Linsey Alexander Live at Rosa's

Linsey Alexander
Live at Rosa's
Delmark Records

Reviewing Linsey Alexander's debut album "Been There Done That" in 2012, I wrote that it was "a most impressive blues recording which is one of the finer blues albums I have heard this year. His is a voice I want to hear more from." I further noted his fervent singing and stinging guitar in his 2015 follow-up recording, "Come Back Baby." It has been way too long since his last album, so this new live recording is welcome. His vocals and guitar were supported at Rosa's by Sergei Androshin, guitar; Roosevelt Purifoy, keyboards; Ron Simmons, bass; and "Big Ray" Stewart, drums.

"Live at Rosa's" is a pretty straight-forward recording as Alexander performs five of his originals and four covers. It opens with a fresh rendition of B.B. King's "Please Love Me," that avoids the "Dust My Broom" feel of most versions. Alexander's searing guitar is supported by Purifoy's organ. Purifoy takes a greasy solo here. Alexander also musically provides a fresh feel to Freddie King's "If You've Ever Loved A Woman." The insistent groove of Alexander's "I Got a Woman," may evoke "Mustang Sally." Alexander adds a fiery guitar solo. There is appealing guitar picking on the relaxed shuffle "Goin' Out Walkin'" followed by a soulful rendition of Latimore's "Somethin' 'Bout' Cha," with more strong support from Purifoy. "Snowing in Chicago" provides a driving funk-blues. The final cover is of a Muddy Waters recording, "Just to Be With You," although it is titled on the album "Ships on the Ocean" and credited to Junior Wells. Wells' recording is the inspiration for Alexander's interpretation, and Linsey sings robustly and plays perhaps his finest solo here.

Alexander sings convincingly with fervor, although there are a couple spots where his diction suffers. With solid backing and strong performances, Alexander's "Live at Rosa's" is a most engaging album of live modern Chicago blues."

I received a download to review from Delmark Records. Here is an older performance of Linsey Alexnader performing "Snowing In Chicago."

Breezy Rodio Sometime The Blues Got Me

Breezy Rodio
Sometime The Blues Got Me
Delmark Records

Coming to the US as a young immigrant, Breezy Rodio became part of the Chicago blues scene and in fact spent ten years in Linsey Alexander's band. This is his third album, although the first I have heard and his Delmark debut. There is a generous 17 tracks, of which six are interpretations and eleven are his originals. I am not familiar with most of the backing musicians with the exception of organist Chris Foreman. Billy Branch appears on two selections and there is a four piece horn section of which trumpeter Art Davis and saxophonist Ian "The Chief" McGarrie each get to solo.

Musically this is a post-war urban blues recording with B.B. King and Albert King being obvious influences and the horns provide a feel to these selections that evokes the classic B.B. King and Albert King sides of the the fifties and early sixties. Certainly this is evident in renditions of Lee Hazelwood's "Don't Look Now, But I Got the Blues," that B.B. recorded as well as Albert King's "Wrapped Up in Love Again." Rodio's vocals has a pinched vibrato sound at times, similar to that of roots-blues stylist Si Cranstoun, that some might find an acquired taste. Similarly, his originals vary in quality with a few focused on the theme of playing the blues, although the title track has its self-evident hook.

There are other selections of note including the jump blues flavored "I Walked Away," with terrific horns including McGarrie's booting tenor sax solo to go with his jazzier guitar playing here and the instrumental "A Cool Breeze in Hell," with some impressive Albert King styled guitar. Also he does a fine take of B.B. King's "Make Me Blue." Then he remakes the Delmore Brothers' "Blues Stay Away From Me" into a fervent urban blues, while Billy Branch channels the second Sonny Boy Williamson to enliven a relaxed shuffle, "Doctor From the Hood." On "Fall in British Columbia," is an atmospheric, wistful ballad with a lovely trumpet solo, while set against Foreman's greasy organ, Rodio conjures up Albert Collins on an strong original, "One of a Kind." Branch adds some strong harmonica and shares the vocal with Rodio on the closing "Chicago Is Loaded With the Blues."

