Hiromi and Edmar Castaneda Live in Montreal

Hiromi and Edmar Castaneda
Live in Montreal
Telarc

Recorded at the 2017 Montreal Jazz Festival, this new release brings together the Japanese pianist/composer and the Colombian harpist. The two first met when the harpist opened for Hiromi's Trio project at the 2016 Festival. Catching each other's set, they were enthralled with each other's music. Hiromi herself recalled, "I didn't really know what to expect. When I heard Edmar play I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. It was a jaw-dropping experience. I didn't realize the harp could create such rhythm and groove." Castaneda had a similar reaction to her music observing, "The energy that she produced was the same as I like to play. I realized that we share the same passion for our instruments.”

The pair first played together for a week at the Blue Note in New York City, and they recall the almost instantaneous chemistry that happened and evident in these Montreal performances starting with Castaneda's "A Harp in New York" where they move from tranquility to propulsive drive with their mix of virtuosity and melodic invention and their playing off each other with Castaneda playing harp almost like a manic finger-style guitarist with his flamenco accents, and driving chording complemented by Hiromi's dazzling arpeggios as the two shift tempos and feeling. On his tribute "For Jaco," the two play with each other at the lower register of their instruments before joining in a playful romp in tribute to the bass legend. Hiromi's lovely "Moonlight Sunshine," written in response to the devastating tsunami and earthquake suffered by her native Japan in 2011, exhibits the lyrical side of both before an exhilarating romp through a composition from "Star Wars," John Williams' "Cantina Band," sort of a boogie woogie on hyperdrive.

The centerpiece of the performance was a four-part suite Hiromi composed, "The Elements," that was written specifically with his jazz approach to harp in mind. She explained, "“I was imagining Edmar’s sound and it reminded me a lot of sounds in nature.” Each part imaginatively reflects its subject: the weightless of “air,” the gritty, deep-rooted groove of “earth,” the shimmering fluidity of “water,” the roiling simmer of “fire.” And the four parts each have their own flavor, the light, dancing quality of "Air"; the rumbling undercurrent to "Earth"; the tranquility of "Water"; and the heated intensity of "Fire."

Their inspired playing as well as how they complement and interact with the other, results in some brilliant, enthralling performances, that concludes with a vigorous take on Astor Piazzolla's "Liberating," adding fieriness to the romantic core of the tango. "Live in Montreal" is a superb debut of a duet that one hopes to have more to enjoy in the not too distant future.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is the performance of "Fire," from the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Ronnie Earl And Friends

Ronnie Earl
And Friends
Telarc 83537

1- All Your Love; 2 - Rock Me Baby; 3 - I'll Take Care of You/ Lonely Avenue; 4 - Mighty Fine Boogie/ 5 - One More Mile/ 6 - Bad Boy/ 7 - Twenty-five Days/ 8- No More/ 9- Last Night/ 10 - New Vietnam Blues/ 11 - Marie/ 12 - Blue and Lonesome/ 13 -Looking Good. 68:17

Earl, g; Dave Maxwell, p (exc-13); Jimmy Mouradian, b (exc-3, 10, 13); Levon Helm, d (exc. -13); Luther 'Guitar Junior' Johnson, -1, 6 vcl, g; Kim Wilson, vcl, hca - 2, 5, 8, 9, 12; James Cotton, hca - 4, 5, 8; Irma Thomas, vcl -3, 10; Michael 'Mudcat' Ward, b -3, 10; Paul Marrochello, g -10; Tim 'Juice' O'Connor, g -10. Woodstock, NY. Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1, 2000.

This is an all star session led by guitarist Ronnie Earl on Telarc. Those heard on this include Luther’ Guitar Junior’ Johnson, Levon Helm, David Maxwell, Irma Thomas, James Cotton and Kim Wilson for a program of blues mostly performed in the Chicago blues vein. While several recent albums have displayed Earl’s very interesting fusion of jazz and blues, this album marks a return to a straight blues setting.   Earl is joined by an excellent band that includes piano from Dave Maxwell and drums by Levon Helm of The Band.  Vocals are shared by Kim Wilson, Luther ‘Guitar Junior’ Johnson and Irma Thomas. In addition to several tracks featuring both of their harmonicas, there is a harmonica duet by Wilson and Cotton.

