Lloyd Jones Tennessee Run

Lloyd Jones
Tennessee Run
VizzTone

I have been a fan of Lloyd Jones since listening to his Trouble Monkey CD nearly 25 years ago. I found appealing his mix of blues and funk with a voice suggestive of Delbert McClinton (they have similar voices) and a guitar style that could evoke Guitar Slim, amongst others. Jones recently participated as part of McClinton's Sandy Beaches Cruise. He was then invited by McClinton's longtime keyboard player, Kevin McKendree, to record at McKendree's Rock House studio in Franklin, Tennessee. With McKendree on keyboards, Steve MacKay on bass, Kevin Blevins on drums, Jim Hoke on saxophone, Quentin Ware on trumpet, Roy Agee on trombone, and others, he put forth 14 songs, all composed in whole or in part by Jones. McClinton guests on one selection, as does Teresa James.

There is a classic R & B feel to many of these performances that open with "You Got Me Good." This song begins with a driving bass line evocative of "I Can't Turn You Loose," as Jones celebrates his lady who he asks how she got so sweet," Did you have to steal it from the bees/ Did you scratch up your knees/Climbing up all those trees." It is set against a tough horn backing and sung with total conviction. This whole album is well sung with pretty of enthusiasm and grit. Another noteworthy track is the rock and roll of "I Wish I Could Remember Loving You." It has the feel of a Chuck Berry song with McKendree channeling Johnnie Johnson with his rollicking piano. Teresa James adds a harmony vocal here while McClinton is heard with Jones on "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," with the songs down-home philosophy.

Other songs include a novelty number about misplacing one's phone, "Where's My Phone?" "A True Love Never Dies" is a terrific southern soul-styled ballad with one of Jones' most heartfelt singing and a superb, focused guitar solo. A New Orleans second-line groove enlivens "Bayou Blues" and "That's All I Want." The latter number also places the spotlight on Jim Hoke's raspy baritone sax. "Turn Me Loose" is a jump blues with a nifty guitar solo as Jones pleads to his woman that she doesn't love him anymore, so turn him loose.

Those familiar with Lloyd Jones will find much too enjoy here as I suspect Delbert McClinton fans will also. Jones sings and plays with energy and fervor supported by some top-notch playing. The accompanying booklet provides the lyrics, and one should not be surprised if other artists cover some of the songs. Kevin McKendree's production, in addition to his keyboards, is another factor resulting in a first-class recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Lloyd Jones in performance.

Delbert McClinton Tall Dark & Handsome

Delbert McClinton and Self-Made Men + Dana
Tall Dark & Handsome
Hot Shot Records

"Tall Dark & Handsome" is the 26th album from Delbert McClinton and is another collection of his roadhouse roots stew mixing blues, jazz, Americana, honky-tonk country, rhythm and blues, and more. Delbert, his long-time keyboard player Kevin McKendree and his guitarist Bob Britt co-produced this recording. It was recorded at the Rock House in Franklin, Tennessee that is owned and operated by Kevin McKendree. Kevin, Britt, and Kevin's son, Yates, were the engineers. Kevin and Britt did the mixing.

Delbert was involved in the writing of all 14 selections, many with Britt, McKendree or bassist Michael Joyce of Delbert's band. Delbert's current band of Dana Robbins (saxophone), Jack Bruno (drums), Mike Joyce (bass), Bob Britt (guitar), James Pennebaker (guitar), Quentin Ware (trumpet), Dennis Wage (keyboards) plays on this. However, on most of this McKendree and Britt are joined by Joe Maher on drums and Glenn Worf on bass with Jim Hoke on reeds and leading a horn section.

Now 78 one should not be surprised that Delbert is not quite as robust a singer as he was some years ago. If he doesn't project as powerfully and reach certain notes, he more than compensates by his timing, phrasing, and sometimes employing a  more conversational style. There is little that detracts from the pleasures to heard here. There are strong originals like the opening jump blues "Mr. Smith" where McClinton shouts about a hot band in a performance that the late Big Joe Turner might applaud. Then there is the honky-tonk flavored "If I Hock My Guitar" with Britt's stinging guitar. Stuart Duncan's fiddle adds a western swing accent to the bouncy "No Chicken on the Bone," while there is a Tex-Max accent on "Gone to Mexico." Hoke adds norteno flavored accordion along with with his sax, and Dana Robbins' sax.

