Ernie Hawkins Plays Those Rags & Bones

As you may be aware, I am a fan of Piedmont blues stylist Ernie Hawkins and earlier in 2012, I posted a review of his most recent recording, Whinin' Boy, while a few days earlier I posted a 2001 review of his CD, Bluesified. I recently discovered I never posted my 2006 review of his CD Rags & Bones which appeared in the March 2006 DC Blues Calendar and the May/June 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 282). I likely received my review copy from Ernie Hawkins or his management.

The masterful finerpicking guitarist, Ernie Hawkins, has a delightful new CD , Rags & Bones (Say Mo’ Music). The talented disciple of the legendary Rev, Gary Davis opens with a superb rendition (played on a 12-string guitar) of Davis’ Make Believe Stunt, a tune Davis derived from a lick of Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag. The bones of the title are heard backing another guitar rag from Davis, The Boy Was Kissing the Girl (and Playing Guitar at the Same Time).

There are enjoyable covers here including Mississippi John Hurt’s Avalon Blues, country music pioneer, Jimmie Rodgers’ TB Blues, Henry Thomas’ Texas Easy Street, and Mance Lipscomb’s G Rag, with Hawkins delivering relaxed, easy going vocals to go with his deft fretwork. Most interesting are guitar adaptations of three classics of twenties jazz, Louis Armstrong’s Potato Head Blues and Cornet Chop Suey, along with Singin’ the Blues which is adapted from the legendary Frankie Trumbauer/ Bix Beiderbecke recording and a George Gershwin piano roll.

Maria Muldaur guests with a wonderful vocal on Rev. Davis’ I Am the Light of This World, and the album closes with Hawkins handling an African tune Massanga. Its a delight listening to the music hear and how wonderfully the guitar sounds. For further information check www. erniehawkins.com or better mail order stores.

Here is a video of Ernie teaching how to play a Reverend Gary Davis number.

Ernie Hawkins Ain't no Whinin' Boy

A new album by the fingerstyle guitarist Ernie Hawkins, Whinin’ Boy, represents a change in pace. Hawkins, a disciple of the the legendary Reverend Gary Davis, has distinguished himself as a masterful guitarist in the blues and ragtime vein pioneered by Davis, as well as a teacher of that and other acoustic blues styles. The present album has him playing material in the vein of early classic jazz and pop in small group settings with the contributions of Paul Consentino on clarinet, Joe Dallas on trombone and James Moore on trumpet worth mentioning.

The album has him in a variety of settings including the skittle jazz band format with clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba and washboard backing for Jelly Roll Morton’s title track that opens the album with his understated vocal and simple rhythmic guitar. Clarinet is spotlighted on a reworking of Song (of the Islands), associated with Bix Beiderbecke as Hawkins’ comps in a pianistic vein. There is a brief washboard break. Dallas quotes The Wedding March to open the rendition of Makin’ Whoopee, with its wry opening lyric about weddings and that its not so bad being the groom. Hawkins delivers a simply delivered vocal. The Southbound Sneak, is a slow original Hawkins’ rag-flavored original with tuba and trombone followed by a rendition of the venerable Basin Street Blues, with a fuller band.

The amusing My Poodle Has Fleas has Hawkins adept ukelele backed by tuba and washboard. It is followed by a rendition of Little Brother Montgomery’s Vicksburg Blues, with nice harmonica from Marc Reisman. It is interesting to listen to this piano blues transposed to guitar. I’m Coming Virginia, associated with Bix Beiderbecke and Frankie Trumbauer, is reworked into a pensive guitar feature for Hawkins. Louis Armstrong’s Weather Bird (Rag) is reworked to showcase Hawkins’ adept finger picking and clarinet from Consentino. Bill Bill Broonzy’s Shuffle Rag, has nice harmonica while Hawkins’ evokes Broonzy’s early 1930’s guitar style. The skiffle-jazz band treatment of Rev. Gary Davis’ There Is A Table In Heaven, with trombone and clarinet (and brass bass) provides a fresh take on this performance.

This is an entertaining recording although Hawkins’ guitar perhaps is not as prominent here as on other recordings.

I received a review copy from Ernie Hawkins’ publicist. He is scheduled to open for John Mayall at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia tonight (February 21, 2012).

Ernie Hawkins is Bluesified

I have had the pleasure of seeing Ernie Hawkins perform a number of times over the years. He is a terrific blues guitarist and singer and among those who was influenced bib the great Reverend Gary Davis. I reviewed his album Bluesified back in early 2001 for the DC Blues Society newsletter and Ernie provided the review copy. At the time when he was touring with Maria Muldaur. Here is that review, with some minor changes.

Fingerstyle blues artist Ernie Hawkins has a delightful new album, Bluesified on SayMo Music. A student of Rev. Gary Davis, Hawkins also acknowledges Blind Willie McTell as a major influence. There are several gospel numbers mixed in with his blues and rag numbers which he plays and sings with charm and grace. Rev. Davis would be proud listening to Hawkins nicely executed rendition of Davis Slow Drag, along with a couple of Davis gospel tunes, one of which, I Belong to the Band, has a moving guest vocal from Maria Muldaur.

The title track is an acoustic small group number which seems to be based on the Walkin’ Blues melody with nice harmonica from Marc Reisman and bottleneck guitar from Hawkins. Lou Schreiber adds clarinet to two tracks, Riding on a Moonbeam, which is based on an African number, and Root Hog or Die, an old Harlem Hamfats number on which the clarinet and the almost marchlike rhythm section recast the song with a klezmer flavor.

His eclecticism in his sources is displayed on his heartfelt reworking of Merle Travis sacred song, I Am a Pilgrim, as well as Hawkins Rag, that derives from a song by Ted Hawkins, mandolin player for the classic string band, Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers. His indebtedness to Blind Willie McTell is heard on a fine rendition of McTell’s Broke Down Engine (with nice bottleneck guitar), and the concluding medley of Amazing Grace with three McTell numbers. If not a great singer, Hawkins natural and unforced delivery delivers lyrics with warmth and conviction.

Bluesified is a release that fans of acoustic blues will want to check out. I have also heard his Blues Advice, and Rags & Bones, both of which I recommend strongly. I have not heard his most recent record, Whinin' Boy. You can contact Ernie directly at: Ernie Hawkins, 6941 Blenheim Court, Pittsburgh PA 15208. His website www.erniehawkins.com has information on this and Ernie’s other recordings and his many instructional videos in blues and ragtime guitar styles. Better stores will be carrying this as well.

Ernie Hawkins is appearing in Washington, DC area on February 21, opening for John Mayall at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. Here is Ernie teaching a Reverend Gary Davis number.