Dave Maxwell strongly evokes the spirit of Otis Spann on his feature "Marie." Two instrumentals serve to spotlight Earl, one being the short closing rendition of Magic Sam’s "Lookin’ Good." Luther Johnson contributes a top notch version of Magic Sam’s "All Your Love." Irma Thomas does a wonderful rendition of Bobby Bland’s "I’ll Take Care of You," which segues into Ray Charles’ "Lonely Avenue."  Her other vocal is "New Vietnam Blues," a updating of Junior Wells’ recording, "Viet Cong Blues," reflecting the social changes of the past three decades.  Kim Wilson shines as a vocalist on "Rock Me Baby" and James Cotton’s "One More Mile," one of the titles that have both Cotton and Wilson on harmonica.

There is terrific playing throughout, whether the interplay between the harmonicas of Cotton and Wilson on "Mighty Fine Boogie," Earl’s evocation of Mel Brown and Buddy Guy on the Irma Thomas vocals, and Maxwell’s consistently solid piano. There are a couple places where Earl’s playing strikes one as a bit busy (particularly "All Your Love"), but his playing never overwhelms the vocal. And Earl quite capably plays the supportive role on the tracks with Cotton and Wilson, adding some nice fills. This is quite an enjoyable blues album.

This review was written for Cadence from who I wrote this review in 2001. I have inserted paragraph breaks. Here is Luther 'Guitar Jr." Johnson and Ronnie Earl performing together.

Trampled Under Foot Badlands

I had been aware of Trampled Under Foot, a trio of siblings, but had not heard their music until the new Telarc CD, Badlands. Comprised on Denise Schnebelen on bass and vocals) and brothers Nick (guitar and vocals) and Kris (drums and vocals), the present release is produced by Tony Braunagel of The Phanton Blues Band (who also adds percussion), recorded by Johnny Lee Schell and Mike Finnigan of The Phantom Blues Band plays keyboards. 

I won't say that the songs on Badlands are stunningly original (though there is nothing poor about them (or that this sibling trio are innovators). However, listening to Danielle on the opening Bad Bad Feeling, I became impressed by not simply the strength and authority of her singing but the strong support her brothers and Finnigan provide as she sings about her lover's infidelity. Her brothers are pretty able singers as well, if not quite as striking as Danielle who credibly covers James Brown's It's a Man's Man's Man's World, along with other originals. The songs are solid, intelligent and well constructed, and the performances are focused and robust.

The name Trampled Under Foot may be inspired by Led Zeppelin, but the music on Badlands is a strong dose of blues with some soul seasoning with no heavy metal trappings. I definitely will check out their prior recordings and look forward to hearing more by them.

This was a purchase.  Here is the official video for Bad Bad Feeling.

Otis Taylor's World Is Gone

Otis Taylor has received considerable acclaim for his various recordings over the years. Regularly his recordings are highly rated by DownBeat for example and he is a favorite of the DownBeat Critics’ Poll. His so-called ‘trance blues,’ employs simple repeated motifs over which he tells his stories (often in a topical vein) while he and his band members add musical embellishments. The music is generally evocative and haunting. 

His latest Telarc album is My World Is Gone, where he has a special guest, Native American guitarist Mato Nanji, along with Anne Harris on fiddle, Larry Thompson on drums, Shawn Starksi on bass, Brian Juan on keyboards and Ron Miles on cornet, on an album whose songs are centered on the travails Native American’s have suffered as their traditional world has vanished, probably never to return. Against the rhythmic core, Taylor sometimes on electric banjo, mandolin and guitar, Nanji on lead guitar, Harris and Miles add embellishments and solos that enhance the mood of the specific song. It is particularly a delight to listen to Ms. Harris wonderful playing. Those who have seen Taylor live with Harris in the band know the exuberance and excitement she visually contributes which can lead one to miss just how good a fiddler she is and how much her fiddle contributes aurally and not simply visually.

