Andrew Alli Hard Workin' Man

Andrew Alli
Hard Workin' Man
EllerSoul

Born in 1988 in Richmond, Virginia, Andrew Alli delivers a straight-ahead, no-frills collection of harmonica blues. Recorded at Jon Atkinson's Bigtone Studio, this is old-school blues in the vein of Little Walter and George "Harmonica" Smith. Backing Alli's vocals and harmonica are Atkinson on guitar and bass, Danny Michel on guitar, Carl Sonny Leyland on piano, and Devin Neel or Buddy Honeycutt on drums.

There is a no-nonsense quality to Alli's blues, starting with the title track where he proclaims with his robust tenor that he is a hard-working man and lays down some raw, amplified harmonica. This song is followed by a tight instrumental, "AA Boogie," and an excellent interpretation of George 'Harmonica' Smith's "Good Things, with biting guitar fills and cohesive rhythm. "Walter's Sun," is an instrumental performed in the manner of the recordings Walter Horton made for Sun Records and the Modern label before he moved to Chicago. Then there is Alli's original "30 Long Years," where he sings about being in this town for 30 years, but it feels like he has to break out. Alli lays down some chromatic harmonica on the rollicking instrumental "Chron-A-Thick," delivers a brisk tempo shuffle, "Easy Going Fellow," and solidly covers Little Walter's "One More Chance."

With strong originals and the complimentary backing provided for Andrew Alli's strong singing and robust harmonica, "Hard Workin' Man" is a splendid debut album.

I received my review copy from Ellersoul Records. Here is a brief preview of this recording.

James Harman in a Lonesome Moon Trance

James Harman has been laying his blues harmonica and vocals for several decades. He has stayed true to the blues tradition while as I note in the following review, telling his own story. This review appeared originally in the December2003-January 2004 D.C. Blues Calendar, then the newsletter of the Dc Blues Society. I do not recall if I received a review copy of this or purchased it.

Photo © Ron Weinstock

In his liner notes to his latest release, Lonesome Moon Trance (Pacific Blues), James Harman notes how he has been going through changes in recent years and how he has a bunch of stories to tell which we are fortunate enough to hear now. Harman has brought together some terrific musicians to help out on this including Kid Ramos, Kirk Fletcher, Bob Margolin, Junior Watson, Carl Sonny Leyland, and Gene Taylor on the twelve tracks. 

Performances like Piecework Politicians with its witty suggestions that politicians get paid for the benefits they give the citizens or My Secret Escapade with its atmospheric use of the Bo Diddley groove. Harmon’s superb Little Walter-styled harp graces several tracks including Double Hogback Growler, while on his Miss Bessie Mae Blues, his playing is more in the Sonny Boy Williamson II vein. This is not to suggest he is a copyist, but rather simply to suggest the general flavor of his playing. It should be noted that he certainly appears to have tried to capture the feel and flavor of the classic Chicago blues of the fifties while telling his own stories. 

Harman’s playing, vocals and songs stand up on their own and are well worth hearing. This is a typically excellent recording by Icepick James who has never disappointed this listener with his music. If you have trouble locating this in stores, you can try www.pacificblues.com. 

Here is James in performance at the Wilmington DE Riverfront Blues Festival. Nathan james is the guitarist.

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.

Doug MacLeod's Blues Ring True

Years ago in the Washington D.C. area, legendary WPFW-FM blues radio personality Jerry ‘The Bama’ Washington would play at least a couple times a month an evocative song, Night Bird, by one Doug MacLeod (some may be familiar with Eva Cassidy’s recording of this song). Hearing this led me to the No Road Back Home album that MacLeod, Dennis Walker and Bruce Bromberg produced for Hightone.


MacLeod has since has compiled a fairly extensive discography and established himself for his evocative vocals, guitar and songs, rooted in the blues tradition but speaking from personal experiences. In recent years he has eschewed the electric guitar, preferring to perform and record acoustically with the focus on his intricate fingerstyle guitar as well as slide playing, and his intimate vocals.


