Scott Sharrard Saving Grace

Scott Sharrard
Saving Grace
We Save Music

Sharrard, for those like this writer who are not aware, was the late Gregg Allman’s Musical Director. On this release he takes center stage backed by the Hi Rhythm of Memphis (Howard Grimes on drums, Leroy Hodges on bass and Charles Hodges on organ), and the Swampers Of Muscle Shoals (Charles Gamble on drums, David Hood on bass and Spooner Oldham on a few selections), with Eric Finland on keyboards, Mark Franklin on trumpet (among horn players). Taj Mahal guests on the Greg Allman's last original (a collaboration with Sharrard), "Everything a Good Man Needs," on which Bernard "Pretty" Purdie is on drums. Except for Terry Reid's "Faith To Arise," Sharrard penned ten of the eleven songs (two being collaborations).

Sharrard's mix of blues, southern rock, swamp pop, and Memphis soul makes for quite an enjoyable release. He is a darn good singer with a soulful delivery, not as raspy as Allman, and a solid guitarist. The Southern rock heritage is perhaps most evident on Reid' s "Faith to Arise," with some tart slide guitar in the vein of the Allman Brothers set against Sharrard's moving singing. The title track, with Gamble, Hood, and Finland in the backing is a soulful, bluesy ballad soulfully sung. On "Everything a Good Man Needs," Taj Mahal handles the vocal, singing about how his baby's love keeps him humming and is all he needs. His strong vocal is backed Sharrard's crying slide guitar, tight riffing horns and a funky R&B groove.

"Angeline," with the Hi Rhythm Section is a Memphis funk take on swamp pop, while "Words Can't Lie," is simply a terrifically sung Memphis soul ballad. "She Can't Wait" is another southern soul-flavored original with the Swampers adding their own brand of funk as Sharrard sings about his part-time love leaving him full of despair. "Sweet Compromise," is a brassy uptempo blues with slashing guitar followed by another blues, "Tell The Truth," again with more high energy blues-rock guitar. Sharrard impresses by his focused, thoughtful playing as opposed to merely shredding.

There are some really good songs, fervent and moving vocals, excellent guitar as well and first-rate backing and production. This blues traditionalist was quite impressed by this recording. Dedicated to Rich Hall, Butch Trucks, and Greg Allman, Scott Sharrard does their memory proud on "Saving Grace."

A publicist provided my review copy. I have made stylistic changes to this review, which first appeared in the November-December 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 381). Here Scott Sharrard performs "Angeline."

Jontavious Willis Spectacular Class

Jontavious Willis
Spectacular Class
Kind of Blue Music

I became familiar with Jontavious Willis on a blues forum on Facebook. Initially, I watched videos of him performing songs from Frankie Lee Sims and Willie Baker that was astonishing to see someone so young perform and sing with such skill and expressiveness. He is also as much a scholar of the blues as he is a person who is creating his own vision of traditionally rooted blues. His self-produced recording "Blue Metamorphosis" was found to be the Outstanding Self-Produced Blues Album by the Blues Foundation. In the interim period, he has become more prominent and came under the wing of Taj Mahal and Keb Mo with whom he has opened shows. In fact, Taj Mahal is the Executive Producer and Keb Mo the producer of this recording.

As a preface to this review, I did not share the enthusiasm that many had towards Blue Metamorphosis. While enjoying his performances, I was not enthused about the songs and lyrics on most of that. That is not the case with this release. Perhaps it is result of the mentoring and production by Taj Mahal and Keb Mo. Whatever the reason, his song lyrics here strike me as more developed and stronger. This release also has a variety of musical settings for Willis, with some backing him with an ensemble and a couple find him solo. A variety of individuals are heard backing him. The most significant of these are Andrew Alli on harmonica, 'Keb 'Mo on electric guitar, Eric Ramey on bass, Phil Madeira on keyboards and banjo, Martin Lynds or Thaddeus Witherspoon on drums, Roland Barber on trombone and Doug Mosher on clarinet.