Otis Taylor at 2012 Pennsylvania Blues Festival

This is most directly addressed in the title selection and its a strength of Taylor and Nanji that this opening selection conveys the sorrow of old ways having passed and some of the consequences without the song becoming an overstated polemic. Harris’ fiddle enhancing the mournful tenor of Taylor’s vocal while Nanji adds tight guitar runs. A crisp walking groove permeates Lost My Horse, where a navaho loses his horse from having drank too much (I done lost my horse, I surely lose my mind) whereas Miles floating cornet adds to the atmosphere developed on Huckleberry Blues, where Taylor sings about being stalked by his female neighbor. Sand Creek Mourning is a stark number that recounts a US army massacre of peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians with Nanji’s guitar and Miles cornet adding to the gloomy feel instilled by the ostinato played by Taylor on banjo and rhythm section. 

Blue Rain in Africa has the haunting line about seeing the white buffalo on the television while there must be blue rain in Africa because that is what he saw on television. Nanji’s tonal coloring here is quite impressive. “Never Been To The Reservation” has a lyric about the man living in luxury oblivious to the hardships as he contrasts babies sleeping on to the grown to the gentleman drinking champagne and eating caviar. Coming With Crosses, is a somber recollection of a young man recounting his mother’s murder by cross-burning riders of the night, with Harris’ fiddle embellishments over the banjo centered accompaniment.

My Home Is Gone is one of Taylor’s most moving recordings with deceptively simple, stark and understated performances of his songs that convey the tragic times Native Americans have endured better than simple polemic lyrics would. It is certain to gather more acclaim to Otis Taylor.

For those living in the Washington DC area, he appears at Blues Alley with special guest Mato Nanji on April 3. Its part of a short East Coast tour that includes Chicago, New York City, Kentucky and Savannah, Georgia. 

I received a review copy from a publicist.  Here is Otis performing Blue Rain in Africa.

Joe Louis Walker In The Morning

 Joe Louis Walker is to me the most important modern blues artist to emerge over the past two decades. I reviewed his debut in Living Blues and have been following and writing his subsequent releases as he moved from Hightone to Verve and then to other labels including Telarc, JSP, Stony Plain and most recently Alligator. Here is a the first part of a review I did of two releases by him that came out in 2002 and that I reviewed in the September 2002 DC Blues Calendar. I believe I received a review copy of In The Morning and possibly the DVD, but I may have purchased the Guitar Brothers.

Few artists have emerged in the blues in the past two decades who have produced as distinguished a body of recordings as Joe Louis Walker. With his relationship to Verve (now Blue Thumb) terminated) he has two very different new discs to choose from, each with a slightly different flavor. 

In the Morning (Telarc Blues) is his debut for that label where he is backed by a studio band that includes G.E. Smith who used to lead the Saturday Night Live Band. Opening with a hot latin groove on You’re About to Lose Your Clown, this disc has perhaps a bittersweet lyrical and melodic flavor. This is not to take anything away from Walker’s typically strong singing and inventive playing. He can rock with the best of them, provide some stunning driving slide, insert some jazz inflections or solid acoustic all the while bring his gospel-rooted soulful singing to the front. 

The title track has a pop melodic tone and the use of a backing vocal chorus as he sings about rising and wiping the tears from his eyes. Joe’s Jump is a shuffle with a lyric about his women telling she loved him, told him a lie before they start to jam but the playing never really seems to find a focus. Much better is Leave That Girl Alone with nice jazzy touches to the playing.

Where Jesus Leads is a nice gospel number with a slightly downhome flavor to its relatively sparse accompaniment. Another highpoint is Strange Loving with a driving rhythm. There is a remake of the Rolling Stones instrumental 2120 Michigan Avenue that I would rather here Walker do with his own band than the band here which sounds a bit too controlled and the performance lacks some focus.

