Nancy Wright Playdate!

Nancy Wright
Playdate!
Direct Hit Records/ VizzTone

It was Bob Porter who alerted me to saxophonist Nancy Wright, whose playing on a Blues Cruise deeply impressed him. She has just issued a recording "Playdate!" that was produced by Christoffer 'Kid' Andersen and recorded at his Greaseland Studios. Andersen also contributes guitar with the backing band including Chris Burns on keyboards, Joe Kyle Jr. on bass; J Hansen on drums, Tom Poole on trumpet, and Faris Jarrah on trombone, behind Wright's sax. There are a number of guests here that I will highlight as well, and I take it that Wright takes the uncredited vocals on this.

Listening to Wright's raspy sax (played with plenty of vibrato) I am reminded of Junior Walker and Eddie Shaw, which certainly has an appeal. Certainly, her playing stands out on the rocking reworking of a New Orleans recording 'Why You Wanna Do It," with the fabulous soulful Wee Willie Walker taking the soulful vocal. As a singer, she has a bit of country in her sound but does a solid job of covering Koko Taylor on "I Got What it Takes," which features Tommy Castro on guitar and her own blistering solo. Victor Wainwright adds boogie laced piano to her original rocker "Yes He Do," which she rides out on sax. There is a pretty straight cover Eddie Shaw's "Blues For the Westside" with Joe Louis Walker on guitar while Wright evokes Shaw's heavy vibrato on sax. Lonnie Mack (to who this album is dedicated) was the source of "Been Waiting That Long" that Frank Bey sings, while "Trampled" is a driving Junior Walker-styled instrumental with Jim Pugh on the organ with Andersen taking a terrific Motown inspired guitar solo.

Wright's vocal on the gospel number "Satisfied" has her backed by a gospel choir, while Terry Odabi sings "Warranty," with a choice Wright lyric, followed by a capable vocal on Henry Glover's "Cherry Wine" originally recorded by Esther Phillips for Federal. Elvin Bishop is on guitar for a raspy instrumental take on "There Is Something On Your Mind," that I believe Big Jay would enjoy. Mike Schermer adds guitar to "Back Room Rock," a medium tempo rocker that sports solos from him and Wright and some call and response between them towards the close. "Good Rocking Daddy" is a Wright original, not the Etta James number, and is evocative of some sixties Chicago soul recordings.

Another instrumental, the moody "Soul Blue" with Chris Cain on guitar, closes this album on a strong note. Her sax on this is a bit more nuanced (less vibrato), and the underrated Cain shines as does all the players on this. The musicianship throughout is first-rate, and in addition to the solos, the arrangements are solid and avoid being hackneyed, and the production is up to the high standards expected from Kid Andersen and the Greaseland Studios. There is so much music to enjoy on Wright's "Playdate!"

I received my review copy from VizzTone. This review originally appeared in the September-October 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 368), although I have made a few minor corrections to this review. Nancy Wright has a new recording out and I will be reviewing that shortly. Here is a video of Nancy Wright in performance.

Mighty Mike Schermer Blues In Good Hands

Marcia Ball's guitarist since 2009, Mighty Mike Schermer has played with a who's who of blues and roots acts including most notably Angela Strehli and Elvin Bishop, and recorded with Ball, Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Howard Tate, Sista Monica and many more. He has a new release under his own name, "Blues In Good Hands" (Finedog Records/Vizztone), mostly recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Recording Studios in San Jose, CA, with an A-List of musicians from the Bay Area, CA and Austin, TX music scenes including Paul Revilli, Tony Stead, Steve Ehrmann, Austin Delone, Nancy Wright, Terry Hanck, along with guest appearances by Marcia Ball, Tommy Castro, John Németh, and Carolyn Wonderland. Schermer penned the 13 songs (three in collaboration with others).

Mostly recorded at Kid Andersen's Greaseland Studio, and mixed by Andersen, this varied recording benefits from the uncluttered and clean production of these crisply delivered performances. Schermer displays his many talents on the opening "Baby Don't Stop," with his appealing gritty vocals and keen guitar (there is a nice Hanck solo here) with the rhythm section very tight behind him. While he may have a narrow vocal range, Schermer's understated, unforced singing has considerable appeal appealing. "Heaven's on the Other Side," has a nice lyric about struggling in his everyday with bill collectors and car not running with a catchy hook about not minding to go through hell if heaven is on the other side. Set against a funky vamp, he has a fiery, concise guitar solo. "It's a Pleasure" is a lovely ballad while a reggae groove anchors the peppy "One Tear At a Time," and then there "Wait-On-Me Woman," with Greg Izor's harmonica along with the relaxed shuffle groove.

