A Celebration of John Cephas

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Originally uploaded by NoVARon

I was among those attending the celebration of the life of John Cephas at the Smithsonian's Baird Auditorium yesterday. It was a marvelous salute to one of the finest performers of traditional blues of the past thirty years. XM-Sirius' and (list member) Bill Wax did his usual marvelous job in emceeing this event. Those with remembrances of John included Barry Lee Pearson and Joe Wilson from the National Council For Traditional Arts and Nick Spitzer. Before the program started, there was some music provided by Daryl Davis on piano, Phil Wiggins on harmonica and Mark Puryear on guitar with a bass player whose name I do not remember. Maybe someone can help me identify Harold?.

There was also a number of spirited performances, including a number of "younger performers who were inspired to keep traditional acoustic blues alive. Rick Franklin and Phil Wiggins did a nice "Guitar Rag," while BluesWorks, the trio of Judy Luis-Watson, Paul Watson and Mark Puryear did a marvelous number. Eleanor Ellis mentioned how John Cephas played such an important role in helping keep the music of Skip James alive before doing a memorable "Special Rider." Diamong Jim Greene, another of Cephas musical children, had perhaps the most moving remembrance of his mentor, before launching into "Twelve Gates to the City." The musical highlight was Corey Harris with Phil Wiggins doing "Keep Your Lights Trimmed and Burning," (I am sure I botched the title), and the "Saddle My Pony." The Smithsonian celebration concluded with a trio of bluegrass musicians that had toured with Cephas and Wiggins being joined by Wiggins and Joe Wilson on a gospel hymn. It was a marvelous performance that was followed by a reception, jam at the Westminster Church that I was unable to attend.

A number of blues folks made long trips to attend including M.S.G, the Acoustic Blues Trio; Saffire-the Uppity Blues Women, and Mark Wenner of the Nighthawks. Mary Flower flew in from Portland, Oregon. Warner Williams & Jay Summerour along with Memphis Gold made it there as well as was Annie Raines, as well as countless friends and family. John Cephas will be missed but he left a strong imprint on our lives.

Pictured is Phil Wiggins and Corey Harris.

Nelson's "Screamin' the Blues" Merits Attention

One of my recent downloads from emusic was of the Oliver Nelson, Screamin' the Blues. Originally issued on Prestige's New Jazz imprint in 1963, this 1960 session includes a strong band that included Eric Dolphy, trumpeter Richard Williams, pianist Richard Wyands, bassist George Duvivier and the great Roy Haynes on drums. This is a similar group in composition to that on the classic The Blues and the Abstract Truth, although that session had Paul Chambers on bass, Bill Evans on piano and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. Five of the six numbers are Nelson originals and this disc perhaps does not quite reach the level of the earlier date but it has many impressive moments. There is the contrast between Dolphy's alto leaps, Williams' muted trumpet and Nelson's full-bodied tenor on the late night blues Three Seconds, while the title track opens with Nelson on alto sounding as so much like Louis Jordan that I was expecting him to start singing, as Dolphy and Williams riff in the background, before Wyands takes a nice solo with a hint of gut bucket, before Nelson takes a more modern solo followed by Williams and then Dolphy on bass clarinet. The Meeting, has a bit of the flavor of Hoe Down, with its country-tinged flavor. March On, March On, is the one tune not composed by Nelson but the performance fits in well in this session. Nelson's strong tenor is exhibited in The Drive. There is plenty for Dolphy fans to savor and the rest of the band is strong. This is a 31/2 to 4 star (out of 5) effort using that arcane rating system.

