Dave Keller You Get What You Give

Dave Keller
You Get What You Give
Tastee Tone Records

Singer-guitarist-songwriter Dave Keller has put together a special new recording dedicated to raising funds toward enhancing racial justice and equity. Keller, whose mix of soul and blues has earned him acclaim, fans, and friends, is joined by Trudy Lynn, Joe Louis Walker, Annika Chambers, Johnny Rawls, Annie Mack, Dawn Tyler Watson, Brother Bob White, Carly Harvey, Toussaint St. Negritude, Katie Henry, Chad Hollister and others who donated their time and talent for this recording. Even before release, raised over $2,000.00 from pre-orders with "all of which will go directly to groups working for racial justice and equity." The list of recipient groups includes the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Know Your Rights Camp, N'COBRA, and Jus' Blues Foundation.

Separate apart from the fundraising aspect of this album; the performances are stunning. This starts with the opening duet between Keller and Annika Chambers, "One More Tear." It is a superb Memphis soul styled song about two lovers who can't get over each other. The production, the playing, and the singing are exceptional. It sets the tone and standard for this album. More of the same is present in the duet with Carly Harvey, "The Thing We Do," as the two celebrate their love for each other. Another outstanding duet is the title track with Annie Mack with its country-soul flavor. There is an uplifting duet between Keller and Dawn Tyler Watson, "God Is Love/ Love Is Everything."

Among other inspired songs are "The Evil Men Do." This song has a topical lyric about this land be haunted with bodies handing on the tree and lying on the ground under a knee as Annika Chamber, Annie Mack, and Johnnie Rawls add their voices. Ira Friedman adds a stark piano backing, with Tom Palance adding a haunting trumpet solo. Friedman's spare piano also backs Keller's sober vocal on "The Spark." Brother Bob White sings and plays piano on the classic gospel number "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" with Keller adding responsive guitar.

There are other equally stirring performances. These include those with Joe Louis Walker and Katie Henry. Also, Keller's acoustic steel guitar and harmonica support Toussaint St.Negritude on the spoken blues "I'm Gonna Let It Shine," about standing on the banks of tomorrow and pressing for a brighter tomorrow. This number concludes a remarkable recording, one of the finest new recordings I have heard in 2020. "You Get What You Give" is not merely great music but raises money for a great cause.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Dave performs "The Evil Men Do."

Trudy Lynn Blues Come Knockin'

Trudy Lynn
Blues Come Knockin'
Connor Ray Music

A new release from the Houston Blues Queen, has her performing some classic songs along with the title track, which she wrote. On this Rock Romano production, she is supported by Backing Trudy’s vocals on the new disc are musicians Steve Krase – harmonica; David Carter – guitar; Randy Wall, keyboards; Terry Dry – bass; Matt Johnson – drums; Jim Brady – trumpet; and Dan Carpenter – sax; with special guests Bob Lanza and Carolyn Wonderland on guitar.

Lynn is in good voice and the veteran realizes that subtle shifts in timbre or volume make up for forced bellowing and solidly backed throughout she does nice personal renditions of a couple of Big Maybelle recordings, "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show," and "Pitiful." The latter is an especially strong performance and benefits from Bob Lanza's hot guitar and Steve Krase's harmonica embellishments. Lanza is also present on the rollicking rock and roll of the opening track "Blues Ain't Nothin'," which is led off by Krase's harmonica with Wall taking a honky tonk solo while Lanza's guitar is a mix of blues runs and Chuck Berry licks. 

A surprising cover here is of the Three Dog Night here "Never Been To Spain," that displays again how good a singer she is and her mastery of vocal dynamics, with Krase's harmonica also welcome. Horns are present on a strong rendition of Big Bill Broonzy's "When I Been Drinkin'," sung with humor and vitality along with growing trumpet from Jim Brady and Dan Carpenter's booting tenor sax. After a fine cover of Deanna Bogart's "Won't Be Long" (with Wall's boogie inflected piano and Krase's harmonica), this album closes with a heartfelt rendition of Etta James' soulful lament "Would It Make Any Difference To You," with especially fine guitar contributed by Carolyn Wonderland. 

Trudy Lynn sings superbly on this album on a variety of classic songs that have done been done to death. Backed by some fine players, she has produced another notable blues recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist.  Here is a recent performance by Trudy Lynn.

Trudy Lynn Sings the Blues for You

Trudy Lynn
I’ll Sing the Blues for You
Connor Ray Music

Houston vocalist Trudy Lynn has to these ears been an under appreciated blues and soul vocalist. She has appeared in various contexts including the big blues band of the late Calvin Owens. Her latest album features her unique takes on songs from ‪Big Mama Thornton‬, Lowell Fulson, ‪Memphis Minnie‬ and Johnny Copeland, among others, as well as the funky original, “Thru Chasin’ You.” Backing Trudy on the new album are a tight small group comprised of label president Steve Krase on harmonica, David Carter on guitar, Terry Dry on bass, Randy Wall on keyboards and Matt Johnson on drums.

