JAMES HARMAN Mo’ Napkins Please: ...Strictly the Blues... Vol.2

Sad to hear about James Harman's passing. Here is a review from 2000 that I have not previously posted.

JAMES HARMAN

Mo’ Napkins Please: ...Strictly the Blues... Vol.2 

CANNONBALL (2000)

James Harman has built a well-deserved following with his strong blues vocals, harp playing, and songwriting. Cannonball has just issued this new album of recordings from the 80s, that come from the same 1984-1987 sessions that produced Strictly the Blues...Extra Napkins: Vol. 1. These sessions reunited him with some alumni of his band as well as other top-rated West Coast performers including guitarists Hollywood Fats, Junior Watson, and Kid Ramos; pianists Gene Taylor and Fred Kaplan; bassists Willie J. Campbell and Larry Taylor; and drummer Jimi Bott. 

The tunes are a collection of classics and originals that are modeled on classic blues recordings. The title track is a hot shuffle with some Little Walter-styled harp as Junior Watson rips off a Willie Johnson-inspired solo as the tune evokes Howlin’ Wolf’s Memphis recordings. "Annalee", dedicated to Tommy Johnson and Robert Nighthawk, is a Harman original lyric with Kid Ramos’ guitar adding some Texas flavor to the number. "Too Much Family," a rocking lament about his in-laws overcrowding the house features some terrific Hollywood Fats guitar, also in a Willie Johnson mode, who trades eights with drummer Stephen Taylor Hodges. "Icepick’s Pawnshop Blues," based on the "Forty Four Blues," has Harman lay down harp and his vocal is accompanied only by Fred Kaplan’s piano and Hodges on drums. Mix in these distinctive Harman originals with first-rate covers of The Five Royales’ "(Feel Like) Messin’ Up," Champion Jack Dupree’s "Shim Sham Shimmy," Gatemouth Brown’s "Dirty Work at the Crossroads," and Lightnin’ Hopkins’ "Jake-Head Boogie." The latter tune finds him backed only by Kid Ramos’ guitar evoking the King of Dowling Street’s memory quite effectively. Gene Taylor has a boogie-woogie feature, "The Falcon’s Nest," that showcases his ability to tickle the ivories.

By the time the album closes with an acoustic reprisal of the title track, one is satiated with the musical delights here.

This review is from the May-June 2000 Jazz & Blues Report. I likely received a review copy from Cannonball Records or a publicist. I have made minor grammatical edits to the original review. Here he performs "Extra Napkins."

Kid Ramos/ Bob Corritore Phoenix Blues Sessions

Kid Ramos/ Bob Corritore
Phoenix Blues Sessions
SWMAF Records/ Vizztone

This album is one of three new releases from harmonica player and blues producer Bob Corritore's vaults. These are sessions from the late 1990s to the early 2000s that were initially released as a benefit album for Kid Ramos in 2012 when he had a cancer scare. It has been revised, remastered, and reimagined for a commercial release. Included are previously unissued material, new mixes of material, and alternate takes. Besides Ramos on guitar and Corritore on harmonica, Chico Chism is on drums throughout. Chico sings on one track. Other singers here include Nappy Brown on two songs, Henry Gray on four (he plays piano on five), Chief Schabuttie Gilliame on two, Big Pete Pearson on two, and Dr. Fish on one. Other players include Johnny Rapp on guitar or mandolin, Paul Thomas on bass on all but one song, Mario Moreno on bass on one, and Tom Mahon on piano for six.

There is plenty of straight-forward and noteworthy performances starting with an exceptional shuffle rendition by Nappy Brown of Walter 'Lightnin' Bug' Rhodes' "Aw Shucks Baby," with the Kid laying down an easy rhythm accompaniment as Henry Gray rocks the ivories. In contrast to Nappy's blues shouting, he takes a more relaxed folky vocal on Smokey Hogg's "Baby Don't You Touch My Clothes." Kid Ramos is more prominent with some slashing guitar backing Henry Gray's vocal on "Come On In." I am not familiar with Dr. Fish, but he is outstanding singing Eddie Boyd's "24 Hours." Corritore is terrific on chromatic harmonica while Kid Ramos plays some jazzy single note fills. Henry Gray returns for a first-rate rendition of Elmore James' "I Held My Baby Last Night." Gray is upfront with Kid Ramos' guitar in the background as he channels some of Elmore's accompaniments to Willie Love and Sonny Boy Williamson. Gray also enthusiastically revives Hot Lips Page's "They Raided The Joint," and the easy rocking shuffle "Talkin' Bout You."

