Kim Wilson Take Me Back: The Bigtone Sessions

Kim Wilson
Take Me Back: The Bigtone Sessions
M.C. Records

"Take Me Back" is Kim Wilson's first new release in three years. The album presents mostly straight-ahead Chicago-styled blues that Wilson recorded at Big Jon Atkinson's Bigtone Studios at different times and locations. These tracks were recorded live without overdubs and in mono. There are a variety of musicians backing Kim's vocals and harmonica. Guitarists on this album include Jon Atkinson, Billy Flynn, Danny Michel, Kid Andersen, Robert Welsh, and Rusty Zinn. Robert Welsh and Barrelhouse Chuck are the pianists, while Kedar Roy, Greg Roberts, and Troy Sandow are on bass, and Johnny Viau adds horns. Drummers on these sessions include Marty Dodson, Ronnie Smith, June Core, Malachi Johnson, and Al West.

There are nine reworkings of tunes from Jimmy Nolen, Howlin' Wolf, Larry Williams, Little Walter, and Jimmy Rogers, along with seven Wilson originals. After a crisp take on Nolen's "You've Been Goofin'," we are treated to one of several Little Walter flavored instrumentals, the rollicking "Wingin' It." Wilson's "Fine Little Woman" sounds like a cover of a lesser-known Little Walter recording with Billy Flynn channeling Robert Lockwood Jr. Wilson remains an unforced singer who is equally authoritative handling Howlin' Wolf's "No Place To Go," Percy Mayfield's "Strange Things Happenin'," and Jimmy Rogers' "Money, Marbles & Chalk." Then there is Wilson's Louisiana swamp-blues "Play Me" and the relaxed late-night harmonica instrumental "Strollin'."

Closing with another marvelous Little Walter styled instrumental "Out of the Frying' Pan," "Take Me Back," is another consistently well-performed Kim Wilson recording that will please many.

I received my review copy from MC Records. Here is Kim Wilson from a 2019 performance.

Kim Wilson Blues and Boogie Vol. 1

Kim Wilson
Blues and Boogie Vol. 1
Severn Records

This latest album from Kim Wilson finds him in somewhat of what some might describe as a retro-blues vein. Recorded at a number of sessions, it was mostly recorded and mixed by guitarist Nathan James at Sacred Cat Studios, Oceanside, California; except fora couple tracks recorded and mixed by Big Jon Atkinson at Big Tone Recording Studios, Hayward, California. Among those playing the late pianist Barrelhouse Chuck and drummer Ricard Innes. Others heard backing Wilson include Billy Flynn, Atkinson, Marty Dodson, James, Larry Taylor, and Malachi Johnson.

This consists mostly of songs that Kim states he "always wanted to do. However, I have to put my own twist on everything.” The focus on the his is Chicago blues and the harmonica masters such as Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and 'especially' James Cotton to whom this recording is dedicated to. Even Wilson penned originals like the opening harmonica romp "Bonus Boogie," are styled in the manner of Little Walter instrumentals. Then there are solid interpretations of songs previously recorded by Elmore James ("No Love in My Heart", "Sho Nuff I Do"), Little Walter ("Teenage Beat", "Blue and Lonesome" and "Mean Old Frisco"), Sonny Boy Williamson ("Ninety Nine"), Little Milton (Same Old Blues"), and Jimmy Rogers "(You're the One") with solid backing in the style of the fifties and sixties originals. The recording of the songs adds to this retro-blues flavor.

Wilson has always been a terrific harmonica player as well as a natural, assured vocalist and the performances here certainly showcase his considerable talents along with the tight, idiomatic backing. Kim has recorded several similar albums previously and this is certainly one that fans will appreciate, although it would hard to call this very entertaining set, primarily of covers, essential.

I received from my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 375), although I made a few edits to correct typos and clarify some points. Here is Kim Wilson performing with Kirk Fletcher and the late Barrelhouse Chuck.

 

John Primer & Bob Corritore Ain't Nothing You Can Do!

John Primer & Bob Corritore
Ain't Nothing You Can Do!
Delta Groove Music

Delta Groove just issued a new recording by the Chicago veteran John Primer and harmonica player Bob Corritore, who is one of the co-producers of this as well. Bring some the likes of Henry Gray or the late Barrelhouse Chuck on piano, Big John Atkinson or Chris James on guitar, Troy Sandow or Patrick Rynn on bass and Brian Fahey on drums and one has a terrific band for the traditional Chicago Blues follow-up to the acclaimed 2013 "Knockin' Around These Blues."

