Patti Parks - Whole Nother World

Patti Parks - Whole Nother World - Booga Music/ VizzTone

From Western New York, vocalist Patti Parks built quite a following apart from her career as a working nurse. She caught Kenny Neal's attention at the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge. Neal signed her to his Booga Music label and brought her to his Baton Rouge, Louisiana studio where he produced "Whole Nother World." Backing Patti's vocals are Kenny Neal on guitar, Carlton Ross on rhythm guitar, Arlando O'Connor on bass, Brandon Adams on keyboards, and Michael Harris on drums. Frederick Neal adds keyboards to one track, Guy Nirelli adds keyboards to two tracks, and Jason Parfait adds saxophone to one song.

There is a nice selection of mostly obscure material. The album opens with a cover of Yvonne Jackson's Ichiban recording "I'm Troubled." Taken at a nice shuffle groove, Parks quickly puts her stamp on this recording with her powerful, expressive singing. She shouts out the lyrics without sounding shrill with tight backing, although the synthesized horns add a cheesy feel. It is followed by a reworking of an old Erica Guerin recording, "More Than You'll Ever Know." Guerin wrote this song with Neal and the late Bob Greenlee. It is a slow bluesy number that Parks pours her soul into. The backing is first-rate, with Neal being terrific. Up next is a pretty straight, if strongly sung and played, rendition of James Brown's "It's A Man's Man's Man's World." 

Neal and Parks duet on Neal's "Baby Bee," on which Neal plays acoustic guitar and harmonica. It is an appealing, laid-back back-porch performance. Parks covers a couple more Erica Guerin recordings. "Stickin' to My Guns" is set against a relaxed shuffle groove, with Neal adding some down-home harmonica in the backing. Then there is the pop-soul anthem "Don't Play Me Cheap," with Adams' solid piano and keyboards while Jason Parfait plays some strong yakety-yak tenor sax. Kenny Neal provided the lyrics for the funky "I Can't Think" with another potent vocal, although again with cheesy synthesized horns.

There is also Parks' powerful performance of the anti-rape song, "No Means No." It is a superb close to a superbly sung recording. It should be noted that there are only eight songs and less than a half-hour of music. However, there is no fat or gristle to this first-rate recording.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. Here is a performance by Patti Parks.

Earl Thomas Helping Raise Blues Hall Of Fame Roof

2012-0729 PA Blues Fest Sunday-1250827, a photo by NoVARon on Flickr.

The highpoint of the 2012 Pennsylvania Blues Festival was the riveting performance by the veteran San Francisco Bay singer Earl Thomas and his Blues Ambassadors. Thomas brought not only a deep soul voice to his program of blues and classic R&B (A killer rendition of the Etta James smash I'd Rather Go Blind) , but his showmanship was dazzling. Definitely a performer of the old school, of which there is too little today. 

Tis image taken from the Blues Foundation's website

Sunday, March 24 Earl Thomas headlines a terrific Raise the Roof Concert for the Blues Hall of Fame to raise money for the Blues Hall of Fame that The Blues Foundation. This takes place starting at 1PM PDT, 4PM EDT and 8PM in Europe. Here is some information from the Foundation's website:

"Blues legend Earl Thomas and his friends will play at Club Fox in Redwood City on Sunday, March 24, 2013. This once in a lifetime event, which will not be replicated anywhere, will be live streamed by VenMundi, making it possible for Blues aficionados all over the world to enjoy these extraordinary artists who are coming together in support of The Blues Foundation's Raise the Roof! Campaign for the Blues Hall of Fame.

Sista Monica (seen at 2012 DC Blues Festival)
among those assisting Earl Thomas
Raise the Roof for the Blues Hall Of fame

Earl Thomas started out wanting to support The Blues Foundation by giving back his time and talents as a Blues artist. As his fellow Blues musicians heard about what Thomas was doing, they wanted to join him. As a result, the show will feature Sista Monica, Syreeta Neal, Lady Bianca, Kenny Neal, Tia Carroll, King Tuffnstuff, Shane Dwight, Daniel Castro, John Nemeth, Kyle Rowland, Greg Nagy, Aki Kumar, the Blues Ambassadors and the list is growing.

