Mississippi Heat - Cab Driving Man

Mississippi Heat
Cab Driving Man
Delmark Records

No surprises with Mississippi Heat's new album, "Cab Driving Man." It is the latest reording in the 25 year career of this Chicago-based band, and the seventh by Pierre Lacocque and band for Delmark. In addition to the harmonica of Lacocque (who contributed most of the songs), he is joined by the present line-up of vocalist Inetta Visor, guitarist and sometimes vocalist Michael Dotson, bassist Brian Quinn, and drummer Terrence Williams, with several tracks having Giles Corey and guitar (and he shares a vocal on one track with Visor), Ricky Nelson on bass and Kenny Smith on drums. Chris 'Hambone Cameron' plays keyboards except on two tracks by Sumito Ariyo. Sax Gordon adds horns to five selections, Dave Spector adds guitar to one and Ruben Alvarez adds percussion to four tracks. Lacocque wrote ten of the 16 tracks, co-wrote one with Cameron, Dotson wrote thee, and there are two covers.

Those familiar with Mississippi Heat from having seen them perform or previous recordings will find little to surprise them. This is a nice collection of Chicago blues performed in a sterling manner from the opening notes of "Cupid Bound," a solid shuffle (with melodic hints of Little Walter's "Just Your Fool") with strong harmonica, a typical fine vocal from Visor and blistering guitar break from Dotson to the closing instrumental feature for Lacocque's chromatic playing, "Hey Pipo!"

While it is hard to single out specific tracks, "Flowers on My Tombstone," has a terrific lyric as Visor sings "it would be a miracle when I die, if you lay flowers on my tombstone," sounding as if she feels like a wild goose with a hunter aiming at her to claim his prize as she swallows her pride and could have left her husband a long time ago, but stayed for the kids to watch them grow. The backing is simply classic Chicago band blues with pumping piano, solid drumming from Kenny Smith and great harp. The feel shifts on the following track "Icy Blue," which has a more funky feel and there is slide guitar adding to its flavor.

Giles Corey joins Visor for a solid cover of the Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure classic "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing." Michael Dotson may not be as distinctive singing, but he provides a contrasting approach on his straight-forward style perhaps best sampled on the boogie blues "The Last Go Round." Also nice is the jazz-tinged "Life Is Too Short," as Visor again captivates with her vocal. The rest of this recording is of a similar level with wonderful playing, blues singing and strong, varied, mostly original material. Lovers of Chicago blues can not go wrong with Mississippi Heat, as "Cab Driving Man" again provides proof.

I received my review copy from Delmark. Here is Mississippi Heat in performance in 2016.

Mississippi Heat Sends Out A Warning Shot

Pierre Lacocque's Mississippi Heat have a new release on Delmark, Warning Shot, that will be welcomed by the band's fans and likely make new fans from listeners. Lacocque’s leadership along with his songwriting and marvelous harmonica playing (Charlie Musselwhite is quoted calling it tasty and brilliant) is joined by one of the most underrated vocalists in the blues, Inetta Visor; vocals and guitar from Michael Dotson; guitar from Giles Corey; bass from Brian Quinn; and a vocal from Kenny Smith who shares the drum chair with Andrew Thomas. Former band member Carl Weathersby is on guitar on a couple tracks, Neal O’Hara is on keyboards, Ruben Alvarez is on percussion and Sax Gordon handles the saxophones.

The opening Sweet Poison is an imaginative original, built upon the Elmore James broom dusting riff with Lacocque's fine harp riding over Dotson’s crisp slide playing. The band pushes the groove behind a superb vocal from Visor. Years ago she might have been described as a moaner as opposed to a  shouter, but her nuanced singing is thoroughly a delight. You get a sense of the vivacious quality of her performances listening to her, but the joy she has singing is evident when one sees Heat live (or on the band’s Live DVD “One Eye Open, Live at Rosa’s” on Delmark). Sweet Poison is followed by the rollicking “Alley Cat Boogie” with pumping piano from O’Hara and an exuberant vocal from Visor.

An original Come To Mama sports Caribbean rhythms (handled by Thomas) while Corey takes the guitar lead sounding like he’s playing through a Leslie amp. Gordon takes a tough tenor sax solo, while Lacocque’s solo suggests some of Walter Horton’s playing (thinking of Horton’s take La Cucaracha). More terrific harp along with Corey’s jazzy guitar is heard behind Visor’s moving singing on a reworking of a Ruth Brown recording, I Don’t Know. Dotson takes a capable vocal on Yeah Now Baby with its North Hills Country meets Muddy Waters rhythms.   

Birthday Song, is a funky, buoyant original that provides blues and soul revival bands with an alternative to the standard birthday song. Corey is in a Santana mode here with Gordon and Lacocque riffing in support. Dotson’s guitar lead on his bouncy rocker, Swingy Dingy Baby evokes the late Texas guitarist Cal Valentine. Too Sad To Wipe Way The Tears has a low-key backing with terrific Lacocque’s harp in a Sonny Boy Williamson II manner. Dotson’s restrained slide playing is exceptional. 

Set against a crisp shuffle groove and Gordon’s one-man sax section, the instrumental rendition of Your Cheating Heart  showcases Lacocque’s wonderful harp. Gordon takes a booting solo on this. A Part of Special a funky Visor original whose  backing vocal chorus, the horn arrangements (and a sax solo that would have King Curtis smiling) and a terrific vocal suggests some classic 70s Aretha Franklin (she is really good here). 

The terrific Warning Shot features tight ensemble playing (one of the things that Lacocque has always focused on with this band), excellent new original material, interpretations of songs that have not been recorded a zillion times, strong solos and the wonderful blues and soul vocals of Inetta Visor. 

I received my review copy from Delmark Records. For those near Washington DC, Mississippi Heat is at Madam's Organ on Friday October 17. Here is a video of Mississippi Heat performing.

 

Excellent If Not The Essential Magic Slim

Morris Holt, best known as Magic Slim, has had a celebrated recording career over 40 years, and rarely produced a blues record that was merely good. It is misleading for Blind Pig to call the compilation of some of the best tracks from his half dozen or so Blind Pig albums, The Essential Magic Slim since any compilation of Slim’s recordings that do not span his entire career including the superb records that have been issued on Rooster Blues, Alligator and the Austrian Wolf label can hardly be called Essential. Best of Magic Slim on Blind Pig would be more accurate.

This is not to say that the music here is substandard. In fact the music here is typical of the hard-driving rocking Chicago blues that Slim has been producing since his 1966 45 of Scufflin’. Opening with a rocking rendition of Bo Diddley’s Before You Accuse Me, rocketing through the terrific shuffle, Mind Your Own Business and continuing with a driving updating of Jimmy McCracklin’s Think, Magic Slim forcefully delivers his lyrics while laying down some stringing guitar. He is one of the few who can produce a listenable Mustang Sally while going down in the alley on the slow groove of Crazy Woman. Those backing him here include guitarists John Primer, Steve Freund, Michael Dotson and Jon McDonald, with brother Nick Holt handling the bass on most of the 15 tracks.

This may not be “The Essential” Magic Slim, but it is an excellent introduction to his music if you are not familiar with his distinctive and recognizable style.

I wrote this review in 2007 for the DC Blues Calendar and Jazz & Blues Report but I am not sure if either publication ran it. I likely received a review copy from Blind Pig.