The material is a mix of strong originals and choice covers with the music evoking the late Muddy Waters (Primer was guitarist in Waters final band) with a touch of Magic Slim, with whom Primer played with for many years with the driving, insistent groove. The instrumentation here also lends this the sound of a Muddy Waters recording (with Corritore's harp lending the feel of the Waters Band when James Cotton was in it), although I believe Waters only recorded John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson's "Elevate Me Mama," which has terrific piano from the late Barrelhouse Chuck.

Originals like the topical, opening "Poor Man Blues," who is living the best way he can, and the closing slow, closing Muddy Waters-styled "When I Leave Home," bookend terrific renditions of Johnny Temple's "Big Legged Woman," with Muddy Waters' styled slide; Snooky Pryor's Vee-Jay classic, "Hold Me In Your Arms," has Henry Gray on piano; Magic Slim's chugging "Gambling Blues"; and a Corritore feature, "Harmonica Boogaloo." The Chuck Brooks-penned title track was originally recorded by Albert King. It is a slow blues where Primer authoritatively tells his woman know that no matter what she does, nothing will stop John from loving her or drive him away. With solos from Henry Gray, Corritore Jon Atkinson and Primer himself, Primer and band conjures up the Mississippi King Bee (Muddy Waters) himself here (and elsewhere).

A rendition of Don Nix's "For a Love of a Woman" and Howlin' Wolf's "May I Have Talk With You," where Primer plays some Elmore James's style slide on a rollicking shuffle adaptation of Wolf's song round out a terrific recording that is as a good an evocation of classic Chicago blues (particularly the great Muddy Waters band of the late fifties through early seventies) as has been heard in the past few years.

I received a review copy from Delta Groove. Here is an album teaser.

Mud Morganfield's Tribute to His Father - Muddy Waters

If one closes one eyes while listening to For Pops | A Tribute to Muddy Waters the new Severn Records release by Mud Morganfield & Kim Wilson, one might think one is listening to Muddy Waters himself. The idea for the album came from folks suggesting to Severn that after they released albums by Mud Morganfield and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Severn had to get Mud and Kim together. So they were asked and agreed.

In putting an album together, they put together a band of Billy Flynn and Rusty Zinn on guitars, Barrelhouse Chuck on piano, Steve Gomes on bass and Robb Stupka on drums to support Mud’s vocals and Kim’s harmonica. Then it was decided to do an album of Muddy’s songs and selected a mix of both well known and lesser known songs associated with Muddy Waters. The recording was done live with everyone in the same room.

Included are 14 renditions of such Muddy Waters recordings as Gone To Main Street; Just To Be With You; Still a Fool; She's Got It; I Love the Life I Live, I Live The Life I Love; Blow Wind Blow; Nineteen Years Old; and Trouble No More. This is a marvelous backing band with Kim Wilson at the top of his game and Mud (Muddy’s oldest son) sounding so much like his father throughout these solid re-creations of the originals.

As noted, listening to this is almost like listening to a Muddy Waters recording, and folks have been copying Muddy’s music from over six decades from Junior Brooks and Louisiana Red to this present album. At the same time, no matter how enjoyable it is to listen to this album, it doesn’t replace the original recordings. No one has more right to perpetuate his father’s legacy than Mud Morganfield.  As good as the recreations here are, this listener wishes interpretative liberties had been taken with Muddy Waters’ music.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Mud Morganfield in performance.

Barrelhouse Chuck Driftin' From Town To Town

Barrelhouse Chuck Goering is one of the most accomplished traditionally oriented blues pianists (and organists), having been mentored by Little Brother Montgomery and Sunnyland Slim, amongst others. Last year I was delighted to discover his 2006 recording with harmonica ace Kim Wilson and others, My Eyes on You (The Sirens). He has been touring with Kim Wilson the past few years and now Barrelhouse Chuck & Kim Wilson's Blues All Stars has a follow-up recording on The Sirens Driftin' From Town To Town.

