New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers - Vol. 2

New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers - Vol. 2 - Stony Plain

This is the second album from the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers. As I noted in the review of Vol. 1, the genesis for the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers was on a tour bus when Mavis Staples and Charlie Musselwhite hot the road together with the North Mississippi All Stars. Eventually, Luther Dickinson (guitar, mandolin, and bass) and his brother Chris (drums and washboard) sat down for a guitar jam with ex-Squirrel Nut Zippers leader Jimbo Mathus, along with their father, Jim Dickinson (on piano), and blues greats Charlie Musselwhite (on harmonica) and Alvin Youngblood Hart (guitar and mandolin) for a blues and roots music celebration under the rubric of the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers. After Jim Dickinson died in 2009, the recordings hung out in archives until Stony Plain founder Holger Petersen heard about the sessions. He expressed his enthusiasm to release the recordings. Luther Dickinson and his partner/engineer Kevin Houston finished the production of this and the earlier album.

Things start with Charlie Musselwhite's "Blues For Yesterday," a song recently re-recorded with Elvin Bishop. In addition to his harmonica, there is some sterling slide guitar in the backing (by Hart?). Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart handles the vocal on the revival of the Sir Douglas Five rocker, "She's About a Mover." I assume Jim Dickinson played the cheesy Farfisa organ on this. 

Jimbo Mathus wrote and sings a raucous shuffle "Searchlight (Soon in the Morning)" with Musselwhite wailing on harmonica and Jim Dickinson rollicking on piano besides Mathus' effective guitar solo. Mathus' "Greens and Hams" is a marvelous original that evokes Tommy Johnson and Charlie Patton. Jim Dickinson is featured on four vocals, including a late in the evening sounding interpretation of Charles Mingus' "Oh Lord, Don't Let Them Drop That Atom Bomb On Me." One can hear another Dickinson vocal on a cover of Junior Wells' "Messin' With the Kid." This latter performance provides another showcase for Musselwhite's harmonica along with some stinging guitar (from Luther Dickinson?).

Musselwhite returns for the swamp blues feel of his topical original, "Black Water," which is followed by Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart's country blues original, "If Blues Was Money," with Musselwhite's harmonica supporting Hart's husky singing. Luther Dickinson might have added a mandolin to this track. Luther Dickinson's whiny slide guitar is at the fore for his thoughtful rendition of Earl Hooker's "Blue Guitar." Jim Dickinson closes this volume with an atmospheric cover of The Mississippi Sheiks' "Blues Is a Mighty Bad Feeling," with a steady groove, moody guitar, and harmonica. 

About the first volume, I concluded, "The performances are mostly top-flight, resulting in some serious fun." This quote also pretty much summarizes the music on this disc as well. Like the first volume, this album will have considerable appeal to blues and roots music fans. 

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is "She's About a Mover" from this album.

New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers

New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers
Volume 1
Stony Plain

As Luther Dickinson writes in the liner notes for this release, the genesis for the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers was on a tour bus when Mavis Staples and Charlie Musselwhite hot the road together with the North Mississippi All Stars. Eventually, Luther (guitar, mandolin, and bass) and his brother Chris (drums and washboard) sat down for a guitar jam with ex-Squirrel Nut Zippers leader Jimbo Mathus, along with their father, Jim Dickinson (on piano), and blues greats Charlie Musselwhite (on harmonica) and Alvin Youngblood Hart (guitar and mandolin) for a blues and roots music celebration under the rubric of the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers.

Word of this recording was mentioned only obscurely in interviews and referenced as a great old-school recording by those few witnesses. After Jim Dickinson died in 2009, it hung out in the archives until Stony Plain founder Holger Petersen heard about the sessions this year and expressed his enthusiasm to release it. Luther Dickinson and his partner/engineer Kevin Houston finished the production of the present album, which is the first volume. The second volume is scheduled for Spring 2021.

There are ten tracks with Musselwhite and Hart each singing three, while Jimbo Mathus and Jim Dickinson each singing two songs backed by varying configurations. There are times that the groove is straight Chicago blues as on Musselwhite's opening "Blues, Why You Worry Me." Musselwhite's vocals sound a bit more upfront than on some of his recent recordings while his harmonica has a full Mississippi sax sound, with Jim Dickinson strong on piano. In contrast, Musselwhite has a more measured vocal and on the Memphis Jug Band's "K.C. Moan," a performance with a skittle band feel and apt acoustic harp. A real surprise is his high-stepping reworking of "Strange Land" that he recorded on his first album some five decades ago.

Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart is among the finest interpreters of classic Mississippi blues as can be heard on renditions of Charlie Patton's "Pony Blues" and the Mississippi Sheiks' "Stop and Listen Blues." In addition to his robust singing, there is some sterling mandolin on "Stop and Listen." which is likely played by Luther Dickinson while Hart lays down the guitar parts. There is also an interesting cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Stone Free." Mathus is showcased on a brooding slow blues, "Night Time" (with terrific Musselwhite harp), and a raucous, jaunty skittle band rendition of "Shake It and Break It." Jim Dickinson handles the vocal on a bawdy "Come On In My House" with nifty mandolin and a rowdy cover of Wilbert Harrison's "Let's Work Together." The playing on this last number is a bit too busy.

There may be a few flaws here, but the long-overdue release of the first volume from the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers should interest blues and roots music fans. The performances are mostly top-flight, resulting in some serious fun.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a clip from 2008 of them performing "K.C. Moan."

Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite 100 Years of Blues

Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite
100 Years of Blues
Alligator Records

The title of this first full album by blues veterans Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite refers to time playing blues if one added their careers together. It was also a selection that the two recorded together on one of Bishop's Big Fun Trio albums, which is reprised here. Bob Welsh on piano and guitar joins them, with Kid Andersen playing bass on four selections. The result is an album with has a loose back-porch party feel of Bishop's recent Big Fun Trio recordings.