Big Pete Pearson's cover of Albert King's "Natural Ball" is taken at a more relaxed pace than King's original, with Kid Ramos adding drive to the groove with his playing. Kid Ramos' stunning Muddy Waters styled slide guitar is present on Pearson's reworking of Little Milton's recording "Possum in My Tree." Pearson takes this strong soul-blues and makes it an intense Chicago blues for one of this album's highlights. Chico Chism handles the vocal on an imaginative rendition of "Mother-in-Law Blues," as Kid Ramos channeled Willie Johnson and Calvin Newborn. It is a sterling performance taken at a much slower tempo than the song is usually performed at. Chief Schabuttie sings "No More Doggin'" with a hoarse, graveling vocal set against a chugging groove. Kid Ramos adds some stunning playing to Schabuttie's "Snake Crawls at Night" that closes this disc.

Blues lovers will enjoy this collection of very entertaining traditional ensemble blues, and for those, like me, who missed the original release will welcome this edition.

I received my review copy from Vizztone. Here is a performance by Bob Corritore and Kid Ramos but not from this album.

Matty T Wall Transpacific Blues Vol. 1

Matty T Wall
Transpacific Blues Vol. 1
Hipsterdumpster Records

Australian blues-rocker Matty T. Wall is a new name to this listener. He is heard here on eight familiar numbers. His guitar and vocals are supported by Stephen Walker on bass guitar and Ric Whittle on bass. There are guest appearances on five of the songs by Dave Hole, Eric Gales, Kid Ramos, Walter Trout, and Kirk Fletcher. Except for Hole, the guest performers are from the USA. This is likely the reason for 'Transpacific' in the album title.

Wall impresses as a guitarist and a singer. He sings with clarity and nuance, and his sizzling guitar is pretty strong by itself as heard on his rendition of "Stormy Monday," with Walker and Whittle providing a firm rhythmic base. The covers here generally don't stray too far from the source material as on the boogie blues of the opening cover of "Boom Boom." Dave Hole is present here, although his frenetic guitar is a bit too dense for taste. Eric Gale provides fireworks on the cover of Tommy Tucker's "High Heel Sneaker." Kid Ramos guests on "Quicksand," an old Guitar Slim recording that Albert Collins covered. Ramos' guitar is terrific behind Wall's personal, pleading singing. This song is followed by "She's Into Something," with Walter Trout adding some guitar sizzle. I like the feel Wall provides on his cover of Albert King's hit "Born Under a Bad Sign," on a track also featuring Kirk Fletcher as a guitarist. Wall slows down the tempo of Freddie King's "I'm Tore Down" with some high energy playing to complement a strong vocal.

The closing rendition of "Crossroads" is too rocked out for these ears. Otherwise, Matty T Wall engaged this listener with his singing and his bluesy guitar. The guests on this CD are a bonus, which adds to this recording's appeal.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video of Matty T Wall talking about this recording.

Kid Ramos' West Coast House Party

Kid Ramos
West Coast House Party
Evidence

Kid Ramos' second Evidence album, West Coast House Party, features a who's who of some of the more prominent blues guitar pickers on the West Coast blues scene along with a variety of vocalists and other players.

Musically, this album leans to the jump blues scene that thrived on the West Coast, with two takes of a T-Bone walker instrumental,  Strollin  With Bone, spotlighting Gatemouth Brown and Duke Robillard along with Kid Ramos, sandwiching other tracks. Other guitarists here include Junior Watson, Rick Holmstrom, Rusty Zinn, and Charlie Baty, while Zinn, Robillard, Watson, James Intveld, Kim Wilson, Janiva Magness, Big Sandy Williams, and James Harman handle the vocals. Jeff Turmes anchors the horns, while Fred Kaplan is on piano, LarryTaylor on bass, and Stephen Hodges is on drums.

It is a tight band that swings, and Ramos gets to trade guitar solos with his peers and special guests. The vocals are generally quite good, although overshadowed by the originals. James Intveld is a capable singer on Roy Brown's  Love Don't Love Nobody,  but not merely in Brown's league as a singer (admittedly few are), and even Kim Wilson can't quite equal a Smiley Lewis on a jump blues like Real Gone Lover.

Within its admitted limitations, this record still possesses considerable appeal. The music is wonderfully played and the result is a lively blues party disc great for dancing and/or listening.

