Watermelon Slim Traveling Man

Watermelon Slim
Traveling Man
Northern Blues

Watermelon Slim's new recording is a 2-CD set of live solo performances of him on vocals, guitar, and harmonica. This album was co-produced by Slim with Chris Hardwick, who engineered these performances from The Blue Door in Oklahoma City, and The Depot in Norman, Oklahoma. With a career spanning five decades and many recordings, Slim remains a compelling performer, even without supporting musicians.

Slim worked as a forklift driver, funeral officiator, watermelon farmer, newspaper reporter, saw miller, and truck driver for industrial water, among others. From these experiences come some of his original songs. Many of these songs have traveling as a theme, including the originals "Blue Freightliner," "Truck Driving Songs," "Scalemaster Blues," and "300 Miles." Also traveling seems a theme of renditions of Fred McDowell's "61 Highway Blues," and "Frisco Line," and a mashup of Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" with Muddy Waters' "Two Trains Running."

Even when performing well-known blues songs, Slim remakes them into his own as opposed to copying the original, with considerable improvisation in the lyrics. Besides his robust vocals, he impresses with his driving guitar playing, especially his very personal slide guitar style. On his reworking of Cat Iron's "Jimmy Bell," he adds some rowdy harmonica. A few numbers like "Into the Sunset" have more of a country music flavor to them, adding to the variety and appeal of this recording.

They talk about athletes giving it all and wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Much the same can be said of Watermelon Slim with his growling, gravelly-voiced vocals, and his propulsive rhythmic self-accompaniment. He wears his blues on his sleeves, and the result is this superb recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the March-April 2020 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 389). Here, from 2005, is Watermelon Slim performing "Smokestack Lightning."

Watermelon Slim Church of the Blues

Watermelon Slim
Church of the Blues
NorthernBlues Music

This is the 13th album by William P. Homans, better known as Watermelon Slim, dating back to 1973 when his "Merry Airbrakes" recording was celebrated as one of the first anti-Vietnam War albums done by a military veteran. It took him 29 years for his second album, "Big Shoes To Fill," which established his acclaimed career. Mississippi Fred McDowell is perhaps his biggest influence, and he developed his slide style as well as his gritty, raspy vocals. He co-produced this album with Chris Hardwick as well as plays harmonica and electric slide guitar. He is backed by his band of John Allouise on bass and Brian Wells on drums. He has guests including guitarists Bob Margolin, Nick Schnebelen, and Joe Louis Walker; vocalists Sherman Holmes and John Nemeth; and keyboardist Red Young. While the guests may add interest to this recording, it is Slim with his strong playing, vocals, and personality that makes this album so enjoyable.

The recording opens with "St. Peter's Ledger,' as he authoritatively delivers Ron Meadow's lyrics about where he might end up in the after-life and displays his strong slide guitar style. He follows up with one of several topical songs, Tom McFarland's 'Tax Man Blues," a strongly performed working man's complaint of having too much taken out of his pay stub. The strong backing enhances his strong singing and slide guitar solo. Muddy Waters' "Gypsy Woman" (with Slim on harp and Bob Margolin adding playing slide) is one of several covers of classic Chicago blues that he avoids copying the original while placing his stamp on the performance. Other similarly strong performances include Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" and J. B. Hutto's "Too Much Alcohol.' He makes minor changes in the arrangement (no trace of broom dusting on the Hutto number) so that these songs receive a fresh feel along with his powerful singing and playing.

Slim's "Post-Modern Blues," with the strutting horns, has him singing about trying to deal with the rapid changes of the 21st Century, while "Hollar #4" is a moving vocal moan about blues and his own life. His rendition of Allen Toussaint's "Get Out of My Life Woman" with his slide driven accompaniment evokes the early Paul Butterfield cover while a similar funky feel is present on a cover of Gene Barge's "Me and My Woman," the latter tune sporting more fine harmonica. Among other high points include the high-stepping topical blues about protests and the increasing visibility of overt racism "Charlottesville (Blues for My Nation)," with his hope for better days for all. An amusing bonus song, 'Halloween Mama" closes another excellent Watermelon Slim recording.

A received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 383).  I have previously reviewed some Watermelon Slim albums including "Escape From the Chicken Coop," the eponymously titled "Watermelon Slim and the Workers," and "No Paid Holidays." Here is Watermelon Slim performing.

