A Few Blues Shows Coming to DC of Note

Photo © Ron Weinstock

Jody Williams, pictured above at the 2007 Pocono Blues Festival, is one of the treasures of real deal blues artists who are still with us. A member of Bo Diddley's Band for a period, as well as making some pioneering recordings, we are fortunate that he resumed playing after several decades away from music in part because of the bitterness relating the song Love Is Strange. He has two truly wonderful blues albums out on Evidence that blues fans need to own. Anyway Jody is part of a tour, Blues At The Crossroads II: Muddy & The Wolf which also will include the Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson, Tinsley Ellis, James Cotton and Bob Margolin. It is at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Monday February 18. Visit www.birchmere.com for more information.

Memphis Gold and Charlie Sayles will each be performing at JVs this week. Photo © Ron Weinstock

JV's in Annandale, Virginia is celebrating its anniversary and has some great shows this week. Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 12, Charlie Sayles will be leading a band with Clarence 'The Bluesman' Turner on guitar while on Wednesday, February 13, Memphis Gold will have a special show with some special guests including keyboards and saxophone. Friday, February 15 The Mac Arnold Band will be appearing. Mac Arnold is a former bass player who worked with John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters while on Sunday, February 17, the early afternoon show will be a great group including Big Joe Maher, Marty Baumann and Bill Heid. Catfish Hodge  will be coming to JVs on Saturday March 2.

Incidentally, Memphis Gold is at the Westminster Presbyterian Church (401 I Street SW, Washington DC), as part of its Blue Monday series tonight, February 11, and next Monday (February 18), Little Royal will perform. There is a shuttle from the Waterfront Metro stop.

Mac Arnold Has Nothing to Prove.

Mac Arnold’s reemergence in the past few years has been quite noteworthy as more of his generation of blues performers pass on. This review is from early 2007 and I believe my review copy was sent by the label or a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 290). My review of a more recent album by Mac Backbone and Gristle was posted last October, http://inabluemood.blogspot.com/2010/10/mac-arnold-meaty-blues.html.

Mac Arnold had a stint with Muddy Waters about four decades ago and followed that up with work with Otis Spann, John Lee Hooker and Tyrone Davis among others. The bassist has emerged with a new album entitled Nothing to Prove (Plantation 1 Records) and its a record rooted in the sounds of four decades ago although with a hard hitting groove that will appear to today’s listeners.

The rocking shuffle, Blues For You, is a driving party song as Arnold exhorts the audience to enjoy themselves as he plays the blues for them. As a vocalist Arnold really excels on the slow tempo songs like the title track, as he tells someone he’s walked in their shoes and had his share of blues with Max Hightower wailing on harp here. Rudy ‘Blues Shoes’ Wyatt plays the piano on Call Mac Arnold, where Arnold tells the ladies to call him when they want to have fun while their man is on the run. Austin Brashier’s guitar playing is strong here on working against the mambo groove. Wyatt’s piano and Hightower’s harp provide the backing for the down home version of (Get on) Back to the Country.

The Truth sports a funky groove as Arnold notes some rather tell a lie because the truth ain’t good enough, and some are telling rumors ‘trying to break us up,” whereas So Mean to Me, is a late night slow blues that Arnold ably delivers.

The album closes with a fine live version of Get on) Back to the Country, with Hightower playing some solid slide guitar in the vein of Muddy Waters.

Here is Mac Arnold on you tube with Bob Margolin, Kim Wilson, the late Willie Smith.

Mac Arnold's Meaty Blues

A short stint on bass with Muddy Waters several decades ago along with other gigs including John Lee Hooker, constituted Mac Arnold’s musical resume until a few years back when he debuted to critical acclaim. His second CD with the Plate Full’O Blues Band, “Backbones & Gristle” (Plantation #1) is the follow-up. Arnold  has an appealing baritone with a natural  delivery, and he gets solid support, although sometimes the backing rocks out a bit like the long blues-rock guitar jam that is part of the opening track “Love and Relations.” The next track, “U Dawg Gone Right,” has a nice vocal and a stinging solo by Arnold on his Gas Can guitar, constructed by his older brother.

The title track has strong down home flavor as Arnold recalls growing up and the advice his daddy gave him when Mac did wrong.  His dad told him Mac had a hard head and his backbone was nothing but gristle. The track has nice guitar from Austin Brashier.  Max Hightower, who is on piano on much of this album, plays harp on a high octane, supersonic, harp ripper, “Blow Until You Blow,” on which Mac plays bass and Steve Kester plays piano. Following this is a late night blues “I Refuse,” as Mac recalls the time he refused to listen to his good friend telling him about his women being with another man and how Mac ignored the warning signs until his women, crying, tells him she will always will love him, as she runs away.

On “Gas Can Story,”Mac recalls his brother making a gas can guitar and winning a contest at school. Another highlight is “Things I Don’t Need,” with a doomy bass riff and stinging guitar as Arnold sings about having a one room shotgun shack in the middle of a cotton field and not needing a grocery store. He has a three-acre garden and does not have to spend his life chasing the wind so Mac is satisfied with his family and friends. Blues meets Doobie Brothers for the uplifting message, “I Can Do Anything,” which has a church choir joining Mac as he sings about getting his education, how getting an education worked for Mac and can work for you.

Mac unplugs for “The Garden Song,” with nice harp from Hightower, “Where I’ve Been,” is a semi-autobiographical song about where Mac has been around the world singing the blues. Its the final studio track, and the album closes with two live tracks originating from the 1st Annual Mac Arnold Cornbread & Collard Greens Blues Festival. On “Mean to Me,” which Mac recorded on his first CD, Bob Margolin adds slide guitar and Willie Smith handles the drum chair. This is  a really nice slow blues with Brashier adding  nice guitar fills before Margolin takes a lengthy Muddy Waters-styled slide solo. The live version of “I Can Do Anything,” features a school choir and marching band helping Mac deliver his uplifting message that provides a solid conclusion to this generally strong recording . It may have a few bum moments, but is full of intriguing originals (mostly by Arnold), heartfelt singing and songs, and first-rate musicianship. Arnold’s website is www.macarnold.com and this disc is available from amazon, cdbaby, and other outlets./


This review originally appeared in the June 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 317) and I have made some minor edits and stylistic changes. It is the second of three albums Mac has produced.  My review copy was likely supplied by a publicist for this recording.