Thomas explains, “I’m excited to be part of this event, and even more excited to have my friends join me in supporting The Blues Foundation. I think it is important for all of us to give back to the music that we love and to ensure that the history of Blues is preserved. I’m also grateful to VenMundi for helping us contribute 50 percent of the proceeds in support of the Blues Hall of Fame.”"

Here is the link to the specific VenMundi.com page for this PPV event.

As a full disclosure, I am a member of The Blues Foundation and am currently making a monthly pledge towards the Blues Hall of Fame. I will be watching this PPV tomorrow.

Kenny Neal's Loving Tribute To Slim Harpo and His Father, Raful

Kenny Neal is among the most impressive of contemporary blues artists. Son of Baton Rouge legend Raful, he has been a progressive torch bearer of that city’s blues tradition and impresses by his uncrushed, at times lazy sounding musical style. Back in 2006 I purchased his tribute to Slim Harpo and his father. This has become a collector's item, but is available as downloads for those who can't afford what folks are asking for the actual CD.


The following review was the result of listening to him and appeared in the November 2005 Dc Blues Calendar, newsletter of the DC Blues Society. The review also appeared in the May/June 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 282). I have made some minor stylistic changes.

Kenny Neal at Surf Club Live, Hyattsville MD.  August 2010- Photo © Ron Weinstock

One of the most versatile as well as skilled blues artists working today, Kenny Neal has just issued a new disc that goes to the roots of his music, A Tribute to Slim Harpo & Raful Neal (True Light Entertainment). Originally this was a Slim Harpo tribute by him and his father, the late Raful Neal. They recruited James Johnson and Rudolph Richard from Slim Harpo’s original band to participate in this. Ten Slim Harpo songs were recorded when Kenny went on tour and in the interim Raful was diagnosed with bone cancer so Kenny was among those looking after his dad who passed away September 1, 2004. Going back to the tapes he listened to the tapes and decided to release what was initially a tribute to Slim Harpo also as a tribute to his dad.

Kenny shares the vocals with his father, with the exception of What a Dream on which James Johnson sings while the band captures the understated, laconic grooves that made Harpo’s originals so classic. Raful opens the set with a nice vocal and some harp on Rainin’ in My Heart, while Kenny and Raful swap harp riffs on Swamp Boogie. Raful comes across very appealingly on King Bee, Scratch My Back and Got Love If You Want It, while the two share the vocals on Late Last Nite, with Kenny taking the vocal prior to the harp break which is followed by Raful singing and closing the song with his nicely played harp, and Te-Ni-Ne-Ni-Nu where Raful takes the lead with Kenny joining in on the chorus.

Its nice to hear this played in such a nice relaxed manner, lacking the frenzy or overstatement that mars some rock interpretations of this material. Kenny Neal and his late dad have put together a small gem of a disc, and if playing time is a little short, there is no frills or filler here. Highly recommended.

Here is Kenny Neal and Lil Ray Neal doing Scratch My Back.

Alligator Records Is Now 40, Looking Back When It Was 20

While Alligator is celebrating its 40th Anniversary, MVD Visual has issued Blues and the Alligator: The First Twenty Years of Alligator Records, making available Jim Downing’s film from 1990 that has been issued by Gazell Film. The documentary is a mix of performance clips and interviews that serve to provide an overview of what led Bruce Iglauer to start his label and how it grew to become one of the most important (if not the most) labels producing new blues music.

The film opens with Lonnie Brooks in the studio recording with his band and Bruce in the control room discussing levels and such with the engineer before we start getting Bruce talking about his background and how Alligator got started. We see him at the studio as well as in his office having a business meeting with staff. The performance clips include a number of gems including a small excerpt of a band on Maxwell Street playing You Don’t Love Me, a fuzzy black & white film of Hound Dog Taylor followed by a live club shot of Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials.

Kenny Neal & Billy Branch’s duo album was contemporaneous with this film and a back porch performance by the two of Devil Child is followed by the two talking. We then are taken to a public school where Billy Branch conducting a “Blues in the School” program with the kids singing and playing Stormy Monday, and then starting Jimmy Reed’s Baby What You Want Me To Do, before we are taken to a clip of Kenny Neal and Lucky Peterson handling this.