The loose jam fell starts with Bishop's party celebration of the blues "Birds of a Feather." Even though there is no drummer present, the performances are rhythmically dynamic. Musselwhite plays his harp with a robust, full-bodied tone. His vocals sound a bit more upfront than some of his recent recordings . He does credit to Roosevelt Sykes' "West Helena Blues" with Welsh on piano. "What the Hell" is a topical blues that was issued on the Alligator "2020 Blues" sampler. "Good Times" is a solid Musselwhite original with Bishop channeling Robert Nighthawk while Charlie ponders about where did all our good times go.

Bishop does an atmospheric cover of Leroy Carr's "Midnight Hour Blues" with Musselwhite contributing some harmonica to contribute to the performance's mood. Musselwhite's "Blues Why Do Worry Me" is a rowdy Chicago shuffle with Welsh adding sterling piano, while Bishop's "Chicago Slide" sounds like a nicely played reworking of Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk." This recording's highlight may be Musselwhite's "Blues For Yesterday," a nostalgic recollection of "when times were tough, but we had fun." The album closes with the new recording of the title track as they recollected about the Chicago of five decades past when they were first coming out.

The recording of a drummer-less Chicago blues recording is not unprecedented. Listening to this, I thought of some of Norman Dayron recordings (often issued on Testament) by Johnny Young, Otis Spann, and others that often were without drummers. Like those recordings, there is plenty to enjoy here. Bishop and Musselwhite sound like they had a blast recording this, and folks will have one listening to it.

I received a download to review from Alligator Records. Here are Elvin and Charlie performing Tampa red's "Don't You Lie To Me" from February of 2020.

2020 Blues—New Music From Alligator Records

Various Artists
2020 Blues—New Music From Alligator Records
Alligator Records

This is a digital-only sampler from 5 albums that Alligator was going to release this year. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic intervened and eliminated nearly all live performances and the like. In Bruce Iglaur's words, "It's now clear that the pandemic and its results are going to continue for some time to come. We can't wait any longer to begin to share this great new music with the media and the public. … These albums are scheduled for later this year and early next year. 2020 Blues and each individual track will be available on all the popular download and streaming sites."

This compilation is a welcome teaser for the five upcoming albums. The first selection up is from Chris Cain, whose "I Believe I Got Off Cheap" is from an album to be released early next year. I have been quite a fan of Cain for years, and it is great that he will have a new album. This song is a terrific track on which he channels Albert King's guitar style paired with his soulful vocals. Following you is a selection from Selwyn Birchwood, "Living In A Burning House." From a release schedule for January, it is a typical first-rate performance from one of the real young blue bloods.  Also scheduled for release next year is a new Curtis Salgado album. The track "The Longer That I Live" is a stunning Memphis soul performance. If the rest of this album is this good, it is another most purchase.

Both Shemekia Copeland and Elvin Bishop-Charlie Musselwhite will have new albums out this year, Shemekia, in October and Elvin-Charlie in September. Both of their songs deal with the deep divide in our country now. Shemekia sings "Uncivil War," a plea for us to get along, although her plea "to listen to one another and, ultimately, come together" may strike some as naive. The striking performance is more Americana than blues, and it is good to see her showing how expressive she can be no matter the musical setting. The raucous "What The Hell?" is a rowdy duet with Bishop singing about things ailing our country and talking about what he likes about the President, which is nothing, Musselwhite wails throughout this track. It certainly makes one quite interested in their collaboration.

In summary, quite an appetizer for these upcoming releases with some terrific music. It is available from Alligator Records (https://www.alligator.com/albums/2020-Blues---New-Music-From-Alligator-Records/) and the usual digital outlets.

I received a download to review from Alligator Records. Here is a video of Chris Cain performing and channeling Albert King.

 

Johnny Burgin Live

Johnny Burgin
Live
Delmark Records

Rockin' Johnny Burgin notes that this new live recording is his first in 20 years, and first since he moved from Chicago to the West Coast. It was recorded in January of 219 at the Redwood Café in Cotati, California. His regular band of Chris Matheos on bass and Steve Dougherty on drums is augmented by Kid Andersen on guitar, harmonica players Aki Kumar and Charlie Musselwhite, saxophonist Nancy Wright, and vocalist Rae Gordon. Kid Andersen and Robbie Yamilov and was mixed by Andersen at Greaseland Studios. The 14 selections include twelve brand-new originals performed, as Burgin observes, "by artists who don't play together regularly… ."

This collection of performances is a very good collection of West Side Chicago style blues. Burgin has definite appeal as a vocalist with his high pitched, heartfelt singing. He may not be a great singer, but there is a marked absence of a harsh vibrato or false emoting in his straight-forward, fervent vocals. This is matched by his guitar playing that evokes early Buddy Guy, Jody Williams, and (especially) Jimmy Dawkins in his top-notch, imaginative soloing. From the opening "You Got To Make a Change," whose melody evokes early Clifton Chenier on Specialty, with Kumar's outstanding harp until the closing "Jody's Jazz," an instrumental dedicated to Jody Williams that hints at "Lucky Lou" and also showcases Wright's chicken scratching sax, Burgin impresses.

There are echoes of early Buddy Guy in his fiery fretwork "Can't Make It Blues," while one of the covers is a choice rendition of Earl Hooker's "The Leading Brand" where Burgin's slide guitar dances with Kumar's harp. Vocalist Rae Gordon surprises with her robust singing, whether enlivening a duet with Burgin on "I Got to Find Me a Woman" or pouring her heart, and asking a lover to come home in "Late Night Date Blues." Nancy Wright makes notable contributions to these performances. Backing her vocal on "You Took the Bait," Burgin lays down one of his most stunning solos before Wright adds her raspy sax. This song borrows from the melody of Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson's "Kidney Stew." Charlie Musselwhite joins Burgin with some brilliant harmonica on the torrid paced cover of Jimmy Rogers' "Blues Falling." It is followed by another hot shuffle, "California Blues," where Burgin sings about moving to California, and the three-in-the-morning slow blues, "When a Bluesman Comes To Town."

With so many first-rate performances, Johnny Burgin's adds to his fine body of recordings.

I received my review copy from Delmark. Here is a video of Johnny and Aki Kumar performing "When a Bluesman Comes To Town."

