Chickenbone Slim Sleeper

Chickenbone Slim
Sleeper
Lo-Fi Mob Records

A few years back, I reviewed Chickenbone Slim's Album, "The Big Beat." I characterized it as "a most entertaining album of gritty performances that evoke the golden period of the fifties and sixties blues." Slim, real name, Larry Teves, returns with this collection of blues and blues-roots songs. His vocals and guitar are backed by Scott Smart on guitar, Troy Sandow on harmonica, Andrew Crane on bass, and Marty Dodson on drums. This was recorded by Kid Andersen at his Greaseland Studios. Andersen also is a guest here, along with Laura Chavez and Joey Harris.

There are a number of musical sources to be heard here from West Coast jump blues to raunchy rockabilly. The ambiance of these performances goes back decades. There is the Johnny 'Guitar' Watson slashing guitar that opens "Vampire Baby." On this song, Slim sings about being a vampire who roams at night to find someone to satisfy his appetite. "Tougher Than That" is a rockabilly-flavored flavored number in the manner of some of Jay Miller's swamp-pop recordings. "The Ballad of Dick" has a Johnny Cash styled groove. Another rockabilly flavored number "Ride" comes off like an unrecorded Carl Perkins song. On these tracks, Sandow displays his harmonica talent.

The title, "Strolling With Chickenbone," suggests it as a homage to T-Bone Walker. However, Slim's buoyant fretwork owes much to Pete 'Guitar' Lewis as well. A different mood is present for "Helpless," an acoustic folk plea, with a twangy electric guitar break. "Dignity' is a nicely rendered straight blues before the album closes from the ominous swamp grooves of "These Things Happen." While this recording is more rockabilly-country, and less blues than "The Big Beat," the music on "Sleeper" has many of the same qualities that made that recording such a rewarding listen. Chickenbone Slim has produced another album that blues and roots enthusiasts will find much to dig into.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is "Dignity" from the album.

Chickenbone Slim Sleeper

Chickenbone Slim
Sleeper
Lo-Fi Mob Records

A few years back, I reviewed Chickenbone Slim's Album, "The Big Beat." I characterized it as "a most entertaining album of gritty performances that evoke the golden period of fifties and sixties blues."  Slim, real name, Larry Teves, returns with this collection of blues and blues-roots songs. His vocals and guitar are backed by Scott Smart on guitar, Troy Sandow on harmonica, Andrew Crane on bass, and Marty Dodson on drums. This was recorded by Kid Andersen at his Greaseland Studios. Andersen also is a guest here, along with Laura Chavez and Joey Harris.

There are a number of musical sources to be heard here from West Coast jump blues to raunchy rockabilly. The ambiance of these performances goes back decades. There is the Johnny 'Guitar' Watson slashing guitar that opens "Vampire Baby." On this song, Slim sings about being a vampire who roams at night to find someone to satisfy his appetite. "Tougher Than That" is a rockabilly-flavored flavored number in the manner of some of Jay Miller's swamp-pop recordings. "The Ballad of Dick" has a Johnny Cash styled groove. Another rockabilly flavored number "Ride" comes off like an unrecorded Carl Perkins song. On these tracks, Sandow displays his harmonica talent.

The title, "Strolling With Chickenbone," suggests it as a homage to T-Bone Walker. However, his buoyant fretwork owes much to Pete 'Guitar' Lewis as well. A different mood is present for "Helpless," an acoustic folk plea, with a twangy electric guitar break. "Dignity' is a nicely rendered straight blues before the album closes from the ominous swamp grooves of "These Things Happen." While this recording is more rockabilly-country and less blues than "The Big Beat," the music on "Sleeper' has many of the same qualities that made that recording such a rewarding listen. Chickenbone Slim has produced another album that blues and roots enthusiasts will find much to dig into.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a recent video of Chickenbone Slim in performance. His website is www.chickenboneslim.com.

