Keb' Mo' Moonlight, Mistletoe & You

Keb' Mo'
Moonlight, Mistletoe & You
Concord Records

 In his 25 years as recording as Keb' Mo', the award-winning blues and roots performer, has not recorded a holiday music album. "Moonlight, Mistletoe & You" remedies that. This album is a collection of some seasonal favorites and originals in a similar vein. Produced by Keb' himself and recorded by Zach Allen at Stu Stu Studio in Franklin, Tennessee, the malleable artist provides five new songs sprinkled with five covers. There are a variety of musicians backing Keb' Mo' and his guitar, including David Rogers and Phil Madeira on keyboards, Akil Thompson on electric guitar, Steve Mackey, Joe Reed, or Reggie McBride on bass, and Marcus Finnie or Chester Thompson on drums. There are appearances from Gerald Albright, a string section, Melissa Manchester, pianist Shelley Berg, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Steve Jordan.

The backing on this CD ranges from spare, some songs with a string section giving a lush sound, to a straight electric blues setting. This provides musical variety that showcases the warmth of Keb' Mo' on a musical stew that owes as much to classic soul and roots music as blues. The fun starts with a fresh take on Charles Brown's "Please Come Home For Christmas," followed by the original title song with its reflective vocal cushioned by strings and featuring Gerald Albright's saxophone solo. Another original is the buoyant and optimistic "Better Everyday," with punchy riffing horns. "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" is rendered more forcefully than Louis Jordan's original recording. It is a superb modern blues performance. It is followed by "Christmas Is Annoying," where Keb' Mo' sings that now being grown up, that the things he loved as a kid no longer have the same charm while his credit cards get maxed.

After more blues on a cover of Koko Taylor's cheerful Christmas blues, "Merry, Merry Christmas," there is a delightful duet with Melissa Manchester on IrvingBerlin's "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm." It has a jazzy feel, and the opening evokes Mama Cass' recording of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" There is much to delight in the charming vocal duet on this song with strings and horns adding to the performance's mood. There is almost a jug band/hokum flavor to the rendition of Charlie Jordan's "Santa Claus Blues." This is a more relaxed, acoustic blues performance than the Louis Jordan number. Keb' Mo' and Mac Davis collaborated on "When the Children Song" with a message of warm holiday feelings and Christmas spirit. On this, his voice and acoustic guitar are joined by a Children's Choir. As the song goes, "When the children sing, it puts a smile on your face." It put a smile on this listener's face.

The final selection, "One More Year With You," has a jazzy tinge with Shelley Berg's grand piano, Christian McBride's bass, and David Rogers'' horn arrangement contributing along with the string section which is not credited on this selection. It concludes a holiday album with fresh new songs and covers of mostly unfamiliar material. Marvelously sung, the alluring performances here will certainly delight blues and roots listeners.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is the audio for "Santa Claus, Santa Claus."

Markey Blue - Ric Latina Project Raised in Muddy Water

Markey Blue - Ric Latina Project
Raised in Muddy Water
Ellersoul Records

It has been several years that singer Jeannette Markey (Markey Blue) and guitarist Latina impressed on her recording "Hey Hey." About that recording I concluded "There is so much to enjoy about this release from the strong backing, good original songs and Ms. Markey’s heartfelt, persuasive vocals. Markey Blue certain makes fans of blues and soul take note with this." Certainly much can be said about this recording of blues-tinged rock, swampy soul and blues. Listening to the impressive opening title track and "Corinne Shine," I think more of southern rock and Little Feat than Jimmy Reed and Jody Williams, but that is simply categorizing these finely performed songs. Markey is a really good singer with plenty of heart and Latino is a noteworthy guitarist as he shows behind her very fervent singing on "A Little More I Die (An Ode to John Payne)."

Credit must be given to her backing band of John Marcus on bass, Marcus Finnie on drums, Shannon Winnie on keyboards, Jim Williamson on trumpet and Doug Moffet on saxophone. But the songs are excellent as the afore-mentioned "A Little More I Die," or the driving shuffle "Red Room," on which Ronnie Owens is overdubbed on harmonica, "Mississippi Soul," with Latino's atmospheric Duane Allman styled slide or the rocking boogaloo rocker with Eddie Clearwater and horns added, "I Like It Like This." There there is a terrific, moody blues "Walking Over This Line," where Markey sings about a love gone wrong and taking too long to leave.

There is the swampy blues rock of the Delbert McClinton tribute "Come and Go," and the closing bonus track that was recorded live, a lively blue shuffle, "Drowning in His Ocean," as she joyously celebrates a lover. Markey Blue continues to deliver as a singer and songwriter with some strong guitar and excellent backing making for another notable recording.

I received from my review copy from Ellersoul. This review appears in the September-October 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 380). Here is a live 2017 performance clip of the Markey Blue - Ric Latina Project