Jonn Del Toro Richardson Tengo Blues

Jonn Del Toro Richardson is likely best known as guitarist with the terrific singer, Diunna Greenleaf. He also collaborated with Rich DelGrosso for a warmly received recording. "Tengo Blues" is a solid new self-produced recording by him that is distributed by VizzTone. This was recorded in Austin and produced by Jonn and Anson Funderburgh, who also plays on three selections. The band backing Jonn includes Nick Connolly on keyboards, Nathan Rowe on bass, Wes Starr on drums and the Texas Horns with Kaz Kazanoff. The leader wrote all 13 songs, with Gary Vincent and Anson Funderburgh each contributing to two songs.

Ax expected from both Del Toro Richardson's playing and the band assembled here, one has some nicely played songs that cover a variety of musical textures and flavors. He comes across as quite an appealing vocalist. A good singer, Del Toro Richardson sings honestly and with heart while laying down plenty of strong guitar. There is an almost Koko Taylor groove for "I'm Her Man," which is a celebration of his guitar as he sings he can make her laugh, cry, moan and sigh. "Love If You Want It," is not the Slim Harpo number but an original that is built on a lazy Jimmy Reed shuffle groove. "Triple Lindig" is a jazzy instrumental (very nice guitar) with Connolly on organ and horns adding to the flavor of this performance and followed by the Tex-Mex flavor of "The Moment" with the Texas Horns adding a mariachi feel along with some superb trumpet.

A Memphis funk groove is present on "Can't Run From Love," with a catchy lyric that "you don't find love, love finds you." "Get Me Back To Texas," one of the songs which Anson Funderburgh is present has a groove that evokes Hound Dog Taylor. "This I Know" is a swamp pop ballad the performance of which sounds like a Gulf Coast adaptation of a Charles Brown number and has a nicely played and paced guitar solo, while "Tell Me Pretty Baby" is updated T-Bone Walker styled jump blues with terrific guitars from both and "Wild Ride" is bluesy rock and roll with Connolly's rollicking piano coming off like Johnnie Johnson.

The title track, "Tengo Blues" is a splendid organ-guitar instrumental with a latin groove that displays Del Toro Richardson's inventive, fiery playing as Rowe and Starr provide a crisp groove with a touch of a latin accent. With solid production and marvelous Performances, "Tengo Blues" is a fine showcase for Jonn Del Toro Richardson's considerable talent.

I received my copy from the record company. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2016  Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 365) on page 16 (you can download the issue at jazz-blues.com), although I have made a few stylistic changes from that review. Here is Jonn Jonn Del Toro Richardson in performance, and if this doesn't knock you out, I do not know what will.

Debbie Davies Takes A Love Spin

 

Debbie Davies has a new release of interest, "Love Spin" (Vizz-Tone). In addition to her usual band mates including her longtime drummer Don Castagno, the album has appearances from Terry Hanck (sax, vocals), Dana Robbins (sax), Dave Keyes (piano) and Jay Stollman (vocals).

No criticisms can be raised about Davies fluid, biting fretwork. She learned a lot playing with the late Albert Collins, and like her former boss, makes use of space, as well as tone, in her fleet improvisations. Her vocals are heartfelt, sung without artifice and ring with conviction. The rhythm section is also on point and provide strong support on tunes like the opening "Life of the Party," a straight-forward boogaloo number with interesting, ironic lyrics. "Let the Heartaches Begin," a duet with Terry Hanck is a superb swamp-pop styled tune with wonderful vocals. There is also Davies fine, precise guitar followed by Hanck's slightly raspy sax.

Vocalist Jay Stollman joins Debbie on the funky R&B flavored "Don't Change It Up" on which Scott Spray guests on bass. There is nice organ coloring Debbie's focused guitar pyrotechnics. "As long as it sets your soul free" she sings against a loping rhythm on "It's All Blues." Davies gets playful on the rocker, "I'm Not Cheatin' Yet," with has a booting Hanck solo. Davies shows her humorous side telling of her man's illusions about being sexy and dreaming of trading Debbie in for "Two Twenty-Five-Year-Olds." She ingeniously incorporates an Eddie Taylor riff into her tune. A jazzy sophistication is exhibited on "A Darker Side Of Me," adding to the variety heard here.

A slide guitar showcase, "Way Back Home," that uses the "Rollin' and Tumblin'" groove to close out this album. There is a nice mix of material on this that Debbie Davies delivers with more than a little panache resulting in another most entertaining recording from her.

I received my review copy from Vizz-Tone. This review appeared originally in Jazz & Blues Report, but I have made significant changes (Most stylistic) from that review. Here is Debbie in performance.

Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers' Love Whip Blues

The Delta Swing is a fine original as Harpe calls listeners out to go swinging from Cambridge to Memphis. It is played with a relaxed groove and features strong harmonica. The rendition of Willie Brown’s Future Blues exhibits the tight ensemble playing supporting Harpe’s vocal although some might find the tempo a bit fast here. Bob Margolin’s slide guitar enhances the fine reworking of Lucille Bogan's The M&O Blues. Good Luck Baby is an original with a bit of reggae flavor.

There is jaunty adaptation of an old William Moore recording, One Way Man, followed by a similarly buoyant rendition of Pick Poor Robin Clean. That was originally waxed by Virginia songster Luke Jordan. Gross adds a mandolin solo and Countryman taking a bass break here. After the call to the dance floor of Virtual Booty Blues, the Delta Swingers perform Charles River Delta Blues, a lovely rendition of William Brown’s Mississippi Blues. This William Brown (solely recorded by Alan Lomax) is a different individual than the Willie Brown of Future Blues who is best known for an association with Son House and Robert Johnson.

