Long John Hunter Border Town Legend

Long John Hunter
Border Town Legend
Alligator Records

Long John Hunter's exhibitionistic electric blues is fields removed from Cephas and Wiggins. With years of playing all night at the Lobby in Juarez, Mexico, across the border from El Paso. His gigs became legendary as he would swing from the rafters or stroll outside with his long guitar chord. So were his
45s for the New Mexico Yucca label. A couple years back, the now defunct Spindletop label issued his first cd, and this new follow-up, "Border Town Legend," is now on Alligator. 

Long John Hunter is an old fashioned Texas guitar slinger and vocalist. While B.B. King is his original influence, his cutting, guitar shows as much influence from T-Bone and other Texas based blues guitarists. One track, "Long Star Shootout" is a playful guitar battle with Hunter's guitar opening and closing, while sandwiching solos from Derek O'Brien, Johnny Nicholas, Joe Kelley and young Guitar Jake Andrews (son of Sam Andrews, guitarist for Janis Joplin and Tracy Nelson). His gritty singing is a strong point, too. His phrasing is right on the button, and the slight rasp in his vocals goes down like a smooth ale. In addition to his own playing, Art Lewis, his fabulous saxophonist, gets several spots to lay down some tough tenor solos including on the rousing "Ole Red" and his down in the alley spot on "Arkansas." 

While his covers of "Grits Ain't Groceries" and "Everybody Knows," are solid, they don't add anything to the better known originals. The strength of this collection is the originals, like the jaunty "Nasty Ways," co-authored with producers Tary Owens and Jon Foose, or the opening "T-Bone Intentions." Matched with some of Austin's finest players, it is a welcome straight, no chaser Texas blues album which will not disappoint those who have seen hirn live or heard his earlier recordings.

This review appeared in the March 1996 Jazz & Blues Report. I received my review copy from Alligator Records. I see Amazon sells this as a CD-R but it is available used from various, and one can listen to this recording on various streaming services. Here Long John Hunter performs a Gulf Coast classic, "Irene."

Long John Hunter's Swinging From The Rafters

One of my favorite blues discoveries of the 1990's was Long John Hunter. A brilliant singer-guitarist, he recorded several fine albums that were produced by Tary Owens, John Foose and Steve Jeter. A showman in his younger days as suggested by the title of the Alligator release, Swinging From the Rafters, I had the pleasure of seeing Hunter a number of times although he no longer tours as much today. His recordings for Alligator (including his collaboration with Lonnie Brooks and the late Phillip Walker, Lone Star Shootout( amongst the finest albums of modern Texas blues of the past few decades. His mix of inventive, twisting guitar and honest, gritty vocals holds up for repeated listening. This review originally appeared in the September 1997 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 224) and I received a review copy from Alligator.

Long John Hunter’s new Alligator album, Swinging From the Rafters, takes its title from his long residency at the Lobby Bar in Juarez, Mexico, across the river from El Paso. There, for over a decade, he would play from nine at night till the rooster crowed before day and developed his showmanship that still characterizes his live performances. Wed that showmanship with first rate vocals and slashing, twisting guitar and you have an artist whose music matches his stage persona. 

Kudos to producers Tary Owens and John Foose (and executive producer Steve Jeter) who also collaborated with Hunter on some fine songs. Moreover, Hunter is an artist of considerable depth and range, whether performing shuffles like Time and Time Again or Stop What You’re Doing (with a latin tinge in its rhythm), or hitting a funk groove on I’m Broke. Hunter is equally at home with the jazz-flavored horns on Trouble on the Line. 

While the liner notes suggest that this is more guitar-oriented than his prior two albums (including the superb Alligator release, Bordertown Legend), Hunter is a natural, totally honest singer whose vocals are not overshadowed by his guitar pyrotechnics. The result is another first-rate album of modern Texas blues.

Long John Hunter's Welcome Return To CD

Its been decades since Long John Hunter was swinging from the rafters at the Lobby Bar in Juarez, Mexico, across the border from El Paso. While he made some tough singles for small labels in the southwest such as Yucca in New Mexico including “El Paso Rock,” which became a staple of rocker’s Bobby Fuller’s performances as well. In 1993 Spindletop issued his first full album, “Ride With Me,” which led to him getting known outside of the Lone Star State and New Mexico. The label and Long John later was picked up by Alligator who issued two more excellent discs by Hunter, “Border Town Legend” and Swinging From the Rafters.” With Alligator he was united with long-time friend Phillip Walker and Lonnie Brooks for the “Lone Star Shootout,” recording. There was an album shared with his brother Tom “Blues Man” Hunter, “One Foot in the Texas” (Doc Blues). Since then he moved to Phoenix, Arizona area and while having some ‘heart work,” and no longer can swing from the rafters, but still playing his music and Dennis Walker, best known as Robert Cray’s producer has produced his latest recording, “Looking For A Party” (Blues Express).

