Jackie Payne I Saw The Blues

 

It has been too long since most of us have heard from Jackie Payne, which is remedied by a new CD on Blue Dot Records, "I Saw The Blues." Payne first came into prominence with a recording on Jetstream led to him joining the Stax Revue. Moving to the West Coast he was featured with Johnny Otis for 15 years. Then he recorded for JSP before starting a partnership with Steve Edmondson which led to three more terrific recordings and a Blues Music Award for Soul Blues Album of the year. Now, nearly a decade later, he returns with this soul blues gem recorded and mixed by Kid Andersen who also plays as part of backing group that includes guitarist Anthony Paule, keyboardists Lorenzo Farrell and Bob Welsh, harmonica player Aki Kumar, trombonist Ed Early; trumpeter Jeff Lewis; and tenor saxophonists Frankie Ramos, Jack Sanford and Eric Spaulding.

Payne contributed six originals for a terrific urban blues recording with a heavy dose of Texas and Muscle Shoals in feel. Think about those terrific recordings Payne made with Steve Edmondson, those by Frankie Lee or the stunning Frank Bey-Anthony Paule recordings. Payne was in terrific voice when he made these sides showing little evidence of having aged since he first recorded decades ago. The brassy backing and Welsh's piano sets the mood for Payne's delivery on "Back To Normal," a moody number from J Barnett, C. Whitsett and Dan Penn as he displays his power and vocal dynamics and Andersen takes a crisp solo break. The title song by Payne has autobiographical references with Payne singing about being born in Georgia and in New Orleans saw the blues again. Farrell and Kumar taking solo breaks here. Payne's woman acts real strange on "Full Moon Blues," a Payne-Paule original with Paule adding slide guitar along with Kumar's harmonica to provide a down home feel.

"When the Blues Comes Knockin'" is a Texas to West Coast shuffle with Andersen taking the guitar lead as Payne warns listeners that the blues will try to persuade you he is your best friend. Billy Ray Charles' "Wife, Woman, Hootchie" is a terrific Malaco styled blues that sounds like it was recorded in Muscle Shoals, while "Kicking Back With the Blues" has a laid back groove with Paule on the guitar lead while Early's trombone is spotlighted on a superb performance. "Six Million Dollar Man" is a tough blues with Payne shouting that he has love, more than one can stand, and "if love was money, I would be a Six Million Dollar Man." I would not be surprised to see this number covered by other singers, but they would have to go far to come close to Payne's original. "Rock Me With a Steady Roll" is a superb slow blues suggestive of the Pete Johnson-Big Joe Turner classic "Cherry Red," with more fine down-in-the-alley trombone as well a terrific tenor sax solo from Eric Spaulding.

"I Saw the Blues" closes with a superb extended rendition of Ollie Nightingale's hit "I'll Drink Your Bathwater Baby," concluding an hour's worth of varied blues and soul, superbly sung and terrifically played. This is one of the best recent blues recordings this writer has heard. Jackie suffered a major stroke in 2014 which held up production and release of this recording, and while recovering is still unable to sing. We wish him well and a benefit will be held for him at Biscuit & Blues in San Francisco on May 31. I am sure there will be ways for those who cannot make it there can support him.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the May-June Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 360).  Here is Jackie singing with Steve Edmondson some years ago.

Payne and Edmondson Sensational Soul-Blues

The title track of the new Delta Groove CD by the Jackie Payne-Steve Edmonson Band, Overnight Sensation, quickly dispels that myth as Payne sings of growing up to Lightning Hopkins and T-Bone Walker, playing with Johnny Copeland and touring with Johnny Otis. “they call me an overnight sensation, but it sure has been a mighty long time.” Often such songs can come off flat, but this gem penned by vocalist Payne and guitarist Edmonson sets the tone for this soulful, funky set of modern urban blues. This is the third collaboration between the two veterans of the blues scene. Payne had been featured with Johnny Otis for about 15 years, and then had several fine recordings in the company of guitarist Kenny ‘Blue’ Ray (including an album under Payne’s name for JSP) while Edmonson had made his mark with various musicians before the two teamed up and put together a terrific band that include bassist Bill Singletary; drummer Nicky Otis (one of Johnny’s sons); saxophonist Carl Green and trumpeter Lech Wierzynski.

Payne and Edmonson are responsible for most of the material here but their are some choice interpretations of vintage material such as Gene Barge’s Mother-in-Law Blues, with Payne’s gripping vocal and Edmonson’s sizzling guitar work certainly compares favorable with Buddy Guy’s Chess original. of the originals, Take a Chance on Me, has a Latin tinge with a strong Memphis soul-styled vocal by Payne and a nice trumpet break from Green. Mitch Kashmar adds harp (and the horns sit out) for the Windy City salute I Got a Mind to Go to Chicago, while the mood shifts on the jazzy Uptown Woman Downtown Man, with a vocal that would have done the late Lou Rawls proud. The rest of this album is equally good. There is a terrific remake of Your Good Thing (Is About to Come to an End), the strutting funk of Bag Full of Doorknobs, with a great line “My woman has a bag full of doorknobs, she changes the lock every time I leave home.” and some tasty guitar commentary from Edmonson. It is followed by the driving deep-soul medley She’s Looking Good/ I’ve Never Found a Girl. After the instrumental Bringin’ Me Right Home, this disc ends with Charlie Rich’s Feel Like Going Home, with a country-soul flavoring in Payne’s vocal that ends this marvelous disc on another high musical note. There are some singers who affect me deeper than Payne does, but none of them sing as soulfully and consistently strongly as Payne does here and with the superior playing by guitarist Edmonson and the band, this certainly will be on my list of best blues recordings of 2008.