Will Porter - Tick Tock Tick

Will Porter - Tick Tock Tick - Gramofono Sound

Singer-songwriter Will Porter has been based in the San Francisco area building a following on the club and concert scene and serving as Mary Wells musical director for many years. This album is a rerelease of a 2015 album that saw very limited release in the United States. Produced and arranged by the legendary Wardell Quezergue in New Orleans, the recording has collaborations with Dr. John and Bettye Lavette. The studio band includes Thaddeus Richard on keyboards, Todd Duke on guitar, Brian Quezergue on bass, and Bernard 'Bunchy' Johnson in drums, with the Womack Brothers handling backup vocals. There are appearances by Doug Belt on drums, Leo Nocentelli on guitar, Jimmy Haslip on bass and baritone guitar, Don Pender on oboe, Mic Gillette on brass, and Johnnie Bamont on saxophones. 

While some of the press materials describe Porter as a cross of a young Bobby Bland and mature Lou Rawls, I might suggest that he is a cross between Junior Parker and Arthur Prysock with a touch of Mel Torme. Listening to him, he comes off as more of a crooner than a shouter. There is plenty to enjoy listening to him with the warmth of his vocals that are marked by his exquisite pitch, timing, and clarity of phrasing. The wonderful duet with Bettye Lavette of Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" impresses not simply with their interplay but also the contrast in styles between the two. Note must be made for Quezergue's terrific arrangement with strings and Pender's oboe.

The duets with Dr. John are gems, including the title track where the good doctor raps in response to Porter's vocal. Nocentelli adds his guitar to "When the Battle Is Over," which sounds like something Johnny Adams might have recorded in the early sixties. Quezergue's use of strings enhances several selections, such as Porter's blue ballad, "The California Sun," where Porter wishes his love was here to enjoy this California Sun. Nocentelli adds some sizzling guitar on Porter's blues "I Can Do Bad By Myself," with horns blasting in the background. A surprising selection is Porter's nuanced interpretation of "Don't Go To Strangers," a song associated with the late jazz singer Etta Jones. There are also interpretations of songs from Ike Turner and the Johnny Burnette Trio. "Tear It Up" is Quezergue's imaginative and funky reworking of the Burnette Trio's hot rave-up with a booty sax solo and greasy organ solo. 

The limited initial release of this music received considerable acclaim, which one expects this rerelease also to receive. Handsomely produced and performed, it is a first-rate album of soul, blues, and ballads.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a selection from an earlier album Will Porter did with Wardell Quezergue.

Bettye Lavette Blackbirds

Bettye Lavette
Blackbirds
Verve

"Blackbirds" is the latest recording from the great Bettye Lavette. This recording is Lavette's celebration of some iconic black women artists by performing songs associated with these women. It is produced by Steve Jordan, who produced Lavette's Grammy-nominated "Things Have Changed." Musically it has the clean, austere setting providing a backdrop for her sharp, at times, acidic delivery. The personnel includes guitarist Smokey Hormel, keyboardist Leon Pendarvis, drummer Steve Jordan, and bassist Tom Barney.

Her approach certainly is spot on for the opening Nina Simone's "I Don't Hold No Grudge," with her singing providing emphasis to the pain of the lyrics with a stinging closing guitar solo from Hormel. Sharon Robinson contributed a somber "One More Song," that Lavette pours her heart into singing about one more broken story line. Another gem is a spellbinding interpretation of Della Reese's torch song "Blues For the Weepers." She opens a stellar rendition of Ruth Brown's "Book of Lies" unaccompanied as she recalls the broken promises of her ex-lover who broke her heart.

Lavette's rendition of Lil Green's "In the Dark" (originally titled "Romance In the Dark") has a brooding sensuality to it with a sharp guitar solo. It is followed by a stark, reflective take on Dinah Washington's "Drinking Again." It says so much about Lavette's ability to make a song her own that the delivery of the harrowing imagery of "Strange Fruit" is almost as memorable as Billie Holiday's original recording. That is high praise of her interpretive powers. Buddy Johnson's "Save Your Love For Me" has been recorded by countless artists. One of the earliest versions was Nancy Wilson's with Cannonball Adderly, which is the inspiration of Lavette's pleading rendition of this modern classic.