Tony Holiday Porch Sessions

Tony Holiday
Porch Sessions
VizzTone

I am not familiar with harmonica player Holiday and guitarist Landon Stone, but the two have been traveling around the country, playing with and recording with a variety of blues folks. With Kid Andersen adding his bass, they ended up with this enjoyable recording with 13 tracks. They hook up on this recording with such artists as Charlie Musselwhite, James Harmon, John Nemeth, John Primer, Bob Corritore, Kid Andersen, Aki Kumar, Rockin’ Johnny Burgin, Kid Ramos, and Mitch Kashmar for a collection of enjoyable, informal blues performances.

Holiday is on harmonica on these tracks but is glad to have others take the spotlight starting with James Harman's whose amusing shuffle "Pickpocket Fingers," has a fine vocal and Kid Ramos adds his guitar. Holiday takes the harmonica chair on Harman's excellent vocal on "Special Friend," while he and Holiday both are heard on a nice country blues styled shuffle, "Goin' To Court." Bob Corritore adds harp behind John Primer's superb Muddy Waters' styled blues "They Call Me John Primer," with a terrific vocal and slide guitar in the vein of Waters with whom Primer played with. Primer also sounds terrific on Howlin' Wolf's "Tell Me Baby" with Corritore wailing on harmonica. Jake Friel sings gruffly on "A Woman Named Trouble" with John Nemeth adding harmonica along with Holiday. Nemeth takes a strong vocal on "Blues Hit Big Town," with Holiday's harmonica taking the tune out.

Aki Kumar sings on "That's All Right" with Charlie Musselwhite and Holiday also on harmonica. Rockin' Johnny adds his guitar on this entertaining, informal jam of a blues classic. It's like the other performances, fun and very entertaining if not classic. Holiday is an able singer as displayed on "Three Way Party" where the third person at the party is a bottle of Jim Beam with Mitch Kashmar and Ronnie Shellist both adding harmonica accompaniment and solos. Rockin' Johnny adds atmospheric guitar behind Holiday on "Coin Operated Woman," a nicely sung humorous lyric. "Hip To It" is a harmonica trio with some intriguing interplay between Kashmar, Shellist and Holiday.

While most of the recording is of Chicago styled blues, the closing track is a small group rendition of an old Bobby Bland number, "This Time I’m Gone For Good," that the late Johnny Adams recorded on his final album. William G. Kidd, a blue-eyed soul-blues singer, who is originally from Virginia, is excellent on this with Ronnie Shellist on harmonica. It is the highpoint of this CD along with the Primer tracks, but the level of these informal recordings is high. One does wish that the packaging provided more detailed information on who was doing what on each selection, and also that Holiday showcased himself up front a bit more, but few will listen to this and not be highly entertained.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. Here is one of several videos from Tony Holiday's Front Porch Sessions, Ali Kumar singing "That's All Right" with Charlie Musselwhite and others on Musselwhite's Front Porch.

 

Lurrie Bell & the Bell Dynasty Tribute to Carey Bell

Lurrie Bell & the Bell Dynasty
Tribute to Carey Bell
Delmark Records

Guitarist and vocalist Lurrie Bell is joined by his siblings Steve on harmonica, Tyson on bass and James on drums and vocals on a tribute recording to their late father, legendary harmonica wizard, Carey Bell. Also present on most of this is Eddie Taylor Jr., whose father had a long association with the elderly Bell. Guests on several tracks are Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica, Billy Branch on harmonica and vocals and Sumito 'Ariyo' Ariyoshi on piano. Included are a number of songs associated with Carey, one original from James Bell and one from Billy Branch.

This is one of the better recent blues tribute recordings I have heard as the Bell Dynasty is a real fine band and the sharing of vocals between Lurrie (7), James (3) and Billy Branch (2), adds variety along with the solid vocals. One has to be impressed by Lurrie who opens on a rocking shuffle, Muddy Waters "Gone on Main Street" with Steve displaying his strong harmonica chops while Lurrie tosses in a neat solo. A rollicking take on Little Walter's "I Got To Go," has Musselwhite and Steve Bell both playing with their interplay energizing but Lurrie and Taylor also play to great effect. James Bell shows himself to be a singer of considerable merit on a fine slow original "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize." It is followed by a hot shuffle performance of "Tomorrow Night," while it is Billy Branch I believe who is heard on chromatic harp (with Steve Bell also playing) as well as taking the vocal on another fine slow blues, "So Hard To Be Alone." Branch's own "Carey Bell Was A Friend Of Mine," set to a John Lee Hooker boogie groove showcases the interplay between the two harpists along with Branch's heartfelt singing and lyrics.

James Bell's singing also stands out on terrific performances of "What My Momma Told Me" and "Break It Up," which is given a fresh arrangement from the more familiar versions by Bell and the late Bobby Parker, who had this as a staple of his performances for decades. Among the remaining songs is another superb slow blues "Heartaches and Pain," but the level of these performances is consistently high. In summary, a tribute to Carey Bell full of first-rate Chicago blues.

I received my review copy from Delmark. This review has appeared in the July-August 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 379). Here is a video of Lurrie Bell and Carey Bell from 2005.

Talking Music 2: Blues and Roots Music Mavericks

Talking Music 2: Blues and Roots Music Mavericks
Holger Petersen
Insomniac Press: London, Ontario
2016:428 pp

Canadian Holger Peterson may be best known as a record producer and head of the blues and roots label, Stony Plain Records. He also is a veteran radio broadcaster and founded the Edmonton Folk Festival among other activities. A few years ago, a collection of interviews he conducted with an assortment of musicians, Talking Music was issued by Insomniac Press. I purchased it, read it and enjoyed it madly. He now has a follow-up volume which I was pleased to receive a review copy from Stony Plain. This second volume has more interviews with am equally diverse set of individuals including recently deceased legends B.B. King, Allen Toussaint and Bobby Charles; such important blues and Louisiana music figures as Zachary Richard, Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite and Rory Block; to rock and rollers Sam the Sham, Ronnie Hawkins, and Wanda Jackson; guitar wizards, Amos Garrett & David Wilcox and James Burton & Alvin Lee; songwriters and singers Chip Taylor, Townes van Zandt; Tony Joe White and Dan Penn & Spooner Oldman; the great singer Solomon Burke and the blue-eyed soul singers, Bill Medley and David Clayton-Thomas; the unique Dan Hicks, the blues-rooted star Steve Miller, the recording genius Van Dyke Parks; the muse of jazz and blues, Mose Allison; guitar wizard Ronnie Earl and two ladies of the British Music Scene, Maddy Prior and Maggie Bell.

