Koko Taylor and Philip Walker Reviews

 

Koko Taylor - The Old School - Alligator Records

As the title suggests, the recording is directed to hard-hitting, old-school Chicago blues and includes interpretations along with some originals. Chicago's Blues Queen Koko Taylor handles them in her own hold-nothing back style. One track is by The Blues Machine, and the other eleven tracks have a studio band led by Criss Johnson and drummer Willie' The Touch' Sutton (featuring guest appearances from Bob Margolin, Billy Branch, and Kaz Kazanoff. 

Most of the new tunes are from Koko herself. Gonna Buy Me a Mule is a striking song as she tells her man she's gonna take the place of him. The jaunty warning, You Better Watch Your Step, with Billy Branch playing some Jimmy Reed inspired harp. Bob Margolin adds slide guitar to Memphis Minnie's "Black Rat, and Lefty Dizz's Bad Avenue. The arrangements of both tunes are a bit cluttered, though, and the performances come off as too hectic. If Criss Johnson's arrangements allowed more space in the backing, Old School would have sounded more like Koko's first Alligator album, and I Got What It Takes. 

I have no fault with Koko's performances as she sings really well here-sounding so at home with the material. It's also nicely programmed with very nice covers of a couple songs associated with Muddy Waters, Don't Go No Further, and Young Fashioned Ways. I just wish the attempt at being 'old school' by the band had a bit lighter, more swinging groove than they play with here.

Phillip Walker - Going Back Home - Delta Groove

Going Back Home finds the Gulf Coast native and longtime West Coast bluesman in solid form. The strength of the Delta Groove disc is Walker's characteristically strong vocals (with just a hint of sandpaper in his voice) and a rocking/swinging guitar. 

Producer Randy Chortkoff has selected a solid backing band, including guitarist Rusty Zinn, Jeff Turmes on bass (and sax for a few tracks), Richard Innes on drums. Chortkoff also provided Walker with a great pack of songs from mighty pens. Eddie Snow's Mean, Mean Woman features an accompaniment derived from Junior Parker's Mystery Train. An original Chortoff song, Honey Stew, evokes Lightnin' Hopkins. The band might have limbered up on some of the grooves of Lightnin' Hopkins' Jewel Recordings. 

The backing is a bit too upfront, and the music loses some of its regional flavor. One wishes the rhythm section was not right on the beat. If it were more like the laconic Excello groove, the sound would have been better. These are still very good recordings, with Walker first-rate throughout. His takes on "Blackjack", "Leave My Money Alone," "Bad Blood," and Walking With Frankie" are particularly outstanding, and if not a perfect date, there is still plenty to enjoy.

These reviews appeared in a 2007 DC Blues Society newsletter. I received my review copies from the record companies or a publicist.

Kid Ramos' West Coast House Party

Kid Ramos
West Coast House Party
Evidence

Kid Ramos' second Evidence album, West Coast House Party, features a who's who of some of the more prominent blues guitar pickers on the West Coast blues scene along with a variety of vocalists and other players.

Musically, this album leans to the jump blues scene that thrived on the West Coast, with two takes of a T-Bone walker instrumental,  Strollin  With Bone, spotlighting Gatemouth Brown and Duke Robillard along with Kid Ramos, sandwiching other tracks. Other guitarists here include Junior Watson, Rick Holmstrom, Rusty Zinn, and Charlie Baty, while Zinn, Robillard, Watson, James Intveld, Kim Wilson, Janiva Magness, Big Sandy Williams, and James Harman handle the vocals. Jeff Turmes anchors the horns, while Fred Kaplan is on piano, LarryTaylor on bass, and Stephen Hodges is on drums.

It is a tight band that swings, and Ramos gets to trade guitar solos with his peers and special guests. The vocals are generally quite good, although overshadowed by the originals. James Intveld is a capable singer on Roy Brown's  Love Don't Love Nobody,  but not merely in Brown's league as a singer (admittedly few are), and even Kim Wilson can't quite equal a Smiley Lewis on a jump blues like Real Gone Lover.

Within its admitted limitations, this record still possesses considerable appeal. The music is wonderfully played and the result is a lively blues party disc great for dancing and/or listening.

