Ron Thompson From The Patio - Live at Poor House Bistro Vol. 1

Ron Thompson
From The Patio - Live at Poor House Bistro Vol. 1
Little Village Foundation

I first became aware of Ron Thompson some blues 45s by Richard Riggins and Schoolboy Cleve in the 1970s that he played on, in addition to being part of the band an Arhoolie K.C. Douglas album. Thompson had associations with a variety of other blues performers, including John Lee Hooker. In the 1990s, Ron played Fleetwood's in Alexandria, Virginia, with Mick Fleetwood's Blue Whale, and I was impressed by his straight-ahead slide guitar blues and gritty singing. I was also delighted to see him on the 2006 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, where he was one of the performers. Those were the only times I had the pleasure to see him perform, but I believe I did acquire one of his CDs, which I enjoyed quite a bit.

For some 14 years, which ended because of the health issues that led to his passing earlier this year, Ron Thompson had a regular Wednesday night gig at the Poor House Bistro in San Jose, California. This CD captures eleven numbers from his performances on June 4 and August 6, 2014. On those evenings, Thompson was backed by Scotty Griffin on drums, either Dave Chavez or Gary Rosen on bass, Sid Morris on piano, and Jim Pugh on organ. Kid Andersen, who produced this release, adds guitar to a couple of tracks while harmonica wizard Gary Smith plays harmonica on one. Thompson attacks the songs here with a robust, raspy vocal style and a driving guitar attack. The performances exhibit a relaxed intensity. The music never sounds rushed, and Thompson sings with plenty of grit as well as spirit.

Things open with a dynamic, straight-forward rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Meet Me in the Bottom," adding harmonica to his rhythmically nuanced guitar. This number, like Lightnin' Hopkins' "Bring Me My Shotgun," display how he was able to develop intensity over a simple one-chord motif. The latter song also demonstrates how much he internalized aspects of John Lee Hooker's approach on a moving, brooding performance. He also played idiomatic originals such as "Mardis Gras Boogie" that might evoke for some listeners some of Hooker's Vee-Jay recordings. Other songs include taut doomy renditions of "Tin Pan Alley" and "Sinner's Prayer" with stinging guitar complementing the fervent singing. On the former number, Morris adds first-rate piano while Pugh adds atmospheric organ on the latter song. There is a capable reworking of Little Walter's "One More Chance With You" with Gary Smith adding harmonica.

The musical temperature cools down with a heartfelt cover of Don Covey-Bobby Womack's soul ballad "That's How I Feel," before Thompson recasts Buster Brown's "Doctor Brown" into a hot "Dust My Broom" slide guitar shuffle. More slide guitar is heard on "When You Walk That Walk," which may be more Hound Dog Taylor than Elmore James. Kid Andersen adds his guitar to fill out the backing on these last two tracks that close this recording. Ron Thompson was a significant part of the California blues scene for several decades, and the marvelous music captured here shows how much he will be missed. This recording allows us to appreciate his legacy, and one can hope that more will be forthcoming.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video collage of partial performances of Ron Thompson at the Poor House Bistro.

Paul Rishell Swear To Tell The Truth

Paul Rishell Swear To Tell The Truth
Tone Cool / Rounder

Boston area blues artist Paul Rishell works both in an acoustic as well as an electric band vein. Swear To Tell The Truth is his second Tone-Cool album, and like his earlier one features both sides of his blues persona, although the focus is mostly on his acoustic side. 

Guitarist Ronnie Earl and harmonica player Little Annie Raines help out, along with producer Richard Rosenblatt who adds harp to Bukka White’s Shake ‘Em On Down and Drinkin’ Water From a Hollow Log, where Rishell plays a Fred McDowell slide part on the Rolling and Tumbling theme. Rishell’s skill on guitar is quite notable, particularly when he handles East Coast blues as his version of Blind Boy Fuller’s Mamie is exquisite. 

If he can’t make one forget Howling Wolf with Somebody in My Home, Ronnie Earl’s striking electric guitar on Earl Hooker’s Swear To Tell the Truth is first rate. Perhaps the finest track is his rearrangement of Charlie Patton’s Some of These Days, which Rishell aptly describes as ‘wistful.’ His fingerpicking guitar is delightful, with Michigan River Blues showcasing his clean picking. 

