Eddie Burns - Snake Eyes

Eddie Burns - Snake Eyes - Delmark

Delmark has also issued Snake Eyes, the latest album by another under-recorded blues veteran, Eddie Burns. Burns is a veteran of the Detroit blues scene, including playing with John Lee Hooker on a number of Hooker's finest band recordings. He shares some influences with Hooker including Tommy McLennan but in addition to being a fine rhythmic guitarist, he is a capable harmonica player indebted to John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson.

Delmark, who has issued a couple of albums by his younger brother Jimmy, has just issued Eddie's Snake Eyes. On it, Burns is joined by brother Jimmy on guitar along with pianist Roosevelt Purifoy, bassist Nick Charles (brother of Magic Slim), and drummer Larry Taylor (one of the legendary Eddie Taylor's sons), in an album of postwar ensemble blues. 

Playing both acoustic as well as electric guitar and harmonica, Burns' simple, effective playing and his straightforward plaintive singing result in some delightful traditionally oriented blues. There are echoes of classic Muddy Waters' stop-time grooves on Night Shift, while the rollicking Papa Likes to Boogie evidences the influence of Williamson. A spirited remake of the Drifters' Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash is joined by a tasteful cover of Memphis Slim's Lend Me Your Love, while Going to New Orleans, is similar to recordings by Otis Spann and Lonnie Johnson. The two Burns play acoustic guitars on the shuffle Treat Me Like I Treat You. 

The backing band is wonderful and with Burns' honest and heartfelt performances, Snake Eyes is a gem.

I received my review copy from Delmark. This review originally appeared in the June 2002 DC Blues Calendar although I have made some minor edits to the original review. Here is "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash" from this recording.

Eddie Burns Remembered With Snake Eyes

Word arrived by vocalist and harmonica player, Eddie Burns one of the centerpieces of the downhome post-war Detroit Blues Scene, passed away Wednesday, December 12, 2002. Burns was perhaps best known for being part of John Lee Hooker's Band for part of the fifties. The Mississippi native was influenced by John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson and also Big Bill Broonzy. He was an adept harmonica player who was heard on Hooker's brilliant early recording of Burnin' Hell, on Sensation, along with the Chess album, The Real Folk Blues. He recorded a number of singles and some albums over the years for labels that included Harvey, Von, Checker, Blue Suit and Delmark. In 2002 I reviewed his Delmark album, Snake Eyes in the September/October Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 259) which follows.

Delmark has recently issued this latest album, Snake Eyes, by another under recorded blues veteran, Eddie Burns. Burns is a veteran of the Detroit blues scene, including playing with John Lee Hooker on a number of Hooker’s finest band recordings. He shares some influences with Hooker including Tommy McLennan, but in addition to being a fine rhythmic guitarist he is a capable harmonica player indebted to John Lee ‘Sonny Boy' Williamson. 

Delmark, which has issued a couple of albums by his younger brother Jimmy. On Snake Eyes, Eddie Burns is joined by brother Jimmy on guitar along with pianist Roosevelt Purifoy, bassist Nick Charles (brother of Magic Slim) and drummer Larry Taylor in an album of postwar ensemble blues. Playing both acoustic guitar as well as electric guitar and harmonica, Burns’ simple, effective playing and his straightforward plaintive singing result in delightful traditionally oriented blues. 

There are echoes of classic Muddy Waters’ stop-time grooves on Night Shift, while the rollicking Papa Likes to Boogie evidences the influence of Williamson. A spirited remake of the Drifters’ Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ But Trash, is joined by a tasteful cover of Memphis Slim’s Lend Me Your Love. wile Going to New Orleans is similar to recordings by Otis Spann and Lonnie Johnson. The two Burns play acoustic guitars on the shuffle Treat Me Like I Treat You. 

The backing band is wonderful, and with Burns’ honest and heartfelt performances, Snake Eyes is a gem.

I probably received a review copy from Delmark and I have made some minor stylistic edits. Nick Charles is not Nick Holt, who was Magic Slim's brother, but a different person. Thanks to the members of the Facebook group, The Real Blues Forum, for pointing this error. Also on that forum was a suggestion that Burns harmonica with John Lee Hooker in 1949 (the Burnin' Hell session) may have been the first recording of amplified harmonica on record.

Jimmy Burns Never Leaves the Blues Walking

Back in September 2007, I blogged about Jimmy Burns Live CD/DVD on Delmark. Burns emergence a decade earlier produced a truly memorable recording, Leave Here Walking, that I reviewed back in the April 1997 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 220). This terrific recording is still available although it may not be familiar to many of you, so I thought it proper to revive (with a few stylistic changes my older review to call this excellent release to your attention.

A surprising new release comes from Mississippi-born Jimmy Burns, the youngest of eleven children. Famed Detroit bluesman Eddie Burns is his oldest brother. He moved to Chicago in 1955 when he was 12 and started singing in street corner harmony groups emulating the Moonglows and the Spaniels. Burns spent the next couple decades working in this rhythm and blues vein, and became a sophisticated soul stylist. In more recent years, Jimmy Burns has focused more on the blues, drawing on the music of such greats as the first Sonny Boy Williamson and Muddy Waters. What’s striking here is the mix of traditional blues themes with Burns’ soul-tinged vocals. He attacks his performances at a nice relaxed tempo and none sound rushed. His singing has an urgency without having to resort to frenzied histrionics. The title track, a Burns’ original, may be this writer’s favorite, as Burns sings about getting his baby’s letter and having to go back south. There’s tasty low-key reworking of Mercy Dee Walton’s One Room Country Shack, a jaunty take of Tommy McClennan’s Whiskey Headed Woman, a sprite rendition (with Burns on the harp) of the first Sonny Boy’s Shake You Boogie, and fresh sounding renditions of Rollin’ and Tumblin’ and Catfish Blues.  On most of this album Burns receives strong backing, including the judicious use of horns on two tracks). His soulful vocals are accompanied only by his guitar on three tracks: Curtis Mayfield’s Gypsy Woman; Joe Seneca’s Talk to Me (best known from Little Willie John’s hit); and Burns’ original blues Miss Annie Lou. Burns’ blues consistently hits the target with his wonderful singing and his crisply, and cleanly delivered guitar. This is an impressive recording by a veteran who has found a welcome musical home in the blues. Postscript. I have had the pleasure of seeing Jimmy Burns perform a couple times and he puts on a terrific show. His Live DVD/CD captures his strong side as a live performer and here is the link for my blog entry on that. For purposes of FTC regulations, the review copy was likely provided by Delmark Records.