Johnny Jones Blues Is In The House

 

Johnny Jones
Blues Is In The House
NorthernBlues Music NBM 0007

A Fool Never Learns/ Girlfriend Blues/ I’m Gonna Love You/ Stacked in the Back/ I Could Be Dangerous/ I’ll Be the Judge of That/ Love Recession/ Good Idea At the Time/ Your Stuff Is Rough/ Farm Boy/ Why Can’t We Be Alone/ Really/ A Rock and a Hard Case/ The Blues Is In the House -1.

Jones, v, g; Fred James, g; Jeff Davis, b; Billy Earnheart, kybds; Dennis Taylor, s; Bryan Owings, d; Mary-Ann Brandon, Charles Walker, bckg vcl; Charles Walker, vcl-1. Nashville, TN. January 2000.

Nashville is not known as a blues and soul town, but it was home for several classic R&B labels including Excello. Johnny Jones is among the performers that have long been at the root of this scene. He has had several recent recordings for a variety of labels including a live European recording with deep soul singer Charles Walker. Blues Is In The House is Jones’ new disc on NorthernBlues Music, and includes a number of originals. Most of these are from the pen of Fred James who has been a driving force in the revival of the careers of Jones, Walker and others.

Walker is a solid soul-blues performer with a style akin to the late Fenton Robinson. The songs include some clever lyrics built, sometimes built around some everyday phrases like “A Rock & A Hard Place,” and “A Good Idea At the Time.” The latter number sounds familiar and may have been previously recorded by Jones and/or one of the other performers that James has worked with such as Roscoe Shelton or Earl Gaines. Jones is a pretty fair guitarist guitar and sings with plenty of heart and authority throughout. The studio band provides solid support with horns effectively employed on several tracks and a strong, swinging rhythm section. This is a notable recording of soul-infused blues.

This review was written in 2002 for Cadence Magazine and likely appeared there, and possibly also in the DC Blues Calendar. Note that I did not mention of the fact that Jimi Hendrix played with him nor his being part of the studio ban for the legendary The Beat!!! tv show. I likely received a review copy from Cadence of this item. Here is a you tube clip (sound only)  of him from one of his other recordings. This is out of print and may be hard to find.

Carlos del Junco Is Steady Movin’.

Northern Blues has treated us to the latest release by the Cuban born, Canadian raised harmonica wizard Carlos del Junco, Steady Movin’. Del Junco plays a ten note diatonic harmonica chromatically employing the “overblow” technique taught to him by the virtuoso Howard Levy.

This set is produced by guitarist Kevin Breit (Norah Jones, Cassandra Williams) and features him in the con- text of a blues quintet on a genre transcending set of blues, jazz, funk, folk and more. Obviously the selling point of this album is his harmonica wizardry, but he isn’t that bad a singer either. As suggested, this covers quite of range of musical styles from the hot swinging jump harmonica boogie Diddle It. that opens this with some driving saxophone like lines, followed by Kevin Breit’s Dull Blade, with its Ventures instrumental flavor with del Junco’s harp adding a TV theme flavor. Dennis Keldie adds some nice organ on this track that surprises with its twists and turns. 

Jersey Bounce, is a jazzy instrumental that may have come from the Tiny Bradshaw songbook on which del Junco displays his jazzy side. Mashed Potatoes Canada, with John Dickie’s vocal is a tribute to James Brown with a nice funk groove and Carlos being a one-person funk horn section. It is followed by a nice tribute to Rice Miller on Movin’ Down the River Rhine, with him evoking Sonny Boy’s harmonica styling and contributing an effective vocal. The intimate setting is followed by the Latin-jazz flavored Paradise, with another credible vocal and some country-folk guitar in the backing. 

A lengthy solo version of Amazing Grace, with his harp echoing bagpipes near the end precedes the exotic The Simple Life, with echoes of the music of the Indian subcontinent. Bailey’s Bounce, a tribute to pioneering harmonica master DeFord Bailey, is a marvelous harmonica evocation of a train such that Bailey himself had made famous. The album ends with Doodle It, with a banjo prominent in the skittle band styled backing that opens at a slow tempo before the band kicks it into a peppier gear with more swinging harp that closes this excellent album on a very high note.

Del Junco is obviously rooted in the blues, but he goes beyond his blues roots for a stunning recording that demonstrates why he among the most highly regarded harmonica players around. This is helped by the excellent support he receives on this disc. Steady Movin’ is simply superb. 

