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.
Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones
Complicated Mess
EllerSoul Records
A new recording by Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones is quite welcome for fans of traditional Chicago blues as well as Texas and West Coast swing with a dose of honky tonk country mixed in. Deming is a very good, honest singer and a deft, fleet guitarist who primary inspirations include Charlie Christian, T--Bone Walker and Robert Lockwood Junior. He has quite a nice group of musicians backing him on ten originals and three covers. Andy Gohman handles the bass, while Marty Dodson handles the drums except for one track where Sam Farmer occupies the drum chair. Little Charlie Baty adds guitar to three tracks, while Harmonica players Kim Wilson and Madison Slim each play on two tracks. Sax Gordon and Tino Barker play (where heard) tenor and baritone saxophones respectively, while Bob Welsh is on piano and Chris Codish handles the organ. Except for one track, this was recorded by Big Jon Atkinson at his Big Tone Records studio, and this recording has a marvelous sound.
It sounds like Deming incorporates, into his playing, a Buddy Guy riff from Junior Wells' "Snatch it Back and Hold It" on the title track where he sings about trying to do his best, but he and his woman are though. There is robust Kim Wilson chromatic harp present on the moody "Sweet Poison," about this seductive lady with a forceful vocal. Little Charlie Baty joins Deming on an imaginative country-tinged rendition of "You Rascal You," with some jazzy, swinging guitar from both along with a straightforward vocal. Codish's organ helps lend a Memphis soul cast to the soulful "Hold On" Madison Slim adds harp behind the lazy Jimmy Reed shuffle groove on "Need My Baby," with Slim evokes Reed in his playing here. There is a country tinge to a rocking rendition of Lazy Lester's "Blues Stop Knockin'," with Welsh playing rollicking piano and Wilson adding some complimentary harmonica.
It sounds like Deming is channeling sixties Buddy Guy with his strong playing on a fine slow blues "Deep Blue Sea," with Welsh again outstanding behind a strong vocal. "Someday Pretty Baby," with the two saxophones present (Gordon plays a husky tenor sax solo) suggests Chicago artists like Ricky Allen and Harold Burrage. "Captain's Quarters" is a very appetizing instrumental with Baty and Deming each showcasing their fleet, swinging fretwork. "Just A Moment Of Your Time," is a swamp pop original with a booting baritone sax solo from Barker followed by Deming evoking Guitar Slim and Earl King with his gritty guitar here.
"I'm Walkin'" is a credible, high stepping cover with a booting Gordon solo. It is followed by the delightful "Cookin' at the Kitchen," a variation on Amos Milburn's "Chicken Shack Boogie," with new spoken lyrics about some of the folks at this session with Madison Slim's harp adding sax-like lines. An ebullient instrumental, Rat Killin'," allows Deming, the horns and rhythm section to all solo. It provides a close to this splendid recording.
I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the November-December 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 381), although I have made minor changes. Here Doug Deming performs "Blues Stop Knocking."
I believe this is the fourth album by the current lineup of The Nighthawks when Mark Stutso replaced Pete Ragusa on drums, joining Mark Wenner on harmonica, Paul Bell on guitar and Johnny Castle on bass. It is another generous helping of blues and roots rock by one of the hardest working bands around with as eclectic a group as songs as they have ever recorded ranging from the opening updating of a Brenda Lee recording "That's All You Gotta Do" sung by Mark; Willie Dixon's "Baby, I Want To Be Loved"; to Jesse Winchester's "Isn't That So"; to a rowdy rendition of Randy Newman's "Let Burn Down the Cornfield."
Highpoints include Stutso's singing on Larry Campbell's country gospel song "When I Go Away," that served as Levon Helm's personal farewell, his original hoodoo blues, "VooDoo Doll," and a wonderful swamp pop ballad "Three Times Your Fool"; Bell's stunning slide guitar backing on "Let Burn Down the Cornfield"; Wenner's harp and vocal on a rollicking cover of the second Sonny Boy Williamson's "Ninety Nine," his swamp blues reworking of Winchester's "Isn't that So" with marvelous tremolo laced guitar from Bell, and the instrumental recasting of "Frere Jacques" as "Blues For Brother John," with some jazzy playing from Bell; the band's reworking of R.L. Burnside's "Snake Drive" with terrific harp and slide; and Castle's grungy garage rock rendition of the Standell's "Dirty Water," with references to Boston changed to DC and Bell's guitar solo evoking the group, Them.
Other than the range of material, there will be no surprises for fans of The Nighthawks on another solid addition to their large body of recordings.
I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is an August 2017 performance by The Nighthawks.
As R. Keith Owens observes in his brief notes for The Nighthawks new album "Back Porch Party" (Eller Soul Records), it is sort of a follow-up to the group's "Last Train To Bluesville," being an acoustic, unplugged session recorded before a studio audience. This edition of the The Nighthawks has been pretty stable personnel wise since Mark Stutso replaced Pete Raguso on drums, joining original member Mark Wenner (harmonica), guitarist Paul Bell (guitar) and Johnny Castle (bass). There is choice selection of material including songs from Jimmy Rogers, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Lightnin' Slim and Ike Turner mixed in with originals from band members.
There really isn't much new to say about the music here. The Nighthawks are a terrific working band which can be heard in these unplugged performance whether Wenner's lead off on a brisk-paced take on Jimmy Roger's "Rock This House," followed by some back porch twang on the old patsy Cline classic "Walkin' After Midnight." Bell's chording and single note fills are marvelous embellishments as Castle and Stutso keep a relaxed groove. It is fascinating to listen to Bell play acoustically on the Ike Turner and Rhythm Kings' "Matchbox," which features some nice singing from Stutso who also delivers a nice original with a swamp pop tinge, "Down To My Last Million Tears."
Bell's guitar supplies a rockabilly touch to the rendition of a Willie Dixon song recorded by Muddy Waters' "Tiger In Your Tank," while a similar feel is heard on Castle's "Jana Lee" whose melody evokes the cajun-rock hit "Sugar Bee." Muddy Waters' classic take on the "Catfish Blues" theme, "Rollin' Stone" receives a straight interpretation while Wenner also plays homage to Lightnin' Slim on an easy rocking cover of "Rooster Blues." There is more fine guitar and harmonica throughout along with the clean, crisp rhythm. "Back Porch Party" is another welcome addition to The Nighthawks body of recordings and a worthy successor to their previous unplugged recording.
I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the May-June 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 360). Here is a video of The Nighthawks. It is not unplugged but is of a song associated with Muddy Waters.
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