Rory Block Prove it On Me

Rory Block
Prove it On Me
Stony Plain

"Prove it On Me" is the second in Rory Block's series, "Power Women of the Blues," dedicated to "celebrating phenomenal founding women of the blues." Through multi-tracking, Block plays all the guitars, drums, and percussion. She also handles all the vocals, including backing and harmony. This writer was not overly impressed by her earlier album in this series, her tribute to Bessie Smith. I can appreciate her effort to not reshape the songs from the source recordings. Her vocals, to these rears, did not sound convincing, and there have been more substantial tributes to Smith over the years.

Unlike the previous album, she interprets recordings from Helen Humes, Madlyn Davis, Rosetta Howard, Ma Rainey, Arizona Dranes, Lottie Kimbrough, Memphis Minnie, Merline Johnson, and Elvie Thomas, as well as sings one original. The performances are generally performed as small band recordings as she layers in guitars over percussion. She evokes a piano in her playing behind her acoustic shuffle version of Humes' "He May Be Your Man." Block adds slide guitar in the accompaniment On Madlyn Davis' "It's Red Hot." One of the most appealing selections is a cover of "If You're a Viper" by Rosetta Howard and the Harlem Hamfats. Her performance sports slide guitar instead of the New Orleans horns meet the Chicago blues of the original. One error in the songwriting credits is that it is Herbert Morand, not Moren among the composers of this song.

There is a credible rendition of the Ma Rainey song that provides the CD its title followed by a spirited take on Arizona Dranes' "I Shall Wear a Crown." Block's original, "Eagles," musically fits in seamlessly with the classic songs heard here, including a lovely Delta blues-infused performance of Lottie Kimbrough's "Wayward Girl Blues." Memphis Minnie's "In My Girlish Days," might have been better served by restraint in her vocal and fingerstyle guitar in the lead as opposed to slide guitar, but that may be a matter of taste.

After singing Merline Johnson's bawdy "Milk Man," Block closes this recording with a beguiling, low-key interpretation of Elvie Thomas' "Motherless Child." As indicated, this writer is not a fan of Block's vocals. I did find her vocals here better than on some other of her recent recordings. One's reaction to her vocals is likely to impact how one views this recording. One cannot question the craftsmanship and imagination she brings to these renditions to the vintage blue songs.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Rory Block performs "He May Be Your Man."

Kitchen Man

This is another post to consider points I made in my review of Rory Block's album "A Woman's Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith." This will be done through comparing her rendition of "Kitchen Man" with several other versions.

Next is the original by Bessie Smith.

Then there is a recent rendition by Catherine Russell

Next, Saffire- The Uppity Uppity Blues Women with the late Ann Rabson taking the vocal

Here is the late Chicago blues woman, Valerie Wellington

A recent recording by a traditional New Orleans styled band, the Yerba Buena Stompers w Miss Ida Blue 

And here one of Bessie's contemporaries, Sara Martin

Rory Block's flawed Bessie Smith Tribute

Rory Block
A Woman's Soul: A Tribute to Bessie Smith
Stony Plain Records

Having recorded a series of albums paying tribute to some of the great blues artists that influenced her, not simply by their recordings, but also through personal relationships she had with them, Rory Block now turns attention to the iconic early blues women. Block writes in the liner notes, "Power Women of the Blues is a project that has been simmering in my imagination for 54 years.It has been my longstanding mission to identify, celebrate and honor the early founders—men and women—of the blues. This series is dedicated to the music of some of my all-time favorite iconic female blues artists, many of whom were shrouded in mystery during the sixties blues revival, while the recordings of others had simply disappeared."

This writer has mixed feelings about some (not all) of Block's recent recordings which had some vocals that were unlistenable to these ears. Listening to renditions of songs from the Empress of the Blues, the vocals are better, but we are dealing with a body of song that has been performed by a number of women (and men) over the past ninety odd years including albums by Lavern Baker, and Dinah Washington, and countless other performers have recorded songs associated with Bessie including (but hardly limited to) Barbara Dane, Nina Simone, Saffire-the Uppity Blues Women, Catherine Russell, Queen Latifah and Cecile McLorin-Salvant.

If not enamored with Block's singing, I do find her listenable and what is interesting in that she has taken recordings that were rooted in a piano accompaniment (and often with early jazz combos) and transformed them into acoustic guitar blues so we get a slide guitar accompaniment on "Do Your Duty." She does a decent vocal on "Kitchen Man," and her guitar accompaniment is fine but not sure of why she has the rhythm which these ears found distracting. On "Jazzbo Brown from Memphis Town," her vocal would have benefited with a little restraint, and the drumming is pretty mechanical. This is a shame since the slide guitar, evocative of Casey Bill Weldon, is quite good. "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl," is nicely sung and played, but what sounds like overdubbing of backing vocals and mechanical drumming on "On Revival Day," results in a lackluster performance.