This review originally appeared in the October 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 309) although I made a few minor edits. I likely received this from the recording company or a publicist. Here is a clip of him performing Movin’ Down the River Rhine.

Janiva Magness Does Move Me

Janiva Magness has certainly established herself in the past few years as among the finest singers of blues and classic rhythm & blues. She has a new Alligator release coming out soon which i hope to post a review of next week. The following review originally appeared in the May 2006, DC Blues Calendar, then the DC Blues Society’s newsletter. I was provided my review copy from either the record label or a publicist.

Since first listening to one of vocalist Janiva Magness’ recordings, this writer has become impressed by her singing. I hear echoes of the great women R&B divas of the forties through sixties in her without her sounding like she is imitating anyone,. She has developed her own distinctive, recognizable sound where she has avoided developing any detracting mannerisms and impresses with her clean, soulful delivery. With Canadian guitarist Colin Linden, she has co-produced her latest recording, Do I Move You? (Northern Music), and its another superlative effort from her.

Linden shares guitar duties with Rick Holmstrom and Jeff Turmes (Turmes also plays bass and saxophones on several selections)), Richard Bell on Piano and B-3, John Whynot on the Wurlitzer and Stephen Taylor Hodges on drums. Turmes and Linden have contributed several originals to complement the fine interpretations of songs from several different sources, including a wonderful rendition of the Delbert McClinton and Gary Nicholson penned soul-ballad, You Were Never Mine.

Magness brings to life a range of emotions and moods from the opening I’m Just a Prisoner, where she is a prisoner to her love for the man, the celebratory I Want You to Have Everything, where lets her man know there is nothing too good for him ever since he told her he loved her, to the closing A Man Size Job, where she finds the younger man able to do the man sized job her former lover could not fill. A Turmes’ original Don’t Let Your Memories, is a wistful acoustic performance with a reflective lyric and a melody that evokes Key to the Highway. The title track is a Nina Simone penned blues that Magness delivers so seductively. Linden adds some nice atmospheric guitar, judiciously employing reverb with the rhythm section just right without any overstatement.

The production here is exemplary, providing atmosphere and enhancing the wonderful vocals here. The performances keep sounding fresh after listening to this several times over a few weeks time on a truly splendid release.

Here is Janiva in performance.

The Country Side of Watermelon Slim

Watermelon Slim has emerged as a hot act in the blues and roots music realm. This is the final of three reviews I have written of his recordings from the past few years.  Reviews have been posted on this blog on December 5 of his eponymously titled 2006 release, and December 12 for No Paid Holidays. The following review of Escape From the Chicken Coop appeared in the September 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 320).

Watermelon Slim’s gritty blues-based music has never been totally containable within any specific musical genre, so its not surprising that his latest disc, “Escape From the Chicken Coop,” (Northern Blues), is labeled a country disc. Recorded in Nashville, their may be a bit more twang here and a bit of country joint piano from Kevin McKendree (of Delbert McClinton’s band), but Slim’s raspy vocals and driving slide guitar is a cousin to that of the Duane Allman influenced playing that is sported in some country groups today.

He wrote some songs with Gary Nicholson (who also plays on most of this) such as the nice country duet with Jenny Littleton “You See Me Like I See You,” while he unplugs for his whiskey-voiced delivery of Ray Acuff’s “Wreck on the Highway.” The opening driving “Caterpillar Whine,” would not be out of place of one of Slim’s ‘blues’ albums. “Friends on the Porch,” is a short spoken narrative before “Should Have Done More,” which sounds like a modern country reworking of an old English ballad. “Hank Williams You Wrote My Life,” has an effective lyric and a hard edge to the performance while “American Wives,” is evocative of some of Waylon Jennings recordings. 

“Escape From the Chicken Coop,” makes for an easy listening and should appeal to fans of Watermelon Slim who shows a natural affinity for the material here as he does for his more blues-based stuff.

The review copies of this CD were provided by the record label, a publicist for the label or performer.

Watermelon Slim Takes No Paid Holidays

Watermelon Slim has emerged as a hot act in the blues and roots music realm. This is the second of three reviews of his music from the past few years. Sunday, December 5, I posted a review of the 2006 eponymously titled album on Northern Blues. This 2008 review of No Paid Holidays appeared in the October, 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 309). The final review in this series will be posted Sunday, December 19.