Erin Harpe & Jim Countryman performing at the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation

A solid rendition of John Prine’s Angel of Montgomery closes out this most enjoyable recording. Listening to Love Whip Blues, one appreciates why this group has been developing a large following around Boston. In fact, they won the Boston Blues Society’s Blues Battle and will be competing in Memphis at the 2015 International Blues Challenge. One certainly expects more will be heard from them.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. Here are they performing a lovely rendition of Charles River Delta Blues from that same performance. After that is a duet performance of that song by Erin and Jim Countryman at an Archie Edwards Blue Heritage Foundation concert.

Cathy Lemons Black Crow

Bay area singer Cathy Lemons brings a rich plate of musical gems including blues and blues-infused rock in a fashion that might suggest Bonnie Raitt. She perhaps a bit more grit in her vocal textures than Raitt, but communicates with perhaps a bit more understated approach and than Raitt. Her no album Black Crow (VizzTone) is a wonderful recording comprised mostly of her thoughtful originals ranging from rocking shuffles Texas Shuffle, strutting funk of I’m a Good Woman to soulful country-laced laments as on Kiernan Kane’s Ain’t Gonna Do It.

Her vocals strike the listener with their natural, relaxed and soulful quality. She is backed by a fine band with co-producer Steve Gurr on guitar, Paul Olguin on bass, D’Mar or Robbie Bean on drums, and Kevin Zufti on keyboards on three tracks. Doug James adds sax on three selections, Volker Strifler plays guitar on two, while Kid Andersen, another co-producer (who also recorded mixed and mastered this), adds organ to one selection and sound effects to another.

The title track is a country-rock number with a evocative lyric and her moving, smokey vocal supported by understated atmospheric backing as she weaves a lyric if a maimed black crow with her relationship to her man with the lament, “You’re my maimed black crow; All I ever wanted was your wings around me; I swear we both got to burn; But I’ll take you with me.” The laid back feel of this performance is followed by the Hip Check Man with  nifty guitar and harmonica from Gurr on a rocker with a driving groove and an understated, almost spoken, vocal. You’re in My Town, a slow blues, has echoes of Boz Scaggs in Gurr's guitar and the backing, as Lemons warns her man to take that woman from out of his eyes, or it will be the last thing he ever does. A gem is her cover of Earl King’s It All Went Down the Drain with the restraint of her vocal and Volker Strifler’s guitar adding to the atmosphere. There is a pleasant cover of James Brown’s The Big Payback with James  on baritone sax followed by another slow blues lament I’m Gonna Try.

Strifler adds a bit muscle to his guitar backing on the rocking Texas Shuffle as Lemons sings about give her an old time Texas Shuffle as she tries to get out of town. The album closes with The Devil Has Blue Eyes, with Gurr’s acoustic guitar and harmonica, is her reworking of Skip James’ Devil Got My Woman. It is a lament about how the devil took her man away, “Heart has no say; The heart has no say; This devil has taken my love away,” It has an austere and haunting quality and completes what is a memorable and recommended recording.

I received my review copy from VizzTone. Here Cathy performs Black Crow.

Ann Rabson with Bob Margolin is Not Alone

I have known Ann Rabson for a little over 25 years. I remember meeting her at a DC Blues Society picnic and seeing her, Gaye and Earline, the original line-up of Saffire-the Uppity Blues Women when they used to play regularly in a small Georgetown bistro and also at some Dc Blues Society events. It was a joy to see them go from being a local blues act to the world-spanning performers that they became. While Saffire has ended its run, Ann, Gaye and Andra Faye have continued with their own musical endeavors. 

Some may now that Ann has had serious health issues recently so word of a new recording was warmly welcome. She is joined on this by Bob Margolin who adds his guitar and vocals to Ann’s piano and vocals. His presence gives the disc its title Not Alone on the Vizz-Tone Label release. There is a mix of familiar and lesser known songs that go down easy with good, heartfelt singing, solid musicianship and good feelings. 

Ann is a straight-forward, two-handed pianist who eschews flash for her solid playing and there is plenty of her heart in her rendition of the late Thomas Dorsey’s I’m Going To Live the Life I Sing About In My Song, with Margolin adding some biting electric fills. Her touch and timing is assured throughout with her cover of Tampa Red’s Let’s Get Drunk and Truck, while she is wistful on Leroy Carr’s How Long Blues, on which Margolin shares the vocal in addition to his acoustic guitar break while it rides out with stately piano from Ann. 

I am not familiar with Jim Ritchie, Ann sounds quite animated on his It Ain’t Love, with Margolin’s crying slide providing additional support. Margolin takes the reflective vocal on Memphis Slim’s Guess I’m a Fool, with Ann’s firm support under the vocal and Margolin playing in a jazzier vein here. Ann notes that Louis Jordan’s Caledonia is a fun number, although like almost every cover of I have heard (and that includes recordings by Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins and Gatemouth Brown), it is wonderfully played but does not stands out. Woody Herman is one of the few whose cover of the song captured some of the ebullience of Jordan’s original. 

Ann’s matter-of-fact approach to Let’s Go Get Stoned in contrast provides a delightful personal rendition of a very well-known song. Ann’s tango-rooted Crescent City-flavored playing stands out behind Margolin’s Let It Go, a nice lyric calling for having perspective about things and if one cannot make things better, avoid making things worse. After a plaintive Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby, Ann gets things rollicking as she sings that Anywhere You Go, Ann can go there too and can love you like no one can do. After telling us that she has No Time For The Blues. 

Bob handles the vocal on a sober reading of Percy Mayfield’s River’s Invitation. It is the final track of a very genial recording that captures Ann Rabson and Bob Margolin in an intimate, low-keyed setting that should delight many.

I received a review copy from the record company. Here is a video of Ann Rabson performing.