For the recording, Walker put together a band of Jim Pugh, keyboards; Richard Cousins, bass; Alan Mirikitani, rhythm guitar; Lee Spath, drums and cowbell; and a horn section. The songs are all originals, although Long John only is credited with co-writing the title track. Grace Jones Hunter (his wife) is credited with co-writing a couple of songs. Walker and/or guitarist Mirikitani have contributed to all of the 11 tracks. There is a mix of material covering a range of moods and themes from the light title track to “Beggar Man,” a straight blues given a slightly mysterious feel lent by Pugh’s keyboards with Hunter’s back porch delivery with his grainy voice quite appealing. In fact what is evident is just how good he still sings and plays. “Looking For My Baby” has a Crescent City groove with some cowbell for punctuation with a typically nice guitar solo for Hunter whose use of space and silence is a model for many who tend to overplay. “I Know a Man,” is a heartfelt gospel number co-authored by his wife with a soulful flavor to the performance that benefits from the restrained accompaniment. The other song she helped write, “You Are My Love,” is a sincerely sung blues ballad. “Apple of My Eye,” is a nice rocking shuffle with a lyric of having been through hard times and bad luck but his woman is the apple of his eye, while another late night blues, “Greener Pastures,” has among the better lyrics here.

Compared to some of Hunter’s earlier recordings, the most of the lyrics seem generic, and lack the quirkiness and distinctiveness of the best of Hunter’s earlier recordings such as “Crazy Love,” or “Dream of the Devil.” This is not to say that these are bad performances or terrible songs, because that couldn’t be further from the truth as they are robust. Still, this is a worthwhile disc that reminds us fortunately that Long John Hunter is still around and playing his distinctive music. May you be lucky enough to have him visit a club or festival near you.

For the FTC, I got the review copy of this from Blues Express but I had purchased this prior to that by download.

Congrats to 15 years of The Rhythm Room

Phoenix’s The Rhythm Room as developed a reputation as a blues room in part due to the efforts of Bob Corritore. Blue Witch Records has issued a lively celebration of its 15 years, House Rockin’ and Blues Shoutin’!, with 14 strong live performances for the Rhythm Room’s stage. This is scheduled to be released in September, 2007. Its a nice range of performances that give an indication of the breadth and eclecticism of real deal blues that play there including performances by the Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Manish Boys, Long John Hunter, Floyd Dixon, Big Pete Pearson, Henry Gray, Sonny Rhodes, Paul Oscher, Chief Shabuttie Gilliame w Johnny Dyer and Henry Gray, Robert Lockwood, Jr, Louisiana Red and Billy Boy Arnold. There are any number of highlights here and no poor tracks. The three Thunderbirds tracks are each with different personnel supporting Kim Wilson including Troy Gonyea’s guitar backing him on Jimmy Rogers’ Goin’ Away Baby, and the Little Walter styled harp romp, Horsin’ Around, while Kid Ramos, Kirk Fletcher and horns provide support for the New Orleans groove of Rich Woman. Finis Tasby gravelly vocals graces The Manish Boys fine Lonesome Bedroom, while Long John Hunter is heard solo on Long John’s Country Blues. Piano blues will enjoy Floyd Dixon’s jumping Please Don’t Go while Henry Gray’s Henry’s Houserocker is a solid shuffle with Kid Ramos’ guitar helping propel the boogie woogie feature. Sonny Rhodes playing lap steel guitar interprets one of the lesser known Elmore James numbers, My Bleeding Heart, while Paul Oscher is marvelous on guitar, harp and vocals on That’s It. The delightful performances come to a close with Billy Boy Arnold’s take on an old Sonny Boy Williamson recording (which actually dates back to pianist Charlie Spand) which is retitled and credited to Arnold, Two Drinks of Wine. It is the same song junior Wells did as Early in the Morning. One can’t think of a better salute to this blues room than the compilation of fine recordings here and Blue Witch is to be thanked for this collection. May the Rhythm Room celebrate another 15 years.