Chuck and Wilson both handle the vocals and are supported by guitarists Billy Flynn and Jeremy Johnson; bassist Larry 'The Mole" Taylor; drummer Richard Inness; and Sax Gordon on Baritone and tenor saxophones.The band is as solid as the personnel would indicate for a stunning recording of straight-ahead, Chicago blues. Chuck handles most of the vocals on this starting with the title track, a wonderful original by him that showcases his wonderful piano playing and vocals as well as Wilson's harmonica mastery. He also revives a couple of Floyd Jones numbers, including the terrific Stockyard Blues, and a fine cover of Sunnyland Slim's She's Got a Thing Going On. 

Wilson has wonderful vocals on Howlin' Wolf's I'm Leaving, with a terrific guitar solo and Goering pounding the ivories, and Chuck Berry's Thirty Days. Goering channels Johnnie Johnson on this rollicking piece of rock and roll. Billy Flynn does a nice salute to Jody Williams on his rendition of Williams' Lucky Lou, while Johnson takes the first guitar solo on Stockyard Blues, and is featured on the opening instrumental, Cal Green's The Big Push. Wilson evokes Little Walter on a terrific instrumental K&C Boogie, with Chuck's piano helping propel the performance on, while Chuck on organ does a nice take on Booker T & the MGs Time Is Tight.

Throughout, Taylor and Inness provide a firm, supple foundation, whether the performance is an easy rocking shuffle groove or a moody, slow blues, like Floyd Jones You Can't Live Long. In addition to the superb traditionally oriented Chicago blues here, this benefits from the mining of lesser known blues recordings that stand out compared to much of what passes for blues today. Hopefully it will not be another six or so years before Barrelhouse Chuck and Kim Wilson return to the studio.

I purchased this release. Here is Barrelhouse Chuck with Billy Flynn and Catherine Davis.

John Primer and Bob Corritore are Knockin’ Around These Blues

The fact that John Primer and Bob Corritore share the billing on a new Delta Groove release, Knockin’ Around These Blues, is certain to be welcome to fans of real deal blues. Primer, a member of Muddy Waters last band and a long time member of Magic Slim’s Band, has deservedly acquired a reputation as among the finest living ‘old school’ Chicago blues artists still with us. The fact that Bob Corritore (who produced this) has teamed up with Primer for this new release is doubly welcome as his recent collaborations have been generally outstanding. The album was recorded in two sessions. One session in Phoenix with Chris James on guitar, Patrick Rynn on bass and Brian Fahey on drums. The other session was in Chicago with Billy Flynn on guitar, Bob Stroger on bass and Kenny ‘Beedy Eyes’ Smith on drums. Pianist Barrelhouse Chuck is on both sessions. 

The personnel listing should give a sense of what to expect, and indeed this is a recording that fans of classic Chicago blues will savor. While most of the album are covers, the songs covered such as the opening rollicking rendition of Jimmy Reed’s The Clock, will be fresh and even the most familiar songs, Little Walter’s Blue and Lonesome (with some real nice slide guitar), and Robert Lockwood Jr.’s Little Boy Blue (sounding as if Muddy Waters had recorded), are reworked so they sound new. Primer sings and plays strong, Corritore wails and Barrelhouse Chuck pounds the 88s. 

The originals are Primer’s When I Get Lonely, which has the feeling of some of Eddie Taylor’s fifties recordings and Corritore’s Harmonica Joyride, a rollicking feature for him. Other highlight’s include Primer’s take on Artie White’s Leanin’ Tree, taking that soulful blues to Pepper’s Lounge, Lil Son Jackson’s Cairo Blues, transformed into a Chicago blues shuffle and a rendition of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ Going Back Home sounding as Muddy Waters might have done it back in the sixties. 

Bob Corritore has to be thanked for his efforts to bring deserving blues performers into the spotlight. John Primer should have been a household name amongst blues lovers for several years, and if there is any justice, the stellar Knockin’ Around These Blues will elevate him to this status. He is among today's finest blues performers.

I received my review copy from Delta Groove. John Primer will be performing at the Chicago Blues Festival, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, the Pennsylvania Blues Festival, the Riverfront Blues Festival and other blues events this summer. Here is John performing They Call Me John Primer from a few years back.

Incidentally here is a link to my blog entry where I reviewed several of John's earlier albums.