Watermelon Slim has followed his acclaimed album,“The Wheel Man,” with a new disc, “No Paid Holidays” (Northern Blues Music), that sure is to please fans and critics alike. Backed by his tight band The Workers, he brings his multi-instrumental skills and raspy, gritty vocals to a collection of provocative originals mixed with some choice covers.

The album kicks off with some slide guitar the driving “Blues For Howard,” followed by the by the relentless vamp and groove of “Archetypical Blues No. 2” which cleverly incorporates some traditional blues stanzas.” He shifts to harp while the band kicks into a fast boogaloo groove for Detroit Junior’s “Call My Job,” with his crisp machine-gun delivery of the lyrics very effective.

“You’re the One I Need,” with its Latin-shuffle rhythm, is effective with its lower-key delivery. Perhaps a bit too hard-driving may be “Bubba’s Blues,” with a guest appearance from Leroy Parnell on slide guitar. An interesting performance is Laura Nyro’s “And When i Die,” which Slim accompanies only with his harmonica, a far cry from Blood Sweat & Tears hit of the song. “Gearzy’s Boogie,” is a frenzied harp feature that features some crisp playing but perhaps a bit too frantic a tempo, which contrasts with the sparse field holler opening of “This Traveling Life,” whose starkness is broken up by some crying harmonica.

Taking up the dobro, Slim has a playful tribute to “Max The Playful Clown,” which might not be a blues, but is a damn fine song and performance. Its playful mood contrasts with his stark eyewitness protest of the brutal oppression by the military rules in Myarmar, “The Burmese Blues.” Not sure who decided to follow this with his talking blues “I Got a Toothache,” with guitar and foot stomping, but no possible fault can be found with his moving rendition of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Everybody’s Down On Me.”

There are a few flaws but overall “No Paid Holiday” is a highly satisfying recording, full of some exceptional new songs and thoughtful, yet impassioned performances.

The review copy of this CD were provided by the record label, a publicist for the label or performer.

Watermelon Slim Brings Grit to His Blues

Watermelon Slim has emerged as a hot act in the blues and roots music realm. This is the first of three  reviews of his music that I have written over the past few years. This 2006 review (appeared in March-April Jazz & Blues Report issue 280) is of the eponymously titled CD that marked his breakout as an act. It is worth bringing this to your attention which might get lost in connection with some of his recent releases. My 2008 review of No Paid Holidays appeared in the October, 2008 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 309) will appear in this blog on Sunday December 12. The final review is of Escape From the Chicken Coop which originally appeared in the September 209 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 320) and will appear on Sunday, December 19.

Since he wrote most of the songs on the eponymously titled Watermelon Slim & the Workers (Northern Blues), I assume William Homans is Slim’s real name. I had heard of Slim since Chris Wick contacted me to promote his nomination for a W.C. Handy Award (Now known as the Blues Music Awards). His band, The Workers, also include guitarist Ian lamb and Cliff Belcher on drums with Dennis Boryki guesting on piano.

First of all, there is an authority to his singing as well as his sharp harp and slide guitar playing. His singing suggests Sam Myers to my ears, not to suggest he attempts to imitate Myers, but rather I find his voice similar. He is more than capable to bring his own voice to blues standards like Baby Please Don’t Go or Mississippi Fred McDowell’s Frisco Line, while Devil’s Cadillac, a collaboration with drummer Michael Newberry has evocative lyrics about the crossroads to go with the trebly slide guitar heard here as the Workers provide a light, latin-groove.  

Check Writing Woman is a terrific rocker with some rollicking piano and some fleet Tornado Alley guitar from Lamb and driving harp from Slim, but the band never takes things over the top. Possum Hand is a nice instrumental that displays more of Slim’s fine harp playing. Listening to this disc, it is easy to understand why Northern Blues’ Fred Litwin was excited after hearing him perform and signed him to the label.

Watermelon Slim brings a lot of things to this disc as a songwriter and a performer and has put together some terrific tracks. This gets a high recommendation.

The review copy of this CD were provided by the record label, a publicist for the label or performer.