No question that through Alligator and her recordings for them, Koko Taylor became internationally known as the Queen of the Blues” and was able to enjoy a recording career as opposed to housework. Recognition of her stature is reflected by showing her sing the Star Spangled Banner at Comiskey Park before Bruce and then her discuss how life has indeed changed. This is followed by her with Lonnie Brooks doing a strong Its a Dirty Job.

Bruce talks about how the blues has changed and ironically how Alligator has taken its artists from its roots playing in the community as they seek bigger pay checks and a bigger audience. As a result, the blues as they perform it has changed. Magic Sam’s recording of Sweet Home Chicago segues into a hot live rendition by Brooks that takes this film to its close. It is a nice end to what certainly is an intriguing look back at Alligator. BTW, it is about time Robert Mugge’s film on Alligator, Pride and Joy, made it to DVD.

I received a review copy from the label.

1st Pennsylvania Blues Festival Celebrates 20 Years of Blues in the Poconos

Kenny Neal, one of the featured performers at the Pennsylvania Blues Festival

Shemekia Copeland

It was a shock when the word came out that the Big Boulder Ski Resort would no longer be holding the annual Pocono Blues Festival after 19 years. The Pocono Blues Festival had established itself as the signature blues festival in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with a commitment to bring the finest real deal blues, mixing in major names like Luther Allison, Shemekia Copeland, Mavis Staples, Ruth Brown, Taj Mahal with legends who rarely toured like Jimmy McCracklin, Jimmy Johnson and Jody Williams. A change in policy at the resort ended what was an annual tradition that attracted blues fans from all over the United States and countries around the world.

Michael Cloeren, and the others involved in the Pocono Blues Festival have found a new location to carry out the tradition of bringing the best blues to the Poconos with the 1st Pennsylvania Blues Festival at the Blue Mountain Ski Area in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, not far from Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, Pennsylvania. The Festival is Saturday and Sunday, July 30 and 31 and the line-up is as strong as any blues festival anywhere on an outdoor stage and a tent stage. This first Pennsylvania Blues Festival celebrates 20 Years of Blues in the Poconos.

Performers that have been announced for the festival include Shemekia Copeland, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, Bettye Lavette, Kenny Neal, Cyril Neville, Shakura S’Alda, John Nemeth, The Lee Boys, Big Daddy Charles Stallings, Samuel James, Otis Clay, Linsey Alexander and Steve Guyger & Billy Flynn. Its quite a line-up of some of the best known blues performers and some lesser known ones. There is a mix from traditional Chicago styled blues of Magic Slim, Lil’ Ed and Steve Guyger & Billy Flynn, the deep soul of Bettye Lavette & Otis Clay, the sacred steel of The Lee Boys, the swamp blues of Kenny Neal, and the personal blues interpretations of Samuel James and Charles Neville. Shemekia Copeland is always a favorite but this writer is also looking forward to seeing Shakura S’Alda, another formidable female blues talent. Then a chance to see at another festival Baltimore’s Bog Daddy Stallings get exposure leading a jam after hours on Saturday night as well as two sets on Sunday with his down home back porch blues that is mixed with Louis Jordan, Albert King and James Brown.

For more information on the festival, check out the Festival website, http://www.skibluemt.com/SkiBlue/activities/pa-blues-fest.aspx, for the line-up and more information including directions. I have my hotel reservations already and I know folks from as far away as San Francisco and the Pacific Northwest that have there plans for this as well. Incidentally, Mike has produced the Vermont Blues Festival at Mount Snow, usually in later August, but apparently this will now be the Vermont Blues and Roots Festival and will take place on July 22-24, the weekend before the Pennsylvania Blues Festival. I will have more on this festival when more information is available.

Kenny Neal is "Hooked On Your Love"

With his health issues apparently (and thankfully) behind him, Kenny Neal has a new Blind Pig release, “Hooked On Your Love,” that is certain to please his existing fans and garner him some new ones. The twelve performances find him with his brothers and friends like Vasti Jackson and Lucky Peterson as Kenny’s immediate recognizable vocals and guitar brings warmth and good times to the listener. Easy swinging grooves are mixed with his own laconic approach that goes down like a smooth scotch.