The opening "Low Down Ways" is a solid small ensemble blues making use of the "44 Blues" riff with nice organ behind him. "The Blues Is Dead" opens with Madeira's piano before Willis enters on slide guitar as he talks about scratching his head about people saying blues is dead singing that blues ain't going nowhere so long as people have situations and problems on their mind. In addition to a nice piano solo, and Willis' rhythmically charged slide Alli adds some nice harmonica in the tight small group performance. "Resting On My Mind" is another song where he wraps his lyric around a traditional blues musical groove. It is a heartfelt blues lament that is warmly sung with a lovely, clean guitar solo.

Willis takes us to the Delta for "Daddy's Dough," singing about a woman who took his dough and now soured on poor Jontavious. His playing here evokes Willie Brown and there is fine harmonica backing. "Country" is a superb acoustic blues in the manner of Blind Boy Fuller and Buddy Moss in which he celebrates the pleasures of country living. "Long Winded Woman," is a gently swinging performance change of pace with its relaxed pace in the manner of some 40s Bluebird recordings. Mosher's clarinet and Barber's tailgate trombone in the accompaniment contribute to this feel.

"Friend Zone Blues," a lament about a woman who won't take Willis' advances, is spoiled by a heavy-handed drummer who plays with the nuance of a drum machine. This is the only blemish on what is otherwise a terrific recording by a bluesman who may be traditionally rooted but taking the music into the present.

I received as a download from a publicist.  Here is a video of Jontavious and Andrew Alli.

An d here Jontavious performs Frankie Lee Sims' Lucy Mae Blues.

They All Played For Chris Strachwitz

Today, I received a package from Arhoolie Records that included a variety of CDs that I had purchased. The centerpiece of my order was They All Played For Us: Arhoolie Records 50th Anniversary Celebration. This is a coffee-table sized book with 4 CDs of a weekend of music at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley, California that was held to celebrate 50 years of Arhoolie Records that Chris Strachwitz started in 1960, The concerts were a benefit for The Arhoolie Foundation.

The four discs feature over 70 musicians and over 5 hours and 20 minutes of music. Some of the better known performers include Santiago Jimenez, Jr; Ry Cooder, David Doucet, Peter Rowan, Laurie Lewis, Barbara Dane, The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, The Treme Brass Band, Eric & Suzy Thompson, Country Joe McDonald; The Campbell Brothers; Savoy Family Band and Taj Mahal. As can be seen there is plenty of cajun, some blues, some New Orleans Brass Band, Tex-Mex, string-band and blue grass, and more to be heard on this. Nick Spitzer, host of the public radio program, American Routes, served as emcee for the performance.

In addition to the music, the four discs come in a large, coffee table sized hardback 192 page book which contains over 200 photos by Mike Melnyk and commentary by Chris Strachwitz as well as many of the performers who reflect on how they met Chris and what Chris and Arhoolie Records has meant to them. This isn't a formal review, but rather a first impression on what appears to be a truly remarkable package that will be of great appeal to lovers of roots music of all types. This set is dedicated to the late Uncle Lionel Batiste of the Treme Brass Band, who passed away last July, just several months before this was released.

You can order this direct from Arhoolie (at a discount off list-price) and the following web link has more details that I have included here. http://www.arhoolie.com/books/they-all-played-for-us-book-and-4-cd-set-various-artists.html. Arhoolie is also running an internet special if you order three or more items (with some exclusions such as They All Played For Us). Arhoolie's website is www.arhoolie.com which will also contain the link to this book-4CD set. The following you tube video has some sample music and pages (and is also at the website).

Phantom Blues Band Comes Out of the Shadows

Best known as the band that backed Taj Mahal on several award-winning recordings, The Phantom Blues Band finally has a handsome disc of its own, Out of the Shadows (Delta Groove) that will certainly will make even more aware of this superb group.

The seven members of the band have a wealth of experience playing with a who’s who of pop and rock music ranging from keyboard whiz-vocalist Mike Finnigan who was on Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album and toured with Dave Mason to guitarist Denny Freeman who was share guitar duties with Stevie Ray Vaughan before being part of the Antone’s House band and currently is in Bob Dylan’s touring group. Saxophonist Joe Sublett and trumpeter Darrell Leonard are known as the Texacali Horns, guitarist-vocalist Johnny Lee Schell had a lengthy tenure with Bonnie Raitt starting in the late seventies, bassist-vocalist Larry Fulcher had stints with Smokey Robinson and the Crusaders as well as reggae groups Third World and Andrew Tosh while drummer Tony Braunagel has too many credits as a producer to list.