Carolina Chocolate Drops & Joe Thompson

One of the real delightful surprises in the past few years has been the emergence of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an African-American string band that embraced a dying tradition. African-Americans have been playing banjo and fiddle since slavery times well into the 20th Century. The Chocolate Drops were mentored by Joe Thompson, of North Carolina, the oldest and last known black traditional; fiddler, and have recorded several albums of old time string band music with many songs that would be at home with a revivalist, old-time string band. Their music led them to appear not only as blues events of the Music Heritage Foundation but on the Grand Ole Opry. The Music Maker Foundation has just issued their most recent recording, “Carolina Chocolate Drops & Joe Thompson” that was recorded in April 2008 at MerleFest. While its a short recording, its spirited fun as they open with a bit of a jug band flavor on “Memphis Shakedown,” before their rendition of “Cornbread And Butter Beans,” an old timey number and then they bring up Joe who leads off on the fiery“Dona Got A Ramblin' Mind” which was the title track on the Chocolate Drops first album. The addition of bones here gives it a nice feel, followed by a lively “John Henry,” with Thompson handling the vocal. A white banjo player who has been visiting Thompson for nearly four decades, Bob Carlin joins the group for the last five numbers, including “Old Joe Clark,” and “Georgie (sic?) Buck” and the hymn “I Shall Not Be Moved.” They close with a lively rendition of the traditional “Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad.” The value of this live recording is enhanced by making available a sample of Joe Thompson performing, with friends, doing tunes he has performed for decades before a highly appreciative audience. This is available from the Music Maker Foundation’s website, www.musicmaker.org.

If there is any justice it's Lady Bianca's time now

“Lady Bianca” Thornton has quietly been building a strong catalog of music for the nearly quarter of century. Conservatory trained, and initially a session singer, this writer first became aware of her with a surprising release on Telarc and a strong performance at the Pocono Blues Festival. She has continued to perform and with her partner, Stanley Lippitt, have continued to produce stunning blues recordings and performances that never have received the acclaim they deserved such as the excellent Through A Woman’s Eyes. Her latest effort, A Woman Never Forgets (Magic-O Records), hopefully will help her break through to a wiser audience.

On this disc, she is backed by an excellent band of guitarist Steve Gannon, bassist Henry Oden (of Joe Louis Walker’s greatest edition of the Boss Talkers and who played with countless legends like Percy Mayfield), and drummer Steve L. Eldridge (who adds tambourine) along with percussionist Jon Bendrich. Oshmin Oden (I assume Henry’s son) is on bass for two songs. It is a strong group with Lady Bianca handling all the keyboards, able to rock it as well as get down in the alley with guitarist Gannon first rate in his vintage sixties-sounding bluesy playing. The opening shuffle Lay Down Like You Mean It, displays her strengths with her rolling, rocking piano as well as her marvelous singing with her soulful delivery. What’s nice on He Just Do Me So Good, another marvelous collaboration with Lippitt that celebrates her man, is the jazzy touch in her piano playing with her understated vocal complemented by the spare piano making a superb performance. I’m in Love With You Baby, has a Latin groove as Gannon conjures up Carlos Santana with his guitar as her almost whispered vocal is spellbinding. Accompanied just by her piano, Sweetie Pie, is another blues celebrating her lover who sets her heart aflame, while Ugly Man Blues, has a lyric that Denise LaSalle would be proud of as she talks about her two men, one the pretty boy she sends out to work, but when she wants some real loving she goes over to another’s house, where she don’t want to see nothing but just feel him as they are loving which mixes a nice LaSalle styled rap with a celebration of her good loving ugly man. The title track has a bit of country and church feel as she tells he no good cheating man to get his coat on and don’t ask for forgiveness because a woman never forgets. The only cover is a slow reworking of an Elvis Recording, Heartbreak Hotel, which is transformed into a soulfully shouted slow blues dirge. She has such a way of making new songs of Elvis standards (she previously recorded Don’t Be Cruel) making them almost new songs as well as making them her own.

I could on and on about the other selections, but this is a terrific recording. Lady Bianca is on the same level as other, more celebrated female blues pianists-vocalists that I could name. This and other discs by her are available on cdbaby.com and merit your serious consideration. Her website is www.ladybianca.com.

The photo of Lady Bianca is from the North Atlantic Blues Festival (my memory is going so I do not know if 2004 or 2005). This review origin ally appeared in the March 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 314).