Some may find Breezy Rodio's vocals a tad harsh and the original songs are uneven, but he performs with passion and is a terrific guitarist. He is handsomely supported on these wonderfully played, if perhaps imperfect, performances.

I received my review copy from Delmark. This review originally appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 378). Here is a preview video for the album from www.breezyrodio.com.

Tribute: Delmark's 65th Anniversary

Various artists
Tribute: Delmark's 65th Anniversary
Delmark Records

As Delmark celebrates 65 years since founded in St. Louis by Bob Koester, new has come out that the label has been sold which hopefully will keep this historic and visionary blues and jazz label healthy for years to come. This "Tribute" recording has eleven newly recorded blues to help in the celebration. It should be noted that these are new recordings of prior recordings by various blues artists on Delmark. There is a house band with either Mike Wheeler and/or Billy Flynn on guitar on several tracks, Roosevelt Purify on keyboards, Melvin Smith on bass and Willie Hayes on drums.

Omar Coleman sings strongly and plays nice harp on his tribute to Junior Wells, "Train I Ride," with guitar from Wheeler and booting sax by Hank Ford. Lurrie Bell & the Bell Dynasty with Eddie Taylor Jr do Carey Bell's "One Day You're Gonna Get Lucky," likely recorded at the same session that produced their Tribute to Carey Bell album. Steve Bell's harmonica shines on this. Billy Flynn emulates the late Jimmy Dawkins' distinctive guitar style behind Linsey Alexander's fervent vocal on Dawkins' "All For Business." Demetria Taylor effectively growls performing Big Time Sarah's "Riverboat." Jimmy Burns performs his amiable take on Big Joe Williams' "She Left Me A Mule To Ride," without band accompaniment. His performance is not as percussive as that of Williams but he sings quite ably.

Lil Ed Williams and Dave Weld cover "Speak My Mind," by his uncle J.B. Hutto and it is a solid rendition if Ed does not quite match J.B.'s vocal here. Jimmy Johnson with Dave Spector do a strong Magic Sam's "Out of Bad Luck," with Sumito 'Ariyo' Ariyoshi adding some fine piano behind Johnson's marvelous vocal and fine guitar from him and Spector. Corey Dennison and Gerry Hundt provide a lively acoustic duet on Sleepy John Estes' "Broke and Hungry" with tight mandolin runs against the rhythmic guitar, with a strong crying vocal. Mike Wheeler evokes Jimmy Johnson on a fine cover of an Otis Rush classic, "So Many Roads," which is followed by Shirley Johnson's fine singing on the Little Willie John classic "Need Your Love So Bad," that Bonnie Lee previously waxed for Delmark.

Ken Saydak's solo piano and vocal barrelhouses Roosevelt Sykes' rollicking "Boot That Thang," closing this most entertaining collection of fresh blues cover recordings.

I received my review copy from Delmark Records. This review appeared in the July-August Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 379).  Here is Bob Koester interviewed about Delmark about 5 years ago.

Linsey Alexander - Come Back Baby

I found Linsey Alexander’s first Delmark album, “Been There Done That” to be “the most impressive blues recording which is one of the finer blues albums I have heard this year (2012).” Now Delmark has issued his follow-up “Come Back Baby!” which has the singer and guitarist joined by a band that includes guitarist Breezy Rodio; keyboards from Roosevelt Purifoy, bassist Greg McDaniel and drummer Pooky Styx with Bill McFarland leading a horn section and Billy Branch contributing harmonica to three selections.

The album opens with “Little Bit of Soap,” one of two songs Alexander did not write. This is a terrific performance as he sings about washing this women out of his life with a great vocal and guitar that brings to mind seventies B.B. King. The album is at its best with his soulful vocals and clever lyrics. The playing behind him is strong and the one criticism I have on several selections would be the buzzsaw guitar tone on several selections including that heard on the intense original “I Got A Woman.” Perhaps the tone is supposed to match the intensity of his vocal her as he tears into the lyric of his woman being more woman than he will every need. The tone detracts from fully enjoying the fiery solo here. This tone is also employed on the reworking of “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” that provides a new arrangement for the Otis Rush classic recording. An excellent slow blues “Too Old To Be A New Fool” showcases some searing guitar with a cleaner tone along with superb chromatic harmonica from Branch.

