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.

Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra After A While

Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
After A While
Blue Dot Records

An encounter performing in Europe first brought together California guitarist and band leader Anthony Paule with deep soul-blues singer Wee Willie Walker. This has led to the present recording where the one-time Goldwax artist is backed by a full band led by Paule. I recently reviewed a live album from the Notodden Blues Festival with a band led by Kid Andersen, about which I concluded "Wee Willie Walker certainly has it still and this live recording suggests just how moving and powerful a performer he remains." Walker is also present on a recent recording by Austrian organist Raphael Wressnig & Brazilian guitarist Igor Prado singing several songs that were associated with the legendary Little Willie John.

The present recording opens with the Memphis soul-styled "Second Chance," with the rhythm of Paule, Tony Lufrano on keyboards, Paul Olguin on bass, and Derrick 'D'Mar' Martin on drums laying down a form base for Walker's church-rooted singing with brassy horns. It was written by Christine Vitale, who contributed to several other songs including the title song and a performance (including the horn arrangements and Charles McNeal's wonderful tenor sax solo that evokes Little Willie John and other legends). Walker recorded George Jackson's "I Don't Want To Take A Chance," as a demo 50 years ago, but gets to record it anew for this marvelous rendition that again conjures up the classic R&B era of the 50s and early 60s. His soulful phrasing is supported by the handsome playing and Paule adds some nice chords and fills. Then we get a little big band treatment of the Lil Green classic "In the Dark," strongly sung in a manner that Little Willie John might have done it, and Paule takes a strong guitar solo in a jazzy-blues vein on this superb performance.

The message song "Hate Take a Holiday," has its call for love to take out hate, and folks of all colors and creed walk together in peace. teh recording has organ grease and a somewhat spare rhythm backing. It is followed by the Tex-Mex tinged romantic ballad, "Thanks For the Dance," with Paule on acoustic guitar on a song with a feel of a Drifters recording. There is a bit of Muscle Shoals funk underlying "If Only," while the soul ballad "Cannot Be Denied," is a lovely blue ballad. Both of these were written by Walker with Vitale and Paule. There is a stunning cover of a Little Willie John recording, "Look What You've Done To Me (not the Boz Scaggs song)," with brilliant playing from trumpeter Tom Poole and trombonist Derek James. Vitale and Paule's original "I Don't Want To Know," is a superb original blues in this same vein with a choice jazzy Paule solo.

After a punchy instrumental, "The Willie Walk," there is a wonderful duet with Terry Odabi updating The Clovers' hit "Lovey Dovey" followed by a return to the Memphis sound on a terrific soulful cover of the Mable John classic "Your Good Thing (Is About To End)." This is an excellent close to an imaginatively programmed and arranged recording, that showcases one of the last original soul singers. We should be thankful he is with us and  still sings with all his vocal talent intact on a terrific recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 375), although I had edited my original review to clarify some points. Here is Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra performing at the 2015 Porretta Soul Festival.

Wee Willie Walker & The Greaseland All Stars Live! Notodden Blues Festival

Wee Willie Walker & The Greaseland All Stars
Live! Notodden Blues Festival
Little Village Foundation

Kim Wilson refers to Willie Walker as "one of the last, if not THE last, real soul singer on this planet." A career that goes back to recording for Goldwax Records decades ago, he perhaps is finally getting some recognition. With a fine band assembled by guitarist Kid Andersen (Jim Pugh on the B3 organ, Lorenzo Farrell on bass, and J Hansen on drums with horns), Walker performed in August 2016 at the Notodden Blues Festival in Norway and Andersen has made the performance available.

After band introductions, Walker opens with Clarence Reid's "(Can You) Read Between The Lines," where with his raspy, gospel-inflected vocals he establishes his authority as a singer with The Greaseland All Stars providing solid, idiomatic support. It is followed by a terrific original by Rick Estrin (who helped Walker get larger exposure, "Is That It!" with greasy organ and punchy horns. It is followed by a recasting of a Goldwax recording (that was also issued on Checker), "You Name It, I Had It," a terrific deep southern soul performance. It is one of several Goldwax recordings revived here that include the Beatles' "Ticket To Ride," that he covered four decades ago. The loping groove of "There Goes My Used to Be," "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" (co-written by Sam Cooke) and "A Lucky Loser ( a favorite of mine)" are other early recordings he performed at this Festival.