Samuel James Powerful Blues Storytelling

Still in his twenties, Samuel James has become in just a few years a prominent name in the world of acoustic blues. Born in a musical family, his grandfather was a blues guitarist and performer of his generation while his father played piano and trombone. Busking in Ireland to survive after he broke up with a woman, he has mastered a variety of instruments while working in the acoustic blues vein, which he cherishes “the intimacy of one man screaming his heart out…a conversation between him and his audience as opposed to between band members. When I think of the best, most intimate forms of entertainment—maybe a flamenco guitar player, or a stand-up comedian, spoken word—it’s one individual. There’s a power there. You can’t listen to Son House or Skip James and tell me that an electric ZZ Top can touch that.” While he is rooted in the blues traditions of the past, his personal vision permeates his songs and performances. His third album, “For Rosa, Maeve, and Noreen,” is on Northern Blues and according to the publicity for this disc, “reflects Samuel’s live performances as much as one can, but more importantly it showcases why Samuel James doesn’t consider himself a bluesman per se, but a songster and storyteller within a style of music.”

His storytelling begins with “Bigger, Blacker Ben,” about Klansmen burning a cross on Ben’s lawn and the resulting confrontation with the cowardly racists. His performance uses a percussive accompaniment accented by slide guitar and somewhat typical of his freeform song approach that one hears through much of this. There are some similarities to the one-chord approach of some of the North Mississippi Hills Country style. I find his swirling accompaniments, and free-form song structures evoke the late Robert Pete Williams. “Cryin’ Blind,” illustrates this with his emphatic playing behind a vocal where he proclaims to his woman, “where were you when I was cryin’ blind, where were you when I was doing fine.” “Joe Fletcher’s Blues” features nimble fingerpicking as he sings about going to the boatyard so they can teach him to sail so his woman can’t pick up his trail. ‘A Sugar Farmhouse Valentine” sports lively 12-string playing, while “I’ll Break Your Promise,” with some moody slide guitar, has a ethereal feel suggestive of some of Skip James recordings. One of the song’s referenced by the album’s title, “Rosa’s Sweet Lil Love Song,” has a genial accompaniment as he sings about traveling just to see Rosa’s smile, and to get into her arms. He plays banjo on “Darlin’ Maeve,” which starts as he starts telling about her drinking six mountain jacks, and can’t count the money she stole, but still she thrills him to his soul, then as stepping up the tempo as he recalls picking her up off the ground last saturday and taking the rap from her thefts and other misdeeds. There is a spirited banjo accompaniment enlivens “Miss Noreen,” a story about a lady who dances to a banjo man for the crowd at a rough bar, The Buzzard’s Craw. “Trouble on Congress Street Rag,” is a free-form instrumental that displays his agile finger picking. “John Ross Said,” is a somber, moving song about the courthouse and President Jackson’s uprooting of the Cherokees from their home and land. The rest of the songs have their own intriguing elements whether his acapella vocal on “Wooden Tombstone,” or his lively use of multiple instruments on the closing “Path of Ashes.” He doesn’t shout his vocals as almost speaking them as his performances are somewhat conversational. Samuel James’ music is distinctive and fresh sounding. The result is a most beguiling recording that evokes older blues styles but is full of contemporary stories. Northern Blues recordings should be readily available from better retailers like bluebeatmusic.com and amazon as well as itunes.

The review copy was received from a media firm handling Samuel James’ publicity. This review previously appeared in the Issue 323 (January 2010) of Jazz & Blues Report, which can be downloaded at jazz-blues.com.

Zac Harmon Keeps Rocking His Roots

This is a slightly changed review that appeared in Jazz & Blues Report (Sept 2009- Issue 320).