There is a good selection of material starting with the rollicking rollicking down home feel of her interpretation of a lesser known Big Mama Thornton number "Alright Baby," with Krase's harmonica along with Wall's piano adding to the fun. The Lowell Fulson hit "Black Night" has a different tenor to it with a nice guitar solo by Carter and restrained backing for her nuanced vocal. "Honky Tonk Song" is a song Koko Taylor recorded on one of earliest Alligator albums. Lynn's rendition is a bit cooler but equally satisfying. Other notable selections include her small group reworking of (and powerful vocal on) Big Maybelle's "Ramblin' Blues" with Krase's horn like harp solo.

After her jaunty reworking of Memphis Minnie's "Kissin' in the Dark," the album closes with an instistent vocal on Johnny Copeland's "Down on Bended Knee," where she begs her man to please come back to me. A solid performance that ends another solid recording by this Houston blues queen.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video of Trudy performing.

Tinner Hill Blues Salutes Blues Divas June 10 at State Theatre

The Tinner Hill Blues Festival returns to Falls Church on the weekend of June 10 through 12 with a exciting program of Blues and Gospel. Among the artists to be presented is a Friday evening show at The State Theatre with the legendary Mabel John, a full day of blues on Saturday at Cherry Hill Park with former Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker sideman Mac Arnold and keyboard wizard Victor Wainright. On Sunday there will be an Old Fashioned Blues Gospel Concert and Picnic at the Tinner Hill Historic Site.

This entry focuses on Friday night's State Theatre Concert-A Salute To Blues Divas which in addition to Mabel John, also will present Trudy Lynn and Gaye Adegbalola and the Wild Rutz. The show starts at 8:00PM with Doors opening at 7:00 PM.

Mabel John was for many years the lead singer with the Raylettes who supported Ray Charles. She was the brother of Little Willie John and was one of the first act to have a recording on the Motown subsidiary, Tamla label. After several years with the Raylettes, she was signed to Stax where she recorded her hit "Your Good Thing Is About To End," and other songs like "Able Mabel," and "You're Taking Up Another Man's Place."  After another stint with the Raylettes, she retired from secular music although in recent years she has established herself as an actress and still appears at Festivals  (including the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival in 2011 and the 2015 Ponderosa Stomp) where she still wows audiences. It is a real coup for the Tinner Hill Blues Festival to present this musical legend.

Houston's Trudy Lynn is a big-voiced blues and soul vocalist whose career bgan in groups and clubs in Houston. In the 1960's she sang with guitarist Albert Collins and then later, Clarence Green. Her recording career began in 1989 with the Ichiban label. Her album "Trudy Sings the Blues" had riveting renditions of "Ball & Chain" and "Come To Mama." After Ichiban folded she recorded " U Don't Know What Time It Is" for Ruf Records which had Lucky Peterson's keyboards and Bernard Allison's guitar. In more recent years she was associated with the late Calvin Owens orchestra, appearing on his recordings and his Orchestra backed her for the Blues Music Award Soul-Blues Nominee "I'm Still Here." Her most recent recording is the terrific "Royal Oaks Blues Cafe" from 2014. About that recording I wrote, "The closing Whip it To A Jelly further displays how nuanced a singer Lynn is as she brings out humor and wit of Clara Smith’s lyrics, Many blue singers today would come across as emotive or heavy-handed singing this. Her ability to convincingly deliver so many shades of blues makes 'Royal Oaks Blues Café' such a terrific recording."

Many will know Gaye Adegbalola from the trio, Saffire- the Uppity Blues Women, which she was such an integral part of for several decades. With the demise of Saffire, Gaye has formed a unique vocal group, Gaye Adegbalola & the Wild Rūtz whose first recording "Is It Still Good to Ya?," has been nominated for a Blues Music Award for acoustic blues album. Her website describes the music as "In this world of screaming electrified instrumental acrobatics and digital perfectionism, this CD delights in returning to our RUTZ! It celebrates the Creator's primary instruments: THE VOICE and THE BEATS. 4 unique voices combine with percussion and occasional guitar to add a previously unrecorded dimension to the blues. All 14 songs are Gaye's originals." Along the powerful blues and soul of Trudy Lynn and Mabel John, this will make the State Theatre on June 10, a night with the Blues Divas you will not want to miss.

For more information, including ticket information, visit tinnerhill.org.

