Robert Ealey If You Need Me

Robert Ealey
If You Need Me
Topcat

Robert Ealey is somewhat of a legend around the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and has made several recordings before this. Backed by a variety of Dallas area musicians (including Mike Morgan, Sumter Bruton and Tone Somner) and special guests (Coco Montoya), he has produced a set of blues that covers a wide range of stylistic bases, from Chicago blues to Texas jump, and even a Tex-Mex flavored number. 

Ealey is an appealing vocalist with a slightly slurred diction. He can put forth a nice Chicago shuffle, as on the opening Turn Out the Lights, or the slow I Had a Dream, both with Hash Brown’s full-bodied harp, and the jump-flavored groove on She’s a Rocket works well (perhaps attributable to Bruton’s T-Bone Walker flavored guitar that kicks it off and Johnny Reno’s booting sax). Also appealing is the Tex-Mex flavored Tica. The title tune is a soulful ballad with Reno ripping off a tough sax break, but one can imagine another vocalist handling this a bit more forcefully. The small group instrumentation gives a novel flavor to The River, a thinly disguised reworking of Percy Mayfield’s River Invitation, but Ealey is not convincing here, and the backing falls apart. 

Certainly an engaging album which makes accessible a stalwart of the Dallas region’s blues scene, but Ealey comes off as only a workmanlike vocalist on this.

This review originally appeared in the March 1995 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 199). Robert Ealey passed away in 2001. I likely received a review copy from the recording copy, a publicist or the publication. Here is Robert Ealey in performance.

Hank Mowery Has Excuses Plenty

About Hank Mowery's 2013 recording "Account To Me" (Old Pal) I observed that Mowery was a strong blues voice that is showcased on a most entertaining recording. It is a description equally applicable to his latest recording "Excuses Plenty" (Blue Bella Records). Backed by his band "The Hawktones" with Mowery on harp and vocals; Troy Amaro on guitar; Chris Corey on keyboards; Patrick Recob on bass and backing vocals and John Large on drums and percussion. Also are a number of guest appearances including guitarists Mike Morgan and Doug Deming; bassist Larry Taylor; and harmonica wizard Dennis Gruenling, providing extra musical depth to the solid playing here.

Mowery kicks off this album with an original "Anna Lee" that is a nice dose of bluesy rock and roll (think Chuck Berry meets Kid Thomas). His sharp-toned harp mixed with his straight-forward vocals delivered with conviction is backed by rollicking piano and some kick-ass guitar. It is followed by the sober "I Don't Want to Know" with a restrained, thoughtfully played guitar solo by Claude Nine. The title track has effective trebly guitar from Amaro and some soulful harp playing from the leader followed by "Walk With Me," a Blasters styled rocker with terrific harp. "One and Only" is a terrific Jimmy Rogers' styled shuffle with more Mowery harp as he trades licks with guitarist Mike Morgan. "Cry For Me" is not the soul classic but an original with a swampy rock accents and greasy fafisa sounding organ from Corey. "Would You Still Love Me on a Rainy Day" is played with considerable restraint including Mowery's softly delivered vocal with Dennis Gruenling taking the superb harp solo here with Deming soloing on guitar. A cover of William Clarke's "Telephone Is Ringing" opens with some explosive Deming guitar and has explosive harp playing by Gruenling and Mowery as well as a tough vocal (sounding like he is singing through his harp mike).

Its another strong set of performances by Mowery who sands out as a songwriter, singer and instrumentalist backed by a tight band and some superb guests. The marvelous music on "Excuses Plenty" certainly should appeal to fans of traditional post-war blues as well as roots rock enthusiasts.



I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Hank Mowery and the Hawktones in performance.

Randy McAllister's Roots Musical Stew

I had been familiar with Randy McAllister from a CD he did for JSP several years ago. He may best be described as a singer-songwriter with a blues man’s core. His latest recording, Dope Slap Soup (Reaction Records), certainly transcends genres and has him playing harp (and drums on one track) backed by a number of musicians including Mike Morgan.

The songs vary from the opening Clear My Head, that would not be out-of-place on an Americana or even CMT type playlist; the soulful When I Get Back Home, one of two performances that are also on Morgan’s Stronger Every Day; Can’t Pick Your Relatives with its insistent beat and solid guitar from Matt Woodburn in addition to McAllister’s forceful harp; the swamp feel provided from Woodburn’s use of tremolo on $127.00 Sandwich, an amusing song about overdrawing his checking account; and a bit of honky tonk flavor on Hardwired.

An interesting change of pace, even if not strictly a blues but McAllister is entertaining and enlightening musical voice.

This review originally appeared in the May 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 304). My review copy was likely provided by the label or a publicist.  Here is a video of him.