With Hormel's spare guitar anchoring the backing, Lavette closes this recording with her interpretation of The Beatles' "Blackbird," again displaying how she can impart so much emotion in a song. One suspects that this outstanding release will garner Bettye LaVette more Grammy nominations. She is an American classic artist.

I received my review download from a publicist. Here is Bettye Lavette singing "Blackbird," in 2017.

Vanthology

Various Artists
Vanthology
Evidence

With an overabundance of blues artists recording tributes to rock icons, "Vanthology" stands out. One reason that this tribute to Van Morrison works is that producer Jon Tiven has collected a number of blues and soul legends to perform songs associated with the legendary Irishman, setting this apart from many similar concept discs which seem to have an overabundance of blues-rock guitar pounders.

The performers here include Little Milton, Freddie Scott, William Bell, Bettye Lavette, Eddie Floyd, Sir Mack Rice, Syl Johnson, Otis Clay, Son Seals, Ellis Hooks, Chuck Jackson, Henry Butler, and Bobby Patterson. The producer deliberately did not use horns on this to distinguish these interpretations from Morrison’s originals. The studio band is anchored by Butler with Tiven on guitar, wife Sally Tiven on bass and Simon Kirke on drums who provide funky, sympathetic backing for the awesome vocal talent here. Highpoints among the exceptional performances here include Little Milton’s rendering of "Tupelo Honey," William Bell’s rendition of "Have I Told You Lately," Freddie Scott’s "Brown-Eyed Girl," Bettye pleading vocal on "Real Real Gone." and Eddie Floyd’s Crazy Love. It is a special treat to her Sir Mack Rice, writer of that overplayed staple of blues bar bands "Mustang Sally," take up Morrison’s own bar band classic, "Gloria."

Morrison has been heavily influenced by blues and soul artists, a debt he has freely acknowledged in developing his own distinctive body of music, and some of these the artists pay tribute in this very fine release.

I likely received a review copy from Evidence Records. This review originally appeared in the May-June 2004 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 268). Here is Sir Mack Rice doing "Gloria."

The Stories of The Chitlin' Circuit and Bettye LaVette

With the holidays approaching, there are plenty of books that might be of interest to those in your lives with interests in blues and jazz. A few days ago I posted a review of Ted Gioia’s The Jazz Standards. Here are a couple more books you might consider giving. 

The Chitlin’ Circuit

Preston Lauterbach’s The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock’N’Roll (New York: Norton) is a fascinating look at the development of the string of clubs and joints that emerged after the fall of the Theatre Owners Booking Association (T.O.B.A.) Circuit. Lauterbach’s inspiration to write this book was a story he did on Bobby Rush for Living Blues. In it he introduces us to Sax Kari, a recording artist whose career went back to the 1920s with Butterbeans and Suzie. Kari then introduces us to an Indianopolis nightclub boss and racketeer neamed Denver Furguson and how in the 1930s he helped started what became known as The Chitlin Circuit.

In the early days, the Chicago big band leader, Walter Barnes, was among teh first to have tours arranged for him. Barnes, who recorded ten titles in the 1920s, was also a correspondent for the Chicago Defender, who contributed dispatches from the road in addition to the various stories he contributed on the black entertainment world. Its fascinating to learn his biography as well as his tragic, and heroic death, in the Natchez Fire in 1940 whose impact was still felt when Howlin Wolf recorded a song over a decade ago. Barnes and Ferguson are only some of the intriguing people we meet. Enabling Louis Jordan to tour was one way the Circuit started to develop. We also find the interrelationship between record companies and booking agents as well. 

The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock’N’Roll is a book from which I learned much and it is a very lively read. It has been available over a year and if you may have missed it, I do recommend it highly.

Bettye LaVette

David Ritz has assisted another legend from the rhythm and blues world with an autobiography. A Women Like Me from Bettye LaVette (New York: Blue Rider Press). Its a raw and compelling story that LaVette tells of a career marked by ups and downs and a life where she has been literally pimped out as well as had the fortune of being mentored and coming under the wings of those who truly cared her and helped her develop her talents. 

LaVette us from her musical upbringing in Detroit, her various recording efforts in the sixties and seventies with near brushes at stardom and the failure of various motherf******s to keep their word to the past decade or so where her star finally ascended to its rightful place. 

Be warned that the language here is raw and unfiltered and profane but the story rings with the truth of her recordings. This book has soul.

