The Music Maker Relief Foundation has been a boon to practitioners of southern musical traditions which has enabled a number of individuals to gain recognition as performers and also meet their day to day needs including emergency medical and housing assistance, purchasing and repairing musical instruments, recording the performers and issuing the recordings, and presenting artists in concerts around the world.
Adolphus Bell, One Man Bell, is among recent releases by the Foundation and features the one-man band from Birmingham, Alabama. While born in Birmingham, he grew up in Pittsburgh where he learned guitar from George Benson. Frustrations from dealing with band members led him start playing as a one-man band, playing drums, harp and guitar while singing. Over the years of playing the streets he has developed a lively performance style as indicated on the opening The One Man Band, where he introduces the various members of the band.
Bell displays a fondness for a couple of songs associated with Bobby Bland including You Got to Hurt Before You Heal and the Bill Withers classic that is such a part of Bland’s live show, Ain’t No Sunshine, along with the vocal group classic, Cherry Pie, the Motown classic, (I Need Some) Money, and Sam Cooke’s Let the Good Times Roll. Other songs are originals like Ever Had the Blues and some topical numbers, Child Support Blues, Passport Blues and Black Man’s Dream. The latter number has a message that America better get things together or it is gonna be in for dark times.
Musically, Bell brings a soulful singing style mixed with some witty banter. His accompaniments often are simple and nicely delivered with a Jimmy Reed-flavored grooves. He adds some spare single note fills and takes some solos as well, mixing in some comments and replies as he performs. Despite the valuable documentation of a number of performers, I have found some Music Maker Foundation releases to be uneven. This however, is one of the better recent releases and its nice to have another one-man band to join such long-gone legends as Jesse Fuller, Dr. Ross and Juke Boy Bonner.
This may be in some stores, and cdbaby.com does offer many releases of artists of the Music Maker Relief Foundation. You can also obtain this from the Foundation’s website, www.musicmaker.org, which has full information on their mission and all of the marvelous recordings and books they offer. You will be getting some fine music and helping deserving artists.
This review appeared originally in the April 2006 DC Blues Calendar and April 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 282). I have made some minor editorial changes. I have been a long time supporter of the Music Maker Relief Foundation and likely received this in my capacity of a donor to the organization.
Listening to his repertoire, one can appreciate the diversity of his repertoire that ranges from originals that are folk-styled, some acoustic rambles that are suggestive of the Grateful Dead and covers of Robert Johnson, Blind Boy Fuller, John Hurt, Furry Lewis, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters and others. Prestage is capable of a hard driving rhythmic, finger-picking style as on the impressive folk original Confusion, although on his rendition of Step It Up and Go, he does race through the song too rapidly. John Hurt’s Candyman, is a lovely rendition followed up by a nice rendition of Furry Lewis’ Casey Jones, titled here Natural-Born Easeman.
His take on John Estes Someday Baby, has some nice slide guitar in the manner of Fred McDowell punctuated by his own foot drumming, while Stuggart, Arkansas, has a driving rhythm suggestive of Bukka White and Memphis, the last song on the first CD is a nice North Mississippi Hills styled performance, with another performance in this vein being his rendition of Goin’ Down South.
The Dead’s Friend of the Devil, is a nicely done number that showcases his adept fingerstyle guitar playing. another showcase for his playing is the folk instrumental Alleghany County, followed by a country gospel number (sounds like a classic Roy Acuff song), Lost Highway. Its quirky to hear his twangy guitar revive The Meters’ They All Asked For You, titled here, Audubon Blues. He does a nice take on Muddy Waters’ Can’t Be Satisfied, which shows his restrained slide being very effective.
I would not call him a great blues singer, but he does a credible job on the material here. Perhaps, he is moslty effective on the folk and country numbers and he is a fine guitarist. Even if a few numbers are clinkers, there is much to be enjoyed on this. His website is http://www.benprestagemusic.com, and there is a link to this and other CDs there.
This review originally appeared in the October15 - December 1, 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 321) and I believe I received my review copy from the publication.
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