Shemekia Copeland Uncivil War

Shemekia Copeland
Uncivil War
Alligator Records

It is amazing to see how it has only been 22 years since Shemekia Copeland's first album came out. Indeed, the promise of that album has been fulfilled many times as she is generally regarded as today's Queen of the Blues. But as she has matured, she has shown that being viewed as a blues artist is no longer a confining description as she readily and convincingly crosses over to musical genres. It can be suggested that her latest album "Uncivil War" is as much a roots and soul recording as a blues recording. This sentiment is a descriptive comment and not a comment on this recording's quality. "Uncivil War" is a superb recording.

"Uncivil War" was recorded in Nashville with award-winning producer and musician Will Kimbrough at the helm. There is quite a crew of musicians on this recording. In addition to Kimbrough, the core band consists of Lex Price on bass and Pete Abbott on drums. Guest musicians on "Uncivil War" include guitarists Jason Isbell, Steve Cropper, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Webb Wilder, and Duane Eddy. Also present are mandolin wizard Sam Bush, dobro master Jerry Douglas, and Phil Madeira on organ and guitar.

The material is striking, starting with the opening "Clotilda's On Fire," written by Kimbrough and Shemekia's manager John Hahn. It is the story of the very last slave trade ship to arrive in America (in Mobile Bay, Alabama) in 1859, 50 years after the slave trade was banned. The ship was burned and sunk by the captain to destroy the evidence. The wreckage was finally discovered in 2019. Shemekia's passionate singing is matched by the backing than includes a scorching solo from Jason Isbell. Then follows a terrific Staple Singers-esque message song, "Walk Until I Ride," with Shemekia in total command. I do feel there is a certain naivety to the lyric of the title track. However, Copeland authoritatively delivers the message of cooling down hostilities with folks having differing views. Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush lend an American feel to this track.

"Money Makes You Ugly" is a hard rock performance where she wails about those with money who abuse folks and the environment with a searing guitar solo by Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. There is an affectionate tribute to Dr. John, "Dirty Saint," with a second line beat and some nifty slide guitar from Kimbrough. After an atmospheric cover The Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb," there is the hard rock "Apple Pie And A .45" that addresses gun violence with lyrics about a child getting killed and blood running in the streets.

Other musical delights include "She Don't Wear Pink" that Webb Wilder co-wrote. Wilder and Duane Eddy add to the alternative country feel of a song with a definite pro-feminist slant. Shemekia is superb in her interpretation of a lesser-known Junior Parker recording, "In the Dark." Steve Cropper adds his guitar to a superlative blues performance. A terrific country-soul flavored rendition of her father's "Love Song" is the final track on an outstanding recording by one of our musical treasures.

I received a download to review from Alligator Records. Here is "Clotilda's On Fire" from this album.

Arlen Roth Tele Masters

Arlen Roth
 Tele Masters
 Aquinnah Records

 Arlen Roth has collected a bunch of fellow masters of the Fender Telecaster guitar for this new album. With a rhythm section of Tom Hambridge on drums, Tommy McDonald on bass, and usually Billy Panda on acoustic guitar (or Bryan Sutton), he has joined with Steve Warriner, Cindy Cashdollar (steel guitar), Jack Pearson, Steve Cropper, Brad Paisley, Will Ray, Albert Lee, Vince Gill, Brett Mason, Joe Bonamassa, Johnny Hiland, Bill Kirchen, Jerry Donahue, and Redd Volkaert. Most of these guests come from the country music world with Cropper and Bonamassa being exceptions.

Mostly instrumental, there are vocals from Steve Cropper, Sweet Mikey C. and Arlen’s daughter, Lexie Roth. There are some terrific country romps including the opening "Remington Ride" with Warriner and the lively adaptation of Paul Simon's "Mrs. Robinson" with Albert Lee." Similar selections include perhaps the over-the-top interpretation of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" with Cindy Cashdollar's steel guitar adding atmosphere and the cover of Chuck Berry's "Promised Land" with Jerry Donahue and a vocal from Sweet Mikey C.