I wrote this review in 2000 and it likely was published in the D.C. Blues Calendar. I likely received a review copy from Evidence Records or a publicist. Here is Kid Ramos as part of The Fabulous Thunderbirds from 2003.

RIP Henry Gray

Henry Gray at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Just got word that blues pianist and singer Henry Gray passed away at the age of 95. The Louisiana native was part of the vibrant Chicago blues scene from the late 1940s to 1968 including spending 12 years as pianist with Howlin' Wolf. In addition to the Wolf, Gray worked and recorded with such other artists as morris Pejoe, Jimmy Rogers, Junior Wells, and Jimmy Reed.

In 1968, he returned to Louisiana where he became part of the Baton Rouge blues scene. He had recorded while in Chicago, but after returning to Louisiana, he recorded a number of songs and albums under his own name. I believe his first recordings after his return to Louisiana were as part of a Louisiana Blues anthology for Arhoolie records. This would lead to a number of recordings for a variety of labels.

In 2015, reviewing a Henry Gray album that Bob Corritore put together I wrote:

"Gray has been overshadowed by Pinetop Perkins amongst his contemporaries in general recognition, and while folks might argue on who is the stronger pianist, Gray, although an untrained singer, is more forceful and displays more personality, as reflected on his impassioned singing on the title track (most associated with Jimmy Rogers). But he certainly captures the spirit of shouter Grant Jones’ “Let’s Get High” and Hot Lips Page “They Raided The Joint.” On several tracks, he provides strong support behind some legendary figures including Robert Lockwood, Jr. on “Ramblin’ On My Mind,” and Nappy Brown on a superb rendition of “Worried Life Blues” that was a signature song of Gray’s major piano influence, Big Maceo. Dave Riley tackled “Ride With Your Daddy Tonight” while John Brim sings “That Ain’t Right.” Lowell Fulson’s “Trouble Blues” features one of Gray’s top vocals here with Bob Margolin adding slide guitar while Tail Dragger adds some color commentary to the rollicking “Boogie Woogie Ball.”"

Here is a link to an obituary for Henry Gray. Here is a video of Henry performing with Kid Ramos and others in a video celebrating the late Floyd Dixon.

Tony Holiday Porch Sessions

Tony Holiday
Porch Sessions
VizzTone

I am not familiar with harmonica player Holiday and guitarist Landon Stone, but the two have been traveling around the country, playing with and recording with a variety of blues folks. With Kid Andersen adding his bass, they ended up with this enjoyable recording with 13 tracks. They hook up on this recording with such artists as Charlie Musselwhite, James Harmon, John Nemeth, John Primer, Bob Corritore, Kid Andersen, Aki Kumar, Rockin’ Johnny Burgin, Kid Ramos, and Mitch Kashmar for a collection of enjoyable, informal blues performances.

Holiday is on harmonica on these tracks but is glad to have others take the spotlight starting with James Harman's whose amusing shuffle "Pickpocket Fingers," has a fine vocal and Kid Ramos adds his guitar. Holiday takes the harmonica chair on Harman's excellent vocal on "Special Friend," while he and Holiday both are heard on a nice country blues styled shuffle, "Goin' To Court." Bob Corritore adds harp behind John Primer's superb Muddy Waters' styled blues "They Call Me John Primer," with a terrific vocal and slide guitar in the vein of Waters with whom Primer played with. Primer also sounds terrific on Howlin' Wolf's "Tell Me Baby" with Corritore wailing on harmonica. Jake Friel sings gruffly on "A Woman Named Trouble" with John Nemeth adding harmonica along with Holiday. Nemeth takes a strong vocal on "Blues Hit Big Town," with Holiday's harmonica taking the tune out.

Aki Kumar sings on "That's All Right" with Charlie Musselwhite and Holiday also on harmonica. Rockin' Johnny adds his guitar on this entertaining, informal jam of a blues classic. It's like the other performances, fun and very entertaining if not classic. Holiday is an able singer as displayed on "Three Way Party" where the third person at the party is a bottle of Jim Beam with Mitch Kashmar and Ronnie Shellist both adding harmonica accompaniment and solos. Rockin' Johnny adds atmospheric guitar behind Holiday on "Coin Operated Woman," a nicely sung humorous lyric. "Hip To It" is a harmonica trio with some intriguing interplay between Kashmar, Shellist and Holiday.