Neal’s restrained approach that works with the opening title cut that celebrates of his love and the philosophical “Bitter With the Sweet,” when he sings about life not always champagne and rose, have to take the bitter with the sweet.” “Down in the Swamp,” reminds me of some of Tony joe White’s numbers as Kenny sings about being the bayou where the alligators play and plays some nice harmonica (oddly uncredited in the personnel listing. For some reason, Kenny is credited with composing the old OV Wright classic “Blind, Crippled & Crazy,” and obviously Kenny can’t match Wight’s gospel rooted soul shouting, but he does deliver a nicely paced performance with effective use here, as elsewhere on this, of backing vocals. Also the solo here is a fine example of how marvelous paced Kenny is as a player. Just like his vocals, he never rushes the notes. Its followed by another cover, this time of Little Milton’s hit “If Walls Could Talk,” an ironic lyric that Kenny ably handles.

“Things Gotta Change” is a soulful ballad with a message about a baby not having shoes on her feet, got to pray for a helping hand, and the need love one another but the backing may be a bit too smooth. The backing provided on William Bell’s “New Lease on Life,” is more emphatic which suits Kenny’s vocal here. Kenny’s rendition of “Ain’t Nothing You Can Do,” isn’t far removed from Bobby Bland’s original recording and Kenny’s can’t emulate Bland’s leaps and cries, but he conveys a suitable legacy. “Old Friends” is a nice swamp-pop number with lazy harp and a country-ish feel, while horns and a second-line groove provide “Voodoo Mama,” with a livelier flavor as Kenny plays some nice slide (I presume on lap steel guitar).

The CD closes on a nice shuffle “You Don’t Love Me,” where Kenny plays guitar and harmonica as he tells his baby to get on her merry way. Its a solid way to conclude this very solid collection of performances that touches a variety of musical bases but always showcasing Kenny Neal’s distinctive style of blues.



The review copy was provided by Blind Pig Records

Take a Sea Cruise With Joe Louis Walker

This is a review of the latest Joe Louis Walker CD from Stony Plain (his third for the label).

One would be hard pressed to find anyone in the past thirty years who has put together a body of recordings as deep and substantial as Joe Louis Walker. Especially his initial recordings on Hightone and then on Verve-Gitanes, Walker has been able to be forward looking as well as rooted in the tradition. Few approach his versatility as both a guitarist and as a vocalist. While his post Verve recordings may not have been on the same level as these earlier masterpieces (and one would be hard-pressed to name a half dozen other recordings the past two decades that approach these blues masterworks), Walker still remains a fervent and quite entertaining performer.

Now on Stony Plains Records, Walker has a new release, “Blues Conspiracy: Live on the Legendary Rhythm 7 Blues Cruise,” that he views as a companion to his two volumes of “Live at Slims” and the “Great Guitars,” that both date from the 1990s. This is a live recording taken from January, 2010 performances on the Cruise with most of these performances featuring Walker and his band joined by guest artists who were on the cruise. Walker’s Band included Linwood taylor on guitar,Kevin Burton on keyboards, Henry Oden on bass and Jeff Minnieweather on drums with guest appearances by the likes of Mike Finnigan on organ and vocals; Johnny Winter, Duke Robillard, Tommy Castro, Tab Benoit, and Kirk Fletcher on guitar; Mitch Woods on piano; Curtis Salgado on vocals; Jason Ricci, Kenny Neal and Watermelon Slim on harmonica; Keith Crossan and Deanna Bogart on saxophones; and Tom Poole on trumpet. These tracks all feature guests on the performances with the exception of one. A good number of the performances here are of songs Walker has previously recorded, but several selections seem not to be have been previously waxed.

From a standpoint of a fan, the guests add a dimension of special occasion that does not always translate to an audio recording. Also, the performances may take away from the focus of the performances with some rough edges and perhaps a bit more emphasis on soloing. Generally these pitfalls are avoided, and the performances are quite fine if they do not quite reach the level of the two volumes of “Live at Slims,” arguably among the toughest live blues recordings of the past two decades. Things start off on a solid note on “Slow Down GTO with Mike Finnigan’s organ joining Walker and his band (and its great that bassist Oden, a Boss Talker from 2 decades ago is back with Walker), and followed by “Ain’t That Cold,” where Johnny Winter’s slide embellishes Walker’s fervent singing. Curtis Salgado and Mike Finnigan share the vocals on the OV Wright classic, “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry,” which is enjoyable but slightly messy and frenzied in execution. Tommy Castro and the horn players join in on the rocking rendition of Travis Phillips’ Louisiana rock’n’roller “Eyes Like a Cat.”

