Hurricane Ruth Ain't Ready For The Grave

Hurricane Ruth
Ain't Ready For The Grave
Hurricane Ruth Records

Ruth LeMaster earned her name because of her huge voice in a small package and her publicity characterizes her as rooted in traditional blues but someone who can rock the house. This is her fourth album and was produced by Tom Hambridge who plays drums on this who with LeMaster contributed most of the 12 songs here. Others playing on this include Reese Wynans on keyboards, Michael Rhodes on bass and guitarists Pat Buchanan and Rob McNelly.

The album opens with a bluesy salute to a Friday Night at a juke, "Barrelhouse Joe's," followed by the hard rock-blues of "Hard Rockin' Woman," with a bit of shouting set against a southern rock setting. "Far From the Cradle," features atmospheric slide guitar at the opening backing her vocal before Wynans adds some piano as she notes "we are from the cradle but we ain't ready for the grave," as the rest of the band joins in for understated backing of her vocal and the Muddy Waters' influenced slide playing.

She is a good singer with solid phrasing, tone and pitch although occasionally takes things a bit to rock-ish for these ears. But on the driving "Estilene," about a woman who should leave that married man alone, or the amusing double-entendre of "Beekeeper," she delivers the lyrics with a sense of warning and humor. She stands out on the straight slow blues, "My Heart Aches For You," followed by the funky groove of "Cheating Blues," as she recalls making love and had a good thing going, rocking this man all night until she found out about him blinding her with lies.

There is a (forgettable to these ears) a hard rock cover of AC/DC's "Whole Lot of Rosie," the atmospheric "For a Change" with Ruth singing about his midnight mover and crawling king snake, but if he wants Ruth, she asks (in a most sultry manner) if he wants to be treated right for a change. A cover of Hambridge's "Let Me Be The One" (written for Susan Tedeschi)" is a fine shuffle performance with a heartfelt, relaxed vocal. The McCrary Sisters add backing vocal for the soul-rocker "Good Stuff," and the closing gospel song of praise, " Yes I Know." It ends a tightly produced, solidly performed collection of blues and rock that displays Hurricane Ruth as a powerful and expressive vocalist.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the May-June 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 372). Here is a video associated with the album

Colin Linden Rich in Love

Blues has always been a foundation for the music of Colin Linden, although his music has evolved to encompass rock, country and other roots music. Now based in Nashville(and he is even the musical director for the TV show Nashville), he had spun together a new roots recording, "Rich In Love" (Stony Plain)  full of original songs and given some marvelous performances. Linden wrote all 12 songs, although five songs were written with the collaboration with amongst others Janice Powers, Tom Hambridge and Gary Nicholson.

Linden and his various guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles are joined by his fellow members of The Rotting Matadors, bassist John Dymond and drummer Gary Craig. Charlie Musselwhite adds harp to several selections, Reese Wynans adds piano/organ to a number of song and Amy Helm contributes harmonies to several songs as well. This is a terrific country-roots group that play some really strong songs such as the opening "Knob & Tube," with his clever use of electrical terms to describe a relationship ("the current runs from me to you like knob & tube"). Mix in his grainy, genuine singing and adept musicianship and one has a fine performance. He also understands the value of restraint as on the next track "I Need Water," with Tim Lauer adding atmosphere on the organ as Linden sings he needs water to fill these tears as he deals with his heartbreak.

"Delia Come For Me," is a fine ballad which opens with just acoustic guitar as he sings of being framed because he was the first man they found and put someone away and bury in the ground (and he adds some electric guitar fills as Dymond and Craig provide sympathetic support. Musselwhite and Wynans are present on "The Hurt," a bluesy number with Musselwhite playing some very strong accompaniment followed by a lovely and gentle "Everybody Ought to Be Loved."

The title track opens in a somber, austere manner as Linden sings about his baby used to cry while he was sleeping," with Musselwhite's embellishments adding to the mood generated by the vocal and guitar. His way with words and the music mike be likened to The Band in his blending of various musical threads and his adroit way with words like on the plaintive "And Then You Begin," or the honky tonk flavor of "Luck of Fool," with nice use of tremolo.

Linden's songs are sung with wit, warmth and thoughtfulness, superbly played although he and his band eschew empty flash and mirrors, resulting is one terrific recording that will appeal to a very wide audience.

I received my review copy from Stony Plain. My review appeared in the November-December Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 363) downloadable at jazz-blues.com. Here is Colin Linden performing.

Joe Louis Walker Deals With The Hellfire

Joe Louis Walker recently joined Alligator’s roster of artists and his first album for that label, Hellfire, has just been released. It is produced by Tom Hambridge, who produced Buddy Guy’s recent recordings. Hambridge also plays drums and contributes songs to this release. Of the supporting personnel, the only names I recognize are pianist and organist Reese Wynans as well The Jordanaires who contribute backing vocals on a couple tracks. Hambridge had a hand in the first five tracks here, while Walker himself added five new songs as well. Having been listening to Walker since his first release in 1986 Cold Is The Night, he has produced a number of the best blues albums of the last quarter century. He certainly is passionate here, a term Bruce Iglauer uses in his liner notes, and there is much to enjoy, although not everything is perfect.

The album starts with the title track, a gospel-laced song with an impassioned, gritty vocal about avoiding the Devil’s lure. He plays a blues-rock guitar solo with a nasty distorted tone that is unpleasant to listen to. and undermines the appeal of the impassioned performance. The second track, I Won’t Do That, is a nice original with Walker singing about being faithful and that he won’t cheat or let his woman down. Walker adds a searing solo here. Ride All Night sounds like a Rolling Stones’ inspired rocker on which Walker convincingly sings and plays. Walker picks up the harmonica for a rocking shuffle, I’m On To You. The lyric is about knowing about the bad things his woman is doing. In addition to doubling on the harmonica here, he plays a crisp guitar solo. What’s It Worth has a nice lyric although it would have benefited from toning down the hard rock edges heard during the song’s choruses.

Soldier For Jesus, the first of Walker’s originals, and has a fervent vocal with the Jordanaires providing support. Walker brings a soulful edge to I Know Why, a lovely blues-ballad. Too Drunk to Drive is an amusing and delightful excursion into “rock and roll,” with rollicking piano and driving guitar. The lively Don’t Cry, is another performance with a spiritual message on which he sings that instead of saving his money he is now saving his soul. The disc closes with a cover of Hank Snow’s country classic, I’m Movin’ On, played with a boogie groove that Walker places his personal stamp on.

Walker has more of a presence on this recording than on some of his other recent ones. Hambridge’s production must be credited, although as noted at a few places the playing gets a little over-the-top. If uneven, Hellfire is still a significant addition to Walker’s body of recordings.


My review copy was provided by Alligator Records. Here is some vintage Joe Louis Walker from 1993.