While most of the recording is of Chicago styled blues, the closing track is a small group rendition of an old Bobby Bland number, "This Time I’m Gone For Good," that the late Johnny Adams recorded on his final album. William G. Kidd, a blue-eyed soul-blues singer, who is originally from Virginia, is excellent on this with Ronnie Shellist on harmonica. It is the highpoint of this CD along with the Primer tracks, but the level of these informal recordings is high. One does wish that the packaging provided more detailed information on who was doing what on each selection, and also that Holiday showcased himself up front a bit more, but few will listen to this and not be highly entertained.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. Here is one of several videos from Tony Holiday's Front Porch Sessions, Ali Kumar singing "That's All Right" with Charlie Musselwhite and others on Musselwhite's Front Porch.

 

Johnny and Jaalene

Johnny and Jaalene
Ripcat Records

This album introduces the modern teen idol duet of Johnny Ramos and Jaalene DeLeon on a program of mostly remakes of teen rock and roll recordings from the late fifties and sixties. The 19-year-old Ramos is a guitar-playing son of blues guitarist Kid Ramos and is a guitarist as well as a singer who is tearing things up in a blues, roots and rockabilly band. Jaalene is a 16-year-old theater girl, and choirs student turned rockabilly diva who has been called "The Queen of the Teens." The dup handle all the vocals, including some duets, while the younger Ramos plays acoustic guitar. Backing musicians include Kid Ramos and Tommy Harkenrider on guitar, Brent Harding on bass and Kid Dabbs on drums with Jesus Cuevas adding Norteña accordion on 4 tracks and Rob Dziubla adding saxophone to three.

The appeal of the two (think Sha Na Na performance of oldies without the camp aspects of their stage act), is immediately evident on the pair's marvelous rendition of The Ronettes hit, "Baby I Love You." Jaalene's pure teen voice and Ramos' slight vibrato is so charming and puts to lie that those hits were simply the result of Phil Spector's production and not the singing of Ronnie Spector. Kid Ramos has a brief, taut solo here. I suspect Carla Thomas might approve Jaalene's wonderful singing of her hit "Gee Whiz." After Johnny's hiccup-ping take of Eddie Cochran, "Teenage Cutie," the two enchant us their sublime channeling of the Everly Brothers' hit, "Let It Be Me." With booting saxophone and some slashing guitar, Jaalene delivers a spirited vocal on Etta James' rock and roller, "Good Looking."

"Los Chuco Suaves" is one of the songs from the Mexican American tradition with Johnny rhythmic acoustic guitar while singing in what might find a melodramatic manner, with a choice button accordion solo. It is followed by another lilting teen ballad, "Angel Baby," as Jaalene sings about being in heaven with Johnny. Johnny sings Doug Sahm's Tex-Mex lament, "Why Why Why," with booting sax and accordion in the backing. While perhaps not yet possessing the weight of Wanda Jackson as a vocalist, Jaalene does a credible vocal on "Let's Have a Party," with some crisp guitar playing from both Ramos and Harkenrider. There is a lively rendition by Johnny of an obscure Bill Allen rockabilly recording, "Please Give Me Something," that is more focused and hotter than the original.

After Jaalene's delightful bilingual singing (with Johnny providing a genial harmony) on a Chicano rock ballad "Cuando Caliente," the two perform a Norteña styled rocking rendition of The Danleers' only doo-wop hit with surging grooves, hot accordion, and strong singing. It closes an album that may bring back memories to the older roots music audience, on an enchanting recording that brings some fresh sheen to classic rock and roll music.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November- December 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 381). Here is the official video for the recorded performance of "Baby I Love You."

Anthony Geraci Why Did You Have To Go

Anthony Geraci
Why Did You Have To Go
Shining Stone Records

Pianist and organist Anthony Geraci brings his four decades plus experience with Sugar Ray and the BlueTones to a second album under his own name. He has brought together quite a group of folks including vocalists Sugar Ray Norcia, Sugaray Rayford, Michelle “Evil Gal” Willson, Willie J. Laws, Dennis Brennan and Brian Templeton; guitarists Ronnie Earl, Monster Mike Welch, Kid Ramos, and Troy Gonyea; bassists Willie J. Campbell and Michael 'Mudcat' Ward; drummers Jimi Bott; Marty Richards, and Neil Gouvin; and horn players Sax Gordon and Doug Woolverton.