Alabama Mike Hip You To My Blues

Alabama Mike
Hip You To My Blues
Big Tone Records

It was a surprise to learn about a new release by Alabama Mike (real name Michael A. Benjamin) on Big Jon Atkinson's new label. Alabama Mike's earlier recordings, such as those with The Andy T Band in 1997's "Double Strike," often displayed a gospel-rooted vocal style in the manner of Little Johnnie Taylor. This new release finds him in a down-home blues vein with a dose of Lightnin' Hopkins flavor along with some tracks that evoke early 50s Chicago flavor. This recording reflects Alabama Mike's long-burning desire to "do a record in the classic style of early electric blues pioneers… ." The backing musicians on this set of retro blues include Kim Wilson on harmonica, Big Jon Atkinson guitar, Danny Michel on guitar, Troy Sandow on bass, Kedar Roy on bass, Joe Lempkowski on harmonica, June Core on drums, Malachi Johnson on drums, Robert Welsh on keyboards, on retro-sounding performances.

Alabama Mike certain invests his vocals with intensity and soul. The Lightnin' Hopkins influence can best be heard on the opening "Black Cadillac" (with Atkinson on guitar) as well as the revival of Hopkins' "Hello Central" with Danny Michel on guitar, Kim Wilson on harmonica and Marty Dodson on drums lending the performance a swamp blues flavor. Danny Michel also channels Hopkins guitar on the swamp blues "California Blues," with choice Joe Lempkowski harmonica accompaniment.

A reworking of John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson's "Cut That Out" sounds as a down-home version of Junior Wells fifties recording. Kim Wilson is on harmonica, Atkinson on guitar and Dodson on drums. Welsh provides the greasy organ on "Diabetic Man" with Wilson on the harp. On "How You Want Your Rollin Done," Atkinson plays some excellent T-Bone Walker styled guitar. On Big Bill Broonzy's "I Feel So Good," Alabama Mike delivers a strong vocal in the manner of Muddy Waters with J.B. Hutto styled slide guitar in the backing. "Keep My Grave Clean" is an ingenious band reworking of what was Blind Lemon Jefferson's most famous recording, while the cover of J.B. Hutto's "Too Much Alcohol" sticks close to the arrangement of Hutto's Delmark recording.

A moody rendition of Willie Love's "V-8 Food" with Atkinson and Welsh closes a release of notable down-home blues performances. There are a couple of times the backing may be a tad skeletal, but Alabama Mike's singing and the idiomatic support result in a most entertaining blues album.

I purchased this. Here is Alabama Mike performing "Let Me Hip You To My Blues."

Big Jon Atkinson's House Party

House Party At Big Jon's, a new Delta Groove release by Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore is a rollicking traditional blues recording featuring the 26 year old Atkinson, who plays and sings with an authority of someone much older, and veteran harmonica master Bob Corritore, who was producing classic blues recordings before Atkinson entered this world. The two are supported by a variety of players including guitarist Danny Michel, bassist Troy Sandow, and drummers Malachi Johnson, Brian Fahey, and Marty Dodson. Recorded at Big Jon's home studio with vintage equipment, these originals and choice covers capture the sound of vintage recordings from Chess, Excello and Trumpet. Adding spice are guest appearances by Dave Riley, Willie Buck, Alabama Mike and Tomcat Courtney, providing their well seasoned voices.

Thee are many pleasures to listen to here, from the swamp blues meets Sonny Boy Williamson ambience of Atkinson's opening "Goin' Back To Tennessee," and his own evocation of a classic Jay Miller recording on another original "It Wasn't Easy," followed by a rocking swamp blues penned by Miller, "She's My Crazy Little Baby," that almost sounds like an unissued Lonesome Sundown recording. Corrritore's "Here Comes My Baby," sounds like a Sonny Boy Williamson Chess recording although retro-traditional with Little Walter styled harp. Dave Riley's down-home rendition of Charles Johnson's gospel number "At the Meeting," is followed by a rearrangement of Lightnin' Hopkin's "Mojo Hand" with biting guitar from Atkinson and vocal from Alabama Mike. Tomcat Courtney follows with his own Muddy Waters' styled down-home blues "Mojo in My Bread." 