I wrote this review in 2000 and it likely was published in the D.C. Blues Calendar. I likely received a review copy from Evidence Records or a publicist. Here is Kid Ramos as part of The Fabulous Thunderbirds from 2003.

Mark Hummel Way Back Machine

Mark Hummel
Way Back Machine
Electro-Fi Records

This is the latest recording in Mark Hummel's quite distinguished 35-odd year career with over 33 recordings, including several documenting his Blues Harmonica Blowouts. A substantial portion of this new release documents his relationship with The Deep Basement Shakers, who specialize in primal, joint-rockin', barrelhouse blues n' boogie. This East Bay Duo is Aaron Hammerman on piano and guitar and Dave Eagle on percussion, washboard/spoons/train whistles/animal calls/etc. Other playing on this include Kid Andersen on bass, Billy Flynn and Rusty Zinn on guitar, and Alex Pettersen on drums. Joe Beard adds guitar and vocals to three selections.

This recording focuses on the blues that pre-dated the electrified Chicago blues of the post-World War II era, along with a few choice originals. On this recording, Hummel sings with his usual authority, although his harmonica playing on this album is more in the vein of John Lee 'Sonny Boy I' Williamson than Little Walter. The band captures an easy rocking swing while guitarist Flynn (heard on most of this) is typically excellent as he channels Willie Lacey and Big Bill Broonzy.

Standout tracks include the topical original from RW Grigsby "Flim Flam," about the scammers in the world; Baby Boy Warren's "Hello Stranger"; Tampa Red's "So Much Trouble"; "Play With Your Poodle"; and Sonny Boy Williamson 1's "Cut That Out," which some may know from Junior Wells' recording. "Road Dog", with just the Barrelhouse Shakers is an imaginative skiffle style blues et to the medley of "Sloppy Drunk." Percussionist Eagle I found goes a bit over the top here and a couple of places elsewhere (including a rendition of Blind Boy Fuller's "Rag Mama Rag" and the instrumental "Breathtaking Blues," which is rooted in "Saint James Infirmary"). Hammerman, however, is a reliable, straight-forward pianist. Still, with solid blues performances like Robert Nighthawk's "Pepper Mama," and Jazz Gillum's "Gillum's Windy Blues," there is much to delight listeners. The latter number displays Hummel's ability to capture the reedy harmonica style of Gillum, with Flynn's sparkling guitar, a feature of an overall skiffle blues styled performance.

The three selections with Joe Beard's delta-rooted vocals are highlights here. With Kid Anderson on bass and Alex Pettersen on drums, Beard turns a sterling cover of Eddie Boyd's "Five Long Years," with a simple groove and terrific harmonica. Hummel contributed an original, "Say You Will," that Beard turns into a droning blues in the manner of early John Lee Hooker. A lively rendition of "Mean Old Frisco," provides a close to this album of first-rate performances of older blues gems mixed with a few choice originals.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Mark performing as part of a Little Walter tribute band at last year's Calgary Blues Festival.

Battle of the Blues: Chicago vs Oakland

Various
Battle of the Blues: Chicago vs Oakland
Delta Roots Records

Twist Turner is a multi-talented drummer, songwriter, and producer who spent several decades in Chicago playing with a who's who of Chicago blues artists. In a book, "Blues With a Twist" he has chronicled his life in the blues starting from growing up in the Pacific Northwest to his time hustling and surviving in Chicago. In recent years Turner moved to Oakland, and while suffering severe health issues, he began starting to record some of the under-recorded blues artists in the Oakland area. Returning to Chicago, he found artists similarly needing exposure resulting in this release. This recording is not Turner's first efforts at producing blues albums. He produced the harmonica blues recordings of the "Chicago Blues Harmonica Project" that were issued on Severn Records.

Concerning "Battle of the Blues," Twist plays drums on all tracks, wrote 12 of the 13 selections, made all of the horn arrangements and plays others instruments on various tracks and wrote the liner notes including short artist biographies. There are numerous sidemen throughout this collection including guitarists Rusty Zinn, Maurice John Vaughan, and Dave Workman; saxophonist Skinny Williams; keyboardists Chris Burns, Roosevelt Purifoy, and Allen Batts; and bassists Art and EG McDaniel. Despite the wonderful musicianship heard in the backing, the focus (with one exception is on the singers heard here.