Geraci wrote all thirteen of the songs and they cover a variety of tempos and styles starting with the opening "Why Did You Have To Go" wonderfully sung by Norcia with some terrific Texas to West Coast slashing guitar from Welch. It is followed by a hot shuffle, "Don't the Grass Look Greener," with some shattering guitar from Kid Ramos along with a hot Rayford vocal. Ramos takes the lead on the Chicago blues shuffle groove of "Fly on the Wall." Willie J. Laws handles the vocal on a song that sounds like an unissued Johnny Young number while Ramos plays more in a traditional Chicago vein and Geraci superbly channels Otis Spann This number contrasts with the late night feel of "Angelina, Angelina," where Rayford pleads vocal about his woman leaving him stranded at the Courthouse door. "Long Way Home" has a New Orleans groove with horns adding punch  (Woolverton soars on his trumpet solo), while Geraci plays solid Crescent City styled piano.

"Two Steps Away From The Blues" sounds like a classic 50s Texas urban blues wonderfully sung by Michelle Wilson, while more Chicago styled blues can be heard in "Time's Running Out," with Norcia singing wonderfully and Ronnie Earl taking the lead guitar solo. "Baptized in the River Yazoo," is a delightful down-home Willie Laws vocal backed solely by Geraci's superb backing. Dennis Brennan, while not bad, is perhaps the less striking singer on this recording, although the backing he receives on "Too Many Bad Decisions" is excellent. "What About Me" is a nicely done vocal duet between Michelle Wilson and Brian Templeton.

After Geraci channels Spann again behind a first-rate Norcia vocal on "My Last Goodbye," (with more sterling Ronnie Earl guitar), this album closes with his jazzy instrumental "A Minor Affair," a swinging cool number with Woolverton plays with a nice middle-range tone, followed by a driving solo from Gordon. There is so much to enjoy on this recording from the fresh, varied material from Geraci, his own consistently strong playing, a solid studio band and terrific singing and playing. "Why Did You Have To Go" is superb.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Anthony Geraci live.

Henry Gray Plays Chicago Blues

 

Since he moved back to Louisiana a few decades ago, former Howlin Wolf pianist Henry Gray has kept playing but has never enjoyed the level of recognition that contemporaries, such as Pinetop Perkins, have received. Besides being in Wolf's band for an extended period, Gray did a fair amount of session work, recording with Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter, Billy Boy Arnold and Jimmy Reed, as well as making his own recording for Chess. The biggest influence on Grays style is Big Maceo, and like that great master, he is a strong, two-handed player and he certainly sings with a definite sense of urgency.

Gray did record some swamp-blues flavored sides for an Arhoolie anthology, and some singles for small Louisiana labels, an album for Antone's which I believe is long out-of-print, and a live album for Lucky Cat which would have been better if some of the performances had been edited to be tighter. Hightone has issued a new cd by him, Plays Chicago Blues , which has him backed by guitarists Bob Margolin and Kid Ramos, fellow Wolf alumni Chico Chism on drums and Bob Corritore on harmonica.

My promo cd does not provide any more detailed information, but these are from various sessions that Corritore produced over several years. Its a nice mix of material including covers of classic Chicago blues including a couple songs associated with Elmore James, It Hurts Me Too and I Held My Baby Last Night, as well as Wolf's How Many More Years , The Maceo influence is quite evident on the slow moody Trouble Blues and It Hurts Me Too, while Henry’s Houserocker is a strong, rollicking instrumental. There is nothing fancy about this music but it strikes this writer as the best currently available disc of Henry Gray's music available.

Henry Gray had a recent album issued under Bob Corritore's direction, The Henry Gray/ Bob Corritore Sessions Vol. 1 that I will post my review of tomorrow. This review was written in  mid-2001 and likely was published in Jazz & Blues Report and the DC Blues Calendar. I likely received a review copy from Hightone and this may be still available.

Here is Henry in performance in 2009 at the Louisiana Music Factory.

James Harman in a Lonesome Moon Trance

James Harman has been laying his blues harmonica and vocals for several decades. He has stayed true to the blues tradition while as I note in the following review, telling his own story. This review appeared originally in the December2003-January 2004 D.C. Blues Calendar, then the newsletter of the Dc Blues Society. I do not recall if I received a review copy of this or purchased it.

Photo © Ron Weinstock

In his liner notes to his latest release, Lonesome Moon Trance (Pacific Blues), James Harman notes how he has been going through changes in recent years and how he has a bunch of stories to tell which we are fortunate enough to hear now. Harman has brought together some terrific musicians to help out on this including Kid Ramos, Kirk Fletcher, Bob Margolin, Junior Watson, Carl Sonny Leyland, and Gene Taylor on the twelve tracks. 