His most recent disc is on the Dutch Black & Tan label, Dubb, which refers to the nickname the late legend George ‘Harmonica’ Smith gave him. He’s backed by bassist Denny Croy and drummer Dave Kida with Carl Sonny Leyland adding some piano for several tracks. Songs that spin some philosophical take on relationships, (If You Going to the Dog House) mix with songs about a women who really gets down and upsets the neighborhood (She’s Boogy’n), a touch of cynicism about our supposed to be public spirited politicians Dubb’s Talkin’ Politician Blues), observations of someone who can’t stop yapping (One Fool Show) and a lying lover ($50 Wig with its line “You got a $50 wig, setting on a $5 head), and a touch of the Dust My Broom melody (North Country Woman).


Some songs I am sure will grab you more than others, but certainly Macleod’s songs rings a bit bluer than some award-winners and his understated approach stands out with so much rocked music these days. Seems like some good material to cover in here as well. Definitely a release to check out.


I wrote about Doug’s 2010 DC Blues Festival appearance last year. I believe it is appropriate to revive this review of a fine recording that appeared in Europe and should still be readily available along with others by him. This review originally appeared in the November 2005 DC Blues Calendar and the February 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 280). I believe I may have purchased this.

Jerry McCain Still Got The Blues All Over Him

Harmonica player Jerry McCain who first recorded for Trumpet Records in the early 1950s continues to record today with recent efforts under the Music Maker Foundation’s rubric. Here are three reviews of albums by hot dating from 1993, 2000 and 2002 to showcase what a superb blues artist he has been and continues to be.

From Jazz & Blues Report December 1993 (Issue 187).

I Got The Blues All Over Me (Wild Dog Blues / Ichiban). [Ichiban issued several albums by him, and while this might be hard to find on a physical CD (Copies of unopened copies of this can be expensive), it is available for download.]

Harp legend Jerry McCain’s four decade career included sides on Trumpet and continued with a variety of labels. His recording, Steady, is a definitive harmonica instrumental, displaying his full-bodied tone, and subtle phrasing. While he has recorded quite a bit over the years for a number of labels, it often has been in spurts. This is at least his fourth album for Ichiban and may be the best yet, with the instrumental Tumblin’ in the Sea, showing that he still can play with the fat tone of his classic 45s, while other songs have him playing in a Sonny Boy II manner, as on Lucy Pearl, where he is backed just by acoustic guitar. He contributes original, oft witty songs, which he delivers in a slightly raspy voice. The studio band occasionally comes across as stiff, but this is a minor complaint. This is a solid effort, full of good songs, great harp and solid singing.


From Jazz & Blues Report September-October 2000 (Issue 247).

This Stuff Just Kills Me (Cello / Sire) [When this was issued Ichiban had stopped producing new CDs so the Music Maker Foundation picked up the slack. Unfortunately this seems to only be available as a collector’s item and not even as a download.]

One of the harmonica masters who probably has never received his due, Jerry McCain has a terrific new album on Cello/Sire that is part of the series of albums associated with the Music Makers Foundation. Since first recording for Trumpet in the fifties, McCain has produced a body of recordings that feature stellar harp, strong songs and fine vocals. Possessing a full-bodied tone and an irresistible swing in his playing, McCain’s instrumental Steady, has to be regarded as one of the essential blues recordings, while the flip side, She’s Tuff, may be best known from the Fabulous Thunderbirds rendition, but his original is equal to any cover. Madison Mood on this release gives full spotlight to his commanding harp tone and technique, being a wonderful atmospheric slow blues. He has remained a witty, contemporary songwriter who is not afraid to touch topical themes as he does on such tracks here as his anti-drug song, Ain’t No use For Drug Abuse or Mama’s Gone, where he comments on the effect on the kids of Mom not being at home. In contrast, on the title track McCain is celebrating his woman whose love is so good it drives him out of his mind. In addition to McCain’s soaring sax-like harp there is some terrific piano here, perhaps from the legendary Johnny Johnson, although Carl Sonny Leyland, heard on much of this is no slouch. (I am working from an advance copy without the personnel on each track). In singing about his own virility, McCain wryly notes he ain’t worrying about getting up or falling down as he is the Viagara Man. Producer Mike Vernon assembled a great band that includes Leyland, Leroy Hodges and John Primer with guest appearances from Johnnie Johnson, Jimmy Vaughan and the Double Trouble rhythm section. McCain is at top of his game here and the result is This Stuff Is Killing Me may be his most consistent and strongest album.