I am ambivalent about "Empty Bed Blues," with a vocal that sounds a bit mannered, but has a nice backing. It sort of reflects the ambivalence this listener has on this entire recording. Others have sung tributes to Bessie Smith far better than Rory Block. I imagine if one listens to some of the tracks, and not view this as a tribute, one reasonably might have a more favorable view of this recording than this writer has.

I received from my review copy from a publicist. There are recent videos of Rory singing Bessie Smith from this album but for some reason, they are difficult to import into this post.

Rory Block's Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt

Stony Plain has just issued Avalon, the fourth of Rory Block recordings that pays tribute to some of the blues legends that inspired her and from whom she learned in developing her own music. To me this is a far better recording than her Reverend Gary Davis tribute where some of her vocals, or should I say shrieking on some vocals, made several of the selections unlistenable. 

While her vocals may sometimes come across as mannered, Block avoids going over the top on this. Importantly, Block evokes Hurt’s rolling guitar style and genial vocals without attempting to imitate his playing. She adds spoken and verbal asides in retelling the stories Hurt sang (Avalon is a particularly effective adaptation) and employs overdubbing to build up her guitar accompaniments for renditions of familiar songs associated with Hurt as Louis Collins Blues, Candy Man and Pay Day. Got the Blues Can’t Be Satisfied is an especially apt example how Block places her own stamp on Hurt’s music. 

In addition to her interpretations, Block contributed an original, Everybody Loves John, that recalls a little of Hurt’s life as well as how everybody loved Hurt as well as his music. It is the opening track on what is a marvelous and moving salute by Block to one of the most beloved artists located during the sixties blues revival.

I received a review copy from a publicist.  

Maria Muldaur's Loving Memphis Minnie Tribute

Memphis Minnie was a pioneer in what we now call “country blues,” who recorded over 200 sides from the late twenties until the early fifties. One of the greatest blues performers of her time, her popularity was reflected by the fact she recorded as often as she was. A marvelous guitarist as she was a singer, she often recorded duets with then husband Kansas Joe McCoy in what some would call the “Memphis style.” After the break-up of their marriage, she started playing in small combos that would foreshadow the post-war Chicago blues ensemble style. In her career she made numerous classic recordings including Bumble Bee, Frisco Town, What Fault You Find Of Me?, What’s The Matter With the Mill, Tricks Ain’t Workin’ No More, Joe Louis Strut, Me and My Chauffeur, and Black Rat Swing. She recorded over 200 blues over her career. 

Maria Muldaur has long been a fan of Memphis Minnie and performing Minnie’s songs for decades. She has produced … First Came Memphis Minnie (Stony Plain), which is subtitled “a loving tribute.” Included are performances by Maria along with Rory Block, Ruthie Foster, Bonnie Raitt, Phoebe Snow and Koko Taylor with support from Del Rey, David Bromberg, Steve Freund, Alvin ‘Youngblood’ Hart, Steve James and Roy Rogers. 11 of the 13 performances are newly recorded. The performances of Phoebe Snow and Koko Taylor were previously issued.

There's plenty of music to enjoy here, much of it performed by Ms. Muldaur herself on a program that includes a few of Memphis Minnie’s most famous songs and a number of lesser known ones. If her voice is not quite a supple as in her own girlish days, Maria Muldaur is perhaps even more expressive a singer and this is evident on the opening Me and My Chauffeur Blues, with Roy Rogers providing nice easy swinging backing. Ain’t Nothin’ in Ramblin’, has a wonderful vocal from Bonnie Raitt with Steve Freund adding his guitar to hers. I’m Goin’ Back Home is one of two vocal duets by Maria with Alvin ‘Youngblood’ Hart (who provides guitar backing) that revive Minnie’s duets with Kansas Joe McCoy.

There is a bit larger group including Del Ray and Steve James backing Maria’s vocal on I’m Sailin’ with its wistful lyric. Rory Block’s sings When You Love Me backed by her guitars followed by Maria’s hopeful vocal on Long As I Can See You Smile, with Steve James adding mandolin in addition to Del Ray’s guitar, followed by Lookin’ the World Over, with just some lovely accompaniment from Del Ray. Phoebe Snow’s rendition of In My Girlish Days dates from a 1976 recording that included David Bromberg in the backing who adds mandolin along with guitar in the backing of Snow’s vocal. Ruthie Foster backed by a small group with Steve Freund’s guitar delivers a wonderful vocal on Keep Your Big Mouth Closed, which adapts the Sitting on Top of the World melody. Maria’s vocal on Tricks Ain’t Walkin’ is one of her finest here with Del Ray on guitars and Dave Earl adding mandolin here. 

The album closes with Koko Taylor’s rendition of Black Rat Swing that was licensed from Alligator from what I believe was her last album. Bob Margolin was among those on the session. It is an interesting choice insofar as it was written and sung by her husband, Ernest ‘Little Son Joe’ Lawler, under whose name it was originally released. In any event, it is a nice finale to this loving tribute to one of the greatest blues artists who ever lived.

I received a review copy from a publicist and it is scheduled for release on Tuesday October 9.