A very well conceived and produced collection.

I likely received a review copy from Rounder Records. This review appeared in the September 1994 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 1994). Here from two decades later, Paul Rishell and Annie Raines perform "Some of These Days."

 

John Mayall Live in 1967 Vol. 2

"Live in 1967 - Volume 2" by John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (Forty Below Records), is the second set of club recordings made by Tom Huisson, a Dutch fan of Mayall that captured the edition of the Bluesbreakers that were together for three months with Peter Green was on guitar, John McVie on bass and Mick Fleetwood were on drums. As I wrote reviewing the prior review "Eric Corne engineered and remastered these recordings that Huisson recorded on a single track tape recorder to result in a listenable if not hi-fidelity release. Mick Fleetwood suffers the most in the audio as it almost sounds like he is playing wood blocks."

There is a mix of covers along with some Mayall originals including the opening "Tears in My Eyes," with some spectacular, if lengthy, Green guitar. A cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Your Funeral and My Trial," is taken too fast and comes off as a bar band romp. Mayall's love of Otis Rush is heard on "So Many Roads" and the closing "Double Trouble." Of course as a vocalist Mayall is nowhere in Rush's league, but invests feeling in these with Green stretching out. Sonny Boy's "Bye Bye Bird" is a showcase for Mayall on harp with a little Ray Charles interpolated into the performance. "Please Don't Tell" is a messy sounding original (with rough sound) while covering B.B. King's "Sweet Little Angel" provides another showcase for Green. There is a cover of J.B. Lenoir, whose blues Mayall championed, along with a rendition of Eddie Taylor's "Bad Boy," while Ronnie Jones handles the vocal on "Stormy Monday." Green's original "Greeny," is an instrumental showcase while Lionel Hampton's "Ridin' on the L&N" is hot rock and roll.

I stated regarding the prior album, that it was indispensable for fans of Mayall, Peter Green and early Fleetwood Mac. It has been awhile since I listened to that, but the sound is pretty rough on some of this and this will deter many listeners, which is unfortunate as the music here does seem more interesting than his most recent studio album.
I received my review copy from a publicist. 

Selwyn Birchwood - Don’t Call No Ambulance

Mentored by Sonny Rhodes and winner of the 2013 International Blues Challenge, Selwyn Birchwood impresses with his enthusiasm as well as his talent. This writer had the pleasure of seeing him in Fall of 2013 before he signed with Alligator Records, who have recently issued his first CD for the label, Don’t Call No Ambulance. On this album, Birchwood brings his vocals as well as guitar and lap steel with an excellent band comprised of Regi Oliver on saxophones, bass clarinet and flute; Donal ‘Huff’ Wright’ on bas and Curtis Nutall on drums. Guest appearances are made by Joe Louis Walker on Slide Guitar; Josh Nelms on Rhythm Guitar; RJ Harman on Harmonica; and Dash Dixon on Keyboard.

Selwyn’s raspy, gravelly voice have led some to liken him to Tom Waits, a comparison that does surface several places on this recording of originals. He is a fairly solid guitar slinger as displayed on the rocking opener Addicted, but much of the appeal of Don’t Call No Ambulance is the interaction between him and the saxophones of Oliver and the tight backing Wright and Nutall provide. Oliver’s baritone sax often functions like a rhythm guitarist as he doubles on the bass line and adds to the drive like on the title track, where Birchwood conjures up a North Mississippi Hill Country groove as he sings that he feels so good and if he falls down, don't call no ambulance. This strong selection is followed by Waiting in the Lion's Den, where Birchwood  evokes Waits with his raspy, almost spoken, vocal as Oliver, supporting him supports on sax and flute, takes a muscular baritone sax solo.