Performances like Piecework Politicians with its witty suggestions that politicians get paid for the benefits they give the citizens or My Secret Escapade with its atmospheric use of the Bo Diddley groove. Harmon’s superb Little Walter-styled harp graces several tracks including Double Hogback Growler, while on his Miss Bessie Mae Blues, his playing is more in the Sonny Boy Williamson II vein. This is not to suggest he is a copyist, but rather simply to suggest the general flavor of his playing. It should be noted that he certainly appears to have tried to capture the feel and flavor of the classic Chicago blues of the fifties while telling his own stories. 

Harman’s playing, vocals and songs stand up on their own and are well worth hearing. This is a typically excellent recording by Icepick James who has never disappointed this listener with his music. If you have trouble locating this in stores, you can try www.pacificblues.com. 

Here is James in performance at the Wilmington DE Riverfront Blues Festival. Nathan james is the guitarist.

The Mannish Boys Blast Off With Double Dynamite

Delta Groove has issued a new release by The Mannish Boys, Double Dynamite, which is two discs of music. One CD evokes the classic Chicago blues sound of Muddy Waters, Little Walter and the like while the other CD is more rhythm and blues rooted with songs from Albert King, Jimmy McCracklin, James Brown and others. Scott Dirks in his notes suggests that The Mannish Boys are a virtual blues festival in a single band.

Sugaray Rayford has joined Finis Tasby to become the band’s prime vocalists and brings a contrasting approach with a bit more urbane, gospel-rooted approach to Tasby’s grainy, laconic style rooted in the blues of the southwest. Back on guitars are Frankie Goldwasser and Kirk Fletcher, and Delta Groove chief Randy Chortkoff on harmonica with Willie J. Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums. then there is a fair amount of guests including appearances by James Harman, Mud Morganfield, Jackie Payne and Mike Finnigan on vocals; Elvin Bishop, Nathan James, Kid Ramos, and Junior Watson on guitar; James Harman, Bob Corritore, Rod Piazza, and Jason Ricci on harmonica; and Ron Rio, Mike Finnigan, Rick Wenzel and Fred Kaplan on keyboards.

The music on the two discs are traditionally rooted in some classic blues themes and grooves but the covers here never are simply copies. For one thing, instrumentation varies from the original recordings and if for example Finis Tasby’s rendition of Mean Old World is derived from Little Walter’s recording, employment of Elvin Bishop’s slide guitar gives it its own flavor. Sugaray shouts out Son House’s Death Letter on the first disc entitled Atomic Blues with Jimi Bott powering the groove as Goldwasser plays some Muddy Waters on steroids styled slide. His vocal delivery is much more relaxed on Bricks on My Pillow with Goldwasser swinging a bit on guitar her while Rob Rio boogies the ivories. Jackie Payne does a nice job singing a Muddy Waters medley of She’s 19 Years Old/ Streamline Woman, with more fine piano, Rod Piazza wailing on harp and Goldwasser sounding strong. Mud Morganfield conjures up his father on Elevate My Mama and Mannish Boy, with the latter modeled closely on Muddy’s version with Johnny Winter. Bob Corritore adds choice harp here. Chortkoff contributes an idiomatic Chicago blues-styled shuffle that Sugaray delivers vocally and Kirk Fletcher rips off a fiery solo. Goldwasser is featured on slide and vocals on Johnny Littlejohn’s Bloody Tears.

The second disc, Rhythm & Blues Explosion continues the fun and solid idiomatic performances. Born Under a Bad Sign sports a strong tasby vocal and searing Elvin Bishop guitar while Sugaray and and Cynthia Marley share the vocals on James Brown’s You’ve Got the Power, which has a crackling solo from Nathan James and solid horns in the backing. Another Albert King cover Drowning on Dry Land finds Fletcher having a bit of King in his tone behind Sugaray’s vocal. King also recorded James Brown’s Cold Sweat for Stax, and it is some of the inspiration for this Kirk Fletcher feature with Mike Finnigan on organ and Goldwasser adding some churning rhythm guitar while Bott gets the funky groove down. Finnigan on piano and vocals does a fine job on Ray Charles’ Mr. Charles Blues, with Fletcher in a jazzier mode here. Songs like Jimmy McCracklin’s Later On are particularly fine vehicles for Finis Tasby with Nathan James taking a torrid solo.

The remainder of the 26 songs are similarly potently performed and while there are mostly covers, few would be considered heavily recorded. To Scott Dirks suggestion that the Mannish Boys are a virtual blues festival, I suggest Double Dynamite is a virtual All Night All Star Blues Party.