There are many other pleasures, including Roth's marvelous duet with Bill Kirchen, "Tuff Tele," along with Jack Pearson's blues-rock rendition of "Key To The Highway." Pearson is a pretty fair singer as shown on his own "I Can Fix It." Steve Cropper and Hambridge wrote, "White Lightning" with a fair, at best, Cropper vocal but with plenty of solid guitar. "Satisfied Mind" is a lovely guitar duet by Roth with Vince Gill while Roth's rendition of "Tennessee Waltz" has a precious vocal from his daughter Lexie. There is a highly charged revival of Link Wray's "Rumble" by Arlen and Will Ray while the trio of Bonamassa, Roth, and Pearson get down for "Joe's Blues," a number in the spirit of Albert Collins. Roth's "Funky Mama" with Jack Hiland is dedicated to Danny Gatton and provide the appropriate guitar fireworks here.

With 16 tracks and an hour and a quarter of hot guitar, Arlen Roth has put together a memorable release for country music and roots music guitar lovers.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the May-June 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 384). Here is Arlen with Duke Robillard (who is not on this CD) and Cindy Cashdollar performing.

Markey Blue Hey Hey

“Hey Hey” (SOULOSOUND RECORDS) is a debut album by Nashville based chanteuse, Markey Blue, with vocalist Jeanette Markey and guitarist Ric Latina. They are supported with by some of Nashville’s top musicians on an album that attempts to recall the glories of the classic Memphis and Muscle Shoals soul. Markey herself helped pen all the 12 originals that comprise this release.

This is a solid and brassy recording starting with the driving opening track “When Love Comes Along (Hey Hey)” that lends the disc its title. “Something's Wrong” is an outstanding track with the studio band hitting that groove. It showcases Markey’s strengths as a singer including a bit of raspy grit and an unforced delivery that evokes classic soul singers such as Ann Peebles. The Peebles comparison might be most evident on “Feeling Blue,” a heartfelt performance that hints of, “Feel Like Breaking Up Someone’s Home,” with its punchy horns, backing vocals and crisp guitar break.

Former Allman Brothers guitarist Jack Pearson co-wrote “Play Me” with Markey and he takes a solo while Markey really pours everything into with  vocal. She also tears into the lyric of “Another Lover” as she sings good-bye and that she’s gonna find the best man she can.  Next is a tender soul ballad “With You” where Latina’s guitar solo here may be his best on the album. The trebly swamp-blues infused “Voodoo Do” sports Markey’s at her most sensual. “By My Side” is another solid ballad performance with solid rhythm and crisp horns that evoke classic Stax recordings.

“Hey Hey” concludes on a most impressive fashion with a funky lament, “Baby I’m Cryin’”, which Steve Cropper produced the vocals for. There is so much to enjoy about this release from the strong backing, good original songs and Ms. Markey’s heartfelt, persuasive vocals. Markey Blue will make fans of blues and soul take note.

I received a review copy from Delta Groove Promotions who were also doing publicity for this. Markey Blue is currently crowdfunding a new album on Go Fund Me. Here is a video of this Nashville-based band in performance.

Booker T. & the M.G.s' Classic Green Onions

A recent release in the Stax Remasters series of reissues from Concord is Green Onions by Booker T. & the M.G.s. It includes 24 bit remastering of the 12 selections from the original 1962 sessions along with a couple of 1965 selections from Los Angeles’ 5/4 Ballroom. This is of course one of the great instrumental bands of all time with Booker T. Jones on organ; Steve Cropper on guitar; Al Jackson drums and Lewis Steinberg on bass (who would be replaced by Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn by the time they played the 5/4 Ballroom).

The album exhibits the crisp, clean playing that was particularly a virtue as they served as the house rhythm section on so many classic Stax recordings. The title track was an instrumental hit for the band and served as the basis for Sonny Boy Williamson’s recording of Help Me. If the organ Jones played could sound Rinky Dink, to cite the title of a track, he effectively took the lead with Cropper laying down crisp chords and single note runs with Steinberg and Jackson providing the bottom. The cover of Ray Charles’ I Got a Woman, sounds stronger than that of Twist & Shout, while Mo’ Onions, is a greasy instrumental that has some of the same feel as the title track.