Rico Oliver and Selwyn Birchwood in Silver Spring MD, October 2013

Joe Louis Walker guests on slide guitar on The River Runs Red. This is a funky tune with Oliver providing punchy Memphis styled horns. Love Me Again is a soulful ballad on which Birchwood sings about a love he lost and wants back as he "can smell the rain in the air, thunder rolling in... feel the mist kiss against my skin, I was a fool in the past, did not know what I had … let the rain fall so my tears don't show, can you find the strength to love me again.” There are a couple of topical songs including Tell Me Why with the leader's buzzing lap steel guitar over Wright’s funky bass. The hard rocking feel contrasts with the low-key, down-home playing on Overworked and Underpaid. RJ Harman’s harmonica enhances the atmosphere while Birchwood adds a lap steel solo on his complaint about working life.

Dancers will savor the pop-flavored She Loves Me Not with Oliver again standing out. The slow blues, “Brown Paper Bag” about a destructive drinking problem, has has some of Birchwood’s fieriest playing. The album closes with a return to a Hills Country groove and some slide guitar that suggests Mississippi Fred McDowell for the closing Hoodoo Stew as he sings about the thirteenth day on a Friday night. It is the close for an impressive varied recoding that is sure to get Birchwood a higher profile.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records. Selwyn Birchwood is featured at the DC Blues Festival on Saturday August 30 in Washington DC and at Alonzo's Memorial Picnic on Sunday August 31 in Rosedale MD. For more information on these shows, see Plenty of Labor Day Weekend Blues in Washington and Baltimore. Here is a video of the Selwyn Birchwood Band performing tell Me Why.

Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King Live a Road Dog's Life

After taking a slight detour towards an unplugged recording on their Delta Groove debut, Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King have a new release for Delta Groove, Road Dog's Life. Returning to their fiery electric blues, they are supported by Willie J. Campbell on bass and Jimi Bott on drums with appearances by Kid Andersen on guitar and Randy Chortkoff and Kim Wilson on harmonica (and vocals). The mix of Kubek's husky guitar with King's jazzier playing and soulful singing (evocative of Otis Rush) continues to have considerable appeal. Kubek can rock the blues with the best of them, yet he always remains anchored in the blues with his well structured solos. King's singing can bring out a laugh as well as get down to the heartbreak one will experience.

On this, they mix in originals such as the opening Big Money Sonny, K9 Blues, the title track and Nobody But You (with Wilson and Chortkoff adding vocals on this title), with a couple of surprising covers. Big Money Sonny is an amusing tale about a gambler who (loves the dice and cards) has a nice marriage by convenience and handles everything in cash with some outstanding guitar. In contrast Come On In, Bnois welcomes back a lover that he tells her he won't be upset when she leaves because that is her style. The two have some nice unison playing during the short guitar breaks. With Wilson and Chortkoff adding harp and trading vocals with King, King leads them singing how much they want their lady in Nobody But You. Its a terrific shuffle with Campbell and Bott being terrific.

The title track, penned by Kubek's wife Phyllis, is a nice blues-rocker about the ins and outs of being a road dog that is a blues performer's life. Things start poor for King on K-9 Blues, as King's fiancé complains about his eyes wandering, calls him a dog, and sets him free since he doesn't deserve a good woman like her. Wilson adds harmonica on this with more strong blues guitar. That Look On Your Face is enlivened by a Tex-Mex accent (again Campbell and Bott are stellar). A change of pace is provided by covers of George Harrison's Don't Bother Me, and The Stones Play With Fire, as King providing his own take on these renditions along with Kubek's crisp playing featured. Chortkoff adds harmonica to the latter number.

Throw in the rock and roll of I Ain't Greasin' (with Kim Wilson) and the Muddy Waters' inspired Talkin' 'Bout Bad Luck (on which Kubek plays lap steel) and one has another first-rate addition to Kubek and King's recordings.

I received a review copy from Delta Groove. Here is a clip of Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King in performance.