Al Miller's In Between Time

Harmonica player and singer, Al Miller, is a contemporary of Paul Butterfield, Charlie Musselwhite and Mike Bloomfield who was among the first wave of white Chicago bluesmen. He worked with Chicago Slim and Johnny Young, was in a band The Wurds which was the first white blues band signed by Chess, spent a couple years in San Francisco working with Bloomfield, and returned to the Windy City. In the early 1990s he recorded a debut CD, “Wild Cards” for Delmark which featured Willie Kent, Dave Spector, Tad Robinson and Steve Freund. In 1999 and 2000 he assembled some of Chicago’s finest talent including John Primer, Dave Spector, Willie Smith, Ken Saydak, Billy Flynn, Harlan Terson and Kenny Smith, which Delmark has just released as … In Between Time.

This album is one of straight-ahead Chicago blues. As Scott Dirks says in the liner booklet, “Al Miller isn’t out to reinvent the wheel, or shoehorn disparate genres into an ill-fitting blues hybrid and call it “original … .” He mixes in a few idiomatic originals with covers of songs by Johnny Young, Jimmy McCracklin, Percy Mayfield, Elmore James, and Eddie Taylor. The varying line-ups share one thing in common, and that is playing old school blues, whether a slow blues and rocking shuffle. 

Whether listening to Miller reprise Johnny Young’s My Baby Walked Out with Barrelhouse Chuck contributing two-fisted piano; or John Primer channeling Magic Sam (on vocal as well as guitar) for a strong rendition of B.B. King’s I Need You So Bad, this recording shines. Miller is an able vocalist, but his harp really shines such as his original Old Friends, with a nice latin groove. The title track is a Muddy Waters flavored original with Billy Flynn on slide followed by a rollicking take of Johnny Young’s instrumental I Got It, with more tough harmonica from Miller. 

On A Better Day, Flynn channels Earl Hooker’s wah-wah slide guitar on a recording that evokes Hooker’s recording, You Gotta Lose. Another Johnny Young cover, Tighten Up On It, has more explosive harmonica. It is followed by John Primer taking the vocal on Elmore James’ 1839 Blues, on an accompaniment (Ken Saydak on piano) suggesting Otis Spann’s Hungry Country Woman. Billy’s Boogie is a lively feature for Flynn’s fretwork followed by Flynn channeling Bo Diddley on Miller’s cover of Little Walter’s Make It Alright. Rob Waters adds organ as Miller imaginatively reworks Percy Mayfield’s uptown Bachelor Blues into a Chicago blues, while Primer is featured in a tribute to one of his mentors, Sammy Lawhorn, on Primer’s Lawhorn Special.

Al Miller is a capable singer and an excellent harmonica player. He is complemented by some excellent players on a mix of originals and covers of songs that have not been over-recorded. With a generous helping of over an hour of music, … In Between Time is an exceptional, straight-ahead, Chicago blues recording.

Delmark sent me a review copy of this.  

Willie Buck Is a Rockin Cell Phone Man

There are few singers in Chicago with roots in the classic blues style heard in the Windy City in the 1950s. Vocalist Willie Buck is one and with The Rockin’ Johnny Band has a new album on Delmark, Cell Phone Man. Buck’s sound is heavily shaped by that of Muddy Waters classic fifties band and he is ably supported by the Rockin’ Johnny Band with Johnny’s guitar, the guitar of Rick Kreher, the bass of John Sefner and the drums of Steve Bass. They are augmented by Barrelhouse Chuck on piano and the harmonicas of Martin Lang and Bharath Rjakumar. 

In Scott Dirks liner notes, he observes Muddy Waters influence but also observes Buck has a style that is really more typical of the Chicago style of the fifties. Still when one has a recording that includes a number of songs associated with Waters like Two Trains Running (done acoustically), Going Down Main Street, Streamline Woman, Memphis Minnie’s What’s the Matter With the Mill (Can’t Get No Grinding), My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble, and Blow Wind Blow, the comparison is unavoidable. Willie certainly acquits himself in these performances. 

Buck’s strong rendition of Muddy’s Strange Woman, employs the Help Me bass line and in addition to some outstanding guitar (suggestive of Jimmy Dawkins with Carey Bell), displays the considerable harmonica skills of Bharath Rjakumar’s harmonica playing. While credited to Buck, Two Women Talking, sounds like the song Big Moose John Walker recorded as Baby Talk four decades ago for Bluesway. It is a solid performance which fortunately lacks the amplified wah-wah saxophone which did detract from Big Moose’s earlier recording. The title track is a strong Muddy styled original as he asks his woman to let Willie be her cell phone man, she won’t have to worry about a thing with biting guitar and Bharath acoustic harp standing out.