Peterson is a thoughtful interviewer and conversationalist and that comes through all of these chapters. With B.B. King, they explored a number of sounds that touched him, and some of his most memorable recordings, but he was insistent that Holger listen to The Mighty Sparrow's "Honesty." There was plenty of items for Allen Toussaint to speak of, including writing, arranging and producing records, as well as his collaborations with The Band and King Biscuit Boy, with some discussion of him performing post-Katrina and his association with Elvis Costello.

There is plenty of stuff I learned about artists I thought was familiar with such as Billy Boy Arnold discussing the origin for Ellis McDaniel adopting Bo Diddley along with recollections of the Chicago scene including Sonny Noy Williamson, Big Bill Broonzy and Sunnyland Slim while Charlie Musselwhite's memories of growing up in Memphis included not simply meeting will Shade, but also Johnny and Dorsey Burnette who lived across the street from him then. His Chicago recollections are fascinating as he recalls how his first recordings came about, his impressions of various folk like Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf and James Cotton, as well as catching music with Michael Bloomfield.

One reads about Rory Block's encounters with various early acoustic blues legends, Sam the Sham discussing touring and his hit records, Ronnie Hawkins fascinating career including being produced by the legendary Henry Glover, James Burton recalling the riff that made the Dale Hawkins' recording "Susie Q," working with Ricky Nelson and Elvis, and more recently with Emmylou Harris and was replaced by Alvin Lee. David Clayton Thomas' recollections include playing with John Lee Hooker as well as his role in the second incarnation of Blood, Sweat & Tears. Particularly interesting is his recollection of Blood Sweat & Tears touring with Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderly and Nina Simone and how Simone did not like him singing "God Bless the Child" and how Miles defused the tension from this.

There are other nuggets of course to be found here such Ronnie Earl frankly discussing the challenges he faces from mental illness, Chip Taylor's recollections of the Brill Building and hearing recordings by The Troggs and Jimi Hendrix of "Wild Thing" or Merrilee Rush of "Angel in the Morning," Steve Miller recalling Les Paul spending time with his father as did T-Bone Walker, as a 14 year old being in a band backing Jimmy Reed, and years later playing on John Lee Hooker's "Endless Boogie" session which he characterized as "the record business at its ugliest on that session. It was a terrible thing. 'Endless Boogie' wasn't really a great record." Then there is Solomon Burke recalling the joy of recording with Willie Mitchell, Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham discussing the Box Top's hit "Cry Like a Baby," and Bill Medley talking about his love for Roy Hamilton.

The book comes off as a series of conversations between friends. At the same time we get a sense of the personalities of the subjects and learn more than a few things about the music we love. I read this book like I would read a thriller. It was that good a read and hard to put down until I had finished it. My comments on this volume also apply to the first one. If you like reading about blues, folk and roots musicians, you will greatly enjoy Holger Petersen's excellent "Talking Music" volumes.

As mentioned in the review, I received a review copy of Talking Music 2 from Stony Plain Records. This should be readily available from better online sources.

Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio

Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio
Alligator Records

The aptly titled Elvin Bishop's Big Gun Trio brings together guitarist and vocalist Bishop with pianist and guitarist Bob Welsh and percussionist and vocalist Willy Jordan who brought a cajón, a South American percussion instrument. The three started jamming in Elvin's studio one day and the combination of the three clicked big time leading to the present recording which has four Bishop originals, three co-writes and four covers. Kim Wilson, Charlie Musselwhite and Rick Estrin each lend their harmonica talents to a song each.

Big Fun is so true and the sparse instrumentation matched with the good-time feel from the interplay by the three make for some marvelous listening. Not being familiar with Willy Jordan, to these ears he was a revelation as a singer. Bishop has his appeal in his almost goofy, back porch style, but Jordan can mix humor and a deep blues soulfulness while Welsh's piano helps push things along. Things open up with Welsh's rollicking piano and a steady groove on "Let It Roll" with its message of don't let the politician bastards get you down. "Honey Babe" matches Bishop's stinging guitar with Welsh playing bass lines on his guitar on a number with a back porch feel. Wilson joins in on a raucous and terrific cover of Sunnyland Slim's "It's You, Baby," with a standout vocal by Jordan, and terrific piano, and fat-toned harmonica.

"Delta Lowdown," an instrumental that sounds based on the Jimmy Rogers' 1950 Chess recording "Goin' Away Blues," with Estrin channeling Little Walters' country inflected harp. Jordan then takes the vocal on a solid cover of The Valentinos' "Its All Over Now," as Elvin channels Bobby Womack in his guitar playing. "100 Years of Blues" is a talking blues duet between Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite as they recall their old times that evokes Louisiana swamp blues of Lightnin' Slim and others with the restrained backing. Elvin plays slide guitar with some New Orleans piano heard behind Jordan's solid vocal on a lively cover of "Let the Four Winds Blow." "That's What I'm Talkin' About," is a culinary travelogue as Elvin talks about going to a place on Polydas in New Orleans as Jordan sings some of the items on the menu. Then making it Seattle, and Elvin suggests a drive through and get burgers and instead there is a soul food menu with Jordan again singing about some of the menu items. "Can't Take No More," has a gospel-inflected Jordan vocal on this slow blues with Bishop laying down a super West Side Chicago styled guitar solo.

A nice, lazy instrumental "Southside Slide," that sounds inspired by "Blue Monk" and "Honky Tonk," closes this marvelously entertaining recording of blues big fun.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records. This review appeared in the March-April Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371). Here Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio is in performance.

Colin Linden Rich in Love

Blues has always been a foundation for the music of Colin Linden, although his music has evolved to encompass rock, country and other roots music. Now based in Nashville(and he is even the musical director for the TV show Nashville), he had spun together a new roots recording, "Rich In Love" (Stony Plain)  full of original songs and given some marvelous performances. Linden wrote all 12 songs, although five songs were written with the collaboration with amongst others Janice Powers, Tom Hambridge and Gary Nicholson.

