Kelly's Lot - When or Where

Kelly's Lot
When or Where
Self-produced

Kelly's Lot was formed in 1994 by Kelly Zirbes, a folk singer/songwriter with a heart for the blues. Kelly Zirbes met guitarist and soundman Perry Robertson in 1996, who soon after produced 'Kelly's Lot - Live at the Troubadour,' one of the 15 CDs by Kelly's Lot. Within a year, he joined the band. In the last ten years, they have mostly played as a 5–8-piece blues band. It has been a year or so since "Can't Take My Soul" came out. I wrote favorably about that album and Ms. Zirbes, "Her grainy, heartfelt singing and crisp, understated support result in a varied and enjoyable set of blues and roots.

"When or Where" is an acoustic collection of blues and blues-tinged songs that would fit in as Americana. Also on this recording is Doug Pettibone, co-producer and guitarist, and David Grover on bass. The songs include interpretations of songs from Howlin' Wolf, Ma Rainey, Lovie Austin, and Robert Johnson, along with originals by Zirbes and Robertson that are "inspired by them and others who came before us."

The acoustic backing echoes my comments concerning the prior album about understated support, especially Pettibone's guitar (slide and non-slide). At the same time, Robertson and Grover provide a firm backing for her singing. "Stronger" opens this set with Zirbes vigorously singing about not giving in to the challenges of everyday life and "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." Pettibone's mix of chords and rolling single-note runs adds to the appeal here. I did find her vocal on "Heaven" going a bit over the top towards the end where there was a backing chorus, but that is a minor blemish. "Lost" is a slow original with a song about being on a lonely road with no way home. With a simple, stark backing, it is very moving. The title track is a shuffle about loss and remembrance and being left alone and can't call someone on the phone.

There are a couple of unusual Howlin' Wolf covers. "Somebody in My House" is taken at a slower, quieter fashion on Wolf's song about infidelity with slide guitar adding to the atmosphere. "Nature" is taken a walking tempo as she sings about its natural to be looking around. Lovie Austin wrote "Jealous Hearted Blues," which was recorded by Ma Rainey. With Pettibone's slide guitar (sounds like a dobro) and her laid-back singing, one suspects this performance could easily cross over to traditional country and Americana. Pettibone sounds like he is playing twelve-string lending a jug-band or skittle band feel to Ma Rainey's "Black Eyed Blues." An amiable cover of Robert Johnson's "Stones in My Passway" benefits from an arrangement that is not a copy of Johnson's recording.

As on "Can't Take My Soul," Kelly Zirbes impresses with her subtle, expressive vocals. With the well-thought repertoire and steady, emphatic backing, "When or Where" should have considerable appeal.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review is in the current July-August 2021 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 397). I have discovered I never posted my review of "Can't Take My Soul." I will post that review later this week. Here is a video for "Stronger."

Eric Bibb - The Happiest Man In The World

Eric Bibb and North Country Far With Danny Thompson
The Happiest Man In The World
Stony Plain

Eric Bibb has a new release with the band North Country Far on Stony Plain Records, "The Happiest Man In The World." Recorded in the English countryside, it has Bibb's vocals and guitar supported by North Far, musicians he met while living in Finland: Petri Hakala on mandolin and mandola and Olli Haavisto on dobro and weissenborn as well as other slide instruments and Janne Hakala on drums. They are also joined by legendary upright bassist Danny Thompson for this latest installment in the five-decades career of Bibb whose folk and blues roots continues to sprout exuberant as well as poignant new music.

Bibb's music has always been rooted in good songs, solid singing and guitar and an ear for fresh musical settings. North Country Far provides a definite string-band as well as country flavor to the music here and the songs themselves are usually far from the blues has got me down or mistreating women themes of many blues. The album opens with the title track has a lyric as he celebrates the woman who stands by him. His gruff vocals (reminds me of early Dylan but with the gentleness of a Mississippi John Hurt) are set against a jaunty backing with mandolin and dobro adding to the atmosphere. Bibb's lyrical gift is evident on "I'll Farm For You" in which Bibb incorporates a number of phrases, often used as double entredres, into what he would do for his woman, while on "Born To Be Your Man," where he sings Stevie Wonder was born to be the master blaster, Louis Jordan born to sing 'Caldonia,' Prince was born to sing Purple Rain,' Lazarus was born to rise again, and "You were Born to be my woman and I was born to be your man."

The folk side of Bibb can be heard on the lovely "Creole Café," as he sings about a place in the country, 40 miles west of Newport News where "she serves the gumbo and I serve the blues," with some nice mandolin fills during vocal, on the reflective ballad "Prison of Time," and charming "On the Porch." "Tell Ol' Bill" is a ballad that might not have been out of place in Leadbelly's repertoire (and Bibb recently issued an excellent Leadbelly tribute CD). There is also an atmospheric instrumental, "1912 Skiing Disaster" a love song "Wish I Could Hold You Now," before closing with a low-key cover of The Kinks "You Really Got Me" that after a pause segues into a short instrumental take of, "King-Sized Bed," as a bonus track.