Both "Lulu," and "Ruby & Jules," exhibit a sophisticated flavor with jazz-accented backing. In contrast, "Loud Mouth"  a rocking blues shuffle on which Britt's guitar channels B.B. King. "Any Other Way" is a late-night sounding saloon blues with a thoughtful, vocal. It is followed by "A Fool Like Me" a rocker with a New Orleans second-line groove. One lyric that stands up is "Can't Get Up," where he remembers his younger days but now realizes he can't get up to get down as he did before. McKendree, who is outstanding on the B-3 here, is superb throughout, as are the rest of the backing musicians here. With excellent original material, excellent production and McClinton's heartfelt vocals, "Tall Dark & Handsome" will have the roadhouse jukeboxes rocking tonight.

Received from my review copy from a publicist. Here Delbert performs "No Chicken on the Bone."

Marcia Ball The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man

 

Marcia Ball has a new Alligator Records recording, “The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man,” that will certainly delight listeners with her gulf coast musical gumbo. Ms. Ball and her vocals and piano are supported here by her band of Don Bennett on bass, Damien Llanes on drums, Michael Schermer on guitar and Thad Scott on tenor sax with Kaz Kazanoff, Delbert McClinton, and Terrence Semien among those heard on this Tom Hambridge production for her 6th album for Alligator.

Marcia Ball’s Crescent City-rooted rollicking piano and her honey-laced soulful singing will certainly be familiar on this program on mostly Ball originals (the only cover being Hank Ballard’s “He’s The One”). The title track about two characters of a traveling carnival show gets things started with its buoyant romp. Ball’s sense of humor is exhibited on “Clean My House” set up by a second line groove, while “Just Keep Holding On” is a lovely swamp pop-styled ballad followed by the infectious party groove of “Like There’s No Tomorrow.”

There is plenty of soul heard in Ball’s delivery of “He’s the One,” while Terrence Semien’s accordion and harmony vocal adds a zydeco accent to Ball’s message of folks trying to pay bills and simply scrape by on “The Squeeze Is On.” “Human Kindness” is another message song urging us to show some empathy and open up hearts to our fellow man. McClinton adds harmonica behind Balls’ easy rocking shuffle where she says don’t cry about her shuffles because Marcia “Can't Blame Nobody But Myself.”

The closing “The Last To Know” is a blues about looking back and people seeing what they want to see which a hint of “Nobody Knows You When You Are Down Out” in its melody. Its a wonderfully, played and sung recording. “The Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man” delights with Ball’s strong talents as a singer and pianist who also displays her gift as a songwriter. With her excellent band and guests, she has produced another fabulous recording of party grooves mixed with messages of love and hope.

I received my copy from Alligator Records. This review appeared in the November-December 2014 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 357). Here is Marcia Ball in performance doing the title track.

Etta Britt Does Delbert

Nashville singer Etta Britt may be familiar to some through her association with Delbert McClinton, but her musical career goes back quite a bit as she toured as part of the CMA nominated vocal trio Dave & Sugar. While she put her musical career on the back-burner while raising a family, her dreams of a solo career were reignited when signing a record deal when she was in her early fifties, resulting in an album Out of the Shadows, and touring with Delbert and Paul Thorn. She has a follow-up recording produced by her husband Bob Britt, Etta Does Delbert (Brittunes Music) that is a mix of honky tonk, southern soul, rock and roll with a dash of blues. In order words it is some honky tonking rock and roll in the vein of Delbert and others.

She is backed by a band of her husband on guitar, Kevin McKendree on keyboards, Steve MacKay bass, Lynn Williams drums and Dana Robbins on sax with background vocals from her husband, the McCrary Sisters, and others. The strong mostly come from Delbert's songbook, and the performances are first rate. She is a terrific singer whether delivering the rock and roll of Somebody To Love Me and the southern soul of You Were Never Mine. This latter number evokes the classic Memphis soul of James Carr and Goldwax records. Another superb vocal is her interpretation of Bobby Charles' classic The Jealous Kind. There are also two duets with McClinton, Boy You Better Move On and the rollicking Best of Me.

Bob Britt's short guitar breaks and McKendree's piano are additional musical ingredients on these terrific performances while the rhythm lays down a relaxed solid groove throughout. The album closes with an original she wrote with McKendree, the strutting When I Was With You, which again displays the gritty, textured and nuanced singing that makes Etta Does Delbert such a marvelous recording that should appeal to a wide spectrum of listeners.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here she sings a duet with Delbert.