Stacy Mitchhart Live My Life

Stacy Mitchhart
Live My Life
Dr Sam Records

A fixture on the Nashville music scene, singer, guitarists and songwriter Stacy Mitchhart has a new recording "Live My Life" (Dr. Sam Records) that clearly establishes that their is far more to the music scene in Music City than simply country. Mitchhart wrote most of the 11 selections on this recording with a few choice covers and on this his vocals and guitars is mostly supported by Michael Dearing on bass guitar, Darin James on drums, James Tipton on keyboards and harmonica, Cory Distefano on trumpet, Jules Caldarena on saxophone and John Hinchey on trombone.

Mitchhart has put together quite an engaging, diverse set of performances that are marvelously played. Mitchhart's vocals are suggestive of Delbert McClinton with an appealing touch of raspiness. His delivery of lyrics are solid as well and his writing produces its share of gems such as the opening "Drink Whiskey" where he sings about drinking whiskey not to forget but rather to remember why "I ain't with you." While the groove is a bit to heavy for personal taste, there are plenty of nice tastes such as saxophonist Caldarena's phrases and Mitchhart contributes a slashing solo. In contrast, the rollicking slide guitar (sort of a frenzied Fred McDowell) gospel setting of "Live My Life" he shouts he will live as he chooses and not how we want him do as Tipton adds some down home harp for this blues hoe down.

While the promotional material highlights a cover of the Beatles' "Come Together," it is a rendition of a lesser known Bill Withers song, "Better Off Dead" that is the disc's highpoint as he sings about how his drinking caused his wife and children to leave him and he's better off dead as he's too scared to live alone. He conveys quite an emotional wallop singing against a swampy-guitar backing. Also nicely done is the smooth funk of Gil Scott Heron's "Legend In His Own Mind," with nice jazz-inflected guitar. Other standout selections include "I'm the Reason (She Walks That Way)," a celebration of his relation with his lady. This selection sports some marvelous horn solos. "Soul Stroll" is a marvelous instrumental with a solid groove and Mitchhart and Tipton (on organ) shining on an tune that sounds like a homage to Booker T & the MGs.

"Live My Life" is a recording of blues, soul and roots that will travel far from Stacy Mitchhart's Nashville home with its strong musicianship, nuanced and soulful singing and excellent material.

I believe a publicist sent me a review copy. This review originally appeared in the July-August 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 361). Here Stacy performs "Come Together."

 

The Nighthawks All You Gotta Do

The Nighthawks
All You Gotta Do
EllerSoul Records

I believe this is the fourth album by the current lineup of The Nighthawks when Mark Stutso replaced Pete Ragusa on drums, joining Mark Wenner on harmonica, Paul Bell on guitar and Johnny Castle on bass. It is another generous helping of blues and roots rock by one of the hardest working bands around with as eclectic a group as songs as they have ever recorded ranging from the opening updating of a Brenda Lee recording "That's All You Gotta Do" sung by Mark;  Willie Dixon's "Baby, I Want To Be Loved"; to Jesse Winchester's "Isn't That So"; to a rowdy rendition of Randy Newman's "Let Burn Down the Cornfield."

Highpoints include Stutso's singing on Larry Campbell's country gospel song "When I Go Away," that served as Levon Helm's personal farewell, his original hoodoo blues, "VooDoo Doll," and a wonderful swamp pop ballad "Three Times Your Fool"; Bell's stunning slide guitar backing on "Let Burn Down the Cornfield"; Wenner's harp and vocal on a rollicking cover of the second Sonny Boy Williamson's "Ninety Nine," his swamp blues reworking of Winchester's "Isn't that So" with marvelous tremolo laced guitar from Bell, and the instrumental recasting of "Frere Jacques" as "Blues For Brother John," with some jazzy playing from Bell; the band's reworking of R.L. Burnside's "Snake Drive" with terrific harp and slide; and Castle's grungy garage rock rendition of the Standell's "Dirty Water," with references to Boston changed to DC and Bell's guitar solo evoking the group, Them.

Other than the range of material, there will be no surprises for fans of The Nighthawks on another solid addition to their large body of recordings.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is an August 2017 performance by The Nighthawks.

Willa Vincitore Better Days

Willa Vincitore
Better Days
Building records

Singer-songwriter Willa Vincitore certainly sounds poised to expand her fanbase beyond New York's Hudson Valley with this recording A founding member of harmonica player Chris O'Leary's Band who is heard on this debut by her. Others accompanying her on her twelve originals include guitarist Chris Vitello, saxophonist Jay Collins, brass player Reggie Pittman, bassist Brandon Morrison, drummer Lee Falco and keyboardist Scott Milici.