Kirk Fletcher adds some nice guitar to the rendition of Lowell Fulson’s “Ten More Shows to Play,” but “Born in Chicago,” suffers from too many musical cooks with Jason Ricci, Nick Moss and Paris Slim adding solos for a performance that seems longer than it should have. In contrast, “Sugar Mama,” with Watermelon Slim added on harmonica, is the longest track, but allows Walker to stretch out for some inspired playing along with Slim’s nice harp on a performance that seems to take little time at all. Kenny Neal joins on “A Poor Man’s Plea,” adding some Slim Harpo flavored harmonica on Junior Wells’ “A Poor Man’s Plea.” “Its a Shame,” is the track showcasing Walker’s band and Linwood Taylor is featured on guitar here, followed by another jam as pianist Mitch Woods and guitarists Tab Benoit and Paul Nelson join Walker for “747.” Even if not as tight as Walker’s earlier takes on this song, this track is fun way to close this recording and certainly, warts and all, is a worthy addition to his considerable body of music that he has graced us with for such a lengthy period.


My previous reviews of Joe Louis Walker's Stony Plain CDs on this blog are of "Witness to the Blues" and "Between A Rock And The Blues."





For purposes of FTC regulations, the review copy was supplied by the publicity form for the record company.

Kenny Neal Helps Bring Surf Club Live Back

2010-0826 Kenny Neal at Surf Club Live-8265928, originally uploaded by NoVARon.

Not a completely accurate title insofar as Surf Club Live has been presenting live Latin music since the previous live blues show. Kenny Neal headlined with Bad Influence opening for a terrific evening of music.Several folks commented that they had not seen the Surf Club so crowded for a blues show and it was perhaps a reaction to the blues returning after such an absence.

In any event the music was terrific. Bad Influence certainly puts together a strong spin on mostly Chicago styled blues with fine playing from Michael Tash and Roger Edsall (on slide guitar as well as harp) and bassist Bob Mallardi, Edsall and Tash being fine vocalists.

It is easy to take Kenny Neal for granted, but he is such an exceptional singer and guitarist and his band of family members is first-rate that you don't notice how strong and tight they are. Kenny does not blast his blues at you, rather his slightly laid back approach is so effective because of the relaxed intensity he brings. In addition to his wonderful originals like "Let Life Flow," he can take such standards as "The Things I Used to Do," and "Baby What You Want me To Do," and make them his own. It is easy to take him for granted, but blues fans, please don't.

Congrats to the DC Blues Society for producing this show and we are happy blues is part of Surf Club Live's musical menu.

Kenny Neal's Most Welcome Return to CD

After having been through some serious health issues, the blues world has to be delighted that Kenny Neal is back and performing, touring and recording. Blind Pig has just issued his latest recording, “Let Life Flow,” and there is a reflective quality perhaps reflects his appreciation of the little things as on the opening title track. Not a shouter, Neal’s country-soul tinged vocals along with his fleet, fret work are as appealing as ever. Certainly his singing is enhanced by the terrific band that includes his son, Kenny Jr., brothers Darnell and Frederick, the late Little Milton’s nephew, trumpeter Joe Campbell among others. In addition to other striking originals like ‘Blues Leave Me Alone,’ Neal also puts his own stamp on Larry Addison’s ‘You Got to Hurt before You Heal’ (best known from Bobby Bland's classic recording), Ivory Joe Hunter’s ballad, “Since I Met You Baby,’ and Willie Dixon’s still very pertinent, ‘It Don’t Make Sense You Can’t Make Peace.’ Kenny Neal's music has always being thoughtful and well-paced. He shows that singing naturally and honestly will come off more convincingly and frenzied emoting. Let’s hope he remains in good health and continues to produce such marvelous music as here. Kenny’s website is www.kennyneal.net.