No Teasing the Blues From Little G Weevil

Based currently in Georgia, Little G Weevil released at the end of 2011 his second album as a leader, The Teaser, although the release only recently started receiving promotion. He has been leading bands since he was 21, established himself in Europe, as well as shared stages with numerous major blues names. Born in 1977, his press biography notes that he started playing drums at 7 and guitar at 17, and “was introduced and captivated by the music scene through listening to legendary musicians such as John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Albert Collins, B.B. King and Chuck Berry. Hooker particular had a deep influence on him as he states, “John Lee Hooker and his blues was for me, like my grandfather and the tales he use to tell. When I first heard the songs Hobo Blues and Never Get Out of These Blues Alive, I thought to myself, God, I am part of this, I feel it, I belong to this.” 

The years of playing show up on this terrific recording which launches with a hot rocking boogie Real Men Don’t Dance, which in addition to the leader’s gritty singing (“let me see you shake, shake, shake”) and stinging guitar sports some tough harmonica from Maurice Nazzaro and piano from Bob Page. After Page's piano solo, Weevil comes back in singing just backed by John V. McKnight on drums, before the rest of the band joins him for the coda. It is just one example of the terrific interplay between Little G Weevil and his band. The title track slows down just a bit as he delivers the lyric “don’t try to tease the big teaser,” again with a tight groove before Weevil launches some tough slide guitar.

 Highway 78 is a John Lee Hooker styled boogie with a half-spoken vocal against a vamping bass figure that captures Hooker’s classic style while avoiding being an ‘endless boogie’ in the manner of so many Hooker imitators while Back Porch is another Hooker-influenced styled performance, here modeled after some of the slow stomps and dirges that Hooker recorded in the late 40s and early 50’s. Another Hooker styled blues is the solo Losing Cool. These are not simply impressive in Weevil’s evocation of Hooker’s style, but are first-rate originals.

Other audible influence on Weevil is Albert King and Otis Rush, Apple Picker is one of several tunes that he conjures up these influential guitar players. The lyric itself is a fresh one employing a double entendre as he has “everything that a woman needs,” with an explosive guitar solo. Dad’s Story is a nice low-key down home solo blues, while 8.47 is a strutting number with some searing fretwork. She Used To Call Me, is a post-war Texas Blues in the manner of Lightnin’ Hopkins. The closing, Which Way Shall I Go, is a solo hills country styled blues with exhilarating slide guitar.

As mentioned the band (which also includes Bill Burke on bass) plays wonderfully throughout supporting Little G Weevil. Weevil plays in crisp, imaginative, and idiomatic fashion while his vocals are unforced, slightly raspy, and thoroughly convincing in his performances of fresh originals. The Teaser is a terrific album of compelling blues.

A publicist provided my review copy.  Little G Weevil was just announced as the winner of the solo-duo competition of The Blues Foundation's 2013 International Blues Competition in Memphis. Here he is performing at a release party for the CD.

Electrofied's Bad Case of Blues Has Promising Diagnosis

A really good guy, Tony Fazio, is the regular guitarist with Stacy Brooks, but also be seem playing with Charlie Sayles and other bands when a solid, reliable guitarist is needed. As busy as Tony is as a sideman, he has a project, Electrofied, that he is centrally involved in. Electrofied dates back to 2002 and was founded by Fazio and drummer Richard James Burgess. It presently includes vocalist Scott Taylor and bassist Rob Rusteburg, and they have issued in late 2009, CD, “Bad Case of the Blues” (Marva). It is a recording that has garnered some critical praise and a nomination as best blues/traditional recording for the Washington Area Music Awards. This writer has only caught a brief performance of them at a benefit for a local musician and was impressed by the group’s energy as well Scott Taylor’s presence as a vocalist.

To these ears, Bad Case of the Blues” shows more promise than it displays a group that has arrived. That might be the result of the use of only a trio in the studio behind Taylor’s passionate vocals (although harmonica wizard Charlie Sayles guests on one track). Live one might not notice as much the simple, functional rhythm provided by Rusteburg and Burgess and the limited musical coloring guitarist Fazio provides. Not to say he plays bad, but having a rhythm guitarist or a keyboard player for the recording would have made it a fuller and richer backing.