In the booklet, Turner quotes trumpeter Nicholas Payton "Just because its a twelve-bar form with some variation of I-IV-V chords, don't think your laying "the Blues" … it has no particular form. Relegating "the blues" to a form refutes its function. It can be found in many shapes and sizes." Payton's quote leads to Twist's discussion of the evolution of the blues, especially in the black community. He tells a story about how listening to a Syl Johnson record at Hip Lankchan's apartment, he initially responded it wasn't blues. Hip responded, "Its the blues, just a different kind of blues." The music on this recording is this different kind of blues, what some might call soul-blues. It is in the vein of Bobby Bland, Z.Z. Hill, Artie 'Blues Boy' White, Charles Wilson and Barbara Carr.

This collection opens with, Mz. Sumac, the only female, represented. The daughter of bluesman Craig Horton, Mz. Sumac displays the sass and fire of Barbara Carr as she sings about wanting a man who will give her what she needs. Skinny Williams provides a booting tenor sax solo. Aldwin London plays bass on several tracks including his vocal feature reviving Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away." It is a fine vocal that is pretty close to Joe Hinton's hit although London is not quite up to Hinton as a singer.

The remarkable Freddie Roulette is represented by two instrumentals "Take It Easy," and "Red Tide" that display his spine-tingling lap steel playing. He is also heard behind Country Pete McGill's "Hootchie Coochie Mama," a blues that musically descends from "Hootchie Cootchie Man." McGill is the most down-home blues performer here, while Roulette's accompaniment and Roulette's solo is scintillating, Chris Burns piano on this track merits mention. It is hard to believe that Nat Bolden is 91 from his robust vocal on "Good Morning Mister Blues." This selection has the flavor of the uptown Chicago blues of Fenton Robinson and Andrew Brown with superb Rusty Zinn guitar set against a tight horn section.

Chicago singer James Newman impresses with his understated soulful singing on "Hit and Run Lover," and "Me and My Guitar." Maurice John Vaughan is the guitarist on the former song, Mark Wydra is listed for the latter tune. Emery Williams Jr passed away in 1996, and his two songs may be the earliest selections here. Maurice John Vaughan is the guitarist behind Williams on "Hurtin' On You," where he tells what he will do if he catches this person with his wife. On "Mama Don't Weep" Williams' gospel roots are evident, as he tells a former lover that he is sorry things did not work out as Bernard Anderson wails on tenor sax.

Turner observes that Gerald McClendon is known in Chicago as the Soulkeeper. He lives up to that moniker in"Cold on the Streets" with his passionate vocal about a cold-hearted woman but who is "hot in the sheets" giving good loving all night long." The other performer is "Mr. Excitement" Del Brown, a second cousin of James Brown, who is heard on his first recordings as a frontman. "Now That I Am Gone" is a terrifically sung deep soul ballad with some breathtaking vocal leaps. "Time Slippin' Away" is a heartfelt vocal about getting older and his hair turning grey as he struggles to pay his bills and survive with biting guitar fills.

"Battle of the Blues" is an excellent set of blues with a variety of marvelous blues singers handling some fascinating original material, solidly backed and well recorded. Kudos to Twist Turner for making these terrific performances available.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a demo of Gerald McClendon singing. This song is not on the CD and again this is a song demo but it gives you an idea about how good a singer McClendon is.

Kim Wilson That’s Life

Kim Wilson
That’s Life
Antone’s

Kim Wilson’s second Antone’s album showcases his considerable talent as a singer, harmonica player and songwriter. It is comprised of Wilson’s originals and some covers of tunes that haven’t been done to tedium.