Linden and his various guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles are joined by his fellow members of The Rotting Matadors, bassist John Dymond and drummer Gary Craig. Charlie Musselwhite adds harp to several selections, Reese Wynans adds piano/organ to a number of song and Amy Helm contributes harmonies to several songs as well. This is a terrific country-roots group that play some really strong songs such as the opening "Knob & Tube," with his clever use of electrical terms to describe a relationship ("the current runs from me to you like knob & tube"). Mix in his grainy, genuine singing and adept musicianship and one has a fine performance. He also understands the value of restraint as on the next track "I Need Water," with Tim Lauer adding atmosphere on the organ as Linden sings he needs water to fill these tears as he deals with his heartbreak.

"Delia Come For Me," is a fine ballad which opens with just acoustic guitar as he sings of being framed because he was the first man they found and put someone away and bury in the ground (and he adds some electric guitar fills as Dymond and Craig provide sympathetic support. Musselwhite and Wynans are present on "The Hurt," a bluesy number with Musselwhite playing some very strong accompaniment followed by a lovely and gentle "Everybody Ought to Be Loved."

The title track opens in a somber, austere manner as Linden sings about his baby used to cry while he was sleeping," with Musselwhite's embellishments adding to the mood generated by the vocal and guitar. His way with words and the music mike be likened to The Band in his blending of various musical threads and his adroit way with words like on the plaintive "And Then You Begin," or the honky tonk flavor of "Luck of Fool," with nice use of tremolo.

Linden's songs are sung with wit, warmth and thoughtfulness, superbly played although he and his band eschew empty flash and mirrors, resulting is one terrific recording that will appeal to a very wide audience.

I received my review copy from Stony Plain. My review appeared in the November-December Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 363) downloadable at jazz-blues.com. Here is Colin Linden performing.

Guy Davis Kokomo Kidd

MC Records has just issued Guy Davis' latest release "Kokomo Kidd," with nine originals and four covers. Davis is joined by Professor Louie on piano, John Platinia on slide and electric guitar, Mark Murphy on bass and cello, Gary Burke on drums, and Chris James on mandolin and rhythm electric guitar. Charlie Musselwhite and Fabrizio Poggi each guest on harmonica for one track while Ben Jaffe adds tuba to the opening title track.

Davis is an appealing folk and blues performer and the songs here provide a varied palette of blues that can be seen from the jaunty opening title track about a gentleman who was the grease in the corrupt prohibition era to keep the machine running. The next song, "Wish I Hadn't Stayed Away So Long," with its wistful sense about regretting his hobo's life. He adds some marvelous harmonica and banjo that adds to the flavor of the performance. "Taking Just A Little Bit of Time" has some nimble fingerpicking and a restrained, gruff, vocal.

Davis suggests Bob Dylan at times with several of his vocals including the cover of "Lay Lady Lay," but also "She Just Wants To Be Loved," about a lady who keeps going back for pain when all she wants to be loved with Professor Louie's organ and Chris James' mandolin helping the performance build in intensity. Charlie Musselwhite adds some nice harmonica to a pretty straight rendition of "Little Red Rooster," with Professor Louie adding strong piano as Davis singing capably, but Platania's slide guitar comes off as a bit over the top. Much better is the gem, "Maybe I'll Go," with an accompaniment and a vocal that evokes Mississippi John Hurt. The jaunty "Have You Ever Loved A Women" has Poggi adding his country blues styled harmonica for a lively acoustic performance. Tommy Johnson's "Cool Drink of Water" is a hauntingly beautiful recording and unfortunately Davis' gruff vocal nor the somewhat stilted rhythm suffer compared to the original. The reggae groove adds to the appeal of the closing "Wear Your Love Like Heaven."

"Kokomo Kidd" features a number of gems as well as some less successful songs, but as a whole displays his maturity as a performer and his open ears and imaginative approach to his music.

I received my copy from MC Records. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 363), although I made few stylistic changes and corrections. Here is Guy chatting and then performing.

 

Charlie Musselwhite Visits The Juke Joint Chapel

Over 45 years ago a young Charlie Musselwhite recorded his first album for Vanguard Records. His career that has found him become an elder statesman of the Chicago styled blues which has found him playing with so many legends of the music, exploring Brazilian music (and incorporating aspects of such music in his own) as well as leave a legacy of over twenty albums. His latest album is Juke Joint Chapel on his own Henrietta Records label. This was recorded at The Shack Up Inn, on Highway 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi and had him with a band including guitarist Matt Stubbs, bassist Mike Phillips and drummer June Core (an alumnus of the late Robert Lockwood Jr’s Band).

Its a fine band that plays with a rootsy, idiomatic approach. June Core’s drumming is particularly noteworthy, but it is Musselwhite himself who sings and plays with a vigor that has not been apparent on some of his recent recordings. On those his vocals conveyed a sense of world-weariness to some extent and his harp playing was somewhat more evocative of the second Sonny Boy Williamson. Here his vocals are a bit more direct and his harp playing has a bot harder sound. This is apparent in the opening rendition of Eddie Taylor’s Bad Boy, as well as his reprisal of Shakey Jake’s Roll Your Money Maker, with Stubbs evoking Magic Sam’s guitar playing and Phillips providing a backing vocal.

There is a strong cover of Little Walter’s It Ain’t Right, that brings back memories of Musselwhite's forty year old albums on Arhoolie, and his Blues Overtook Me as he sings about how the blues took over when he was a child. Another Musselwhite original, Strange Land, has a lyric about getting lost and having to find his way set against a rocking Catfish Blues groove. Stubbs crisp, trebly playing is quite effective, and Core again displays his ability to push the groove and add interesting accents in a manner few blues drummers do today. Another choice original is Feel It in Your Heart where he takes us on his journey to Brazil as he celebrate show music can bring us together with a driving groove that has a Brazilian accent. 