In addition to the steady rhythm provided by the Rockin’ Johnny Band (and fine guitar work from Johnny and Kreher), Barrelhouse Chuck is consistently outstanding and the harmonica work of both Martin Lang and Bharath Rjakumar also is top notch. Willie Buck is not Muddy’s equal, but who alive is. His vocals exhibit some of the same expressive qualities and with the strong backing here (which at times suggests some of the outstanding Delmark albums of the late sixties and seventies) has produced a strong recording of real-deal Chicago blues. 

Bill I was provided a review copy from Delmark. Here is a video of Willie with Rockin' Johnny doing some Muddy Waters.

Barrelhouse Chuck Got His Eyes On You

I have been a fan of Barrelhouse Chuck Goering ever since he came to Washington DC area to do some recording and do a show at the Childe Harold with the late Ben Andrews and Mark Wenner. He is one of the most accomplished traditionally oriented blues pianists having been mentored by Little Brother Montgomery and Sunnyland Slim, amongst others.

While apparently from 2006, I just became aware of The Sirens release by Chuck, Got My Eyes On You. It has a terrific band backing him of Kim Wilson on harmonica; Joel Foy and Eddie Taylor, Jr, on guitars; Calvin 'Fuzz' Jones on bass; and Willie 'Big Eyes; Smith on drums. Chuck on piano and Farfisa organ handles a variety of songs, most of which are associated with a number of blues legends that influenced and/or mentored him including Floyd Jones, Detroit Junior, Little Brother Montgomery, Memphis Slim, Smokey Smothers, Big Moose Walker, Sunnyland Slim and Muddy Waters.

With Kim Wilson's harp channelling Snooky Pryor, the album opens with a solid instrumental Floyd's Blues, followed by Chuck's rendition of Detroit Jr.'s Call My Job, introduced by Ella Evans, Junior's companion, with a nice groove and some solid singing as he notes he had "too much weekend." Chuck plays piano and Farfisa and piano on the title selection (from Smokey Smothers which evokes Help Me), with strong singing and a tight ensemble behind him. This should not be surprising sing Jones and Smith were with Muddy Waters and then the Legendary Blues Band for so many years.

The instrumental Cleo's Mood is a feature for Wilson on which Chuck sits out and then followed by a first-rate take on Sunnyland Slim's It's You Baby, Chuck captures the flavor of Sunnyland's piano style here. After a nice rendition of Floyd Jones' "School Days (with convincing vocal, tough sounding piano and great Wilson harp), there is an instrumental rendition of The Bright Sounds of Big Moose, a cross between John Lee Hooker's "Dimples," and "Help Me," with Chuck on organ and nice guitar on a Big Moose John Walker number. On Big Town Playboy, Eddie Taylor, Jr., evokes his legendary father (who recorded this for Vee-Jay) on an excellent performance. Red River Rumba is a nice medium tempoed instrumental, followed by Chuck ably singing Little Brother Montgomery's Mama You Don't Mean Me No Good. On this, pianist Eiko Izumi-Gallwas recreates Little Brother's piano style.

The closing original by Chuck, Iza Mae with guitarist Foy and mandolinist-fiddler Gregg Rodriguez, is a brief, acoustic, ragtime-tinged instrumental. While its approach contrasts to the classic Chicago blues of most of this marvelous recording, it is similarly a performance that is wonderfully paced and rendered. If like me, you missed this when it first came out, it is not too late to enjoy this marvelous album.

I purchased this CD from bluebeatmusic.com although it is available from other sources. Here is a video of Barrelhouse Chuck at Phoenix's Rhythm Room.

Mud Morganfield Is The Son of the Seventh Son

The eldest son of the legendary Muddy Waters, Mud Morganfield was originally given a drum set by his father when he was 7, and began singing in the early 1980s, but it was not until 2005 when Mary lane coaxed him on stage that he started treated music as his profession in a serious fashion. Appearing at the 2007 Chicago Blues Festival led to interest in him similar top that of his younger brother Big Bill Morganfield. He has had some earlier recordings, but now he has a new recording, Son of the Seventh Son, produced by Bob Corritore on Severn Records that should help take his recognition and career to the next level.