The material is generally solid is somewhat generic in terms of themes. The opening title track has a good lyric about being mistreated and the doctor’s diagnosis about the pains Scott has been having isn’t heart trouble or bursitis, but simply a bad case of the blues. A solid vocal by Taylor and some strong guitar by Fazio. On the funky “Cadillac,” Taylor salaciously invites the lady to take a ride in his big and wide Cadillac, but the cluttered sounding accompaniment comes across as clunky behind Fazio’s buzz-tone solo. The addition of Charlie Sayles harmonica helps on “Life Is Like A Boomerang,” as does Burgess’ interesting drumming here. Sayles use of the harmonica’s high register provides a fuller spectrum of musical colors here. “Rub Me Down,” is a nice soulful slow blues as Taylor asks his lady to come on over and rub him down to help drive Taylor’s blues away. Its a pretty strong vocal and nice guitar where the simple backing works.

“Put Your Hands In The Air” is a song about loving the blues, while Charlie Sayles returns to add his embellishments behind Taylor’s vocal on “I’ll Go Insane,” with its lazy Jimmy Reed groove. Fazio takes a couple choruses of scorch the earth guitar on the solo break. One other fine slow blues performance is “It Ain’t Right,” with a especially strong vocal. “Rainbow” and “Early in the Morning,” however, reinforce this listener’s sense that Electrofied’s music shows considerable promise but they need to expand their musical palette in the studio. Think about the sound of Burgess’ drums (hint listen to recent recordings by the Brazilian Igor Prado Band and Studebaker John) and how that can enliven the somewhat dull sound heard here. That said, I certainly hope I can catch one of Electrofied’s all too infrequent performances around the Washington, DC area, and I certainly look forward to their future recording efforts as well.

This is available from cdbaby.com.
I received a review copy from Tony Fazio.

James Peterson 1937-2010

James Peterson, whose career as a blues performer and a club owner spanned over 5 decades, passed away at the age of 73 on December 12, 2010. Born in Russell County, Alabama, I met James in Buffalo in 1976 where he was performing on Main Street at a club called the Sunset Inn. James had returned to the Buffalo area from Florida where he had moved for a couple years.  James had, before I first met him, owned  The Governor's Inn where he played regularly featuring his very young son Lucky on keyboards. The Governor's Inn also brought in some of the biggest names in the blues including Howlin' Wolf (and another time Wolf's band), Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, Johnny Lee Hooker and too many more. When Lucky was like 5 or 6, Willie Dixon recorded him doing "1-2-3-4" and the father and son appeared on The Tonight Show.  A couple years later, James and Lucky recorded an album, "The Father, The Son, and the Blues."

I remember walking into the Sunset Inn on Main Street, not far from downtown Buffalo in 1976, and was floored by James' blues. Lucky, then 13, was on keyboards as James sang and played guitar on a range of material from Muddy, B.B. and others, but lending his own stamp. Lucky only played that first set as he had to go to bed, but listening to James sing "Cummins Prison Farm," calling out to the patrons and they responding was something to see. It was similar to how B.B. King and his audience fed off each other at the Regal Theatre, if on a smaller scale.

I met him at the break and we became friends. I was doing a blues program on WBFO-FM and had James and Lucky come in to perform at the Station during a fundraiser as well as a live radio remote broadcast from the original Tralfamadore Cafe in Buffalo. Watching James perform was always a wonderful time. He was a steady, if unspectacular guitarist, but his vocals and his ability to interact with his audience is something rare among blues performers thirty years later. Peterson's vocals were similar to those of blues legend, Johnny Copeland. In Fall, 1977, he opened the New Governor's Inn in Buffalo which he operated for a few more years there, returned south to Florida near Tampa.

Lucky in the subsequent years became established as a band leader with Bobby Bland and then Little Milton, before commencing his own solo career. James continued to perform, and more importantly started recording for several labels including a couple of memorable albums for Malaco's Waldoxy subsidiary. Don't Let the Devil Ride and Preachin' the Blues. These releases led him to tour extensively and play a number of festivals. I remember the opening of his set at the Pocono Blues Festival as riding down on a ski lift, he was playing and singing through radio microphones.

His last recording may have been the 2004 JSP release, If You Can't Fix It, that was billed as by James & Lucky Peterson, but on which James handled all of the vocals, while his multi-talented son played a variety of instruments in support. This showed he remained a strong, powerful singer. I was fortunate to have known him and found him to be every bit as nice and gracious a person as he was an outstanding blues performer.