Lester "Mad Dog" Davenport

Another veteran blues artist has passed. Not the best known act perhaps though folks who have the classic Bo Diddley sides have heard his harmonica playing. In the past couple decades, we can thank Earwig and Delmark for issuing albums by the Mad Dog. More and more links to the golden age of post-war blues are leaving us and will be missed.

The following is taken from an email from Earwig Records:

We're saddened to share the news that blues musician Lester Davenport passed away last Tuesday. Visitation will be held this Friday, March 27, 3pm-9pm and funeral services will be this Saturday, March 28, 10am to 12pm, at A.A. Rayner & Sons Funeral Home, 5911 W. Madison, Chicago, IL 60644, phone 773-626-4222, fax 773-626-5223.

Until 1992, Lester Davenport's chief claims to blues fame were the 1955 Bo Diddley Chess session he played harp on (it produced "Pretty Thing" and "Bring It to Jerome") and a lengthy, much more recent stint holding down the harmonica slot with the multi-generational Gary, IN, band, the Kinsey Report. That instantly changed with the issue of Davenport's own album for Earwig, "When the Blues Hit You," and the follow up on Delmark, "I Smell A Rat." Now this Chicago blues veteran had something on the shelves to call his very own.

Davenport hit Chicago in 1945 at age 14. He quickly soaked up the sights and sounds so prevalent on the local blues scene, checking out Arthur "Big Boy" Spires, Snooky Pryor, and Homesick James, who invited the youngster to jam sessions and tutored him on the intricacies of the idiom. Gigs with Spires and James preceded his brief hookup with Bo Diddley (which included a booking behind Diddley at New York's famous Apollo Theater). Davenport led his own band while holding down a day job as a paint sprayer during the 1960s, remaining active on the West side prior to joining forces with the Kinseys during the 1980s.

Now, about that "Mad Dog" handle: it seems that Davenport liked to prowl the stage while playing a few notes on every instrument on the bandstand during his younger days. The shtick earned him the name; his tenacious playing did the rest.

Aside from all of his great credentials, Lester was a wonderful man who was eager to welcome new friends and share his harmonica secrets to aspiring players. He had a warm smile and the ability to add humor to any situation. His harmonica playing will be remembered for its glorious, sweet tone and perfect phrasing

(Includes bio written by Bill Dahl, photo courtesy of Kevin Johnson)

Mel Brown 1939-2009

Bob Corritore sent the word of this latest sad news to blues folks everywhere in his email newsletter:

• RIP Mel Brown 10/7/1939-3/20/2009: This note just in from Eric Thom: "Mel Brown has just passed - around 5pm tonight, but details are still pending. He was to open for Mavis Staples tonight, but has been in St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener fighting to get his breathing back without the use of a machine. This is a huge loss for the blues, and for the blues world in Canada, specifically". Mel Brown was one of the real treasures of blues guitar and piano. He had a long history of spectacular recordings for labels such as Impulse, Bluesway, Antone's, and in recent years, for his home base label of the Electro-Fi records. He also recorded as a sideman for some of the greatest of blues artists, including T-Bone Walker, B.B. king, Bobby "Blue Bland," Albert Collins, Lightnin' Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Snooky Pryor, Jimmy McGriff, James Cotton, Doug Sahm, Earl Hooker and Charles Brown (could a discography be any more fulfilled than that?) Yet another irreplaceable blues great has left us.
  

Mel Brown's biography can be found at Electro-Fi's website.

A few highpoints.

He was the son of John "Bubba" Brown, a Delta Blues Artist of note who ha traveled with Tommy Johnson and the Chatmon Brothers, but in order to raise his family, did not pursue music full time. Growing up in Jackson he met numerous blues legends and saw others growing up like Elmore James, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and Sonny Boy Williamson. Mel ended up working several gigs with Sonny Boy in nearby Vaughn, Mississippi "He needed a guitar player, so he came by my house and got me".