Backing Morganfield’s vocals are guitarists Rick Kreher and Billy Flynn, pianist Barrelhouse Chuck (Goering); bassist E.G. McDaniel with Kenny ‘Beedy Eyes’ Smith on drums. Producer Corritore and Harmonica Hinds share the harmonica duties for these February 2011 recordings. With the exception of a couple covers of Muddy Waters recordings and originals by Studebaker John Grimaldi and Billy Flynn, Mud Morganfield contributed originals and the performances are pretty much in his father’s style.

From the opening notes of the reworking of J.T. Brown’s Short Dress Woman, to his own Blues In My Shoes, celebrating his father’s legacy, Mud Morganfield evokes his legendary father. The performances are solid blues in the style of his father and the backing band does a solid job or evoking the Muddy Waters Band sound of the mid-sixties through the end of Waters’ celebrated career. This is a solid band that sounds so at home playing in the style of Waters.

Mud may not quite match his father’s style, but he comes close. The level of the performances are solid throughout although several stand out including the opening reworking of his father’s recording of Short Dress Woman, Studebaker John’s Son of the Seventh Son, the amusing Catfishing, (where he goes all the way to the bottom because that’s where all the fat cats go) on which Barrelhouse Chuck is on organ and Harmonica Hinds is on harp, and Health on which Corritore shines in his harp accompaniment as Mud strongly sings about having money and fame don’t mean anything if one does not have good health. The playing is strong throughout and certainly captures the flavor of Muddy Waters recordings from the seventies. I am not sure who takes the guitar solo on Loco Motor, but the guitarist does a good job of evoking Jimmy ‘Fast Finger’ Dawkins in his guitar solo.

As suggested, Mud does a strong job of conjuring up his late father’s blues and the backing band certainly contributes to the overall feel of this band. Certainly if there can be “Blues Brothers” tribute bands, the eldest son of one of the greatest blues artists can do his part in keeping his father’s sound alive, especially when he contributes a number of strong originals that he ably performs. While he may not be an original performer, Mud Morganfield certainly is keeping his legendary father’s sound alive, supported by an excellent band. The result is a release sure to interest fans of his father’s classic Chicago blues.

I received my review copy from Severn Records. Here Mud plays his father's Mannish Boy.

Lluis Coloma's Boogie Woogie and Blues Portraits

Spanish pianist Lluís Coloma is representative of a worldwide group of pianists devoted to the classic boogie woogie and blues form. His most recent album on Swing Alley, Blues Portraits is comprised of a solo performance along with eleven duets with blues and boogie woogie pianists from around the world. The other pianists (some of whom I am familiar with) include August Tharrats, Mitch Woods, Carl Sonny Leyland, Julien Brunetaud, Bob Seeley, David Giorcelli, Mark ‘Mr. B” Braun, Frank Muschelle, Barrelhouse Chuck (Goring), Philippe LeJeune and Bernat Font.

He opens with his own, lively Coloma’s Boogie. Coloma is then joined on a range of traditional or classic blues and boogies along with a few idiomatic originals. Coloma is on the left speaker throughout. It allows the listener to discern the different in approaches such as Tharrats who sounds a bit honky tonk on the gospel Just a Closer Walk With Thee, while Mitch Woods takes us to New Orleans on Red Beans, adding an affable vocal.

Carl Sonny Leyland's opening bar on C C Rider, evoked Amos Milburn as the two provide a nicely crafted underplayed blues here, while Julien Brunetaud has an appealing vocal on I’ve Got to Learn to Do the Mambo, with crisp lead playing along with his strong left hand, while Swanee River Boogie, dates back at least to Albert Ammons and Fats Domino prior to the furious duet by the two that Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson would be proud of.

David Giorcelli takes lead on the classic piano blues theme 44 Blues, with a rub-board adding rhythmic accents, although the tempo smooths out some of the intriguing twists and turns that Sykes and Little Brother Montgomery provided when playing this. The spirit of Meade Lux Lewis is suggested on the duet between Coloma and Frank Muschelle on the furious Honky Tonk Blues Bar Boogie, while Barrelhouse Chuck conjures up Sunnyland Slim on his terrific reworking of Floyd Jones’ “Schooldays on My Mind,” whereas Philippe LeJeune adds a bit of sophistication on Ray Bryant’s I’ll Stick With It, whose melody is quite similar to Johnny Copeland’s Cut Off My Right Arm.