Since winning the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge, Zac Harman certainly has established himself on the blues circuit, becoming a favorite festival attraction with his hot guitar, varied repertoire and gospel-soul rooted vocals. Northern Blues has just issued From the Root, his third album and the first to be released under the Canadian imprint. The opening Don’t Give Me Another Reason, has some biting blues-rock guitar against a soulful vocal as he sings about his obsessive love for a woman who is a devil’s lil angel. It is followed by Hattie Mae, where Zac sings about his love for her against a melody that suggests an uptempo variant of You Don’t Love Me. Jimmy Z contributes some scorching harp here. Since You Been Gone, has a bit of a rock flavor with a nifty guitar riff with a lyric of not being burned twice by a woman who walked out on him but wants to come back. which is followed by a deep soul-blues groove on Back Bitin’ Back Stabbers, has a deep soul-blues groove for a song about being on the road and discovering that his wife and his best friend cheating on him. That’s What a Woman Needs, successfully uses a reggae groove before the soulful blues ballad The Price of Lovin’ You, a duet with Sueann Carwell. Honey Bee, has a hot groove up followed by a sensual ballad, Smile on Your Face, where Zac tells his woman he wants to place on their and that she should let him touch that special place. Insistent stinging guitar reinforces the driving groove on Enough, as Zac is fed up with his cheating woman and tells her to stop crying and to stop her ripping up Zac’s heart because “enough is enough.” The variety heard among the 14 tracks is illustrated by The Older Woman,” with its southern soul-blues juke groove and Scratch, with its echoes of Z.Z. Hill. Man is Not Alone, closes this on an acoustic note with Greg Wright supplying some nice slide guitar, Jimmy Z adding harp and Monyungo Jackson playing a steady rhythm on cajon. As indicated from my comments above, From the Root, is a varied program of blues and soul with rock edges that follows up his two earlier excellent self-produced releases. This may be easier to find than those (but try cdbaby.com for them), and should further enhance his growing reputation as a blues performer today.

The Twisters - Nice Blues Suprise from Western Canada

The following review was published in the August 2009 (issue 319) Jazz & Blues Report (the whole issue can be downloaded as a pdf file at www.jazz-blues.com). This band was completely unknown to me and as indicated, this was more than a pleasant surprise.

Its a pleasure to put on something from a band that one had not previously been familiar with, and take notice.The new album by The Twisters, “Come Out Swingin’” (Northern Blues), produced that reaction. Based out of Vancouver, British Columbia and White Horse, Yukon, this quartet has developed a reputation as a first rate jump and swing blues band. On “Come Out Swingin’,” they add elements of rockabilly, reggae and gospel to this jump blues foundation. The Twisters consists of harmonica player Dave Hoerl, guitarist Brandon Isaak, bassist Keith Picot and drummer Lonnie Powell, with Matt Pease on drums for 3 of the 12 tracks, and Dave Haddock on fender bass for one with Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne added on keyboards and Jerry Cook on saxophones and horn arrangements.The members of the band wrote all of the songs here and Hoerl and Isaak share the vocals between them.

Things sure start off strong with the opening “I’ll Make It Up To You,” with a melodic line evoking the twenties classic “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone,” with some jazz-laced fretwork from Isaak (evocative of Bill Jennings, Tiny Grimes and Al Casey) and superlative chromatic playing by Hoerl with some unusual voicings behind Isaak’s vocal and guitar solo, and that doesn’t take into account Wayne’s piano. Hoerl takes the vocal on “Something’s Got to Give,” with a 60s R&B groove, some nice saxophones from Cook and the rhythm section just hits the groove with a nice topical lyric followed by “Long Overdue,” with an insistent beat as Isaak sings about waiting on his baby and pacing the floor because she is long overdue with Cook’s driving sax solo followed by Hoerl, again on chromatic displaying his strong tone and drive. Bassist Picot’s slap bass along with Isaak’s Tennessee Two styled guitar spark the rockabilly flavored “Doghouse” with Hoerl delivering the lyric and its followed by a modern blues shuffle, “Guess That I Was Wrong,” with Hoerl adding some remarkable harmonica accompaniment and solo here. I could continue with a comment on each track, but this superb recording deserves praise as does the band. Not simply having command of their instruments, Isaak and Hoerl add imaginative and distinctive touches throughout and the band is tight as two embracing lovers. The Twisters are simply a terrific band that deserves to be heard.

New Twist on Swing/Jump Blues

Its a pleasure to put on something from a band that one had not previously been familiar with, and take notice.The new album by The Twisters, “Come Out Swingin’” (Northern Blues), produced that reaction. Based out of Vancouver, British Columbia and White Horse, Yukon, this quartet has developed a reputation as a first rate jump and swing blues band. On “Come Out Swingin’,” they add elements of rockabilly, reggae and gospel to this jump blues foundation. The Twisters consists of harmonica player Dave Hoerl, guitarist Brandon Isaak, bassist Keith Picot and drummer Lonnie Powell, with Matt Pease on drums for 3 of the 12 tracks, and Dave Haddock on fender bass for one with Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne added on keyboards and Jerry Cook on saxophones and horn arrangements.The members of the band wrote all of the songs here and Hoerl and Isaak share the vocals between them.