Atkinson's "Mad About It," is a Muddy Waters styled blues, musically reminiscent of "Tiger in My Tank," with hot slide guitar and some strong Corritore harp while the pair channel the Second Sonny Boy Williamson on "Empty Bedroom." Also nice is a cover of Slim Harpo's "I'm Gonna Miss You Like The Devil," followed by Willie Buck channeling Muddy Waters in his vocal on his "You Want Me To Trust You," and then Dave Riley is more in a Memphis meets Chicago mood on "Mississippi Plow." "El Centro," a harmonica feature set against a Tex-Mex groove, is followed by Willie Buck taking the vocal on a cover of Slim Harpo's "I'm a King Bee," with the band capturing that Baton Rouge groove. 

The recording closes with Alabama Mike channeling Muddy Waters singing Casey Bill Weldon's "Somebody Done Changed The Lock On My Door," as Big Jon evokes Muddy's slide style, and Big Jon letting us know "My Feelings Won't Be Hurt," taken a medium tempo and sung and played with the authority characteristic of the entire House Party at Big Jon's. It was indeed quite a party as they evoke the classic blues sounds of the fifties and the sixties with these excellent performances.

I received a review copy from Delta Groove. While written several months ago, this review was just published in the November-December 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 369), although I have made corrections to the version that appeared there.  Here is a video of them in action.

Nathan James Makes Plenty Out Of It

Nathan James mixes home-made guitars such as his tritar (a three string instrument made out of a washboard and axe handle) and other similar instruments (such as the baritone Washtar, a baritone guitar built over a washboard) with a deep knowledge of early blues styles as well as gospel and 50s to 60s blues and R&B. While he has recorded in a duo format with Ben Hernandez, on his new Delta Groove CD, What You Make Of It, he has his touring band, The Rhythm Scratchers with Troy Sandow on bass and harmonica and Marty Dodson on drums and percussion. James Harman (with whom James toured for three and a half years) plays harmonica on one track while saxophonists Johnny Viau and Archie Thompson are present on two.

It would be easy to look at James and his homemade instruments as a novelty, but he and the Rhythm Scratchers certain get beyond that to present a distinctive style with James’ natural sounding and assured vocals and thoughtful, propulsive playing up front with the rhythm section providing a solid foundation. This is evident on the solid cover of Jimmy McCracklin’s Later On, with the crisp rhythm underlying the vocal. On the next track, the propulsive groove of Get To The Country, on which Sandow wails on harp while James mix hard chords and agile picking, while Dodson adds some rhythmic accents here..

One treat is his reworking of Blind Boy Fuller’s Black Snake Jivin’ with his adept mix of finger picking and rapping the groove on the washboard with kazoo provides a skiffle feel at times. By the way, listening to this number (I am not familiar with Fuller’s original), it was clear that Fuller reworked Eddie Miller’s I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water which has become a blues standard. Miller recorded his song in 1936 and Fuller in 1938. There is a philosophical bent to Make It On Your Own, a soulful ballad nicely sung with more nice harp from Sandow.

James Harman wrote Rhino Horn and he guests on vocal and harmonica is built on a emphatic beat from Dodson while James’ lays down a slide-based backing on the tritar. What’s nice is the space in the performance which is characteristic of the entire recording. James and crew avoid trying the fill every aural space and allows the silences to speak as much as what is played. The rag-tinged Pretty Baby Don’t Be Late, has James on resonator guitar and kazoo with nice finger picking and a solid backbeat from Dodson and followed by Blues Headache, a lazy harmonica feature for Sandow with the bass-toned tritar slide providing a nice contrast. Pain Inside Waltz, found inspiration in cajun fiddle tunes with a poignant vocal. The horns add to the funk groove in James’ interpretation of Bobby Patterson’s “I’m a Slave to You,” on which James has a rollicking solo. The horns are also present for James’ First and the Most, a ballad that has a swamp pop feel to it.


After the insistent Hill Country Blues groove of You Led Me On, this disc concludes with what James calls a Homesick James’ inspired closing instrumental, Tri-Tar Shuffle Twist, with some nice slide that is suggestive of the late Chicago blues legend’s style that provides a fresh take on this style. I was not familiar with Nathan James’ music prior to What You Make Of It, but I was impressed to already acquire one of his prior recordings. There is some seriously good, original blues by Nathan James and The Rhythm Scratchers here.

Delta Groove Records provided me with the review copy. Here is Nathan James Trio at the 2011 Portland Waterfront Blues Festival.