In 1958 he moves to LA where he hooks up with Jimmy Beasley and then Johnny Otis. Later he tours with the Olympics and Etta James. At this juncture of his career Mel begins to work steadily in the highly competitive L.A. studio scene appearing on sessions with everyone from Bobby Darin to Doris Day, Bill Cosby to Jerry Lewis. Meanwhile back in the blues world, after impressing T-Bone Walker with his playing one night at the Sands Club, Walker invited Mel to appear on an album , "Funky Town", that he was preparing to record for the ABC/Impulse label . Also impressed with Mel’s guitar work on the T-Bone sessions, producer Bob Thiele summoned Mel back to the studio a week later to record his debut "Chicken Fat". The LP is a flavorsome mix of blues, jazz and funk instrumentals with special guest Herb Ellis along for the ride.

He waxed several more albums for ABC-Impulse as well as records with many blues legends like Bobby Bland (The California Album), Charles Brown (the album "Legend" opposite Earl Hooker), Jimmy Witherspoon (again opposite Earl Hooker) and way too many more. He also worked off and on with Bobby Bland from 1971 to 1981. In 1983, he moved to Austin and becomes part of house band at Antone's including recording as part of the Silent partners. He is heard on a number of Antone's label albums as well as some by Albert Collins.

He moved to Ontario, Canada in 1990 where he remained for the rest of his life. He recorded a number of albums as a leader for Electro-Fi, as well as played on albums by Snooky Pryor and other legends. His 1999 Electro-Fi debut album " "Neck Bones & Caviar," which in 2001 won Mel the W.C. Handy (now Blues Music Award) "Blues Comeback Album of the Year" award."

He was highly respected in the music world throughout his career. I never had the pleasure of seeing him perform, but his legacy as a leader and a sideman is substantial.

The image of Mel is by taLkiN' bLuEs and taken from his website, www.melbrownblues.com

Since writing this I became aware of a Mel Brown obituary on the cbc's website.

Eddie Bo 1930-2009

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Originally uploaded by NoVARon

Word came out today that Eddie Bo, yet another New Orleans piano playing funk pioneer passed away on Wednesday, March 18. Bo is among the last pianists from the age of classic New Orleans rhythm and blues where he had some big hits as well as wrote a number of songs that became classics for others. His career spanned the boogie influenced jump blues to the more modern funk.

His website biography summarized his career succinctly: "In a career that spans well over five decades, Eddie Bo has made more 45’s than any artist has in New Orleans other than Fats Domino. He has produced records for Irma Thomas, Robert Parker, Art Neville, Chris Kenner, Al "Carnival Time" Johnson and the late Johnny Adams. Bo is a prolific songwriter, having penned several timeless songs: "Check Mr. Popeye", "It Must Be Love", "I’m Wise" (made famous by Little Richard under the name "Slippin' and Slidin'") and the hit recorded by Etta James, "My Dearest Darling". He also wrote Tommy Ridgely's "In The Same Old Way" and further demonstrates genius in the realm of contemporary New Orleans funk on the highly creative works, "Hook and Sling" and "Pass the Hatchet.""

I had the pleasure of first seeing him perform at one of the Ponderosa Stomps performing solo, and at several JazzFests with a tight, funky band where he always did some of his favorites. Rounder reissued some of his funky R&B that included the popular dance number "Check Mr. Popeye," after all Olive Oyl was in the danger zone. A favorite CD of his was "New Orleans Solo Piano" on Night Train. His death, coming shortly after the death of Snooks Eaglin, is a terrible loss to fans of New Orleans music. I join the many world-wide, who mourn this great artist.