Things sure start off strong with the opening “I’ll Make It Up To You,” with a melodic line evoking the twenties classic “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone,” with some jazz-laced fretwork from Isaak (evocative of Bill Jennings, Tiny Grimes and Al Casey) and superlative chromatic playing by Hoerl with some unusual voicings behind Isaak’s vocal and guitar solo, and that doesn’t take into account Wayne’s piano. Hoerl takes the vocal on “Something’s Got to Give,” with a 60s R&B groove, some nice saxophones from Cook and the rhythm section just hits the groove with a nice topical lyric followed by “Long Overdue,” with an insistent beat as Isaak sings about waiting on his baby and pacing the floor because she is long overdue with Cook’s driving sax solo followed by Hoerl, again on chromatic displaying his strong tone and drive. Bassist Picot’s slap bass along with Isaak’s Tennessee Two styled guitar spark the rockabilly flavored “Doghouse” with Hoerl delivering the lyric and its followed by a modern blues shuffle, “Guess That I Was Wrong,” with Hoerl adding some remarkable harmonica accompaniment and solo here. I could continue with a comment on each track, but this superb recording deserves praise as does the band. Not simply having command of their instruments, Isaak and Hoerl add imaginative and distinctive touches throughout and the band is tight as two embracing lovers. The Twisters are simply a terrific band that deserves to be heard.

Is this the Future of the Blues? Not Too Bright a Future If You Ask Me!

I must confess that I was not overwhelmed by the initial album by The Homemade Jamz Blues Band and seeing them play live, my impression was not changed much. Well they have a new Northern Blues CD, "I Got Blues For You," which I doubt I will listen to much any more. So what if I am older than their combined ages and they play these cute guitars. I mean at 15 years old, Grace Lee recorded with Lee Konitz and was his musical equal. She sounds like she was playing sax on some classic Blue Note Recordings. Sugar Chile Robinson recorded at a comparable age to these Mississippi teenagers, and made boogie woogie recordings marked by a rhythmic complexity and swing that exceeded his years and stand up today as solid piano blues. Not the case here. It does not help that the rhythms of bassist Kyle Perry and his sister Tara just plod along. The original songs by the trio's father Renaud come across as generic with little to distinguish them. While the oldest of the siblings, Ryan, continues to show promise as a guitarist and a singer, the songs and the accompaniment help prevent his performances from being memorable. I wish I could be encouraging about them, but they need to show more than a mere competence at playing musical instruments and show how they can swing, rock and funk it up, as opposed to merely pounding out a simple groove without any rhythmic nuance.

Archie Edwards Piedmont Blues Masterpiece

This is another review from late 2001 with minor editing of original to correct it. This CD is also available and as stated in the review, it was done from an advance cassette.

Its been several years since Archie Edwards, one of founders of the D.C. Blues Society and among D.C.’s most beloved blues performers, passed away. During his life there were two albums released under Edwards name. The two are joined by a compact disc of previously unissued recordings by Edwards, The Toronto Sessions on the Canadian NorthernBlues Music label. As indicated elsewhere in this issue Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation will be celebrating its release Friday, November 2. I want to thank Miles Spicer of the Foundation with providing me a tape of the new disc. I am handicapped by lacking a listing of the song titles or the absence of the liner notes. From one of the songs, Poor Me, I would guess this album was recorded during the Reagan Presidency as Archie sings about the hard times of those who voted for Reagan. One thing that is evident is that Archie was in good spirits and voice, and played quite vigorously. He turns in some very spirited renditions of classic blues themes like Sittin’ on Top of The World, and How Long Blues. On this latter number and a couple other selections, one might suggest that the influence of Lightnin’ Hopkins can be detected in some of phrasing Archie employs in his accompaniment. The influence of Mississippi John Hurt can be heard on a couple other selections, and on one number he even plays some slide guitar and employs the Dust My Broom riff. Of Archie’s own songs, there is a new version of Pittsburgh Blues that was first recorded on the album he made for the Living Country Blues USA series in the 1970s. Even when performing a well know number like How Long Blues or Easy Rider Blues, Archie adds his own lyrical take, and several numbers build on traditional blues themes. This is an exceptional album of traditional blues that reminds us just how good Archie and his music made us feel. It is notonly something that will have us remember this local legend, but is possibly the finest of his recordings.