This is a first-rate album of performances that illustrates the wide number of excellent blues players out there that will be mostly unfamiliar to most. Coloma himself is a superb player who also is quite willing to allow the others to shine here. Piano players do play together, and quite well as shown here.

This review was written for Jazz & Blues Report, but I do not believe it was ever published. I received a review copy from a publicist for this release. His website is http://lluiscoloma.com/en/index.asp.  Here is some videos of him performing.

Barrelhouse Chuck, Erwin Helfer and the Piano Blues

I remember when the D.C. Blues Society presented Barrelhouse Chuck with Mark Wenner and Ben Andrews for what was a very magical evening of acoustic blues. He was supposed to have recorded an album at the time but it never was released. Thankfully we have an absolutely wonderful disc Prescription For the Blues (The Sirens) by a man who was mentored by legends like Sunnyland Slim and Little Brother Montgomery and the lessons he learned from these giants are evident in his strong playing that evokes the great piano blues of the past and his own vocals.


Several tracks are introduced by a short homage to the original artist whether Montgomery on the title track (Erwin Helfer plays the piano on this while Chuck sings), Sunnyland Slim on Johnson Machine Gun and Going Back to Memphis (Slim’s variation on the Rollin’ and Tumblin’ theme taken by Chuck as an instrumental), or Leroy Carr on Barrelhouse Women, Mean Mistreater Mama, Straight Alky Blues, and My Own Lonesome Blues as well as his own renditions of blues standards like Sitting on Top of the World, Tin Pan Alley and Corrine Corrina.


His renditions of many of these numbers are truly a joy as he displays a touch and sense of time that many heralded pianists’ lack. He really captures the flavor of Montgomery and Carr with his playing along with his natural singing. With Sunnyland Slim’s material, he evokes the flavor of Slim’s originals, but doesn’t duplicate Sunnyland’s own distinctive sense of phrasing. On Ain’t Nobody’s Business Erwin Helfer joins him for a piano-organ duet on this blues standard. Handsomely packaged, Prescription For the Blues is an absolute delight that piano blues enthusiasts will want.

Barrelhouse Chuck is also present on 8 Hands on 88 Keys (The Sirens) along with pianists Erwin Helfer, Detroit Junior and Pinetop Perkins. Chuck opens with a fine rendition of Sunnyland Slim’s It’s You Baby, followed by a fine slow instrumental, Rooster’s Blues, is backed by Helfer on Pinetop’s Blues where Helfer plays some stunning runs inspired by Pinetop Smith’s original, and by Detroit Junior on Miss Ida B, an old Roosevelt Sykes number that Pinetop Perkins frequently performs.


Detroit Junior, a member of Howlin’ Wolf’s last band, is also represented on disc and it’s a delight to hear him on the rollicking I’m So Unhappy and the slow country-inflected Ella although his rendition of Staggerlee, based on Lloyd’sPrice’s hit is simply pleasant. Helfer backs him for Ain’t Nobody’s Business, which is followed by a fine original boogie woogie and Jimmy Yancey’s 4 O’clock Blues. Helfer accompanies Pinetop Perkins vocal on the Ivory Joe Hunter classic, I Almost Lost My Mind, which is followed by Perkins’ typical renditions of Grinder Man Blues, How Much More and How Long Blues. There is perhaps nothing new from Pinetop, but his performances provide a fine end to a collection of top-notch piano blues performances. It should be mentioned that Helfer has an excellent disc on The Sirens, I’m Not Hungry But I Like To Eat – Blues that was nominated for a Handy Award as Comeback Blues album of the year.

Another highly recommended piano blues album is Christian Dozzler’s All Alone and Blue. The Austrian born Dozzler was for years a member of The Mojo Blues Band, one of Europe’s leading blues aggregations. He played with Larry Garner for a period and now is based in Dallas where he plays with Robin Banks (he can be heard on her two excellent discs I reviewed a few months ago. This disc features some strong piano and vocals with the title track and Midnight Hour Blues being strong renditions of Leroy Carr numbers while his rollicking piano drives along John Brim’s Be Careful. A couple of tracks display his strong boogie woogie piano style and he even takes out the harmonica for a track. You can order this as well as the discs on The Sirens thru cdbaby.com, and likely better stores and online cd retailers.