From Jazz & Blues Report September-October 2002 (Issue 259).

Absolutely The Best (Fuel 2000) [This reissue of his Jewel Recordings from the sixties will unfortunately be hard to find, but you may be able to find this used for a reasonable price. New copies on amazon from third party sellers go for about $40 or more. I do note that bluebeatmusic.com lists a CD by the late Jelly roll King, Frank Frost and McCain, Southern Harp Attack!! that is on the Japanese P-Vine label and contains 13 of the 15 recordings on Absolutely the Best along with 13 recordings for Frost for a price of $21.50, relatively reasonable for such material.]

One of the post war masters of blues harmonica, Jerry McCain has recorded steadily since the fifties when he first sent some demos to Trumpet Records. If he had only recorded Steady/ She’s Tough, his status would be assured because of the wonderful harp tone, his swinging playing and his wry, soulful singing. Somebody’s Been Talking, The Complete Jewel Singles on England’s Westside label, and available on Fuel 2000 in the Untied States as Absolutely the Best in the United States, brings together the six 45s that were issued on Stan Lewis’ Jewel label between 1965 and 1972 along with previously unissued renditions of Bill Doggett’s Honky Tonk. The material here is varied, including the wry She’s Crazy About Entertainers, a slow stop-time blues about his woman who would rather be with James Brown, Otis Redding or some other big star of the time, while Somebody’s Been Talking focuses on a nosy next door neighbor who is blabbing all over town. Toss in several New Orleans flavored numbers like I Don’t Care Where I Get My Loving, and Love Ain’t Nothing to Play With, some harp showcases like Midnight Beat and 728 Texas (Where the Action Is), named after the Jewel Records street address in Shreveport) and one has an entertaining collection. He does not play harp on all the tracks, and if his playing tone is not as tight and fat sounding as on Steady (perhaps he was not playing his harp through an amp), he shows his fertile musical imagination throughout. While not the best collection of his early recordings, it is welcome to have this available.


This reviews are so old but likely received review copies from record company or their publicity form.

A Totally Captivating Piano Blues Recording

My purchase of Carl Sonny Leyland’s “A Chicago Session” (Ventrella) was an impulse based in part on the description of the disc on the new release web page of BlueBeat Music’s website. It was one of several releases featuring Joel Patterson, and I was familiar with the blues and boogie woogie piano of Leyland so sound unheard it was in a recent order, and its simple delights have captivated me since first giving it a listen.

Leyland, a British native who has since relocated to Southern California, has immersed himself in the piano blues tradition and (to these ears) incorporates elements from such diverse artists as Memphis Slim, Art Hodes, Albert Ammons, and Piano Red with some jazz seasoning (a dash of Teddy Wilson and Mary Lou Williams), delivering such a strong, yet relaxed sound and is a more than a competent vocalist who delivers in a natural genial manner without sounding bland. In addition to the swinging, jazzy playing of Patterson, he is backed by bassist Beau Sample and drummer Alex Hall, who provide crisp, yet understated, support that embellishes Leyland’s wonderful playing and Patterson’s crisp comping and single note excursions.

There is a nice range of material from his straight-forward delivery of Roosevelt Sykes’ “BVD Blues,” and his exuberant rendition of Piano Red’s “Rockin’ With Red,” with his bouncy piano complemented by a deft Patterson solo. Speckled Red’s classic “Dirty Dozens’ is done as a wistful instrumental, while the sprite rendition of “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue,” is an unusual, if delightful performance, “Up the Lazy River,” is a feature for the playing of Patterson followed by a nice “Careless Love.” This is a totally captivating recording of piano blues, and I certainly will be investigating Leyland's past catalog for similar gems.

Here is a link to Carl's website, where one can purchase this and others ion his lengthy discography. Bluebeat Music has the CD while amazon and itunes have it available for download.