Red Lotus Revue Tells Fourteen Stories

Fourteen Stories is the self-released recording by the Red Lotus Revue, a band rooted in fifties’ Chicago blues. The band took its name from its debut gig at the Red Lotus Society in downtown San Diego. Red Lotus Revue is comprised of harmonica player and vocalist Karl Cabbage; guitarist Jimmy Zollo, guitarist Pete Fanzini, and drummer Kurt Kalker. The recording consists of 7 originals by Cabbage and Zollo along with 7 covers which is the basis for the the album’s title. Cabbage is the only one I am familiar with having heard a recording by an earlier group of his, West of Memphis.

The set opens with an original Suzanne, with the band establishing its crisp sound. Cabbage’s gravelly vocals are suggestive of Omar Dykes while his harp playing is fluid with a fat tone. The band provides empathic support with nice mix of slide and straight guitar on this, and on other tracks coming across Louis and Dave Myers. The tempo quickens for a nice cover of Jimmy Reed’s shuffle, Ain’t Got You, and Kalker’s drumming does a nice job of swinging this along. Its is followed by a nice adaptation of Smokey Smothers’ Drinkin’ Muddy Waters, followed by the Pass This Way, that has a swampy feel as Cabbage and the guitarists play acoustically and Kalker displays a light touch.

For the cover Sonny Boy Williamson’s Key To Your Door, Cabbage does nice take of Williamson’s harp style while the guitarists shows appreciation for King Biscuit Boy, Joe Willie Wilkins. A couple of originals follow, with Homebody, standing out being with an insistent bass riff and a short, strong harp solo. Barkin’ is a nice shuffle in the manner of Nine Below Zero, with the band again playing in the manner of Sonny Boy Williamson. Then follows Fish Tail, a cover of one of Johnny Shines' reworkings of Robert Johnson’s Terraplane Blues. The guitarists play acoustically on this nice interpretation which is followed by a relaxed cover of Jimmy Reed’s “Honest I Do. 

The spirited original River is anchored around the Rolling and Tumbling melody for which Cabbage tells his story about going to the river and washing his sins away. The closing Santee has Cabbage singing that if one is going to Santee, one best bring one's ID. This original is another clever adaptation of a classic blues recording, in this case Robert Johnson’s They’re Red Hot. It is heard in two takes, although the CD packaging does not indicate the second take. This caps a strong collection of Chicago styled blues. Certainly those who have enjoyed Omar and the Howlers will find this in a similar vein. I certainly look forward to more from the Red Lotus Revue.

I received my review copy from a publicist for this release.  Here is a video of them from their CD release party.

West Of Memphis Bakes Splendid Musical Honey Pie

Comprised of vocalist-harmonica player Karl Cabbage and guitarist Tom Walpole, and various sidemen, West of Memphis is a blues band hailing from San Diego. The band’s name stems from the fact that when Cabbage was stationed at a Naval base forty miles West of Memphis, he hitchhiked to busk and play harp on Beale Street and catch various blues heroes. The band was formed in 1999 and actual has been holding down a weekend gig at San Diego’s House of Blues since early 2006. Yes, imagine a House of Blues having a regular gig by a blues band.

They have just issued their second cd, Honey Pie, produced in Montreal by one of a superb Canadian harp players Bharath Rajakumar and this recording certainly will please fans of jumping Chicago styled-blues. There is a nice variety of material including solid remakes of songs from Jimmy Rogers (Back Door Friend and That’s All Right), Little Walter (Who and I Got to Go), Muddy Waters (Crosseyed Cat), and Johnny Young (I’m Having a Ball), along with solid idiomatic originals like Canary in Her Cage, the title track and Cell Phone Blues.

One would be hard-pressed to fine any tracks that stand-out as everything is done so nicely.They do a solid straight cover of Willie Dixon’s I’m Ready with I assume Walpole is the one ably handling the vocals while Cabbage takes a solid chromatic solo, while Cabbage handles the vocal mike on the Little Walter interpretations and Johnny Young’s exuberant I’m Having a Ball on which Bharath showcases his formidable harp playing. One of the originals Cell Phone Blues is preceded by a call from the song’s co-writer Geoff Starin, before Cabbage opens the song with some blasting harp as he tells his woman to close her cell phone baby, because “he don’t love you like I do.” Some great guitar from Walpole in a Junior Watson vein while the pianist, M. Gagnon helps supply the bottom with his strong two-handed playing (as he does throughout this disc).

Bharath takes the vocal on That’s Alright, where Cabbage plays some nice harp in the vein of Sonny Boy Williamson II. Miss Sugarpuss Boogie is a crisp feature for Walpole’s guitar that comes across as a fifties’ styled number. The closing shuffle. Chupacabra, is a hot harmonica duet by Bharath and Cabbage that ends a strongly appealing disc.

I likely received my review copy from a publicist for the release. The review originally appeared in the January 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 300).