Condolences go to his son, Lucky and Lucky's family.

For more on James:
PW Fenton on his website, bluesland.net posted a memory of James along with a cool picture of him.

Little Milton's Stax'd Best

After the sale of Chess to GRT and its eventual demise, the best place for Little Milton was to join the Stax where he produced several albums before that legendary label also folded. Milton may be best known for this Chess/Checker recordings as well as the Malaco recordings after Stax folded. But its clear listening to the reissue “The Very Best of Little Milton,” this was as musically fertile a period of his recording career as any.

And checking out some of the titles he recorded for Stax shows why. Among the classics he recorded for Stax were “That’s What Love Will Make You Do,” “Walking the Back Streets and Crying,” and ”Little Bluebird.” Then he made his own renditions of songs associated with others like “Tin Pan Alley,” or “Women Across the River,” and place his own stamp on them. And perhaps the most classic in this vein was his interpretation of Charlie Rich’s country hit, “Behind Closed Doors,” but given Rich’s strong ties to Southern blues and soul, it is no surprise his songs translated so well when handled by a strong soulful blues performance by Milton.

Milton’s impassioned vocals and strong guitar playing is matched by typically fine backing, from among others, The Memphis Horns, and the use of strings is complementary, not syrupy here. This is a strong compilation of one of the true blues masters who passed away too young.

For purposes of FTC regulations, I do not remember if I received a review copy of this or purchased this.

Igor Prado's Strong Brazilian Blues Moves

The blues certainly developed an audience and players around the world. Guitarist Igor Prado hails from Brazil and his latest recording (and my introduction to his music) is “Watch Me Move” (Chico Blues). I purchased this from bluebeatmusic.com, where they succinctly describe this as “They make the kind of rockin blues with a traditional approach you used to be able to find here in the US.........This LIMITED EDITION release features strong singing, super song selection and SCORCHING guitar.” Not an inaccurate couple of sentences.

Guitarist and vocalist Prada, along with brother Yuri on drums, Rodrigo Mantovani, bass and Denilson Martins on saxophones, mixes hard modern blues and Memphis Soul with some ripping guitar (fans say of Johnny Moeller’s wild playing will go for Prada’s playing here and he is a pretty strong vocalist. Some pretty straight covers of “Knock on Wood,” and “Signed, Sealed and Delivered,” along with rearranging the old Ray Charles stomp recording “Messaround,” and reworking as if The Power Station did it as a blues. The title track is one of Junior Wells’ funk numbers, amiably take on Lil Bob’s “I Got Loaded,” while “Gene’s Groove,” is a hot organ instrumental allowing Martins to showcase his robust tenor sax while Igor Prado showcases his jazzier chops, while the closing “Ice Man Groove,” is a rocking funky instrumental that is clearly inspired by the late Albert Collins who seems probably Prado’s greatest influence as a guitarist and who would be proud to have inspired such a solid musical offspring. Occasionally, Prado’s accent can be heard in his vocals but he sings with authority and never sounds forced. As Charlie at Bluebeat Music said, “Watch Me Move,” “features strong singing, super song selection and SCORCHING guitar.” This is a recording I will be returning to again and again and I give this a big thumbs up.

For FTC purposes, I purchased this CD.

Long John Hunter's Welcome Return To CD

Its been decades since Long John Hunter was swinging from the rafters at the Lobby Bar in Juarez, Mexico, across the border from El Paso. While he made some tough singles for small labels in the southwest such as Yucca in New Mexico including “El Paso Rock,” which became a staple of rocker’s Bobby Fuller’s performances as well. In 1993 Spindletop issued his first full album, “Ride With Me,” which led to him getting known outside of the Lone Star State and New Mexico. The label and Long John later was picked up by Alligator who issued two more excellent discs by Hunter, “Border Town Legend” and Swinging From the Rafters.” With Alligator he was united with long-time friend Phillip Walker and Lonnie Brooks for the “Lone Star Shootout,” recording. There was an album shared with his brother Tom “Blues Man” Hunter, “One Foot in the Texas” (Doc Blues). Since then he moved to Phoenix, Arizona area and while having some ‘heart work,” and no longer can swing from the rafters, but still playing his music and Dennis Walker, best known as Robert Cray’s producer has produced his latest recording, “Looking For A Party” (Blues Express).