I received my review copy from Delta Groove. Here is a video featuring finis Tasby singing. There are videos on their website, http://www.themannishboys.com/.

Big Pete's Choice Blues Cuts

Pieter ‘Big Pete’ van der Plujim is from the Netherlands and was musically inspired by the mix of classic Chicago style blues and punk attitude that the late Lester Butler displayed before immersing himself in a whole range of blues. This singer and harmonica player was heard by Randy Chortkorff who signed him to Delta Groove which has released Choice Cuts, a strong release that might be described as “West Coast Blues’ in the vein of Williams Clarke, Junior Watson and the like.

On Choice Cuts, Big Pete is backed by a splendid band including Alex Schultz on guitar, Willie J. Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums with guest appearances by, among others, Johnny Dyer, Al Blake, Kim Wilson, Paul Oscher, Kirk Fletcher, Shawn Pittman, Kid Ramos, and Rob Rio. He comes across as an engaging singer (and one would be hard-pressed to detect that he was not a native English speaker)and harmonica player throughout this collection.

The songs are ‘covers,’ but none are not overly familiar and Big Pete turns in driving, engaging performances. The tone is established with the tough rendition of Lester Butler’s Driftin’, and followed by a lesser known Albert king number Can’t You See What You’re Doing To Me. Kim Wilson plays harmonica for the solid rendition of Jimmy Rogers’ Act Like You Love Me, while Kirk Fletcher adds some striking guitar to the covers of a Muddy Waters’ classic, Just To Be With You, and Hey Lawdy Mama. Alex Schultz gets a nice spot on Slim Harpo’s Don’t Start me Crying Now.

The rendition of the Billy Boy Arnold Vee-Jay recording I Was Fooled is taken at a bit slower tempo than the original, with the band pushing the groove along. Kid Ramos channels Willie Johnson on his lead guitar on the rendition of Howlin’ Wolf Rockin’ Daddy, with Rob Rio laying down some boogie woogie piano. Johnny Dyer takes the vocal on Jimmy Rogers’ You Left Me With A Broken Heart, with fine harp from Big Pete and some great piano from Rob Rio. Big Pete’s fat harmonica tone is displayed on Little Walter’s Little Walter’s Just Your Fool, while William Clarke’s Chromatic Crumbs showcases Pete's swinging facility on that type of harmonica.

This is a fine collection of spirited blues performances that may not break any new ground, but certainly introduces us to a spirited and impressive performer that will delight fans of contemporary West Coast and harmonica blues.


My review copy was provided by Delta Groove Productions. Here is a video of Big Pete performing.

Rod Piazza's For The Chosen Who

Rod Piazza is one of the major players of the West Coast Blues Scene. I have been listening to his records since the days of the Dirty Dozen Blues Band on ABC Bluesway in the 1960s. With the Mighty Flyers, he has had one of the tightest, swinging bands of the past several decades. A solid singer and a terrific harmonica player, I have reviewed a number of his recordings over the years, but have noticed that I have not posted any reviews on this blog, so to make up for this omission, I am pleased to post this review of a 2005 Delta Groove release.


Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers have a terrific new disc, For the Chosen Who (Delta Groove), a combined cd-dvd package that may be amongst the best recordings of Piazza’s lengthy recording career. One reason to the Mighty Flyers success as among the blues top touring bands is the band’s stability reflected by the long tenure of pianist Honey Piazza and bassist Bill Stuve. Guitarist Henry Carvajal and drummer Paul Fasulo are relative newcomers to the Flyers and fit in like they have been their for a decade.


This new disc includes a number of choice covers, none of which have been over-recorded from Jimmy Reed’s I’m a Love You, Ted Garrett’s You Can Make It If You Try, John Lee Williamson’s Ground Hog Blues, Ike Turner’s She Made My Blood Run Cold, and a pair from Jimmy Rogers Broken Hearted Blues and Trace of You. On several tracks Phil Guy plays lead guitar, Finis Tasby plays bass and James Gadson plays drums.


Piazza sings as good as I ever heard him and the group as a whole sounds terrific. There are too many highlights to mention as everything is first-rate but Kid Ramos adds some nice lead guitar for Broken Hearted Blues while guitarist Carvajal evokes Turner’s tremelo-laced guitar style on She Made My Blood Run Cold. Ground Hog Blues is a wonderful duet between Honey’s piano and Rod Piazza’s vocal and harp while Shoestring, a Red Prystock number I believe, serves as a showpiece for Rod Piazza’s superb harpwork as is the slow Honey’s Blues, with Piazza playing some brooding chromatic harp while Honey Piazza comes across like Otis Spann with Phil Guy adding some strong fills. Johnny Dyer joins for a vocal duet on Little Walter’s Gotta Find My Baby, while label head Randy Chortkoff wrote and plays harp on Call Me Dangerous.