I purchased these books.

Bettye Lavette's Hell Raising

Bettye Lavette is one of the most exhilarating performers this writer has seen in the past few years. Blues Express issued a superb album a few years ago that led her to win several major blues awards. Joe Henry and Anti Records’ Andy Kaulkin got her into the studio to record a disc modeled after Solomon Burke’s recent discs which had Burke record songs by contemporary songwriters.


This time all the songwriters are women and Lavette’s release I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise (Anti) should take her to similar recognition. From the opening a cappella rendition of Sinead O’Connor’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got that comes off like a field holler to the closing treatment of Fiona Apple's Sleep to Dream from which the album title derives, Lavette sings letting everything out.


There might be vocal similarities to Tina Turner (who covered some of Lavette’s sixties recordings), but Lavette never strays from the lyrical themes of hurt, heartache and looking for her angel. With the sparse backing band providing her with the framework to deliver her voice at times evokes the field holler as on the opening track, while at other times she sings of heartaches as only one who has experienced them as she has can deliver.


Some new lyrics are added to Lucinda Williams’ Joy and she transforms Rosanne Cash’s On the Surface into a deep soul masterpiece as well as the wonderful country ballad, Just Say So, by Bobby Cryner with just simple acoustic guitar backing. When she sings “never trust the heart of a man” in Dolly Parton’s Little Sparrow, one knows she is not just singing words. A superb disc that gets better with every new listen.

This review originally appeared in the December 2005-January 2006 D.C. Blues Calendar, then the newsletter of the DC Blues Society.

1st Pennsylvania Blues Festival Celebrates 20 Years of Blues in the Poconos

Kenny Neal, one of the featured performers at the Pennsylvania Blues Festival

Shemekia Copeland

It was a shock when the word came out that the Big Boulder Ski Resort would no longer be holding the annual Pocono Blues Festival after 19 years. The Pocono Blues Festival had established itself as the signature blues festival in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with a commitment to bring the finest real deal blues, mixing in major names like Luther Allison, Shemekia Copeland, Mavis Staples, Ruth Brown, Taj Mahal with legends who rarely toured like Jimmy McCracklin, Jimmy Johnson and Jody Williams. A change in policy at the resort ended what was an annual tradition that attracted blues fans from all over the United States and countries around the world.

Michael Cloeren, and the others involved in the Pocono Blues Festival have found a new location to carry out the tradition of bringing the best blues to the Poconos with the 1st Pennsylvania Blues Festival at the Blue Mountain Ski Area in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, not far from Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, Pennsylvania. The Festival is Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31 and the line-up is as strong as any blues festival anywhere on an outdoor stage and a tent stage. This first Pennsylvania Blues Festival celebrates 20 Years of Blues in the Poconos.

Performers that have been announced for the festival include Shemekia Copeland, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, Bettye Lavette, Kenny Neal, Cyril Neville, Shakura S’Alda, John Nemeth, The Lee Boys, Big Daddy Charles Stallings, Samuel James, Otis Clay, Linsey Alexander and Steve Guyger & Billy Flynn. Its quite a line-up of some of the best known blues performers and some lesser known ones. There is a mix from traditional Chicago styled blues of Magic Slim, Lil’ Ed and Steve Guyger & Billy Flynn, the deep soul of Bettye Lavette & Otis Clay, the sacred steel of The Lee Boys, the swamp blues of Kenny Neal, and the personal blues interpretations of Samuel James and Charles Neville. Shemekia Copeland is always a favorite but this writer is also looking forward to seeing Shakura S’Alda, another formidable female blues talent. Then a chance to see at another festival Baltimore’s Bog Daddy Stallings get exposure leading a jam after hours on Saturday night as well as two sets on Sunday with his down home back porch blues that is mixed with Louis Jordan, Albert King and James Brown.

For more information on the festival, check out the Festival website, http://www.skibluemt.com/SkiBlue/activities/pa-blues-fest.aspx, for the line-up and more information including directions. I have my hotel reservations already and I know folks from as far away as San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest that have there plans for this as well. Incidentally, Mike has produced the Vermont Blues Festival at Mount Snow, usually in later August, but apparently this will now be the Vermont Blues and Roots Festival and will take place on July 22-24, the weekend before the Pennsylvania Blues Festival. I will have more on this festival when more information is available.