The album closes with Duke Pearson’s Cristo Redentor, originally recorded by Donald Byrd and covered by Musselwhite on his debut album. It remains a showpiece for him and his nuanced playing evidences not simply his virtuosity, but his good taste. The location recording quality is fine so that Musselwhite and his fine band sound almost like this was a studio recording. The result, Juke Joint Chapel, may be one of Musselwhite’s finest recordings in some time.

I received my review copy from a publicist for the release. It is available from cdbaby.com and Charlie's website, http://www.charliemusselwhite.com. Here Charlie performs Blues Overtook Me. 

The Walter Davis Project

The Walter Davis Project is an important new album on Electro-Fi Records that brings together new performances by several blues artists that celebrate the music of the pioneering blues pianist-vocalist-songwriter. Davis was one of the most recorded blues artists (over 200 sides in a 22 year old span), an indication of his popularity amongst African- American record buyers, although his name is probably not well known among many who listen to blues today. Davis' music was what producer, and pianist, Christian Rennenberg termed one of the "citified down home Blues singers" that included Tampa Red, Bumble Bee Slim and Big Bill Broonzy, although he music was a bit more sober and reserved than others were capable of. His songs were 

German pianist Christian Rennenberg put together The Walter Davis Project. In the booklet he explains how he was first introduced to the music of Walter Davis. Then when he was driving various blues musicians from town to town he became educated about Davis. There was Willie Mabon who had a love-hate relationship since back in the States he had to play Davis' songs all the time. As ambivalent as Mabon was, Sunnyland Slim was a Davis fanatic and this led to his immersion in the music of Davis. Besides other pianists like Blind John Davis and Henry Gray, Billy Boy Arnold and Jimmy Rogers were others that helped feed the passion for Davis. 

I will not summarize every detail about what led to this CD as his liner notes does that superbly. It did lead to him recording with Billy Boy Arnold, Jimmy McCracklin, Keith Dunn and Charlie Musselwhite as well as secured a track from Bob Corritore of Henry Townsend. Arnold, Dunn and Musselwhite were fans of Walter Davis' music, but Townsend and McCracklin had deep personal ties to Davis. Townsend played guitar with Davis, being on many recordings particularly those after World War 11, while McCracklin (as revealed during an interview appended after the 17 selections of music) was Davis' godson and deeply influenced musically by Davis.

Rennenberg has a nice two-page analysis of Davis' music noting in certain respects its similarity to certain Delta blues guitarists. His playing built upon licks, phrases and riffs and was very modal in his approach. Davis almost rarely soloed and rarely played uptempo, with the focus on supporting his own lyrics which were focused on relationships and only rarely full of the bragging and swagger of some blues artists. 

Henry Townsend opens this collection up with a recording Nothin' But the Blues, that is pretty close to Davis' style of music. Townsend's piano recordings over the past couple decades of his life will give some a sense of Davis' sound. Rennenberg himself has attempted to channel Davis' approach as well and provides accompaniment on the other selections while the various singers so justice to a variety of Davis' compositions. The lyrics certainly are striking today as sixty years ago. For example not only did they put Ashes In My Whiskey, they also put strychnine in his glass as Keith Dunn sings so ably. Davis was amongst the earliest to record a cover of Robert Johnson's Sweet Home Chicago, which McCracklin reprises here against Rennenberg's rolling piano and Steve Gannon's guitar. Rennenberg himself does his take on Davis playing the dozens. Other choice performances include Charlie Musselwhite's world weary vocal on Friends We Must Part, and we may never see each other anymore and Billy Boy Arnold's Please Remember Me, with some really nice playing from Rennenberg.

Walter Davis was an important and influential individual in the history of the blues who has been overlooked in recent years. Honestly his music will not be for everybody's tastes. There are always artists that one simply may not get or like. Some of this is listening and some is what one's listening background is. For those into 'rocking blues,' Walter Davis' music may be something that are not ready for or simply that does not have appeal for. For others, the substance and depth in Davis' blues will reward close listening. The excellent performances on The Walter Davis Project hopefully will provide an introduction for many into this significant body of blues and hopefully lead them to explore Davis' substantial recorded legacy. Electro-Fi is to be thanked for this important and exceptional release.

I received my review copy from Electro-Fi. For those wanting a good sample of Walter Davis's recordings, check out Please Remember Me which is available as a CD on Amazon from third-party sellers as well as a download (also available as a download on itunes).

Here is Henry Townsend on piano playing in a fashion influenced by Walter Davis.

Here is Walter Davis' original recording of "Ashes in My Whiskey."

Mark Hummel Leads Memorable Little Walter Tribute CD

Mark Hummel has put together blues harmonica tributes for quite sometime and a live concert recording that Blind Pig has just issued Remembering Little Walter, has Hummel and fellow harmonica masters Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, James Harman and Sugar Ray Norcia each handling a couple of vocals as well as share vocals and harmonica on a closing “My Babe. They are backed by an outstanding band of Little Charlie Baty and Nathan James on guitar, RW Grigsby on bass and Junior Core on drums. 

You know this band is good when one notices Core’s marvelous support behind Hummel on the opening I Got To Go, as well as the guitars light support behind Musselwhite on Just a Feeling. Then there is the terrific shuffle groove behind Arnold on You’re So Fine, with Baty and James channeling Robert Lockwood Jr and Luther Tucker as Core drives things in the manner of Fred Below. Performances by Harman and Norcia are similarly well played, paced, and enjoyable.

Musselwhite, along with Arnold, were the only of the participants to have actually known Little Walter, but it is impossible to play blues harmonica today without being touched by Walter’s mastery and the other three all have assimilated Walter’s style while creating their own blues visions which are quite evident on the consistently excellent renditions of Little Walter’s classic blues recordings presented on this exceptional blues recording.

I received this from Blind Pig. Here is Mark Hummel doing a Little Walter tune.

 

Phillip Walker Live at Biscuits & Blues

It has been a little over two years since Phillip Walker passed away. The Texas-born, West Coast based blues singer and guitarist came a long way from his days playing with Clifton Chenier, and then later Bruce Bromberg produced an album for Playboy Records. The following review appeared in the September 2002 DC Blues Calendar to which I have made a few minor stylistic edits.