The title track with Schermer's mix of his own experiences (how seeing Albert Collins perform and  conduct himself, changed Schermer's life, as well as how he and Terry Hanck were affected by Junior Walker's passing),  inspired him to write and perform songs that everyone could understand, that were real which everyone could feel. I usually dislike 'keep the blues alive' songs, but Schermer's lyric and  solid playing make this an exception. "Most People," with twangy guitar and a swampy feel is suggestive of some of Bobby Charles' songs. Marcia Ball adds piano to the rollicking "Barkin' Up The Wrong Tree," while Tommy Castro adds some fiery guitar to the slow blues "Stop Crying," while John Nemeth adds harmonica to the lazy Jimmy Reed groove of "Baby Be Kind."

There is so much to like about this recording. Schermer is a marvelous songwriter, guitarists and a singer with wit and heart. With the strong backing throughout, this is a gem of a recording.

I received my review copy from VizzTone.Here is a video of him in performance.

Tommy Castro's Method To My Madness

 

There might be a "Method To My Madness," the new Alligator album by Tommy Castro & the Painkillers. Castro is a fairly reliable artist bring his husky, slightly gravelly vocals and rocking guitar to a disc with ten originals and a couple of choice covers. The Painkillers of Michael Emerson on keyboards, Randy McDonald on bass and Bowen Brown on drums with Ari Rios on percussion is a pretty well-oiled machine. There are no surprises on this unlike his last album "The Devil You Know," which had a few hard rock tracks that fell flat to these ears.

Castro writes clever songs with an ability to generate a lyrical hook. Certainly the opening "Common Ground," with its call for us to stand together or common ground, band together before we all fall down displays this. The title track is a catchy rocker where he tells this lady that he is blinded with desire for her and there is a method to his pursuit of her. It is followed by a ballad where he sings about having "Died and Gone To Heaven," when he is with the one he loves. The rocker "Got a Lot," has a rocking groove and one could easily imagine this being done by a zydeco band. As good as these songs may be, the wonderfully paced shuffle "Two Hearts," and a cover of the Muscle Shoals soul classic "I'm Qualified" stand out (the latter perhaps having Castro's finest vocal here) stand out as exceptional. Also strong is "Lose Lose," a slow blues that Castro co-wrote with Joe Louis Walker with a nice lyric and terrific guitar.

"Method To My Madness" closes with a rendition of B.B. King's "Bad Luck." Castro toured with King years ago and this solid cover, done in tribute, closes a very appealing recording.

I received my review copy from Alligator. Here is Tommy Castro & the Painkillers live.

Selected DC Area Blues For the Month of April

Otis Taylor will be at Blues Alley

Back when I edited the DC Blues Society’s newsletter, I highlighted what I thought were especially interesting shows. In that spirit, here are a few blues highlights for April.

April 3 - Otis Taylor at Blues Alley. Otis is touring in support of his latest Telarc album “My World Is Gone,” where he has a special guest, Native American guitarist Mato Nanji. This is 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 and the presence of Mato Nanji on this tour is especially welcome. 

April 3 Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Birchmere. The Carolina Chocolate Drops have led the revival of tradition African-American String Band music with an eclectic and delightful repertoire and are making a welcome return to the area.

April 6 Grant Dermody & Rich DelGrosso, perform at a House Concert at the Glassie/Littell House in Bethesda. Grant Dermody is one of the really fine harmonica players out there. Rich DelGrosso is among the few blues players who focus on the blues mandolin, but his talents go way beyond that. Rich and his late wife Maureen played a fantastic concert for the DC Blues Society back in 1990 with the legendary Howard Armstrong where they were joined by Cephas and Wiggins at the end. Email Jeff Glassie at jeffglassie@ gmail.com if interested in attending.

Deanna Bogart will be wailing as part of the
Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue at
the State Theatre. Photo © Ron Weinstock

April 17 Lloyd Jones at the Archie Edwards Blues Barbershop. Portland, Oregon based singer-guitarist has earned a reputation for his funk-drenched urban blues style but is a very gifted songwriter will be making an appearance performing solo at this mid-week show at the Archie Edwards Blues Foundation’s Barbershop. For those who want a preview, check out his excellent 2011 album, “Highway Bound” on Underworld Records.

April 19 The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue at The State Theatre. The popular 

The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue featuring Tommy Castro and the Painkillers, Deanna Bogart, Magic Dick, and Ronnie Baker Brooks makes another appearance at The State Theatre. This popular revue led by Tommy Castro, is an offshoot of the revue which has become a popular feature of the Legendary Rhythm and Blues cruises.

April 20 - Janiva Magness at Bethesda Blues & Jazz Club. Janiva is a marvelous vocalist who brings a clarity as well as plenty of heart to his blues, most currently displayed by her Alligator recordings. On this tour she is supported by a band that includes a superb keyboard player Jim Alfredson.