Opening with a rocking jump blues, Baby Please Don’t Lie To Me, Wilson confidently delivers his vocal on a lyric suggestive of Percy Mayfield. In contrast Don’t Bite the Hand That Feeds You sounds like a cover of an unissued Sonny Boy Williamson Checker recording , although Wilson’s harp echoes Little Walter on his fine treatment of Jimmy Rogers’ Blues Leave Me Alone (with tasty harp fills and a solid solo from guitarist Rusty Zinn) and on the harp features, Humpin’ to Please, and Lowdown, both exhibiting his relaxed and fluid phrasing and full tone. Wilson salutes the second Sonny Boy Williamson on She’s My Baby, and his harp also echoes Williamson on a rocking rendition of Junior Parker’s Pretty Baby.

In addition to Zinn, Duke Robillard, Derek O’Brien and Clarence Holliman are also heard on guitar, and Gene Taylor adds piano. The only tune that perhaps comes off flat is Wilson’s straight reworking of Irma Thomas’ classic soul hit, Time is on My Side. Otherwise, Wilson’s songs, vocals and harp recapture the feeling of the classic blues from the fifties and sixties on a set that is much more than simply nostalgia.

I likely received a review copy of this from the label or a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November 1994 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 194). Here is Kim from a somewhat recent performance.

Andy Santana And The West Coast Playboys Watch Your Step!

Andy Santana is a triple threat as a singer, guitarist and harmonica player (and he is also a songwriter) whose name will be most familiar to those of the West Coast, but some may have seen his name as a sideman to some albums or perhaps have his independently produced recordings. Anyway his profile will rise greatly with the release of "Watch Your Step!" by Andy Santana And The West Coast Playboys on Delta Groove. The West Coast Playboys include Kid Andersen (who co-produced this with Andy), Anthony Paule, Mike Schermer, Bob Welsh, Rusty Zinn (who penned the liner notes), Lorenzo Farrell and June Core.

While there are a few Santana originals sprinkled in, most of this are taken of covers of songs that have not been cooked and burned to death (no "Sweet Home Chicago" type numbers). Santana is a wonderful singer that sings with a natural, relaxed soulfulness akin to such Gulf Coast legends as Tommy McClain, Warren Storm, Freddy Fender and Doug Sahm. And he brings a distinctive attack to the guitar (Rusty Zinn likens him to the love child of Wild Jimmy Spruill and Johnny Guitar Watson) and his harp playing is terrific.

What a range of material too from the opening swamp rocker by Carol Fran "Knock Knock"; a tasty cover of Bobby Parker's title tune that is modeled on Parker's original recording. It showcases Santana's crisp, biting guitar, and is ably sung (although he is not on Parker's level); "Playgirl," one of two Smiley Lewis songs here, on which he takes both guitar and harp solos (his harp playing suggests some of Papa Lightfoot's recordings); the rollicking "You May Not Know: with a smokin' groove and a performance (with backing vocals) suggestive of Clyde McPhatter and the Drifter's "What Ya Gonna Do"; a song co-written with Rick Estrin, "No Double Talk," with Kid Andersen adding greasy fafisa organ and shattering Ike Turner-styled guitar; and a terrific instrumental, "Greaseland" (named after Andersen's studio) which showcases several of the guitarists. The rest of the performances on "Watch Your Step!" are similarly impressive making for an impressive recording.

I received my copy from Delta Groove. Here is Delta Groove's video promoting this recording.

Mud Morganfield's Tribute to His Father - Muddy Waters

If one closes one eyes while listening to For Pops | A Tribute to Muddy Waters the new Severn Records release by Mud Morganfield & Kim Wilson, one might think one is listening to Muddy Waters himself. The idea for the album came from folks suggesting to Severn that after they released albums by Mud Morganfield and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Severn had to get Mud and Kim together. So they were asked and agreed.

In putting an album together, they put together a band of Billy Flynn and Rusty Zinn on guitars, Barrelhouse Chuck on piano, Steve Gomes on bass and Robb Stupka on drums to support Mud’s vocals and Kim’s harmonica. Then it was decided to do an album of Muddy’s songs and selected a mix of both well known and lesser known songs associated with Muddy Waters. The recording was done live with everyone in the same room.

Included are 14 renditions of such Muddy Waters recordings as Gone To Main Street; Just To Be With You; Still a Fool; She's Got It; I Love the Life I Live, I Live The Life I Love; Blow Wind Blow; Nineteen Years Old; and Trouble No More. This is a marvelous backing band with Kim Wilson at the top of his game and Mud (Muddy’s oldest son) sounding so much like his father throughout these solid re-creations of the originals.