For the recording, Walker put together a band of Jim Pugh, keyboards; Richard Cousins, bass; Alan Mirikitani, rhythm guitar; Lee Spath, drums and cowbell; and a horn section. The songs are all originals, although Long John only is credited with co-writing the title track. Grace Jones Hunter (his wife) is credited with co-writing a couple of songs. Walker and/or guitarist Mirikitani have contributed to all of the 11 tracks. There is a mix of material covering a range of moods and themes from the light title track to “Beggar Man,” a straight blues given a slightly mysterious feel lent by Pugh’s keyboards with Hunter’s back porch delivery with his grainy voice quite appealing. In fact what is evident is just how good he still sings and plays. “Looking For My Baby” has a Crescent City groove with some cowbell for punctuation with a typically nice guitar solo for Hunter whose use of space and silence is a model for many who tend to overplay. “I Know a Man,” is a heartfelt gospel number co-authored by his wife with a soulful flavor to the performance that benefits from the restrained accompaniment. The other song she helped write, “You Are My Love,” is a sincerely sung blues ballad. “Apple of My Eye,” is a nice rocking shuffle with a lyric of having been through hard times and bad luck but his woman is the apple of his eye, while another late night blues, “Greener Pastures,” has among the better lyrics here.

Compared to some of Hunter’s earlier recordings, the most of the lyrics seem generic, and lack the quirkiness and distinctiveness of the best of Hunter’s earlier recordings such as “Crazy Love,” or “Dream of the Devil.” This is not to say that these are bad performances or terrible songs, because that couldn’t be further from the truth as they are robust. Still, this is a worthwhile disc that reminds us fortunately that Long John Hunter is still around and playing his distinctive music. May you be lucky enough to have him visit a club or festival near you.

For the FTC, I got the review copy of this from Blues Express but I had purchased this prior to that by download.

Previously Unissued Live Recording Shows Why We Miss Luther Allison

There were few performers in any genre as riveting as the late Luther Allison. having been a fan since his debut Delmark recordings, I remember going to catch him at Oberlin College in 1970 and almost tore off the roof of the Chapel he was playing at. From playing an one-string guitar in Mississippi to taking over Freddie King’s gig and band in Chicago he brought a hold no prisoners approach to his performances, throwing everything into his singing and his guitar playing. One can point to B.B. King as a primary inspiration, but Elmore James and Freddie King seem even most important influences in Allison’s music. He struck me in his earlier days as a cross of the two Kings instrumentally with James’ impassioned vocals. I was privileged to see Luther a number of times in the last decade of his life including when he performed for a DC Blues Society show for the “Soul Fixing Man” tour. I am not sure if the last time I saw him was at Wolf Trap when they still put on a Jazz and Blues Festival, and I remember this gentleman who had seen James Brown, Otis Redding, Miles Davis and others stating that Luther was as great a live performer as anyone he ever witnessed.

“Songs From the Road” (Ruf Records) presents on disc and DVD one of Luther’s last performances at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on July 4, 1997. Shortly after this performance, he would be diagnosed with the disease that in August 2007 would take this wonderful person away from the world. This was a representative performance with his great band of James Sjoberg, rhythm guitar; Ken Faltinson, bass guitar; Mike Vlahakis, keyboards; and Rob Stupka, drums. It was a band that played hundreds of gigs together, toured globally for several years and played with a tightness that reflected this experience.

Luther, of course, held nothing back this night from the opening moments of “Cancel My Check,” to his brief encore on “Serious.” There are several extended performances that never falter unlike most of his contemporaries (Otis Rush being one of the few exceptions) who could neither sustain such inspired playing and vocals that Luther could, and Sjoberg’s solos add another exciting voice while maintaining the fervor of the performances. Much of this are his originals including the rocking B.B. King styled shuffle “Will It Ever Change,” where he tells his woman to listen to him (with Sjoberg taking the opening B.B. King styled solo while Allison takes the longer break later), while he takes a Magic Sam recording,“What Have I Done Wrong,” and places his own stamp on it.

