Joe Stanley - DC Saxophone Legend

 

The late saxophonist Joe Stanley was a major force on the rock and roll and blues scenes in Washington DC from the 1960s until his passing in 2007. Stanley played with a who's who of music luminaries including Link Wray, Charlie Daniels, Roy Clark, Bill Black's Combo, and his legendary band, The Saxons, helped such pivotal figures as Danny Gatton and Billy Hancock get their start. This writer saw Stanley numerous times with the DC area band, Big Joe and the Dynaflows, whose leader Joe Maher, has produced a new double CD of Stanley "Legend" on EllerSoul Records of previously unissued recordings.

The first of the two CDs has, in addition to Stanley and his sax and solos, Maher on drums, John Cocuzzi on organ; John Previti on bass and Rudy Turner on guitar where heard. Stanley's big tone will evoke Plas Johnson, Earl Bostic, Sil Austin and Red Prystock. With a heavy vibrato he launches into the mid-tempo latin-flavored "Blue Moon" that illustrates his driving, full-throated attack backed by the solid combo with Cocuzzi's greasy organ adding to the appeal. Stanley's rendition of "Flamingo" also certainly will appeal to fans of honking sax. Stanley was an affable crooner as heard on the standard, "The Nearness of You," and then picks up sax for the funky "Ode to Billy Joe." His vibrato on "September Song" might evoke Ben Webster, while he tears into Horace Silver's "The Preacher," with nice guitar in the backing.

The first disc was recorded in a studio, while the second disc comes from a variety of live recordings. Stanley, Previti, Cocuzzi (also on piano) and Maher are all present (although several tracks feature the late Jeff Sarli on bass); with Ivan Appelrouth on guitar, Frank Cocuzzi subbing on drums on one selection and Chris Watling adding baritone sax to one selection. With Cocuzzi on piano, Stanley digs into "Deep Purple," before the swinging "A Foggy Day in London Town," with a robust vocal and more brawny sax. There are a couple of lively renditions each of "Jambalaya" and "Just a Gigolo." Maher takes the vocal on "Let's Get High," with Stanley robustly soloing. After a marvelous "Walking With Mr. Lee," there are two versions of "You're Cheating Heart." The sound is uneven on these, but at worst is quite acceptable.

The closing track on each disc is Big Joe Maher interviewing Billy Hancock for his recollections of Stanley and for those simply wanting the music, can easily be bypassed. For those interested in the history of the Washington DC music scene, these interview selections will be of great interest. Marty Bauman designed the attractive CD package and wrote the liner notes. The only quibble would be with the personnel listings on the back cover that are incomplete and refer to tracks that do not exist. Otherwise this is a recording that fans of rock and roll saxophone and blues honkers will love. It is a wonderful tribute to a person, whose music, like him was always full of life.

Received my copy from EllerSoul.  Here Joe can be heard with Big Joe Maher and the Dynaflows doing a Wyonnie Harris classic. 

Blue Rider Trio Harp, Steel and Guts

Blue Rider Trio

Harp, Steel and Guts

Mapleshade 06932

Salty Dog-1/ Easy Rider-1/ Last Fair Deal Going Down-1/ Death Have No Mercy In This Land/-1 Ride ‘Till I Die-1/ Make Me A Pallet -2/ Black Betty-1/ Stagolee/ Sweet Home Kokomo-1/ Silver City Bound/ Long Tall Mama-2/ See See Rider-1/ Diddy Wa Diddy-1. 47:43.

Ben Andrews, g, vcl; Mark Wenner hca-1; Jeff Sarli -b-1; Larry Willis-2. 12/99-01/00. Upper Marlboro, MD

The Blue Rider Trio is a Washington, D.C. area-based acoustic blues trio centered around Ben Andrews’ guitar and vocals. The Trio also includes Mark Wenner (of the well-known band, the Nighthawks) on harmonica, and Jeff Sarli (currently with John Mooney, and formerly with Big Joe & the Dynaflows and Bill Kirchen & Too Much Fun) on acoustic bass. "Harp, Steel and Guts" is the second Blue Rider Trio Mapleshade release, although the disc includes a couple solo tracks by Andrews and two duets by Andrews with pianist Larry Willis. 