The JSP disc Guitar Brothers with his friend Otis Grand comes across as hotter and sounds more spontaneous. The opening Snake Bit, with Walker playing some nice slide, is followed with a shuffle, Imitation Ice Cream Blues whose lightweight lyric perhaps gets a strong vocal nonetheless.The tight shuffle groove allows the two guitarists to stretch out here. I Like It This Way has the two exchanging licks, Walker playing a phrase with Grand repeating it and Grand echoes Walker’s in a similar fashion. 

Better Off Alone is a Grand original that has the feel of some of Walker’s early albums with some terrific playing as well as Walker with a superb vocal performance. B.B. King’s Friends is one of two instrumentals to showcase the two trading choruses, the other being Bliss Street Blues which also has harp from George Bisharat. A nice R&B groove marks Johnny Guitar Watson’s I’m Getting Drunk as Walker takes a slashing Watson styled solo and Grand takes the song out with Walker joining at the end of this exciting performance. 

Rude Woman is built on an irresistible rock and roll (not hard rock) groove that sounds like it could have been written in the fifties or sixties. One almost expects Chuck Berry to turn up for a solo here. Regal Blues is a tribute to B.B. King with its lyrics invoking one of B.B.’s classic recordings (“It’s my own fault, guess I will blame It on You,” as well as recalling that when he first heard Lucille (BB’s guitar) it knocked him out. While this recording has the flavor of a jam, the empathy between Walker and Grand make this, to these ears, a more satisfactory recording than In the Morning.

In addition, Walker has a performance available on DVD, Live at “On Broadway” on Blues Express. It contains eight very solid performances, both solo and with his band The Boss Talkers along with interview segments talking about the songs and various topics. The music is strong enough that the video of the performance is a bonus. Oddly he has no keyboards in his current band. Definitely worth checking out for those with DVD players. 

Looking Back At Superharps II - A Blues Harmonica Showcase

The following older review is from 2001 and likely was published in the DC Blues Society’s newsletter.

I have not heard Telarc’s initial Superharps session, but it was obviously successful enough for Telarc to follow it up with, Superharps II. The new volume features four blues legends, Chicago blues veterans Carey Bell and Snooky Pryor, and Louisiana blues legends Lazy Lester and Raful Neal (patriarch of the Neal clan). They are backed by a studio band that includes guitarist Kid Bangham and pianist Anthony Geraci.

It is only on the lengthy closing slow instrumental, Harp to Harp that all four play together. Each has at least one track on which they are the sole harp player. Various combination of players are heard on other tracks and all four acquit themselves capably although much of this material has been recorded by them before. Bell is his usual solid performer on a couple Muddy Waters tracks and Junior Wells What My Mama Told Me. I believe Snooky Pryor waxed Shake My Hand on his most recent Blind Pig album, and turns in a superlative performance on the jaunty Let Your Hair Down.

Lazy Lester’s four tracks do a very good job of evoking the classic Louisiana swamp blues sides with his remakes of Strange Things Happen and Blood Stains on the Wall being particularly strong highlights of this. Raful Neal's two selections are worthy additions to his body of recordings.

This is not a harmonica battle, but rather a showcase of four very strong blues personalties who get to showcase their music in the company of some colleagues for a very satisfying album.

Here is Raful Neal.

Here is Snooky Pryor

Luther "Guitar Jr" Johnson Is Talkin' About Soul

Before joining Muddy Waters band, Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson had been a veteran of the West Side Chicago blues scene, playing for a period with Magic Sam and developed a strong style that blended in a strong dose of rhythm and blues flavoring in his music. That element has stayed with Johnson since he pursued a solo career. His new Telarc album, Talkin‘ About Soul, probably gives a stronger emphasis to this aspect of his music.