Trudy Lynn - Royal Oaks Blues Café

Has it really been over seven years since Trudy Lynn had a new recording out. Connor Ray Music issued Royal Oaks Blues Café, her first recordings since she recorded I’m Still Here (Sawdust Alley 2006) with the late Calvin Owens and his Blues Orchestra. The Houston based Lynn was among a number of artists who first came to folks attention on the Ichiban label and then for Ruf, Jus Blues and Sawdust Alley before this new recording.

The album cover bills this as Trudy Lynn featuring Steve Krase, and Krase’s harmonica is featured throughout. The studio band on most of this is guitarist John Del Toro Richardson, pianist Randy Wall, bassist Eugene ‘Spare Time’ Murray, and drummer Carl Owens. Its a solid small combo that contrasts with the Owens Blues Orchestra that supported her on her last album, and while the backing lends some difference in the mood perhaps, Trudy Lynn comes off as sassy and powerful as before.

She certainly benefits from a good mix of material from her strong rendition of the Jay McShann-Walter Brown blues standard Confessin’ The Blues, on which Krase and Richardson impress with their strong playing behind Lynn whose vocals display a clarity in phrasing and an expressive range (from a whisper to a shout). Wall’s piano kicks off the cover of a Bobby Bland recording, Play the Honky Tonks. Street Walkin’ Daddy benefits from the laid back backing with Richardson evoking the likes of Clarence Holliman and Pete Mayes behind Lynn’s soulful vocal. The tempo is boosted a few notches on the jump blues Red Light, while Lynn caresses the lyric of I’m Gonna Put You Down (“Did you ever wake up in the morning with your mind running two different ways”). Then she changes her attack for the jubilant celebration of Beale Street and the blues on the rollicking shuffle Down in Memphis.

There is fine Richardson guitar on the relaxed Effervescent Daddy with a choice harmonica solo as well. The closing Whip it To A Jelly further displays how nuanced a singer Lynn is as she brings out humor and wit of Clara Smith’s lyrics, Many blue singers today would come across as emotive or heavy-handed singing this. Her ability to convincingly deliver so many shades of blues makes Royal Oaks Blues Café such a terrific recording.

I purchased this. Here is a short video of the making of Royal Oaks Blues Café.

Trudy Lynn Is Still Here

Trudy Lynn got notice with her marvelous soulful blues recordings on the Icihban label but since that label’s demise her recordings have been less frequent. She appeared on some of trumpeter-bandleader Calvin Owens project, had a CD on Ruf, but her new album on Owens’ Sawdust Alley Records, proclaims I’m Still Here. With a variety of guests including clarinetist Michael White, guitarists Guitar Shorty and Clarence Holliman and zydeco accordionist, Jabo, this disc is compiled from sessions over several years.

Against Owens Big Band backing Lynn displays why she is such a highly regarded vocalist. She has a powerful voice but convinces with her command as a singer who can handle a soft ballad as she can blast out a jumping number. She certainly ranks at the top of any list of contemporary women blues vocalists. Unfortunately too much of the material here consists of generic blues songs about swinging or Trudy being a Blues Singing Woman. The material is not as strong as the authority which with Lynn invests her performances.

Lynn’s own song, which provides the album with its title, is stronger as she reflects on her life as a performer and a blues singer and her struggle to keep carrying on. Hands Off My Woman is one of two vocals by trumpeter Nelson Mills. It is an OK number but this is this is Trudy’s album and why do I want to here some gentleman singing about his woman is his property even if he loves her. Saturday Night is an instrumental where Owens takes his only solo here and Michael White is also featured.

Since I Found You is one of the better songs here, a soul-ballad whose lyric matches Lynn’s vocal. Another good number is Left Me Singin’ the Blues about a man who left her with Charles Davis contributing a nice solo. A bit of big band zydeco can be head on Boogie Woogie Gumbo, another instrumental with a striking solo by the late Clarence Holliman and accordion from Jabo. A real nice track but again, this is Trudy’s album ,and its unfortunate that they did not have a selection of Holliman playing behind Trudy. You’re the Only One is a wonderfully sung love song, while Welcome Home Baby, has a nice lyric of getting past what happened in past while the closing Payin’ the Price has a somewhat quicker tempo for a solid soul-blues performance.

Trudy Lynn is well worth listening to even on lesser material as she has one of those voices and she is one of those singers that could make a phone book a swinging affair.

I believe this is the last album that has been released under Trudy’s name. This review appeared originally in theNovember 2006 DC Blues Calendar, then the newsletter of the DC Blues Society. I received my review copy from either the record company or a publicist handling the release. Here is a video of Trudy doing a well known blues chestnut.