In addition there are strong renditions of Tyrone Davis' hit, "Can I Change My Mind," and Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." Rick Estrin adds harmonica to "Funky Way," and Walker does a solid take on "Little Red Rooster," that has a jazzy feel that owes as much to Sam Cooke's rendition as that of the Howlin' Wolf. Another extended reworking of another Beatles' classic, "Help," closes this recording as Walker slows this rocker down. Andersen's playing here evokes the late Robert Ward and Lonnie Mack on this track, but he is outstanding whether playing soul guitar riffs or playing in a jazzier vein on other tracks. The backing, as indicated, is solid throughout. In any event, Wee Willie Walker certainly has it still and this live recording suggests just how moving and powerful a performer he remains.

I purchased this. Here is the performance of "Help" from the Festival.

Raphael Wressnig & Igor Prado The Soul Connection

Raphael Wressnig & Igor Prado
The Soul Connection
Chico Blues Records

I became aware of the Austrian organist Raphael Wressnig from a social media posting of a selection by him and this led me to purchase as a download an album of his with guitarist Alex Schultz, "Soul." A few weeks later I was pleasantly surprised to receive in the mail a new recording by Wressnig with the wonderful Brazilian guitarist, Igor Prado, "The Soul Connection," that was recorded in San Paolo. Joining the two are Yuri Prado on drums, Rodrigo Mantovani on bass, horns led by Sax Gordon Beadle on several tracks and vocalists Wee Willie Walker, David Hudson, and Leon Beal. Mixed between soulful vocal tracks and tight combo instrumentals, "The Soul Connection" is  terrific.
 
Willie Walker was brought along for the project. Based in Memphis in the 1970s, Walker was originally supposed to record "Trying To Live My Life Without You," but it was done first by the great Otis Clay who was interested in doing it again, but Clay passed away before they could recofrd it with him. Walker opens this CD with a fabulous vocal on this that conjures up Clay's original. There are tough horns riffing on this while Wressnig greases the backing. Walker is also present for four terrific renditions of songs associated with Little Willie John starting with a terrific "Suffering With the Blues," backed by just the organ combo. There is a terrific organ solo on this while Prado plays in a Billy Butler-Sonny Forriest groove. "Home at Last" brings back horns on a number some Junior Wells fans may recognize as "Country Girl," with Prado channeling T-Bone Walker. "My Love Is" has finger snapping and a very low-key backing with acoustic bass along with organ, while the shuffle "Heartbreak," has Sax Gordon riffing like the sax on the original while Wressnig provides a greasy foundation with more jazzy playing from Prado.

David Hudson sings solidly on his cover of Tyrone Davis' classic "Turning Point," while Leon Beal does a fervent rendition of the Bobby Bland hit "Don't Cry No More," with Prado coming across as B.B. King meets Clarence Holliman in his solo. The instrumentals include a organ combo rendition of Little Willie John's recording "Young Girl," with some stinging guitar from Prado after the organ lead. "No-La-Fun-Ky," from Prado and Mantovani evokes the classic Meters sound, while the Wressnig-penned "Turnip Greens," conjures up Booker T and MGs. "The Face Slap Thing No. 05" is taken at warp speed and features some blistering playing from Wressnig and Prado and followed by a nice relaxed rendition of "Grazing In The Grass," with the leader making use of the full range of sound textures from his organ. It is terrific, but that is true of all the performances here.

This superb recording is available as a CD, download and vinyl. There is also a deluxe recording which is a 2-CD Digipack that also includes "Captured Live," a nine-song CD by the Soul Gift Band with a guest appearance by Deitra Farr. I have not heard that, but based on what I have heard by Wressnig, I suspect it is a gas.

I received from the artist. Here are Raphael Wressnig & Igor Prado performing "Young Girl" live.