Blind Lemon Pledge Goin' Home

Blind Lemon Pledge
Goin' Home
OFEH Records

Blind Lemon Pledge is the roots and blues name for James Byfield. Recently, I reviewed a recording by him as Blind Lemon Jazz that consisted of mostly originals he wrote evoking the Great American Songbook. However, he left the vocals on that release to another singer. This present album features his guitar and vocals with bassist Peter Grenell. The two tackle a variety of well-known blues songs with a few more recent blues-based folk songs.

The performances have the feel of a house concert with the simple instrumentation. Byfield is an affable, if not outstanding, singer and a vigorous guitarist. He interprets a broad range of material, including a straight-forward cover of Muddy Waters' "I Feel like Going Home," with him playing slide on a resonator guitar. A stripped-down interpretation of Little Willie John's "Fever" is followed by a heartfelt, pleading rendition of Walter Davis' "Come Back Baby," with a nicely constructed guitar solo. I was not familiar with J.J. Cale's "Crazy Mama." Byfield's whispering vocal and slide playing make this among this album's high points. Byfield's "Sugar Rush" is an amusing bawdy blues with some impressive 12-string guitar. An unplugged duo version of Fenton Robinson's "Somebody Loan Me a Dime" is followed by a spirited rendition of "Big Road Blues." Also noteworthy is an imaginative interpretation of Lonnie Johnson's "Too Late to Cry." A remake of Hot Tuna's "I Know You Rider" has a country-folk feel.

While I would be hard-pressed to find this to be an essential recording, "Goin' Home" has many charms that will appeal to folk-blues and Americana enthusiasts.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here he performs "Come Back Baby."

 

Blind Lemon Jazz After Hours

Blind Lemon Jazz
After Hours
Ofeh Music

Blind Lemon Jazz is James Byfield, who has recorded several blues albums as Blind Lemon Pledge. Byfield has written 13 originals songs inspired the Great American Songbook, as well as arranged, produced this album, and plays guitar. Ben Flint handles keyboards and contributed some arrangements, while Peter Grenell is on bass, and Joe Kelner is on drums, all in support of Marisa Malvino vocals. This is not a blues record and not strictly a jazz record. The music is bluesy in a sense of singing about having a bluesy feeling. Musically this is in the vein of late-night saloon music in the manner of Frank Sinatra singing "One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)."

Malvino's smoky, evocative singing lends it that feel as does the light, sympathetic backing. Pianist Flint impresses with his touch and nuanced accompaniment to her singing, and the lyrics contribute to this flavor, such as the title song (not the Avery Parrish instrumental), as she sings about after-hours dancing soft and slow, and the time is right for love. Then there is the evocative song for "If Beale Street Was A Woman," I would take her for my bride, and if Memphis was a singer, the blues would be her song. Flint takes a crisp, blues-tinged solo in the middle of her world-weary vocal. The bouncy "Rich People in Love" is modeled after classic standards about folks going to the parties, arriving fashionably late.

There is a bluesy flavor to the lament "How Can I Still Love You," as well as on the torch song, Bobbi's Blues," and her blue ballad, "Livin' My Life With the Blues," with some choice piano. "Moon Over Memphis" has a reflective feel as Malvino sings about a whippoorwill calling out her lover's name. There is also a homage to Buddy Bolden singing about the day the pioneering jazz cornet player passed, "Buddy Bolden's Song," which borrows some lines from "St. James Infirmary." James Byfield sings ably and plays guitar on the closing lament "Blue Heartbreak."

Malvino's nuanced vocals with restrained, subtle backing and Byfield's intriguing original compositions make for fascinating listening, and no one should be surprised if some of these songs become familiar vehicles for performance by other artists.

I received a review copy from Jim Eigo. This review appeared in the September-October 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 386) although I made minor stylistic changes. Here is a video for "Bobby's Blues," from this CD.