As noted, listening to this is almost like listening to a Muddy Waters recording, and folks have been copying Muddy’s music from over six decades from Junior Brooks and Louisiana Red to this present album. At the same time, no matter how enjoyable it is to listen to this album, it doesn’t replace the original recordings. No one has more right to perpetuate his father’s legacy than Mud Morganfield.  As good as the recreations here are, this listener wishes interpretative liberties had been taken with Muddy Waters’ music.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Mud Morganfield in performance.

Craig Horton Is In The Spirit

Craig Horton is an unfamiliar name but In My Spirit on Big Daddy Records should change this. Originally part of the Chicago blues and rhythm scene (he was in Little Walter’s band for a spell and toured with the Dells), he relocated to the West Coast making a considerable contribution to the San Francisco Bay Area Blues scene. In My Spirit is his first album although he apparently recorded in the past including with the Mississippi Delta Blues band when it was fronted by Sammy Myers. With a little help from friends that include Rusty Zinn, Horton is heard on a collection of originals that evoke B.B. King, T-Bone Walker and other urban blues masters.

The opening Chest Pain Blues suggests the Butterfield Blues Band’s recording of Walking Blues crossed with B.B. King’s Why I Sing the Blues with its funky groove. 3 Days and 3 Nights opens with a piano part that sounds like the opening of T-Bone Shuffle, with Horton’s playing being in the T-Bone Walker vein. Elsewhere his playing is more akin to B.B. King. Horton is a very engaging singer whose suggests B.B. King and Bobby Bland. Although there are a few loose spots in the generally solid backing, it does not detract from the flavor of this disc. The only downside is that the closing track, Midnight Shuffle, is used as a soundtrack for spoken recollections by Horton which takes attention from his playing on this selection. A couple other tracks are effectively introduced by short spoken recollections.

There is a nice mix of material here and Horton’s spirited performances makes one wonder why it took so long to get him into the studio.

This review appeared in the December 2001-January 2002 DC Blues Calendar and I likely received a review copy from the label although I may have purchased it. Horton had a subsequent release in 2004 on Big Daddy Records, Touch of a Bluesman. One wonders whether he will make it back in the studio. He apparently is still performing around the San Francisco area.

Here is Craig Horton performing in Holland.

Mark Hummel Salutes Little Walter

Mark Hummel’s Blues and Lonesome: Tribute to Little Walter (Rockinitus Records) is a compilation from recordings he has made over the years in homage to Little Walter. Little Walter Jacobs arguably was the most important and influential harmonica player of all time and his songs have been part of Hummel’s repertoire over the years.

Hummel, in his liner notes, was friends with three individuals who had spent time playing and recording with little Walter: Luther Tucker, Dave Myers and Francis Clay, as well as several musicians such as Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith, who played with walter when Walter would play with Muddy Waters Band in the sixties prior to his death in 1968. Tucker, Myers and Smith are present on several of these recordings, while many of the tracks feature members of Hummel’s band, the Blues Survivors.

While fans of Hummel may have most of these selections from his albums, it is convenient to have these all in one CD. His fans, and those of Little Walter’s music, will enjoy his tribute. The performances here are modeled on the originals and are strong, idiomatic renditions of classic Chicago Blues that Hummel sings and plays strongly on.

While the level of the performances is high throughout, several selections standout including the title track on which the late Luther Tucker is present. Tucker played on the original, and is able to stretch out with some startling guitar that he could not on the original 45 rpm single. With just guitarist Rusty Zinn, Hummel does a nice job reworking Walter’s “I Just Keep Loving Her,” and there there is the rocking shuffle “My Kinda Baby” with a terrific band that included the late Dave Myers along with Billy Flynn on guitars, pianist Barrelhouse Chuck, bassist Bob Stroger and drummer Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith.

I purchased this from bluebeatmusic.com and you might also check Mark Hummel’s own website, www.markhummel.com. Here is a video of Mark playing a Little Walter number not on the CD.