“(Watching You) Cherry Red Wine,” was always one of the climatic parts of any Allison performance as he sings about this woman destroying herself drinking herself into oblivion, while “There Comes a Time,” is a soulful number as Luther confesses to be a good man who went astray and begging to be taken back by his woman, with another killer solo here. His vocal here is a standout here. Luther takes out the slide for “It Hurts Me Too” (as well as Bernard Allison’s “Low Down and Dirty”), doing Elmore James memory proud with his fervent rendition of the classic.

The DVD contains 7 of the songs from the CD (“Will It Ever Change” is not listed but present) and adds “Move From the Hood.” The 59 minutes of the performances on the DVD video are electrifying with great camera work catching all sweat and passion that he put in his performances. The Montreal Jazz Festival has recorded and filmed records many if not all of the performances in the past couple decades and generally do excellent work. The DVD also includes a 23 minute interview and a ten minute excerpt “Tribute to Luther Allison” from a documentary. This writer understands that a 50 minute CBC broadcast was compiled from this performance This CD/DVD makes all of the music from that day available.

What a joy to listen and watch previously unissued performances by Luther Allison after all these years. It doesn’t get much better than this release which is quite reasonably priced and should be available from itunes or amazon and better retailers.

The above review speaks to Luther Allison’s phenomenal music, but anyway who had a chance to meet Luther knows what a down-to-earth and warm person he was. The review copy CD was provided by the publicity form for the record label (this for FTC regulations).

Nighthawks Spin Blues Unplugged But True.

It has been a long ride for drummer Pete Ragusa with the Nighthawks. “Live at Bluesville” (Rip Bang Records) recorded for Bill Wax’s XM-Sirius program, is Ragusa’s swan song for the Hawks as Ragusa ends a 35 year stint as drummer for this deservedly popular blues and roots band. He will be replaced by Mark Stutso, leaving harmonica player and singer Mark Wenner the sole remaining member of the band from its early days. Bassist Johnny Castle and guitarist Paul Bell are now well established in the band.

On this visit to Bill Wax at XM’s Washington DC studios, they Nighthawks unplugged which provided a more intimate, but no less fervent, context for a number of songs that are well established in the band’s repertoire. Opening tunes with Wenner handling the vocals include a swinging rendition of “The Chicken & the Hawk,” followed by Muddy Waters’s “Nineteen Years Old,” with some very solid slide from Bell. Ragusa sings the James Brown raver “I’ll Go Crazy,” with Wenner wailing on harmonica. Johnny Castle takes the gravelly vocal on Bo Diddley’s “You Don’t Love Me,” with Wenner taking the lead on Slim Harpo’s “Rainin’ in My Heart,” (I know Peppermint Harris wrote it), a performance in which the unplugged format really enhances the performance. It is followed by a lovely rendition of Muddy Waters’ “I Can’t be Satisfied,” with more nice slide from Bell who with Wenner takes the harmony vocal behind Castle on Chuck Berry’s “Thirty Days.” The vocal mike returns to Wenner for solid renditions of Rice Miller’s “Mighty Long Time,” with some very evocative harp; Little Walter’s Temperature,” retitled here “High Temperature”; and “Rollin’ & Tumblin’ modeled after the Baby Leroy Foster Trio recording with Muddy and Little Walter, although not nearly as raucous as Foster’s original two-sided 78.

This is a fun disc with a change of pace as the band handles songs that will be very familiar to the Nighthawk’s many fans world-wide. Ragusa has always been an exceptional drummer of considerable range and taste, and on this recording plays a snare drum, ably propelling these very ingratiating performances on a delightful album. He will be fortunately engaging in a variety of projects in the Washington DC area, so those fortunate enough to live around will still have opportunities to enjoy his playing.

For purposes of FTC regulations, my review CD was provided by a publicity firm promoting this release.