Buddy Guy says The Blues Is Alive and Well

Buddy Guy
The Blues Is Alive and Well
Silvertone/ RCA Records

According to the press materials, this is Buddy Guy's 18th solo album. It is produced by Tom Hambridge who has been a recent producer and collaborator with Guy, who also had a hand of nearly every song here and plays drums. The rest of the core backing band here is Kevin McKendree on keyboards, Willie Weeks on bass and Rob McNelly on rhythm or slide guitar m(although he sits out some tracks). Also heard here are guest appearances from Jeff Beck (who called Guy his favorite guitarist decades ago), Keith Richards, James Bay and Mick Jagger.

It is a solid, straight-forward recording pretty much in the vein of Guy's recent recordings. There is plenty of punch in the backing and the tone of Guy's guitar and his vocals belie his age of 81 years. There is an in-your-face quality to his fretwork on the opening "A Few Good Years," supporting his strong vocal on one of a number of strong originals here. It is followed by a rollicking shuffle "Guilty as Charged," with McKendree outstanding in his accompaniment while Guy plays more blistering guitar. Jeff Beck and Keith Richards add their guitar to "Cognac," with Beck especially pulling out all the stops as Guy sings about the merits of "Cognac," which has "liquid gold in every sip." The Muscle Shoals Horns add punch to the backing on the title track, with Guy singing soulfully about her woman having another man. I do not who James Bay but he adds his guitar and vocals to "Blue No More," with its low-key manner and is it may be Bay who contributes the B.B. King styled playing here.

Hambridge contributes a sledge hammer groove with a drum loop along with Guy's hammering out his guitar as he shouts about "Whiskey For Sale," with the McCrary Sisters adding vocal harmony on this minor entry here. Mick Jagger adds some nice harmonica adding to the late night feel of a slow blues, "You Did the Crime." The Muscle Shoals Horns return for "Old Fashioned" which is perhaps a bit over-the-top for these ears as Hambridge anchors the driving backing here. Rice Miler's "Nine Below Zero" is transformed into a hard hitting Muddy Waters' styled number followed by a Memphis styled rocker, "Ooh Daddy."

"End of the Line" is a Jimmy Reed-styled shuffle with Guy's easy going vocal, shattering guitar along with punchy horns before the album closes with a brief "Milking Muther For Ya," where Guy sings a verse of the Dirty Red song accompanied only by his guitar. 15 very different performances on this album which certainly will satisfy those wanting Guy's sizzling guitar playing, but also displays his fine singing as well.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the July-August 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 379). Here is the audio of Buddy Guy's performance of "Cognac" with guests Jeff Beck and Keith Richards from this CD.

Buddy Guy Born To Play Guitar

 

With B.B. King's recent passing, Buddy Guy probably has assumed the role of elder statesman of the Blues. Regardless of this, Guy has a new recording to entertain folk with "Born To Play Guitar" (Silvertone/RCA Records), that has something for everybody in terms of material and performance style. In addition to Guy and his band, he also has guest appearances from Kim Wilson, Billy Gibbons, Van Morrison and Joss Stone and like his recent recordings is produced by Tom Hambridge.

The opening title track is a semi-autobiographical number as he sings he was born to play guitar and that he has a reputation that everybody knows his name, and has blues running through his veins, that opens with spare backing and which is generally played with restraint (compared to some of Guy's efforts). "Wear You Out," with Billy Gibbons adding his raspy singing, is more in a blues-rock vein and less satisfying to these ears. A rendition of the Little Walter recording "Too Late" has a nice vocal, rollicking shuffle piano and tough harmonica from Wilson, although I find the next track, " Whiskey Bear & Wine" less enjoyable because of the hard rock flavor of the rhythm (especially the bass).

Joss Stone joins for a duet on the Dinah Washington-Brook Benton hit, "(Baby) You Got What It Takes," and with Buddy adding chords and single note runs, Stone an him trade verses in an energetic manner. The interesting topical blues "Crazy World" makes use of vocal and instrumental effects as he sings about the selling water and someday they will sell the air we breathe while "Back Up Mama" is a variation on the back door man theme as he has a backup mama if mama number one is not around.

Van Morrison joins guy for "Flesh & Bone," a song occasioned by the passing of B.B. King as Morrison sings it ain't over when one dies, and when one goes, one's spirit lives on while Buddy remembers his parents and still with him even though long gone and this life is more than flesh and bones. "Come Back Muddy" finds Buddy unplugged and singing that he wishes Muddy would come back, that Buddy would love to hear his voice and let us make us some of that old nasty noise on a marvelous heartfelt performance to close this recording.

There is something for a whole spectrum of blues and rock fans here. Even those with more traditional blues tastes should enjoy a good portion of "Born To Play Guitar." In any event, Buddy Guy continues to follow his own muse with plenty of heat.

I downloaded a review copy thanks to a publicist. Here is the title track.

Buddy Guy Live At Legends

In considering Buddy Guy’s new release, Live at Legends (Silvertone), one is struck by a couple of things. These are not the first live recordings Buddy has made at Legends as several years ago he offered a series of live recordings from his annual run (I purchased two of them). Secondly, on an album titled Live at Legends, it is odd to have some of the recordings included being studio recordings, as if they did not have more live material they could have included.

Musically this is the hard-edged Stone Crazy Buddy Guy with a mix of frenzied styled performances with searing guitar backed by a rock-tinged rhythm section. Unlike the 2004 performances, there are no saxophones to provide another solo voice (although when Guy explodes his solos, is any other voice needed). There is a nice piano break on the opening Best Damn Fool. His enduring love of Muddy Waters is reflected in renditions of Mannish Boy and a medley of I Just Want To Make Love To You with Bobby Rush’s Chicken Heads, with Guy engaging in a bit of call and response with the Legends’ audience on I Just Want To Make Love To You. The appealing Skin Deep benefits from opening in a more relaxed vein before Buddy cranks it up a notch with his solo before taking it down to sing its message about treat others like you want them to treat you. 

After a searing Damn Right I Got the Blues, Guy follows with relatively short medleys of Boom Boom/ Strange Brew, and Voodoo Chile/ Sunshine of Your Love, expressing his admiration for John Lee Hooker and then Clapton and Hendrix. On a live recording, I would rather have heard Buddy revisit at Legends some of his early recordings such as First Time I Met The Blues or My Time After Awhile, than three previously unissued studio recordings although they are pretty similar in the vein of Buddy’s most recent recordings.

Certainly Guy’s many fans will savor the explosive performances on Live at Legends. While blues traditionalists will find this a bit over the top, the fact is Buddy has remained true to his own muse and plays in a manner than belies his age. 

I received my review copy from a publicist.  Here is Buddy Guy doing a song associated with Otis Rush.