The picture is from April 26, 2008 at the Fais Do Do Stage at the New Orleans Jazz & heritage Festival

Brother Tryone's Soulful Blues

A genuine surprise is the recent album by New Orleans singer Brother Tyrone, “Mindbender (Guitar Joe’s House of Blues), apparently the second disc by the Crescent City soul and blues vocalist. Its an old-fashioned album with live rhythm and horns including bassist Jack Cruz and the late Wilbert “Junkyard Dog” Arnold from Wolfman Washington’s band, and some fine uncredited horns. Special note has to be given to producer Everette Eglin who also supplies the guitar on this session. There is a nice mix of originals and covers of classic songs. Brother Tyrone for example lends his own voice to the Eddie Floyd’s “I Never Found A Girl,” as well as Toussaint McCall’s classic ballad “Nothing Take the Place of You,” but its an original like “If You Ain’t Cheating,” on which he shines as well as “When It’s Gone, it’s Gone,” a reflection on watching your stuff float away in a flood while he is joined by Richard “Tricky Dick” Dickson’s reference to classic soul as similarly floating away, a sentiment also found in “New Indian Blues,” as he mixes in some Mardi Gras references with references of the classic blues and soul artists he grew up on with Eglin taking a nice solo against the steady rocking groove as he presses on singing these rhythm and blues. “Old Friend is a terrific performance of a George Jackson number that Spencer Wiggins recorded for Goldwax with a nice bluesy solo, and followed by a nice down-in-the-alley rendition of Otis Spann’s “Country Girl,” on which Eglin plays some stinging slide guitar. The tempo picks up on “The Money’s Gone,” as Tyrone shouts out about finding his woman at the pawn shop but the money’s gone, and “you keep standing by the corner and I will be gone before too long.” Johnnie Taylor’s hit blues-ballad “Just Because,” is nicely delivered, while “New Roll and Tumble,” is a 21st Century reworking of Elmore James Fire recording of this classic theme. The set closes with a neat reworking of The Valentino’s “I Used to Love Her,” that some may now as “It’s All Over Now,” with a driving funk groove. This is a refreshingly vibrant disc of soul and blues that is available from the Louisiana Music Factory, itunes, cdbaby, amazon and other sources.

John Cephas

John Cephas
Originally uploaded by NoVARon

I was privileged to know John Cephas for the past twenty or so years and have been a fan of his music for a longer time. Still word of his passing came as a shock, although I was aware that he had announced his retirement from music. The Library of Virginia very recently honored him as an African-American Trailblazer.

I first met John around the time I joined the DC Blues Society at the 1987 Smithsonian Folklife Festival when a number of DC blues performers were featured. He was one of the founders of the DCBS and its first President, and may have played a major role in the Society's fostering of acoustic blues in the early days which gave it a different flavor than the older Baltimore Blues Society had.

John's involvement in its first years was immense, including bring a sound system to the JFK Lounge for shows by John Dee Holeman and Flora Molton. He was also always available for advice.

Of course he is best known as a performer, rooted in the Piedmont fingerstyle guitar tradition and with a young Phil Wiggins, formed a memorable blues partnership. He was also one of the finest blues singers in the acoustic blues of the past fifty years. He may have learned to sing in the church, but his ebullient vocals reminded me of Big Bill Broonzy.

He won many honors, toured the world over and left us with a body of music that will be listened to for decades to come. The picture is from the last time I saw John Cephas performing, along with Phil,Wiggins at a DC Blues Society Festival Fundraiser at the Ratner Museum in Bethesda, Maryland, June 8, 2006.

Ron Thompson Needs the Blues World's Help

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Originally uploaded by NoVARon

I have known about Ron Thompson from backing various down home bluesmen like School Boy Cleve for the Blues Connesseur label. He backed KC Douglas for a wonderful Arhoolie album and was part of the late John Lee Hooker's Coast to Coast band as well as a member of Mick Fleetwood's Blue Whale (I believe that is the name) with whom I saw him at Fleetwood's, in Alexandria in the 1990s.

This was taken dueing the 2006 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise where he displayed his own strong singing and playing (He is quite a pianist as well as guitarist). I have also enjoyed his excellent recordings which are available on cdbaby.com.