He is joined by a excellent studio band that includes David Maxwell‘s splendid piano, former Johnny Copeland sideman, Randy Lippincott‘s solid bass and fellow Waters‘ alumni Jerry Portnoy on harmonica. Opening with the title tune, a funky original by Johnson, he does an entertaining, but hardly overwhelming reading of Ray Charles‘ I‘ve Got a Woman which is followed by a solid rendition of Sam Cooke‘s Somebody Have Mercy, which may pale next to Cooke‘s original but is superior to Otis Rush‘s tepid rendition of a few years ago.

Next up is a nice medley of the Isley Brothers‘ It‘s Your Thing with Bobby Rush‘s adaptation of the Isley’s melody, I‘ll Pay You Back, which was a single by Magic Sam that was issued around the time of Sam‘s death. Some down home harp lends a bluesy flavor to the interpretation of Bobby Charles‘ soul ballad of back-stabbing folk, Why Are People Like That, while Johnson does a nice job with Freddie King‘s Lonesome Whistle Blues.

Ramblin‘ Blues is an attractive acoustic flavored number while a medley of You‘ve Got Bad Intentions with Crying Won‘t Help You is a solid blues performance. Suffer So Hard With The Blues is a terrific performance that is fervently sung and played, and suggestive of some of Buddy Guy‘s Chess recordings.

Overall, this is a nice mix of well played material that is sung with heart.

I have made minor revisions in the original review that appeared in the July-August 2001 Jazz & Blues Report.   Here is a video of Luther in performance.

Steady Bob Margolin's All Star Chicago Blues Jam

Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin continues to play in the style of blues he played with Muddy Waters two decades after that legend’s death. He has added to his growing discography with a new Telarc disc , Bob Margolin’s All Star Blues Jam. The disc brings together Carey Bell, Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Willie Smith and Jimmy Lane for renditions of mostly classic blues tunes. It was recorded mostly at the Blues Heaven Studio in Salina, Kansas, and captures the classic Chicago blues sound of Waters and others with Margolin sharing the vocals with Waters band veterans Perkins, Bell, and Willie Smith, and bassist Mookie Brill.


Smith, longtime drummer with Muddy does a first-rate job on Waters’ Country Boy and plays harmonica on the reworking of Juke. Pinetop’s steady piano helps anchor much of this disc along with Brill on bass and Smith on drums. Margolin tackles Johnny Shines’ Brutal Hearted Woman, which he has rearranged the number into a Waters’ styled Chicago blues, but vocally does not come close to Shines’ vocal on the original. Bell is solid throughout whether playing fat chromatic harp behind Smith’s vocal on Always on My Mind, or singing, with his gruff delivery, on the shuffle One Day You’ll Gonna Get Lucky.

Pinetop ably does Robert Nighthawk’s Sweet Black Angel. A live recording of Mean Old Chicago, a song Margolin wrote in memory of Jimmy Rogers, includes some nice guitar from Rogers son Jimmy Lane. Sumlin supports Margolin on Jimmy Rogers’ Last Time and the blues staple Goin’ Down Slow. The album closes with an instrumental rendition of the gospel standard Just a Little Walk With You that Pinetop takes the lead on a simply delivered rendition.


There is a consistency in the performances here. If few are exceptional, the level is still strong which makes for enjoyable listening that will not disappoint fans of classic Chicago blues.

This review originally appeared in the June 2003 DC Blues Calendar and the July-August 2003 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 263). I have made minor stylistic changes. I likely received a review copy from the record label or a publicist for the label.

Robert Lockwood's Solo Blues Mastery

My last post examining some of the classic recordings of Robert Lockwood, Jr., involves two solo recordings. Delta Crossroads was reviewed in the September-October 2000 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 247) while The Legend Live was reviewed in the March April issue (Issue 267). It is ironic because Lockwood, when I met him in 1970, was not very interested in performing in a somewhat archaic musical style. Yet for someone not fond of performing solo, he did make fine recordings in this vein. I have made minor editorial changes from the originally published reviews. Both of these recordings are still in print. 