This review of several piano blues albums appeared originally in the September 2003 DC Blues Calendar, then the newsletter of the DC Blues Society. I likely received review copies of the albums on The Sirens and purchased the Christian Dozzler CD.  These are still available.

Zora Young's Moving Tribute To Sunnyland Slim

Zora Young, one of Chicago’s leading blues ladies, first emerged in the blues scene in the early 1980s, and was mentored by the legendary blues pianist Sunnyland Slim. She was not the only one befriended by the late Albert Luandrew, who helped bring Muddy Waters to the attention of Leonard Chess. In any event, Zora has a new album, with special gust Hubert Sumlin, Sunnyland on Airway, the label started by Sunnyland decades ago.


The album was produced by Sam Burckhardt, the saxophonist who played in Sunnyland’s band for many years as did guitarist Steve Freund while pianist Barrelhouse Chuck Goring was mentored by Sunnyland and Little Brother Montgomery. Hubert Sumlin, one of the Chicago blues’ most compelling guitarist spent time with Sunnyland during Sunnyland’s stints in Howlin’ Wolf’s band. Add to this mix the terrific bass player Bob Stroger and drummer Kenny Smith and one has quite a band with several tracks having added brass. Quite a band for a session recorded at Delmark’s Riverside Studio in July 2007 with some horns added last year.


And it opens with a bang as Zora tears into her original Bad Track Record, belting out the vocal with an authority that grabs the listener as the horns blast in support. Both Freund and Barrelhouse Chuck shine on a rocking rendition of Sunnyland’s Goin’ Back to Memphis, a variation on Rolling & Tumbling, with more forceful singing by Young. The mood gets a bit low-key on Young’s Travelin’ Light, singing about traveling light and not carrying any load being a bluebird that loves to sing, with Sumlin taking an somewhat straightforward solo as Burckhardt riffs on tenor.


Hubert’s Groove is an instrumental that evokes Tramp, with its funky groove as Barrelhouse Chuck gets greasy on organ, with Sumlin, Freund and Burckhardt also taking solos. Young’s Football Widow, is an amusing number with a melody evoking Just a Little Bit, as she wants to get her couch potato man off the coach and out on the town, with Burckhardt ripping off a terrific tenor sax solo followed by a guitar break from Sumlin. You Said You Were Leaving, is one of two Sumlin vocals here and is one of his better one with him singing quite passionately as well as playing his quirky twisting guitar.


The title track, written by Burckhardt is a feature for Barrelhouse Chuck as he suggests Sunnyland’s unique style while Freund takes a particularly choice solo that evokes Sumlin’s playing as well before Burckhardt gets nasty on the tenor, resulting in a terrific instrumental. Sunnyland recorded Johnson Machine Gun, for Aristocrat, and Young belts a vocal that certainly does honor Slim’s memory. While the song is credited to Sunnyland here, it was a reworking of Willie ‘61’ Blackwell’s 1941 Bluebird recording, Machine Gun Blues. Stumbling Blocks and Stepping Stones is another shuffle built upon some traditional blues imagery of a big city country girl far from home dealing with her false friends. Till the Fat Lady Sings, is a topical blues with telling lyrics about the mess in her community and around the world set to a groove evocative of Bobby Rush’s Chicken Heads.


Blues For Hubert is a jazzy sounding instrumental in honor of Sumlin who sits this out. Burckhardt sets the tone with his tenor with both Chuck and Freund getting nice solo space. Zora certainly sounds like no one to mess with on Daughter of a Son-of-a-Gun, a hard rocking number with rollicking piano and a sharp solo from Freund. Sumlin joins Young for a closing down home blues, Looka Here Baby, with Sumlin and Freund providing the accompaniment. It is a change of pace for a welcome surprise release.


Young really shines as a strong singer and the entire recording is first-rate. I would assume better stores will have this, but you could contact www.airwayrecords.com for information on how to order.

This review originally appeared in the May 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 316) although i have made minor changes in paragraphing and some stylistic changes as well. I likely received my review copy from Jazz & Blues Report.