Scott Taylor Blues Kitchen

Scott Taylor
Blues Kitchen
Fetal Records

I became familiar with Scott Taylor from a promising recording by a group Electrofied. His new release "Blues Kitchen" features the guitar and bass of Tony Fazio who also recorded this. Others on this are Greg Phillips on drums (Eric Selby on a couple tracks) and Charlie Sayles who adds harmonica on a few tracks. Taylor and Fazio co-wrote ten of the eleven songs (Taylor wrote the other).

Taylor, on a set of fairly straight blues, again shows himself to be a nuanced, powerful singer with a definite personality. Fazio is a capable guitarist and Charlie Sayles enlivens the selections he is on. Despite these positives, the backing is generally basic and skeletal and the performances sound like demos as opposed to finished recordings that would have more vibrancy in the backing. Taken in small samples, this is not much of an issue. However, listening to several tracks at once, and one will notice this. This is a shame, because one can imagine how much more powerful an album this would have been if a fuller band had been employed, along with engineering for a more vibrant sound.

I received from Fetal Records. Here is Scott Taylor performing with Electrofied.

What a fascinating set list

From left to right - Jim Lande, Eric Selby, David Bird

The Tinner Hill Blues Festival closed on Sunday, June 15 with its annual Blues Brunch. This year it was held at JV's in Falls Church VA and featured various performers affiliated with the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation. The first performers were Jim Lande on saxophone, clarinet, harmonica and bones with David Bird on guitar. The vocals were shared between the two and were also accompanied by Eric Selby on drums. I told Jim and David that they had a terrific set list and later Jim commented with the list that David put together and here is it.

Bay Rum Blues -- Ashley & Foster 1933
Floating Bridge -- Sleepy John Estes -- 1937
Boats Up River -- John Jackson 1965
Nothing in Rambling -- Memphis Minnie -- 1944
Red River -- Josh White 1933
How Long Blues -- Leroy Carr -- 1928
France Blues -- Harvey Hull with Cleve Reed -- 1927?
The World is Going Wrong -- Mississippi Shieks -- 1931
Back Door Stranger -- Brownie McGhee - 1940
Richmond Blues -- Blind Boy Fuller -- late 1930s?
Early in the Morning -- Louis Jordan -- 1947
Shake it and Break it -- Charley Patton -- 1929
Ain't Your Business -- Slim Harpo -- album 1961 (wonder if there was an earlier single?)
I like what you do -- original
Hard Time Killing Floor -- Skip James 1931
Who Do You Love -- Bo Diddley -- 1956

David later commented that he based "Red River Blues" on John Jackson's rendition and learned "Richmond Blues" from John Cephas' and Phil Wiggins rendition. I would not be surprised that many folk would be unfamilar with all but a few of these songs. I have never heard anybody interpret John Estes' "Floating Bridge" nor the Harvey Hull and Cleve Reed recording. Certainly it was a treat to listen to such a fine set of songs that it seems some who call themselves blues lovers might criticize for originality (i.e. not enough original songs).

Little Bit a Blues at Blues Alley

2013-0327 Little Bit a Blues at Blues Alley-3270168, a photo by NoVARon on Flickr.

Warner Williams is a Washington DC area blues treasure that many outside of Washington may not be aware with. Over the past couple decades he has performed with harmonica player Jay Summerour as Little Bit a Blues. Warner will not fly and accordingly does not travel that often although he has played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and some other national blues and folk festivals.

Wednesday, March 27, Warner and Jay, with Eric Selby on drums, celebrated at the Washington DC night club Blues Alley, the release of their new CD Live at B.B. King's Bluesville with a marvelous set of acoustic blues that ranged beyond the already wide repertoire of songs on the CDs including Warner's take on such classic blues as Key To The Highway, Digging My Potatoes, I Feel So Good, Greyhound Blues and Good Morning Little Schoolgirl. Warner's fluid guitar was a delight as was his warm baritone and delighted the Blues Alley crowd.

Jay Summerour, Eleanor Ellis and Eric Selby at Blues Alley on March 27, 2013

Eleanor Ellis, one of the finest female acoustic blues women alive opened with a set that included songs from Memphis Minnie, Jim Jackson, Pink Anderson and Simmie Dooley and Little Hat Jones-Andy Boy. Eleanor was also backed by Jay and Eric for her set. Her renditions of Memphis Minnie tunes are better than most by the better known, but not more talented artists, on the recent Memphis Minnie tribute album Maria Muldaur put out recently. Elanor is that good and its time for her to do another CD.

It was an evening of superb acoustic blues. Warner and Little Bit Blues will be appearing at the Pennsylvania Blues Festival on July 28, 2013. here is a link to that festival, http://www.skibluemt.com/seasonal-activities/pa-blues-festival/.

Warner Williams Live at B.B. King's Bluesville

Guitarist Warner Williams and harmonica player Jay Summerour have been playing the Washington DC area as Little Bit A Blues for about two decades. Williams is a Piedmont blues treasure although bis guitar style and repertoire shows more than a little country influence, particularly the picking style of Merle Travis and a fairly diverse repertoire. In 2011 he was honored by the National Endowment of the Arts as a National heritage Fellow. Warner does not travel outside of DC very often he will not fly, which probably accounts for him being not familiar to many.

The cover of Little Bit a Blues’ new CD on Soul Stew records is Live at B.B. King’s Bluesville. This is the duo’s fourth album joined by Eric Selby’s deft drums and percussion. Earlier albums include two on the Patuxent label and one on Smithsonian Folkways from a variety of live performances. The cover of this CD labels it The Best of Little Bit A Blues which is odd insofar as this is not a compilation of their best recordings. Rather recorded in November 2012 at the SiriusXM studios of songs that are perhaps the core of Warner’s repertoire.

Starting with Blind Boy Fuller’s Step It Up and Go, through the closing instrumental Little Bit A Blues Theme, Warner takes us through a pretty diverse repertoire including some humorous country honky tonk, Hey Bartender, There’s a Big Bug in My Beer, a ramped up rendition of Lightnin’ Slim’s swamp blues Greyhound Blues, and fine renditions of blues standards like Key to the Highway, Going Down Slow, I Feel So Good, and Good Mornin’ Little School Girl. Despite the familiarity of the material, Warner puts his own stamp on this with his deft guitar playing that incorporates some jazz and country boogie to complement his heartfelt singing while Summerour complements him so well and Selby adds rhythmic embellishments with a light touch.

It is so nice to have the new Little Bit A Blues recording Live at B.B. King’s Bluesville, to spotlight Warner Williams distinctive blues. His repertoire goes beyond what one might on this and he is such a delight to see perform. For those in the DC area, Warner and Jay with Eric will celebrate the release of this at Blues Alley on March 27 with guest Eleanor Ellis. Warner will also be performing at this year’s Pennsylvania Blues Festival at the Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Palmerton, Pennsylvania on Sunday, July 28. 

I received my copy from the performers.