Rory Block Shakes 'Em On Down

Rory Block was fortunate to learn her music from (in addition to recordings) some of the masters of the blues idiom from such then surviving masters as Reverend Gary Davis, Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, Bukka White and Mississippi Fred McDowell. After her album devoted to Robert johnson’s music, she has continued with a disc of the music of Son House and now Mississippi Fred McDowell as part of a series of recordings where she salutes those who mentored her. Her Robert Johnson tribute was modeled closely on Johnson’s originals whereas her Son House tribute she mixed some performances with others that took more liberties. On her newest CD, Shake ‘Em on Down: A Tribute to Mississippi Fred McDowell (Stony Plain) she has written originals as well as given her own interpretation to McDowell’s songs.

The fact that her interpretations of songs associated with McDowell are personal interpretations along with her originals that incorporate elements of McDowell’s percussive, slide style without being a pastiche of such style, makes this a very different and, in my opinion, the most successful of her tribute recordings. It should be noted that it certainly sounds as if there is overdubbing of guitar parts and vocals, but it is wonderfully recorded so kudos to Rob Davis for the excellent engineering job.

This tribute opens with two of Ms Block’s originals. Steady Freddy, which has a forceful accompaniment as she has penned lyrics re-creating McDowell’s autobiography although the dialect is that of Ms Block and not Fred McDowell. It is followed by the remarkable Mississippi Man, a fully realized performance in part this song is Rory’s own story as a fifteen year old and her meeting the Mississippi Man. These lead in to her interpretations of McDowell’s songs that evoke the master while having her place her own stamp on them. She captures the mesmerizing flavor on Kokomo Blues, and that Eleven Light City. Good Morning Little School Girl is a bit more reflective and less rhythmically insistent than McDowell’s renditions, as she recasts the lyrics from the standpoint of the school girl who wants to go back home with the school boy. What’s the Matter Now, impressively builds on McDowell’s driving guitar style while vocally she lengthens the lyrics for her impassioned vocals.

Shake ‘Em Down illustrates her natural distillation of McDowell’s driving, droning guitar style while she overdubs vocals which she convincingly delivers, employs a pronounced rhythmic emphasis, while Worried Mind is a nice rendition of McDowell’s performance that might have come from John Estes’ Someday Baby, or perhaps Big Maceo’s Worried Life Blues. Whatever, Block makes this her own just like Muddy Waters, Fred McDowell, Big Maceo and others had done. The Man That I’m Lovin’, is likewise another song associated with Sleepy John Estes that McDowell translated into his style which again proves potent inspiration for Ms. Block who reinvents it yet anew.

Ancestral Home is another Rory original that incorporates elements of African musical traditions with her lyrics about the slave trade mixed with her overdubbing some African dialect in the vocal. Another original, the powerful The Breadline was originally an instrumental medley built from McDowell riffs to which she added lyrics about losing one’s home and can’t pay her lawyer and the rich folks on vacation “they don’t give a damn” with the line “hard times are here again” so contemporary and relevant. The album concludes with Woke Up This Morning, one of McDowell’s moving gospel songs with Rory’s moving multi-tracked vocals, followed by her strong re-imaging of another of McDowell’s signature songs, Write Me a Few of Your Lines.

Rory Block deserves kudos for this marvelous tribute with its ambitious and imaginative look at McDowell’s work that is inspired by the spirit of McDowell’s music, but has her imprint on all the performances. Of the eight songs associated with Fred McDowell, she has included a few of his signature songs, but also included lesser known parts of his repertoire and that added to her own originals making for a superb recording.


I received my review copy from Stony Plain Records.

Son House Tribute falls short

The latest Rory Block album, Blues Walkin’ Like a Man (Stony Plain), is a well-intentioned tribute to Eddie 'Son' House, one of the giants of the Delta Blues, following up a Robert Johnson tribute album. I have not heard the latter and wonder why I would insofar as I have found her renditions of classic country blues too close to the originals and often sounding studied, even academic. I have found her own songs much more appealing than her covers. But doing an entire album of Son House is a brave but ultimately unsatisfying effort, as her performances cannot avoid comparison to House’s originals, and even where House had lost his dexterity, the force of his playing and vocals make these emulations that generally fall flat. And this is not to ignore Block being a skilled musician. House’s singing voice was a straight extension of his speaking voice whereas Block’s vocals are not a similar extension of her voice. A comparison might be a New York vocalist singing with so much heart in cajun French but unable to shake a tinge of a newyawk accent. John Sebastian plays harmonica on several selections, and Block overdubs a vocal chorus on a couple selections, more satisfactory on the gospel number I Want to Go Home On the Morning Train, than on the remake of House’s Paramount recordings, Dry Spell Blues, where the added vocals make the track into an aural mess. I note that Dick Waterman, who was Son House’s manager after his rediscovery, has endorsed this tribute. Perhaps some will discover Son’s music from this, and that certainly is not a bad thing. Still, the back cover quotes Blues Revue that Rory Block “can hold her own with the legends who inspired her.” Listening to this tribute, I respectfully disagree.