Willa sings with considerable power as well as nuance with her on point phrasing and intonation. She can handle the hot jump blues groove of the opening "Love Looks Good On Me" with a booting sax solo; or the funk of "Stop, Drop and Roll," with a neat keyboard solo. Then she struts soulfully on "Hooked On You," really soaring at the close with marvelous backing vocals, and the title track which is a nice soul ballad that displays her vocal range as well as her expressive range with some nice guitar fills 

If the above suggests a soulful orientation other songs are in a different vein. There is the insistent blues-rock, "Hey Little Sister," with some smoldering harmonica after a blazing guitar solo, and the folk-flavored "Caroline" with Pete Hop's acoustic guitar. Some buzz-tone slide guitar opens "Mama Needs Some Company," a driving rocker that might evoke Bonnie Bramlett for some, while "Say What," has a reggae-tinged groove with wah-wah keyboards under the brassy backing supporting her fervent vocal and a fine guitar solo. The Caribbean feel also is present on "Opposite of Lonely," which also has Pittman's lugubrious sounding, muted trumpet behind her moving vocal.

The closing "Demons" is an original down-home acoustic blues wonderfully sung with Vitello laying down an outstanding slide guitar accompaniment. While Willa has been compared to the likes of Susan Tedeschi, and Shemekia Copeland, I suggest Ruthie Foster is a more appropriate comparison and she stands up well in comparison. This wonderfully produced recording (credit to Falco and Morrison) allows her to exhibit how marvelous a singer she is, and one whose career certainly is headed to see "Better Days."

I received a review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the July-August 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 373). Here she performs "Hey Little Sister."

Tas Cru Simmered and Stewed

Tas Cru
Simmered and Stewed
VizzTone

One of Tas Cru's earlier albums was titled "Grizzle n' Bone" and that is a fair approach to his blues with roots accents. His crusty, seasoned singing is matched with his very adept songwriting and solid, adept guitar, ably supported by some fine studio musicians. In fact he redoes "Grizzle n' Bone" in a rollicking performance (terrific piano from Chip Lamson) as he sings about used to get biscuits and gravy and now all he gets is grizzle and bone.

"Feel I'm Falling" is a stark call for help set against a trance groove in the manner of Otis Taylor with swirling repeated guitar riff and some biting slide guitar before it segues into a more emphatic, driving segment displaying his skill at arranging his material as well as singing and playing with Dick Earl Erickson adding haunting harmonica. On the plaintive ballad, "Time and Time," Erickson's mournful harmonica again adds to the mood. "Road To My Obsession" has a dynamic groove as Tas heads down a lonesome road with 200 miles to go to pay his dues, as he will play them blues and recounts his experiences playing. The closing track is a reworking and interpretation of Jackie Wilson's hit "Higher and Higher," that builds to its jubilant climax

This is a consistently strong recording that displays why Tas Cru has become a popular performer on the blues circuit. His music is fresh and original, wonderfully played whether he is playing acoustically or getting a rocking groove on, and with a gravelly, honest vocal approach making for a first-rate recording. And he is even better live. For more information on Tas Cru, visit the website, http://www.tascru.com.

I received a review copy from VizzTone. This review originally appeared in the July-August Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 373). Here Tas Cru performs "Grizzle n' Bone."

Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps Is Bonafide

Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps
Bonafide
Jesi-Lu Productions

Roots-blues singer Teresa James will be familiar with many from her association with Delbert McClinton (she's a regular on his cruises), as well as from festival appearances and club dates. Born in Houston and now based in Los Angeles, her band the Rhythm Tramps includes bassist Terry Wilson (who wrote most of the songs here as well as plays guitar and produced and engineered this recording); guitarist Billy Watts, drummer Herman Matthews, trumpeter Lee Thornburg and saxophonist Ron Dziuba. While they all appear on this, only Wilson and Watts are featured on most of this with the likes of drummer Tony Braunagel and keyboardist Mike Finnigan of The Phantom Blues Band adding there talents to a number of selections, along with Teresa herself on piano and Wurlitzer Piano.

Starting with the cover of a Five Royales song, "I Like It Like That," one gets impressed by James with a slight bit of sandpaper in her voice that adds to its grit and character. She is a singer, not a shouter, as she ably demonstrates on this rocker with the somewhat skeletal backing of the title track as well as with fuller backing on the soulful "The Power of Need." This latter track is a standout track with nice horns in the backing and Watts taking a crisp guitar break as she sings of yearning of the power of wanting to love someone. "Hollywood Way," has a funky groove with Wilson playing an effective simple organ riff and wah wah guitar riff as she sings in an understated manner about games being played and all our heroes never fade away.

"My God Is Better Than Yours" is an gospel-tinged song about religious hypocrisy, followed by another soulful ballad celebrating her lover, "You Always Pick Me Up." "What Happens In Vegas" has a New Orleans groove (think Huey "Piano' Smith and the Clowns) and takes the advertising slogan as what stays in Vegas to include one's money and one's honey. "Funny Like That" is an attractive ballad with a island groove while "No Regrets" finds her reflecting about having "no regrets about you" although she doesn't make things easy for her man. She delivers a marvelous closing vocal on John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me," as she pleads for her man to give her loving arms a try and have a little faith in her. She plays piano here, while the spare, uncluttered, backing provides a cushion for her heartfelt singing. It is the close on this first-rate album of roots, blues and soul performances.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the March-April Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371). Here is a video of Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps performing John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me."