of Taxi Love and Treat ‘im Like a Man.

An attractive sounding recording of blues and blues-soul infused songs that has a definite appeal to it if not compelling as viewed as blues.


I received a review copy from a publicist for this release.