Delta Crossroads  Robert Lockwood, Jr., remains a national blues treasure who still sounds as fresh and vital today as he did decades ago. Telarc has issued a new cd, Delta Crossroads, which is surprising in that it is a solo acoustic album with Robert rendering fine performances of a number of his stepfather, Robert Johnson’s songs, along with several other blues standards and some of his own originals. This is not his first album as an acoustic blues performer. He recorded Plays Robert & Robert on a French label which since has been reissued in the US on Evidence. Lockwood has included tracks on prior albums in this vein. Robert has recorded most of these songs in the past, although perhaps under different titles. For example, his This Little Girl of Mine was recorded with his band as Hold Everything on Lockwood’s first Trix album and this writer is familiar with other renditions by him of most of the Robert Johnson songs. Johnson’s 32-20 Blues that opens this album may be the one song I have not heard him record before, but he recorded Dust My Broom even prior to Elmore James, although it never got issued, and he did Rambling on My Mind on his Steady Rolling Man album for Delmark. Lockwood plays with his usual skill and sings straightforwardly and without any artifice. Its nice to hear renditions of performances of such classics he regularly performs as C.C. Rider and Leroy Carr’s Mean Mistreater and In the Evening. The latter number is juxtaposed with a rendition of Love In Vain, which uses the latter tune’s melody. This is beautifully recorded and produced by Joe Harley and is a worthy addition to his growing body of recordings. I hope Telarc (or another label) does not keep us waiting too long for a full album of Robert and his great band. The Legend Live This brand-new Robert Lockwood, Jr. album on MC Records, The Legend Live, is a solo performance recorded at The Rhythm Room in Phoenix last July. There is little in the way of surprises in the material covered, which ranges from a quartet of Robert Johnson songs (including Sweet Home Chicago, Love in Vain and Rambling on My Mind), and several blues standards including Leroy Carr’s How Long Blues and In the Evening, plus Johnny Temple’s Big Legged Woman. Lockwood was a sideman when Roosevelt Sykes waxed Feel Like Blowin’ My Horn for Delmark, and he brings a bit of panache to this along with the swing classic Exactly like You. Having played the twelve string nearly thirty years, it is no wonder that he is able to get such a distinctive sound to match his unique, sophisticated playing while his vocals give no indication that he was 88 when he recorded this. This is another excellent addition to his discography. It’s two bad that the wonderful live Japanese recordings he made with the Aces in the 70’s, along with a superb 90’s Japanese album are currently unavailable in the US, but this will have to suffice for those wanting a document of his marvelous live performances. Tomorrow, I will post the obituary I wrote of Robert Lockwood Jr., after his passing. I likely received review copies for these from Jazz & Blues Report.

Mighty Sam's Mighty Soul & Blues

This is a review I wrote in late 2001 that appeared in the DC Blues Calendar. Mighty Sam remains such a great voclaist it is well worth calling your attention to today.

Since his “rediscovery,” the former deep soul legend Mighty Sam McClain has slowly developed a following with a number of very fine releases, the latest of which, Sweet Dreams, has been recently released on Telarc. McClain certainly stands as one of the finest singers working in the soul-blues vein, with a delivery and voice that should appeal to fans of Bobby Bland. McClain also wrote many of these tunes, exceptions being the soulful transformation of the title track which is one of the tunes country legend Patsy Cline is best identified with and the Staple Singers’ hit Respect Yourself. With a solid band anchored by Bruce Katz on piano and Barry Seelen on the B-3 and a solid horn section, McClain belts out a variety of tunes with standouts including the country-flavored ballad Learn How to Love You Again, and Nothing But a Feeling, a nice slow blues with nice solo breaks for tenor saxophonist Chuck Langford and pianist Katz. While capable of belting out a lyric with the best of them, what makes McClain so special is that he delivers the songs so soulfully without shouting the lyrics except for emphasis. Perhaps some of the tunes are somewhat generic shuffles and slow blows and the horns play somewhat generic riffs, but McClain is one of those vocalists that one would not mind listening to sing about anything.