Its been several years since Phillip Walker had an album under his name (even the Lone Star Shootout album he made with Long John Hunter and Lonnie Brooks is at least three years old). Walker has a new disc with his big band on MC Records, Live at Biscuits & Blues. This recording features his longtime working band augmented by a full horn section along with guest appearances by Charlie Musselwhite, Angela Strehli and Rick Estrin. 

Its a solid set, if not quite as good as Walker’s best studio recordings, Walker performs his own Hello My Darling, as well as Jimmy McCracklin’s Think, Harold Burrage’s Crying For My Baby, the classic Breaking up Somebody’s Home and Dennis Walkers Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark on which Walker performs a bit more grittier version than Cray’s original. 

Its nice to have a new album by Walker whose grainy voice and raspy guitar playing is a distinctive blues voice. Some of his best stuff is out of print or hard to find so even if this is not quite his best stuff, it will make due for his fans or others not familiar with this grossly underrated blues veteran. 

Here is Phillip in performance.

Big Head Todd's Well Considered Robert Johnson tribute

Big Head Blues Club is an offshoot of Big Head Todd and The Monsters created by Todd Park Mohr, to help celebrate the Robert Johnson Birthday centenary, 100 Years of Robert Johnson (Ryko/ Big Records). Guitarist and vocalist, Mohr and his band mates, bassist Rob Squires, drummer Brian Nevin and keyboardist Jeremy Lawton are joined by B.B. King, Charlie Musselwhite, Ruthie Foster, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm for renditions of ten of Johnson’s songs. Robert Johnson was a brilliant performer who died way too young so he has become a mythical figure which has led some to make the incredulous assertion that Robert Johnson was most influential blues artist of all time. This unsupported assertion has more to do with myth than reality or blues history. Call Robert Johnson the greatest blues artist of all time. That opinion can be debated but can't be faulted. But calling him the most influential exposes one’s ignorance of the music’s history (and the impact of others) and ignores the fact that if there was no Robert Johnson, blues as we know it would probably have evolved in pretty much the manner it sounds like today.

I have no idea what is included in the physical CD as I received a download promotional copy, but the music on this is not without its pleasures. For one thing, the renditions of Johnson’s songs are not overly reverential as say the tribute albums by Rory Block or Eric Clapton. As a vocalist Mohr may lack the depth of feeling that a Johnny Shines, Elmore James or Big Joe Williams brought to their interpretations of Johnson’s music, but does bring an amiable, gravelly approach and sings with plenty of heart.

The disc opens with Come On In My Kitchen features a funk groove that is more Hill Country flavored than Johnson’s original with a harp break from Charlie Musselwhite. Rambling on My Mind, follows with an emphatic groove that is slowed down from the original. Cedric Burnside is on acoustic guitar and Lightning Malcolm on slide guitar on an accompaniment not wedded to the broom-dusting riff employed on many versions of this. It is followed by a frenzied Preachin’ Blues, on which Burnside is on drums and Malcolm adding the acoustic slide. The frenzied character of the performance does a credible job of evoking Johnson’s original which struck me as one of Johnson’s most fervent recordings.


Crossroads Blues, with B.B. King, has an imaginative arrangement owing little to Johnson or Elmore James and Mohr credibly shares the vocal with King as Johnny Lawton’s funky organ helps set the mood. When You Got a Good Friend is another tine with more of a hill country fill that traditional delta-styled blues of Johnson with Foster adding backing vocals and Sumlin some guitar embellishments along with Lightnin’ Malcolm. Kind Hearted Woman is a nice piano-guitar duet between Malcolm on acoustic guitar and pianist Lawton as Foster and Mohr trade lines in the shared vocal. One jarring note is Mohr singing “Mr. Johnson” when he could have personalized it as to Big Todd. Honeyboy Edwards may be the last living link to Robert Johnson, but of those associated with Johnson, he is musically the least able and his weak vocal at the beginning of If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day, is salvaged by Mohr’s strong singing and the driving, rhythmic backing of Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm. Musselwhite contributes moody harmonica behind a smoldering, smokey treatment of Last Fair Deal Gone Down.

After Mohr’s capable solo acoustic rendition of All My Love’s In Vain, the album concludes with a somewhat inept Sweet Home Chicago, by Honeyboy Edwards which does have some nice harmonica by Musselwhite on it to make this track listenable. It perhaps ends this disc on a bum note, which is unfortunate as with this exception on this. 100 Years of Robert Johnson may not be an essential recording, but it certainly is an entertaining release that blues traditionalists like myself and those with a more casual interest in blues, should be able to enjoy.

This review originally appeared in the May 1 - June 15, 2011 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 335). A download of this was provided by a publicist for the release.

Lloyd Jones is Highway Bound

I was familiar with Northwest bluesman Lloyd Jones from his recordings that mixed funky R&B and modern urban blues such as his excellent Audioquest CD Trouble Monkey. His latest album, Highway Bound (Underworld Records), is a definite change of pace as he is playing solo acoustic with the exception of one selection when he is joined by the harmonica of Charlie Musselwhite. He states this on this recording he is playing some of his favorite folk songs and that listeners will enjoy it as much as he did performing them.

Vocally Jones might suggest Delbert McClinton but here he brings a driving acoustic guitar style, sometimes just a driving groove on his original with some nifty finger picking in his short solo breaks. There is an interesting mix of material covered ranging from a briskly tempoed Careless Love, to the wistful When I’m Gone, which I believe was written by Elisabeth Cotton. On John Brim’s Ice Cream Man, Musselwhite joins in for a lively unplugged Chicago blues duo while on Blind Willie McTell’s Broke Down Engine Jones renders a performance in a manner that Taj Mahal might have done if he performed it as a Piedmont rag for a very original performance.

Jones picks up electric guitar for a percussively oriented rendition of Robert Johnson’s Last Fair Deal Gone Down, followed by a reflective take of Big Bill Broonzy’s Southbound Train. Mixed in with originals is an amiable take on John Hurt’s Don’t Want Me Baby, and Make Me a Pallet on the Floor. A take of Cry For Me Baby, that Elmore James originally recorded, comes off like a John Lee Hooker boogie, while Good Night Irene comes off as a gentle lullaby. Curtis Salgado adds harp to the closing tune, a treatment of the Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer Lazy Bones, given a nice low-key spin.