April 21 - Gary Nicholson at JV’s. Nicholson is amongst the best roots songwriters in Nashville. he is probably best known for his work for Delbert McClinton, but his name is increasingly found in songwriting credits on many new blues and roots releases. He will be on a tour with a band Scott Ramminger is putting together when he performs at the Falls Church venue. 

April 27- Hadden Sayers at Hill Country Barbecue. Hadden Sayers has a knack with words, his vocals ring true and his wonderful guitar playing is complemented by his fine band. He is touring in support of his exceptional new album Rolling Soul. 

Tommy Castro's Commanding Blues Revue

One make suggest that it is presumptuous for a varying traveling blues show to call itself “The Legendary Blues Revue” given that few if any of the performers on it deserve the stature of being a legendary performer. The revue grew out of shows that Castro organized as part of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruises which also included Castro and a varying cast of performers doing some tours as the Revue. While the Legendary is more marketing and reflects the tie-in with the popular Cruise, there are some of the more popular ‘blues artists’ such as Tommy Castro, whose band is the anchor of this revue. This tour has been documented previously on Delta Groove with Command Performance which featured Castro, Deanna Bogart, Magic Dick and Ronnie Baker Brooks. Alligator now brings us Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue -- Live!

On this disc Castro is represented on this the most as a featured performer, while more other performers are featured than the earlier CD, although only for a track by each. Castro opens with some hard rocking numbers from the Cruise, his own Wake Up Call, and Bob Dylan’s Gotta Serve Somebody, with plenty of almost over the top guitar, sax from Keith Crosnan and a tight band. Michael Burks is heard on an extended performance from the Kansas City club, Knuckeheads, of his Voodoo Spell. It sports a solid vocal reflecting Albert King’s influence, a lengthy guitar solo from Burks and a nice piano solo from Tony Stead. Up next is a solid performance by Joe Louis Walker of a song by the late J.J.Malone, It’s a Shame, backed by Castro’s band minus the leader.

Castro is on guitar for Sista Monica’s strong performance of her Never Say Never, perhaps my favorite selection in this CD. More strong piano and organ backing here from Tony Stead. With Kid Andersen on guitar, Rick Estrin provides his own take on a relation gone bad on My Next Ex-Wife. I was pleasantly surprised by the brothers and sister band, Trampled Under Foot with their Fog, that shows they are more than a novelty act. Bassist Danielle Schnebelen is an impressive  vocalist. The old Five Royales classic Think is interpreted by Janiva Magness, perhaps in a rendition more influenced by James Brown’s recording, but the performance doesn’t quite fully jell to these ears. Theodis Ealey takes us down a bit on chitlin circuit with his soulful blues, This Time I Know, followed by strong Debbie Davis performance, All I Found.

There are a couple more performances by Castro to round this album out, with the closing Serves Me Right to Suffer, paying his respects to John Lee Hooker, starting as a slow dirge-like blues before picking up an ‘endless boogie’ groove. Its a fun performance if not a compelling one. It ends over an hour of performances that should appeal to the Blues Cruisers, fans of Castro and of the other artists especially. Alligator also provides web-links of the artists on the cd booklet of the artists that hopefully listeners will explore of artists they get introduced here to.


My review copy was provided by Alligator Records

Take a Sea Cruise With Joe Louis Walker

This is a review of the latest Joe Louis Walker CD from Stony Plain (his third for the label).

One would be hard pressed to find anyone in the past thirty years who has put together a body of recordings as deep and substantial as Joe Louis Walker. Especially his initial recordings on Hightone and then on Verve-Gitanes, Walker has been able to be forward looking as well as rooted in the tradition. Few approach his versatility as both a guitarist and as a vocalist. While his post Verve recordings may not have been on the same level as these earlier masterpieces (and one would be hard-pressed to name a half dozen other recordings the past two decades that approach these blues masterworks), Walker still remains a fervent and quite entertaining performer.

Now on Stony Plains Records, Walker has a new release, “Blues Conspiracy: Live on the Legendary Rhythm 7 Blues Cruise,” that he views as a companion to his two volumes of “Live at Slims” and the “Great Guitars,” that both date from the 1990s. This is a live recording taken from January, 2010 performances on the Cruise with most of these performances featuring Walker and his band joined by guest artists who were on the cruise. Walker’s Band included Linwood taylor on guitar,Kevin Burton on keyboards, Henry Oden on bass and Jeff Minnieweather on drums with guest appearances by the likes of Mike Finnigan on organ and vocals; Johnny Winter, Duke Robillard, Tommy Castro, Tab Benoit, and Kirk Fletcher on guitar; Mitch Woods on piano; Curtis Salgado on vocals; Jason Ricci, Kenny Neal and Watermelon Slim on harmonica; Keith Crossan and Deanna Bogart on saxophones; and Tom Poole on trumpet. These tracks all feature guests on the performances with the exception of one. A good number of the performances here are of songs Walker has previously recorded, but several selections seem not to be have been previously waxed.