Phillip Walker Going Back Home

Its been way too long since Philip Walker had a new studio album. Delta Groove has just issued Going Back Home, that finds the Gulf Coast native and longtime West Coast bluesman in solid form. The strength of the disc is Walker’s characteristically strong vocals (with just a hint of sandpaper in his voice and his guitar playing which rock and swing at the same time.

Producer Randy Chortkoff has selected a solid backing band that includes guitarist Rusty Zinn, Jeff Turmes on bass (and sax for a few tracks, Richard Innes on drums as well as provided Walker with a diverse range of material from the pens of Percy Mayfield (the opening Lying Woman), Lowell Fulson (Mama Bring Your Clothes Back Home), Lightnin’ Hopkins (Don’t Think ‘Cause Your Pretty), his old friend Cornelius Greene aka Lonesome Sundown (Leave My Money Alone and If You See My Baby), Ray Charles (Blackjack), Champion Jack Dupree (Bad Blood), and Frankie Lee Sims (Walking With Frankie) along with several originals from Chortkoff (although Honey Stew is suggestive of a Lightnin Hopkins recording).

Eddie Snow’s Mean Mean Woman features an accompaniment derived from Junior Parker’s Mystery Train. The backing is a bit too upfront at times and the music loses some of its regional flavor with the somewhat anonymous groove. One wishes the rhythm section was not right on the beat at times such as on the two Lonesome Sundown blues where more of the laconic Excello groove would have been beneficial. The band might also have limbered up on some of the grooves of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ Jewel Recordings at times.

These are still very good recordings, with Walker first rate throughout and his take on Blackjack, Leave My Money Alone, Bad Blood and Walking With Frankie are particularly outstanding, and if not a perfect date, there is still plenty to enjoy.

This review appeared in the April 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 292) and my review copy was sent by either Delta Groove or a publicist for them.  


Here is the late Phillip Walker in performance.

Rod Piazza Cautions About The Almighty Dollar

There is a certain predictability with a new recording by Rod Piazza. One can expect crisp, excellent musicianship, wonderful ensemble playing, full-bodied , rollicking boogie-laced piano and steady vocals. The new Delta Groove release by Piazza and the Al Mighty Flyers, Almighty Dollar, is no exception.

Its the stability of Piazza and Flyers that plays a major factor in the consistent strong swinging sounds Piazza produces. Honey Piazza has been pounding the ivories for several decades with Rod, and while drummer Dave Kida and guitarist Henry Carvajal have been with Piazza for a number years now. Johnny Dyer adds vocals to a couple tracks, while Rusty Zinn adds his guitar to a number of selections and Johnny Viau plays saxophone on several selections as well.

The songs are mostly interpretations of older songs with an original blues and instrumental contributed by Piazza. The covers are thankfully not of songs that have been done to death. The set opens with a hot Jimmy Liggins jump blues, Move Out Baby with terrific solos from Ms. Honey and Piazza followed by What Makes You So Tough, originally waxed by Teddy Humphries for King with fine sax and a terrific harp solo set against a stop-time groove. Then there is rendition of Jimmy Binkley's swinging cocktail blues, Wine, Wine, Wine, with a terrific harp solo. There is a terrific cover of a lesser known Muddy Waters tune, Loving Man, with a fine Johnny Dyer vocal and the band wailing behind him like the classic Waters Band and some great harp. Piazza contributes a nice original topical blues, Almighty Dollar.

Of the better known covers, Blue Shadows, has one of Piazza's best vocals here while Rusty Zinn conjures up Johnny 'Guitar' Watson with his fiery guitar solo. Dyer handles the vocal on a solid rendition of Confessin' the Blues, based on little Walter's recording. For some reason Walter is wrongly credited on the CD as having written this Jay McShann and Walter Brown classic. Honey Alexander sits out two Harmonica features for Rod, That's It, a Little Walter instrumental and stellar harmonica romp, Con-Vo-Looted. Rusty Zinn shares Carvajal on guitar to recreate the feel of the classic Little Walter recordings.

There is plenty of exceptional music here. Even when Rod is not out front, the musicianship is first-rate. Almighty Dollar is another marvelous addition to Rod Piazza's substantial body of recordings.
My review copy was provided by a publicist for the label.