The soul of this time was not that far removed from the blues as Jones’ late night playing displays on Behave Yourself, while Acker Bilk’s “Stranger On The Shore,” is a but more schmaltzy. There is a cover of Doc Pomus’ Lonely Avenue, played with a bit of restraint, while Dee Clark’s raver I Can’t Sit Down, might have benefited from a bit fuller sound in performance. This is not to say its a poor performance, but rather not as explosive as it could have been. The closing selection on the original release is a moody rendition of the instrumental Comin’ Home, Baby, that Herbie Mann had a hit with.

Added to the original release are renditions of Green Onions and I Can’t Sit Down. The latter number Paxky Axton’s saxophone. Both performances exhibit considerably more fire than the studio recordings and are more than welcome additions to the original album which. The booklet with this reissue reproduces Bob Altschuler’s original notes along with Stax Historian Rob Bowman’s more recent cogent comments.

I received my review copy from the label or a publicist. Here is Booker T. & the M.G.s performing Green Onions.

Staples Singers Stax Classic Remastered

The Staples Singers had a very distinguished career prior to signing with Stax, but it was with the famed Memphis label that they obtained far wider notice than simply gospel singers. Concord’s latest Stax Remasters includes the Staples classic Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, an album that extended their musical reach from gospel to message songs with an uplifting messages. This was the third album on Stax for the Staples and the first produced by Al Bell who had signed the group to Stax. After two albums with Booker T and the MGs, Bell decided to take them down to Muscle Shoals and used that famed studio band and then later mixed at Ardent Studios as opposed to Stax’s own McLemore Avenue studio.

Be Altitude: Respect Yourself is the album that produced two of the songs they are most identified, Respect Yourself and I’ll Take You There, which one trusts many are familiar with. These still are part of Mavis Staples’ live performances and were the heaviest hitters of the many chart records the Staples had for Stax. There are so many pleasures on this besides the great vocals by Mavis and family members, the stellar studio bands and Pops Staples guitar.

Rob Bowman in the booklet notes the origins of Respect Yourself, a collaboration between Sir Mack Rice and Luther Ingram, and how Bell made some changes most notably the tempo. In any event, the recordings still resonate four decades later and for those who passed on the album when it cam out can savor other delights like the Covay-Stevenson-Pickett groover, This Old Town (People In This Town), as the message of We The People, have to make the world go round and better and get let things get wild, the Sweet Inspirations This World, and Pops Staples Who Do You Think You Are (Jesus Christ the Superstar), a slow number which obviously alludes to the famous musical of the time. Two rarities are added to make a strong reissue of the Staples at what rob Bowman rightfully suggests was their peak.

My review copy was provided by the record label or a publicist for the release.

Booker T and MGs Classic Tribute To The Beatles

Part of the latest batch of Stax Remasters is “McLemore Avenue,” the Booker T and The MGs album inspired by The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” with the cover showing thegroup walking across the Memphis location in a manner echoing The Beatles on the cover of “Abbey Road.” Ashley Kahn, in the accompanying booklet, observes how the album was conceived by Jones after hearing the Beatles recording. He was struck by the recording and its unbridled musicality, especially the “unusual musical snippets”that dominated side B of the album.

“McLemore Avenue” was the first time that the four had not recorded together as guitarist Steve Cropper was involved in another project, so after Jones, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn and Al Jackson Jr recorded the basic tracks, Cropper joined Jones at Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood to overdub his parts and then to Memphis where he mixed the recording with John Fry at Ardent Studios.

The album comprised of three medleys based primarily on the melodic snippets but also incorporating one of the songs from side A so the album opens with various snippets such as “Golden Slumbers” and “Carry the Weight,” along with “Here Comes The Sun.” and concludes with a medley including snippets “Hello Mr.Mustard” and “Polythene Pam” along with “She Came In The Bathroom Window. On the original album, there was a self-contained rendition of “Something” that was also issued as a single. Its fascinating to listen to them shift tempo and mood as they work through the medleys and also appreciate how spare, yet full their playing was. Cropper’s stinging guitar runs set against the sometimes lush organ of Jones.

This reissue is augmented by the reissue of six Beatle covers that they had recorded prior to McLemore Avenue, including interpretations of “Day Tripper,” “Michelle” and “Lady Madonna.” Listening to these one is struck how restrained the interpretations are and how melodic they were. An interesting chapter in the group’s history.

My review copy provided by publicist for the record company.