Producer John Porter has let them wax a number of classic R&B numbers with a dash of reggae added that should go down easy. From the opening funk groove of The Meters’ Do the Dirt, the Memphis Hi Records groove of I Only Have Love, the rocking reworking of Don & Dewey’s Big Boy Pete, a fresh reworking of Chuck Berry’s Havana Moon, Fulcher’s handling of a reggae classic, Book of Rules, and solid takes of blues from Jimmy McCracklin, Bobby bland and Ray Charles. Finnigan especially is a terrific vocalist and Schell and Fulcher are very good with some terrific playing (listen to Freeman solo on Part Time Love).

Perhaps the only shortcoming is that this album is the prevalence of covers, although few acts can perform the range of material they do sand at the same time inject the band’s personality into the material. Few will be disappointed in this recording of solid blues and rhythm numbers masterfully played.

This review originally appeared in the May-June 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 293) and I have made some corrections to the published review. I received my review copy from either Delta Groove Records or a publicist for the label.

Here is the Phantom Blues Band doing "Part Time Love" from the 2008 Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.

And here they are with Taj Mahal

Otis Redding's Live Show Dazzled L.A.

Its been over forty years since Otis Redding perished in a tragic plane crash. One of the stars of the R&B circuit, Redding was starting to become a major cross-over artist at the time of his death. He had toured Europe and was a major sensation at the Monterey Pop Festival. The future was looking bright when tragedy struck with a plane crash after a Cleveland, ohio appearance. After his death, besides the release of his biggest recording, “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay,” Atlantic issued “In Person At the Whiskey Au Go Go,” which presented ten performances from a 1966 stint at the famed Hollywood Club (Taj Mahal and the Rising Sons were the opening act). Another dish of Otis from this engagement appeared on LP and then CD. Now Concord has issued a double CD of the last three sets from Otis’ Whiskey appearance, “Live on the Sunset Strip” (Stax). Liner notes by Ashley Kahn provide the context for Otis and his band (that included Katie Webster on keyboards).

With respect to Otis Redding, the music is terrific. What can I say. There are any number of staples of his repertoire from “These Arms of Mine,” I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” the Stones’ “Satisfaction,” “I Can’t Turn You Loose,” “Respect,” and “Mr. Pitiful.” Some of these songs are heard in several renditions like “Satisfaction,” and “Chained & Bound,” and with his strong band, he tears things up. I presume that much of this was issued on the prior two live recordings, but there are some previously unissued tracks, and this reissue presents the compelling performances in the order in was heard by the audience. Over four decades later, Otis Redding’s music remains as gripping as when he performed on the Whiskey’s stage. Obviously those having the earlier reissues may not need this, but others who love “Sweet Soul Music,” will want this.


This was received from the publicity person handling this release.

The Duke Elllington Jazz Festival Is Coming

Starting this Wednesday, October 1 and running until October 7 at various venues in Washington, DC, the favorite son in the Nation's Capital is celebrated with the annual Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. One can catch free jazz at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage or at daytime concerts near the Washington Monument, or catch the annual NEA Jazz Masters Concert at the Lincoln Theatre. That event will have the Duke Ellington Orchestra performing along with the DC Bass Choir with special guest Christian McBride at the Lincoln Theater, Saturday Night October 3, as well as the free Jazz on the National Mall at the Sylvan Theater near the Washington monument, Sunday October 4 with a line-up including Afro Blue, Taj Mahal, Christian Mcbride Quartet, Conrad Herwig Latin Side Project, Mccoy Tyner Quartet, and Dee Dee Bridgewater. DC's jazz clubs like Bohemian Gardens, Blues Alley and Twins will be presenting other jazz giants like Sonny Fortune and Monty Alexander. Here is the link to the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival.

Here are some clips of some of the performers to whet your taste. 1st up is Taj Mahal.



2nd is Christian McBride



Next up is McCoy Tyner



Sonny Fortune is at Twins Friday and Saturday



Finally, Dee Dee Bridgewater