Steve Howell, Dan Summer & Jason Weinheimer Long Ago

Steve Howell, Dan Summer & Jason Weinheimer
Long Ago
Out of the Past Music

Texas fingerstyle guitarist Steve Howell has a new album exploring some vintage tunes of past years. His longtime partner, bassist Jason Weinheimer is back with him as is guitarist Dan Sumner, who was on Howell's last recording, "History Rhymes." In contrast to that recording, there is little that might be called down-home blues performed here. Tunes played range from a couple of Duke Ellington tunes, a Percy Mayfield classic, one of Horace Silver's most famous compositions, a Jobim classic, a Dave Frishberg gem, and a Johnny Mercer-Jimmy Van Heusen standard.

There is a charm in these tasteful, understated renditions of the songs here. Howell's genial vocals, clear enunciation of the lyrics, and the uncluttered jazzy guitar leads of Sumner lead to honest, heartfelt performances. Howell is not going to make people forget an Al Hibbler or Herb Jeffries singing Duke Ellington's "Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me" and "Nothin' But the Blues," or Leon Thomas' vocal on Horace Silver's "Song For My Father." At the same time, he works well within his approach in crafting appealing performances of these songs. Other notable interpretations include Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love," Jobim's "Dindi," or the opening "Singing' the Blues," which is best known from the Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke recording. There is also a delightful instrumental rendition of "I'll Remember April."

In addition to the actual performances, Howell has provided succinct descriptions of the songs. One might be hard-pressed to call the music here compelling, but overall Howell and friends renditions of these songs possess a definite alluring quality.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Steve Howell is heard performing Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo."

Steve Howell and Jason Weinheimer History Rhymes

Steve Howell and Jason Weinheimer
History Rhymes
Out of the Past Music

Guitarist and vocalist Steve Howell continues his activities in reviving the music of an earlier era on this latest album with bassist Weinheimer. Joining them are Dan Sumner on guitar and David Dodson on banjo and mandolin. Howell has recently published a guide, "Fingerpicking Early Jazz Standards," and the repertoire on this album includes early blues, traditional folk, and older jazz standards. The performances are similar to those on the previous record by Howell and Weinheimer, "A Hundred Years From Today."

Howell is a genial, adept fingerstyle guitarist who sings in a neutral, dispassionate fashion. Weinheimer and company ably support Howell. The strength of the recording is the broad swath of material they interpret. Ranging from "They'll Be Some Changes Made," to Bukka White's "Pine Bluff, Arkansas," they play an easy to listen to set of performances. On few albums will one find the Academy Award-nominated "Blues in the Night." The traditional "Jack of Diamonds" is taken as a folk waltz with a nice vocal and lovely mandolin in the accompaniment. The lilting "Frosty Morn" is a charming interpretation of an old fiddle tune.

"If I Had My Way," is derived from Reverend Gary Davis and Howell's vocal is more animated than he exhibits elsewhere. The light swing and amiable vocal on "Everybody Loves My Baby" lacks the vitality of the original Clarence Williams Blue Five recording with Eva Taylor's vocal and Louis Armstrong's cornet. Howell's, almost whispered, singing is more convincing on his version of the country classic "You Don't Know Me," while the performance of "I Got a Right to Sing the Blues," has a definite allure to it. There is also the traditional "Texas Rangers - The Falls of Richmond," that he dedicates to his father and Rangers of earlier generations.

Those who have enjoyed Steve Howell's prior recordings may have an idea of what to expect concerning these well-performed songs. Listeners may differ in how they react to Howell's dispassionate vocals, but indeed his efforts to update older songs merits appreciation.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the September-October 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 386). Here are the two performing "Everybody Loves My Baby."

 

Steve Howell Jason Weinheimer - A Hundred Years From Today

Steve Howell Jason Weinheimer
A Hundred Years From Today
Out of the Past Music

Steve Howell & the Might Men's "Yes I Believe I Will," I found to be "a delightful, congenial mix of folk, country and blues that will appeal to a wide range of roots music listeners." Howell's latest is an acoustic collaboration with Weinheimer, a member of the Mighty Men, as they interpret early jazz and blues numbers from a variety of sources including Mississippi John Hurt, Jim Jackson, Jack Teagarden, Louis Armstrong and Bo Carter.

Howell's easy flowing finger style guitar and genial vocals are supported by Weinheimer's bass starting with "Lulu's Back in Town" that was first popularized by Fats Waller. Howell does lack the exuberance that Waller had, with a low-key singing approach that is analogous to Mississippi John Hurt, even if he doesn't have quite the warmth of Hurt's vocals (but who does). Of the pleasures to be heard here are covers of a couple of Hurt's recordings including a marvelous "Louis Collins." There is a nice reading of Jim Jackson's "Kansas City Blues," along with the reflective title track that he learned from Jack Teagarden. An earnest "Basin Street Blues" is followed by the medley of "Limehouse Blues" and "After You've Gone" with superb finger style playing and a genial vocal on the latter number."

After a jaunty version of Bo Carter's "Who's Been Here" (Carter's rendering of "Alabamy Bound"), Howell closes this with an affecting rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair," that was a staple of Jack Teagarden and Louis Armstrong's repertoire, and often a highlight of Armstrong's All Stars when Teagarden was a member. Living Blues once characterized Howell as a "gentle, Deep South-inspired acoustic troubadour," and this thoroughly captivating, if brief, recording displays why with his affable and charming performances.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the July-August Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 374). Here the two perform "Kansas City Blues."