Mike Morgan & The Crawl Get Stronger Every Day

Mike Morgan & the Crawl have been around for a number of years, first recording for Black Top with Darrell Nulisch's vocals fronting the band, later replaced with Lee McBee. For the past two decades he has been putting forth what he describes as ‘Classic Blues With a Modern Attitude.’ Initially inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan, he soon developed into anything but a SRV clone, and his band is named after a gritty Goldband single by Guitar Jr. (Lonnie Brooks).

Morgan’s latest CD is on Severn, Stronger Every Day and finds him backed by a trio on most of this with organ added on 5 of the 14 tracks. Morgan handles four vocals while McBee adds three and McAllister sings on five tracks. He takes things off in a Stevie Ray groove on the opening shuffle, All Night Long, as he forcefully delivers his about crying for his woman and walking the floor all night long, before laying out his solo with a cluster of fast repeated single notes before taking off for a bars as bassist Drew Allain provides the repeated bass shuffle groove to anchor this performance. McAllister provides a soul-tinged vocal on a R&B flavored message number about stop the killing, Where’s the Love, with Morgan’s guitar taking on a different tenor.

A bit of swamp blues and Guitar Slim is evoked by Lee McBee’s raspy vocal and Morgan’s guitar on Sweet Angel. McBee also delivers a superb vocal on the down and out blues, I Cried For My Baby. Morgan takes a nice vocal on a Chicago-styled shuffle for You're The One (I'll Miss The Most), on which McBee adds some nice harp in the vein of Rice Miller. McAllister handles the vocal on the title track which is a lovely swamp pop soul ballad, while When I Get Back Home, is more of a classic southern soul ballad. The Birthday Song, is a jaunty song from the point of view of the Birthday Boy that Morgan delivers in a crisp, lively fashion. Morgan shines on a couple instrumentals including an appropriately bouncy Okie Dokie Stomp. As McBee takes the vocal on the closing rocker, Time, Morgan’s takes it out to a very satisfying conclusion to a well-balanced program of blues with roots touches that adds to his body of music that merits more attention than he has generally received. Recommended.

This review originally appeared in the April 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 303) and to my knowledge is Mike Morgan's latest recording for Severn. On February 14, I posted a review of a couple of older Mike Morgan albums. I received my review copy from Severn Records.

Mike Morgan & The Crawl - Texas Men

Mike Morgan & the Crawl is one of the acts that emerged on the late lamented Black Top label with a rootsy tinge blues attack that was especially rooted in the traditions of Texas and the Gulf Coast. Starting in 2002, Severn Records started issuing new recordings by this band. Later they issued a CD of Morgan with fellow Texan Randy McAllister. Here are two reviews from a few years back of the Mike Morgan and The Crawl releases with some minor editing to reflect the republication. Severn Records provided me with the review copies.

First up is a review from 2002 of Texas Man, that originally appeared in the September/October 2002 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 259).

Veteran Texas bluesman Mike Morgan’s new album Texas Man (Severn), brings together Gulf Coast gumbo and guitar shuffles with a healthy dose of Hound Dog Taylor inspired Chicago slide boogies.

Originally issued in Holland, Texas Man opens with the title track, a shuffle that celebrates Morgan’s Texas origins and Texas blues. Renditions of Guitar Gable’s swamp blues instrumental Guitar Rhumbo and Morgan’s original Whoa My Darlin’, show how comfortable he is working within the Louisiana Swamp Blues vein. The latter number almost sounds like a new Lazy Lester number while Wild About You Baby, Gimme Back My Wig, Taylor’s Rock and See Me in the Evening, are Hound Dog Taylor-styled slide guitar romps. Five Thousand Miles From Home is a terrific slow blues with Riley Orborne’s organ contributing nice atmosphere.

Among the others who can be heard backing Morgan’s earnest singing and strong fretwork are guitarists Jon Moeller and Anson Funderburgh, and harmonica player Gary Primich. Perhaps nothing musically original here, but everything is done so well and with enthusiasm and spirit. One will have a hard time not tapping one’s foot listening to this.

The following review of Live in Dallas appeared in the April 2004 DC Blues Calendar.

Severn has just issued the latest cd by them,, Live in Dallas. Paired with second guitarist Chris Zalez, bassist Rhandy Simmons and drummer Kevin Schermerhorn, Morgan treats the Dallas club crowd to some rocking music.

Much of this is originals, although Morgan and (Lee) McBee did not write the classic Earl King number Those Lonely, Lonely Nights. Nothing profound here, just hard rocking blues for an enthusiastic Texas crowd as he tells his lady he loves her too much on One of a Kind, while on Frankie Lee Sims’ Frankie’s Blues, he slows down the groove and delivers the vocal in a straightforward, effective manner. Mother--in-Law Blues benefits from the nice easy groove that Morgan & the Crawl hit.

Perhaps some of the lengthier performances might have benefited from some editing, but that is a minor quibble. Morgan is a steady singer and a guitarist who really works the groove while spinning out his lines and the Crawl is rock solid behind him, resulting some entertaining blues.

Here is Mike Morgan & the Crawl in performance.