This disc has a dvd bonus that includes a 23 minute documentary overview of the recording of the cd along with the performers views on this recording and the blues. Two of the performances are also captured on video along with a gallery of photos complete this absolutely terrific blues recording.

This review appeared in the February 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 279). I received my review copy either from Delta Groove or a publicist for the label. It is still readily available.

Celebrating the great blues piano of Floyd Dixon

It must have been quite a night at Phoenix’s The Rhythm Room, June 1 and 2, 2006, when they recorded three of the then greatest living blues pianists, Henry Gray, Pinetop Perkins and Floyd Dixon, with Dixon dying a few days after this summit meeting. The resulting CD has just been issued, Time Brings About a Change … , A Floyd Dixon Celebration (Highjohn) and is a very nice musical celebration that is perhaps a bit bittersweet knowing that Dixon would not be able to enjoy the resulting acclaim.


A solid backing band led by Kid Ramos is joined by Kim Wilson for the performances by Gray and Pinetop and the horns, especially trumpeter Joe Banks, gets space for Dixon’s performances. Ramos kicks things with a hot tribute to Albert Collins, Don’t Lose Your Cool which is followed by Johnny Tucker handling the vocal on Do You Wanna Dance. Gray is heard on a nice instrumental, Henry’s House Rocker, Sweet Home Chicago and Dust My Broom, while Pinetop performs his own Down in Mississippi as well as Walter Davis’ Come Back Baby and Ivory Joe Hunter’s Since I Lost My Baby. Both Gray and Pinetop are in typical form but these are hardly earth shattering performances of unfamiliar material.


The bulk of this album is given to Dixon with a few of his classics including Hole in The Wall, Call Operator 210, Rita and the title track mixed with solid renditions of Cold Cold Feeling, I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town and Caledonia. Ramos adds some lovely T-Bone Walker-ish guitar for Cold Cold Feeling, where Banks adds some bluesy brass on several tracks while Dixon rocks as well as takes us down in the alley. Those familiar with Dixon’s fine Alligator album will undoubtedly enjoy this fine last performances from a major figure in the post-war R&B world.

I likely received a review copy from the record label. This review appeared originally in slightly different form in the December 2006-January 2007 DC Blues Calendar, newsletter of the DC Blues Society. It is still available.

Big Pete's Big New Blues

Big Pete Pearson
While the back of the CD cover for I’m Here Baby (Blue Witch) calls Phoenix based Big Pete Pearson a shouter, he comes across more like James Cotton crossed with a bit of Lonnie Brooks to give a sense what he sounds like.. Produced by Bob Corritore and joined by the likes of Ike Turner, Johnny Dyer, Joey Francesco, Leon Blue, Kid Ramos and W.C.Clark. The opening Too Many Drivers is a rocking shuffle in the vein Cotton excelled at with Matt Bishop providing the rollicking piano as Chris James and Johnny Rapp on guitar help push the groove while producer Corritore wails on harp. Its a good indication of what’s to come on this set of straight, no chaser blues. Leon Blue handles the ivories and Corritore is on chromatic harp on a nice version of Tin Pan Alley with a nice gritty vocal. A good song writer, his original The Way I See It, has him reaching down on his vocal, while Worried About My Baby is an easy rocking number with Johnny Dyer contributing a nice harp break on a recording that would have been at home on a vintage Chicago blues collection. I’m Here Baby, is a slow-drag bump and grind number that Pearson just pours his heart into. Ike Turner and Joey DeFrancesco are present for Big Legged Woman, a number that brings Lonnie Brooks to mind while a more West Coast flavor is on the evocative rendition of Percy Mayfield’s The Highway Is Like a Woman. Cousin W.C. Clark join on a spirited blues medley, trading verses and songs as well as the closing Texas Blues Memories. Possum Up the Tree, with Kid Ramos on guitar evokes vintage Muddy Waters while there is a down home flavor added to Natural Ball. While Texas born, Big Pete’s music sounds like he was in Chicago, not Phoenix, the past fifty years. This is an exhilarating blues disc that certainly should make him a singer in demand on the hopefully reviving blues circuit. This is a good one. Check out www.bluewitchrecords.com or www.bigpetepearson.net for more information.