Jones does indeed play some favorite songs here. His skilled playing and vocals makes for  delightful listening.


My review copy was provided by a publicist for the release.

Musselwhite's Outstanding New CD, "The Well"

The veteran Charlie Musselwhite has returned to Alligator Records for his new CD, “The Well.” A career that on record dates back to the mid-sixties, Musselwhite continues to produce strong blues. On this session he brings his harp (and guitar on two tracks) to a session with guitarist Dave Gonzales; bassist John Bazz; and drummer Stephen Hodges with Mavis Staples joining for one track. All the songs are self-penned by Musselwhite (one with Zoe Wood) drawing on his personal experiences in many cases.

The opening “Rambler’s Blues,” with its adaptation of the “Catfish Blues” melody,  finds him delivering a lyric of rambling down his dark and dreary road. The perfomance has a nice harp break complementing the directness of the vocal. “Dig The Pain” is a nice shuffle that was generated from the days of heavy drinking and how he would dig the pain to get through it as he transfers the thought to a woman who he just can’t leave. Gonzales contributes a fine solo (playing with little distortion) with a fine solo from Musselwhite. “The Well” also takes a familiar blues melody to which Musselwhite recalls little Jessica McClure and how brave she was after falling into a Texas well and how Musselwhite said a prayer for her and gave up drinking to show some bravery himself and just like she was rescued and he came out a better man.

“Where Highway 61 Runs,” set against a Magic Sam-based groove, finds him remembering about the delta and how blues has been his comforter. “Sad and Beautiful World“ with Mavis Staples joining the vocals, is a moving song where he says some of things he wanted to when his mother was murdered with a fine harp break. “Sonny Payne Special” is a strong instrumental feature dedicated to the legendary King Biscuit Time radio show host. “Good Times” has Musselwhite on guitar as he recalls the days of youthful partying as he asks where did our good times go with nice slide guitar and effective spare backing. “Cadillac Woman” has Musselwhite’s thoughts about women who run over their men, while he delivers a spoken vocal with his ruminations on Marie Laveau and hoodoo Doctor John on the atmospheric “Hoodoo Queen.” “Cook County Blues” has a country flavor as Musselwhite recalls a time he was busted by a lying cop and spent time in Cook County jail. “Clarksdale Getaway” is a terrific instrumental where Musselwhite’s tone and solo evoke Big Walter.

His vocals may not be as robust as in his youth but they reflect his experiences more and his songwriting has matured. Wisdom has replaced the brashness of his vocals of his youth while Charlie Musselwhite’s songs reflect a life well-lived and all the pains and joys that has entailed. His harp playing remains strong and inventive. “The Well” may be Musselwhite’s best recording in years.



For FTC purposes, Alligator Records provided the writer with a review copy.

JW-Jones No Longer Prodigy

Canadian blues artist JW-Jones continues to mature as a performer and his latest CD, “Midnight Memphis Sun” (Ruf), certainly will enhance his reputation as it shows his maturation as a vocalist in addition to his continual development as a guitarist. The promise of his earliest recordings, that displayed some awkwardness as a vocalist, was shown to reached fruition in his previous CD, “Blueslisted.” The present CD title refers to the fact this was recorded in Memphis at the Sun Studios. It is a robust collection of blues with jump blues and Memphis soul strains integrally mixed in the material. Jones also has special guests Hubert Sumlin and Charlie Musselwhite, who each lend their talents to three tracks each.


A Memphis soul groove (riff suggestive of “Midnight Hour”) is evident for the opening “Off The Market," which is followed by a jumping rendition of a lesser known Lowell Fulson number, “Love Grows Cold.” Both performances display his solid singing and slashing guitar with echoes of Ike Turner’s use of the whammy bar on the latter. Jones' playing is both thoughtful and passionate. With Musselwhite’s harp added to “Kissin’ in Memphis,” Jones delivers, in a low-key fashion, a lyrical homage to some of the musical greats that painted Memphis blue in the fifties through seventies. The driving ”Cuts Like a Knife,” comes from Bryan Adams. Here Jones sings about how his women threw things away with plenty of strong guitar as well as nice organ from Jesse Whitely. “Born Operator” with Hubert Sumlin, is about a shady character who ran Ponzi scheme and stole other folks dreams. The performance has musical echoes of Magic Sam, evident in Jones playing that contrasts with Sumlin’s sizzling single note work.


Musselwhite returns behind Jones’ easy vocal on Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry’s “Burnt Child.” In contrast, Jones’ rendition of Jimmy Reed’s “I Don’t Go For That,” has rollicking piano and jumping rhythm from Larry Taylor on bass and Richard Innes on drums, and is far removed from Reed’s lazy style. It is a storming Chicago blues stomp with Jones fleet single note solo echoing some of the Memphis greats from the early 50s before Musselwhite’s explosive harp solo showcasing Musselwhite's fat tone. Jones’ “Mean Streak,” mixes his menacing guitar sound with the spare backing from Taylor and Innes to evoke some of the doomy recordings that James Reed and Johnny Fuller recorded for Bay Area blues producer Bob Geddins. Jones may not be quite up to the level of those giants as a singer, but this splendid performance shows how he knows how to build atmosphere in his performances and knows that loud and frantic vocals and playing simply are no replacement for thoughtful, yet passionate performances. “Howlin’ With Hubert” is a nice instrumental shuffle with Jones and Sumlin trade solos. 


Sumlin also guests on the closing track, “Games,” with its driving, churning groove and after Sumlin’s solo, Jones enters, basing his solo on “Got My Mojo Working” and adding some Freddie King riffs here. It is another display of Jones growth from a blues prodigy to a seasoned veteran whose music makes blues fans of all stripes take notice. It is a solid ending to yet another first-rate recording by JW-Jones.




This review first appeared in Issue 329 of Jazz & Blues Report (September 2010), and I have made some stylistic changes for the blog. The review copy was provided by the publicity firm for Ruf Records.