There is so much to like about marvelous Eric Bibb's latest album. Perhaps not an album of deep acoustic blues, but with some wonderful songs (several worthy of covering) congenial quality and charm of these performances has considerable merit.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the July-August 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 367). Here, Eric Bibb performs with Olli Haavisto and Petri Hakala.

Franklin and Mindte Go Dancing With Their Babies

Piedmont blues guitarist Rick Franklin and bluegrass mandolinist Tom Mindte have collaborated on a new Patuxent Music release Dancing With My Baby. This writer has known Franklin for close to three decades (including when we both were on the board of the D.C. Blues Society) and enjoyed his live performances with Neil Harpe and Rick Usilton and more recently with his Delta Blues Boys. His previous recordings included some with Harpe, a self-produced CD of Hokum Blues and the excellent Searching For Frank (on Patuxent) with Mike Baytop that was issued on Patuxent several years ago. Mindte, in addition to playing mandolin, is the chief force behind Patuxent Music. 

This is an affable recording from the opening reworking of Cecil Gant’s I’m a Good Man But a Poor Man, to the closing gospel number The River of Jordan. If Franklin takes most of the vocals, Mindte’s own high tenor harmony and also his leads have definite natural appeal. Mindte’s mandolin bridges his bluegrass background with the mandolin of such blues masters as Charlie McCoy and Yank Rachell. It lends a nice flavor to the performances. 

On nice relaxed rendition of Hank Williams Half As Much, Mindte’s supporting vocal lends a bluegrass flavor to it. An instrumental original Guitar & Mandolin Rag, is delightful while Crazy About Nancy Jane is a lively rendition of a song associated with Washboard Sam and a favorite of Western Swing bands. Two White Horses In a Line is a spirited rendition of an older spiritual number based on the recording by Joe Evans and Arthur McClain. while the interchange between black blues and early country music is displayed in He’s in the Jailhouse Now, first recorded by Blind Blake and later by Jimmie Rodgers.

The popular hymn “I’ll Fly Away” is heard along with Mississippi John Hurt’s Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me, with a backing that suggests some of Jimmie Rodgers blue yodels (without the yodels). This latter tune is followed by a rendition of Rodgers No Hard Times with Mindte taking the strutting vocal suggestive of the late Piedmont blues master John Jackson. Rocks in My Pillow, while credited to Son Tillis goes back at least to Roy Brown’s Hard Luck Blues with Mindte contributing another heartfelt vocal. It is a number associated with Washington DC area blues legend Warner Williams who has recorded it for Patuxent.

Engaging renditions of such folk and blues staples You Are My Sunshine and “Goodnight Irene, along with the hokum of You Can’t That Stuff Anymore round out this attractive and varied recording that will appeal to a wide range of acoustic roots listeners. For more information of this recording check out http://www.pxrec.com. 

Rick Franklin gave me a copy of this release. Rick and his Delta Blues Boys are playing Saturday February 22 at Cassatt's (http://www.cassattscafe.com) in Arlington, Virginia starting at 7:00 PM. You can enjoy some kiwi tweets along with some wonderful acoustic blues. Here is Rick in performance.

They All Played For Chris Strachwitz

Today, I received a package from Arhoolie Records that included a variety of CDs that I had purchased. The centerpiece of my order was They All Played For Us: Arhoolie Records 50th Anniversary Celebration. This is a coffee-table sized book with 4 CDs of a weekend of music at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley, California that was held to celebrate 50 years of Arhoolie Records that Chris Strachwitz started in 1960, The concerts were a benefit for The Arhoolie Foundation.

The four discs feature over 70 musicians and over 5 hours and 20 minutes of music. Some of the better known performers include Santiago Jimenez, Jr; Ry Cooder, David Doucet, Peter Rowan, Laurie Lewis, Barbara Dane, The Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, The Treme Brass Band, Eric & Suzy Thompson, Country Joe McDonald; The Campbell Brothers; Savoy Family Band and Taj Mahal. As can be seen there is plenty of cajun, some blues, some New Orleans Brass Band, Tex-Mex, string-band and blue grass, and more to be heard on this. Nick Spitzer, host of the public radio program, American Routes, served as emcee for the performance.

In addition to the music, the four discs come in a large, coffee table sized hardback 192 page book which contains over 200 photos by Mike Melnyk and commentary by Chris Strachwitz as well as many of the performers who reflect on how they met Chris and what Chris and Arhoolie Records has meant to them. This isn't a formal review, but rather a first impression on what appears to be a truly remarkable package that will be of great appeal to lovers of roots music of all types. This set is dedicated to the late Uncle Lionel Batiste of the Treme Brass Band, who passed away last July, just several months before this was released.

You can order this direct from Arhoolie (at a discount off list-price) and the following web link has more details that I have included here. http://www.arhoolie.com/books/they-all-played-for-us-book-and-4-cd-set-various-artists.html. Arhoolie is also running an internet special if you order three or more items (with some exclusions such as They All Played For Us). Arhoolie's website is www.arhoolie.com which will also contain the link to this book-4CD set. The following you tube video has some sample music and pages (and is also at the website).