From a standpoint of a fan, the guests add a dimension of special occasion that does not always translate to an audio recording. Also, the performances may take away from the focus of the performances with some rough edges and perhaps a bit more emphasis on soloing. Generally these pitfalls are avoided, and the performances are quite fine if they do not quite reach the level of the two volumes of “Live at Slims,” arguably among the toughest live blues recordings of the past two decades. Things start off on a solid note on “Slow Down GTO with Mike Finnigan’s organ joining Walker and his band (and its great that bassist Oden, a Boss Talker from 2 decades ago is back with Walker), and followed by “Ain’t That Cold,” where Johnny Winter’s slide embellishes Walker’s fervent singing. Curtis Salgado and Mike Finnigan share the vocals on the OV Wright classic, “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry,” which is enjoyable but slightly messy and frenzied in execution. Tommy Castro and the horn players join in on the rocking rendition of Travis Phillips’ Louisiana rock’n’roller “Eyes Like a Cat.”

Kirk Fletcher adds some nice guitar to the rendition of Lowell Fulson’s “Ten More Shows to Play,” but “Born in Chicago,” suffers from too many musical cooks with Jason Ricci, Nick Moss and Paris Slim adding solos for a performance that seems longer than it should have. In contrast, “Sugar Mama,” with Watermelon Slim added on harmonica, is the longest track, but allows Walker to stretch out for some inspired playing along with Slim’s nice harp on a performance that seems to take little time at all. Kenny Neal joins on “A Poor Man’s Plea,” adding some Slim Harpo flavored harmonica on Junior Wells’ “A Poor Man’s Plea.” “Its a Shame,” is the track showcasing Walker’s band and Linwood Taylor is featured on guitar here, followed by another jam as pianist Mitch Woods and guitarists Tab Benoit and Paul Nelson join Walker for “747.” Even if not as tight as Walker’s earlier takes on this song, this track is fun way to close this recording and certainly, warts and all, is a worthy addition to his considerable body of music that he has graced us with for such a lengthy period.


My previous reviews of Joe Louis Walker's Stony Plain CDs on this blog are of "Witness to the Blues" and "Between A Rock And The Blues."





For purposes of FTC regulations, the review copy was supplied by the publicity form for the record company.

Are The Blues Music Awards a Fan Award

The Blues Foundation like to call the Blues Music Awards (formerly the Handy Awards) the Music's Most Prestigious Awards, yet unlike other major music awards such as the Grammies or the Country Music Awards, the Blues Music Awards are not limited to industry personal but anyone who is willing to pay the dues to be a member can vote for the BMAs. And apparently vote for their favorite performers and stuff the ballot as opposed to vote for the best recording or artist viewed in a mythical more detached manner.

Tommy Castro was winner for Entertainer of the Year as well as his disc, Painkiller, was selected Contemporary Blues Album of 2008. On his website, Castro writes (with the bolded italics added by me),

"Hey everybody,
It was a great night in Tunica, Mississippi for me and the band. I really want to thank everyone who took the time to vote for us. I say "us" because "Painkiller," of course, was a group effort. I had a lot of help. And I wouldn't be much of an entertainer without a kick-ass band behind me either. So I share these awards with everyone who had a part in the making of "Painkiller" and all those who are involved in keeping this band working and doing what we do best, which is performing live. I realize a lot of you joined The Blues Foundation so you could cast your votes. It's a fine organization and I think you will enjoy your membership.
Thanks again,
Tommy"

I do not mean to belabor the point but the notion of artist's soliciting votes raises questions of just how prestigious the BMAs really are.

BTW here is my review of Painkiller as it appeared in Spring 2007.

"The popular Tommy Castro has a new Blind Pig disc, Painkiller, that certainly appear for his pop-soul-rock-blues songs that certainly go down easy with some nice singing and playing as well as catchy pop-like songs. Song’s like Mike Schermer’s Big Sister Radio (which certainly will appeal to much of Castro’s audience) and Castro’s Goin’ Down South (with a nice Crescent City flavor to the groove on a song that would be at home on contemporary country radio) have lyrics with nice hooks and are nicely delivered by Castro who is a very good singer and guitarist, with a solid band backing him (although Castro’s sax player Keith Crosnan comes off at times like a Clarence Clemons clone) Coco Montoya guests on a nice reworking of Albert Collins’ A Good Man Is Hard to Find, with fine singing and fretwork from the two. The last number, It Ain’t Easy Being Me, David Maxwell providing a barrelhouse blues piano background behind Castro’s amiable vocal ending a varied and extremely entertaining set."

While I liked Painkiller, it did not make my list of Outstanding Blues of 2007. Click on that link for the list of 2007 blues CDs I believe are superior to Mr. castro's entry.