Alexander’s wit is displayed on the shuffle “Call My Wife,” on which he wants his wife to open the door for poor Linsey, who is so drunk he lost he car and car keys. Billy Branch channels Rice Miller mixed with Walter Horton with some exquisite harmonica on this. Alexander is also known as “The Hootchie Man” as reflected in his funky dance number “Booty Call.” “Things Done Changed” has a serious lyric as Alexander as recalls Jim Crow days, segregated bus stations and buses and the like, set against horn riffs and a solid electric piano solo by the remarkable Purifoy (he also played a strong solo on “Booze and Blues’), followed by strong, stinging guitar.

Despite this writer's reservations on the guitar tone on several tracks (and others will disagree), “Come Back Baby" is a strongly performed recording that exhibits plenty of fire from Alexander with his fervent singing and searing guitar.

I received my review copy copy from Delmark Records. Here is the opening “Little Bit of Soap.”

Linsey Alexander Has Been There Done That

There are several songs on Linsey Alexander's Delmark debut Been There Done That that if were recorded thirty years ago would be viewed as blues classics. Mississippi born and growing up in Memphis, he has been part of the Chicago blues scene and even produced some independent CDs and finally has this CD for an established label.

He and his guitar is backed by a terrific band of Roosevelt Purifoy on keyboards, Breezy Rodio and Mike Wheeler on guitar, Greg McDaniel on bass and James Wilson on drums. Several tracks have Ryan Nyther on trumpet and Bryan Fritz on tenor saxophone, while Billy Branch adds his harmonica to three tracks. Alexander wrote (or co-wrote) all but one of the twelve songs, the exception being a Willie Kent number. Listening to this recording I was reminded of some of the Willie Kent Delmark albums as well as some other from Lefty Dizz, Big Moose Walker and Willie James Lyons from the seventies. 


Raffle Ticket, opens with some strong harp in the backing as Alexander asks his baby, "what is the name of that game you playing on me" as she came back on a Wednesday night with a diamond ring which she claimed she won with a lottery. This is a classic Chicago blues performance with Branch wailing on the harmonica and the band hitting that groove as Alexander tells his woman when she goes out Saturday night to get her raffle ticket wet. His singing is so natural and full of feeling, although his buzz-tone guitar solo is a bit generic. The next track Bad Man has a crisp, funky groove and riffing horns as he sings about smoking his "pipe till I go to hell," with nice guitar from Rodio and him here. I Had a Dream is a straight, slow blues that he delivers in a very intense manner.

The title track is more in a soulful vein (suggestive of Tyrone Davis) and sung as naturally in this vein as he sings straight blues. If he is looking down from Heaven, Willie Kent has to be smiling at Alexander's cover of Look's Like It's Going To Rain, while he continues with the traditional Chicago blues sound on My Mama Gave Me The Blues. It opens singing about his elders telling him when you sing the blues when you die you will go straight to hell, but Linsey is still on earth and has his story to tell. Billy Branch channels Little Walter on chromatic harmonica with terrific playing on this song. Branch also is present on the excellent The Same Time I Could Tell Myself, with lyrics about Linsey not wanting a woman to tell him things he already knows or will go wrong cheating and lying.

On the closing Saving Robert Johnson, he sings about going to Highway 61 where it runs into 49 where Robert Johnson sold his soul and Linsey said email the devil or poke him on Facebook so Linsey can meet the Devil at the Crossroads to free Robert Johnson's soul. It has perhaps a silly lyric although the performance is solid. It may be the weakest track on Been There Done That, but that does not diminish the fact that this is a most impressive blues recording which is one of the finer blues albums I have heard this year. His is a voice I want to here more from.

I received this from the record company. Here is a performance by Linsey.