While often described as a delta blues stylist, Andrews’ blues is as indebted to the East Coast blues tradition (particularly Blind Willie McTell), the music of Leadbelly, and the early city blues of Big Bill Broonzy and the like. Andrews is a very skilled guitarist, whether playing a slide solo or tear off a fingerstyle run. Throughout he maintains a steady, unhurried, rhythm. Andrews also injects plenty of personality to well worn songs. His version of Robert Johnson’s “Last Fair Deal Gone Down” transforms the Johnson lament in an lively East Coast blues with very nice slide guitar picking. “Sweet Home Kokomo” is less distinctive, and owes much more to Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago” than it does to Kokomo Arnold’s “Kokomo Blues.” Sarli consistently provides a steady rhythmic anchor and Wenner adds a most sympathetic accompanying voice. His atmospheric playing adds to Andrews’ solemn treatment of Reverend Gary Davis’ stark “Death Have No Mercy In This Land.” 

Andrews’ rendition of “Stagolee” is derived from Mississippi John Hurt’s recording, while “Silver City Bound” was originally a Leadbelly tribute to Blind Lemon Jefferson. The two duets with pianist Larry Willis are disappointing as Willis sounds a bit tentative accompanying Andrews. Occasionally the performances comes off a bit too self-conscious as on “Easy Rider”, but overall, this is music that has captured Andrews’ passion for many years and it sounds as if he is far from being bored with the songs here. One gaffe in the packaging has “See See Rider” called “C.C. Rider on the back tray card.

I received my review copy either from Mapleshade or from Cadence, in which this review originally appeared in 2001. This is available and also as part of "Early Morning Blues: The Complete Blue Trio Sessions." Ben Andrews passed away in 2011 and was only 51. I had the pleasure of knowing him and see him play numerous times and miss him. Here is a 1990 performance of "Gallows Pole."

John Mooney's Big Ol' Fiya

The following review appeared in the December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 289) and oddly my comment opening this review still holds true as its been Mooney’s last release and its been over four years since this was released. I picked it one of the outstanding releases of 2006 and is still available (although perhaps easier to download than find a physical copy).

Its been four years since John Mooney had a new album out Big Ol’ Fiya, and he has produced his latest on LML Records (Live Music Lives), which should satisfy fans of his unique musical gumbo of Son House-influenced delta blues with Crescent City grooves.


This album also includes the keyboards of Jon Cleary along with the bass of the late Jeff Sarli, percussionist Alfred ‘Uganda’ Roberts and drummer Raymond Webber although Bernard ‘Bunche’ Johnson is on two tracks and engineer Mark Bingham picks up the bass for one track. Opening with a hot groove on 2 Get 2 Heaven, the band kicks into high gear as Mooney sings “I didn’t come here, to preach & pray; I ain’t here to soothe you; ‘Cause you works all day; I ain’t here, tokiss & tell; I’m just tryin’ to getta out this hell.” as Mooney adds some driving, crying slide. The title track follows as thetempo slows a bit with Cleary on organ as Mooney adds some nice slide runs with a lyric about what was love at first sight and how she is on his mind all day long but she left him and broke his heart. Voice and slide are in harmony as Mooney starts Dig My Way 2 China, how his woman left him so low heis digging his way down to China.


Few attempt to rework Son House songs, but Mooney’s interpretations carry an authority that in part reflect what he learned directly from the archetypal blues legend. Here he provides us a strong small band rendition of House’s Louis McGhee, with Sarli, Roberts and Webber providing the strong complimentary backing for Mooney. A Mooney original, Do You Love Me, is another strong performance rooted in the delta blues of House and his friend Willie Brown.


The remainder is in a similar vein and is a most welcome addition to Mooney’s strong discography. For more information can check Mooney’s website, www.johnmooneylive.com which will link you to www.cdbaby.com which is where your reviewer obtained this strong release.