In any event, Ron recently sent out an email blast, Thursday February 26, to his fans including me:

"As you may have heard, Ron Thompson suffered a physical setback recently. But the good news is that he is on the mend!

On Thursday, February 19th, Ron was admitted to Saint Rose Hospital in Hayward with a severe case of pneumonia—so severe that the bacteria went into his bloodstream. Ron spent four days in the hospital, part of that time in ICU, but sprang back quickly, thanks to the excellent care of the Saint Rose medical team. Ron would like to thank Dr. Pat Hybarger (of Kaiser San Rafael), Dr. Anna Saenz of San Francisco, Dr. Ramiro Garcia, Peggy (sorry we don't know your last name!) and all the other St Rose nursing staff who basically saved his life.

Ron was released from the hospital on Sunday, February 22nd, and is expected to make a full recovery. He is taking a long overdue and well-needed recess from performing, but should be back in the saddle soon!

When times get tough, you know who your friends are, and Ron has so many wonderful friends! He needs each and every one at this time to help him cope with all this, including addressing a rather astonishing hospital bill and being able to make the rent payment while he's recuperating.

Angels from every part of California and also Colorado are jumping forward to help, as several fund-raising benefits are in the works already. If you would like to help, by offering your musical talents, your organizing skills, or providing items for auction/raffle—please get in touch with the contact(s) listed below.

If you would like to host your own benefit to help Ron through this financial crunch, just email or call Jackie McCort, Ron's business manager, at jackie@rtblues.com or 510.693.8277, so that we can add your event to the list and notify folks in your area.

A special bank account has been set up specifically for Ron's medical bills at Bank of America in Hayward CA . To make a donation, please send checks payable to:

“Ron Thompson, Account #0014-73814”
Bank of America
1200 “A” Street
Hayward CA 94544

We will be setting up a “one click” method for donations through Ron's website in the next few days. If you would prefer to contribute online, please check the website in a day or so."

The next day he emailed us to express his gratitude for the genrousity of his fans and freinds.

"Words cannot even express the gratitude that Ron has for the avalanche of love and support that is rolling in right now! It is unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then some. When the dust settles, Ron wants to acknowledge and give back to all of you WONDERFULLY GENEROUS people!"

Memphis Gold has reason to celebrate

A few months ago he was featured in Blues & Rhythm and he is the cover story on Living Blues' current issue. But more importantly he has a new CD coming out, Gator Gon' Bitechu. And on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 8:00 pm, he is having a CD Release Show and Gibson Celebration at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington, DC.
Join Bill Wax, host of Sirius XM Radio's B.B. King's Bluesville for a special presentation of of a Classic Gibson Custom ES-335 Recognition Award to Memphis Gold! Special guest artist Robert Lighthouse will be on the bill for this night for an evening sponsored by the DC Blues Society, Gibson Guitar, and Blues Alley. Shows are at 8PM and 10PM are $25.00 and tickets are available at www.bluesalley.com
Memphis Gold will have copies of the new CD available (it will be available on cdbaby in late March) as well as copies of the Living Blues issue available for purchase, and he will be happy to autograph these items.

By the way, he has a new website, memphisgoldblues.com

Saffire completes memorable run

Its been twenty-five years since the trio of Gaye Adegbalola, Ann Rabson and Earline Lewis first started performing around Fredericksburg, VA and Washington, D.C.. This writer remembers catching them for the first time at a DC Blues Society charity concert at Georgetown University and picking up their self-produced cassette, “Middle Age Blues,” mostly compiled from classic blues with a few originals, including “Middle Age Blues Boogie,” which became the trio’s theme song with its still memorable refrain “I want a young, young man.” Having the chance to see them on a regular basis in Washington I was delighted to find out they had signed with Alligator in 1989 I believe. Their debut Alligator disc, the eponymously titled “SAFFIRE - The Uppity Blues Women,” was a surprising, but well deserved, success.

A story I did from interviews of them for the DC Blues Society newsletter was the basis for first major story on them that appeared in one of the early issues of “Blues Revue.” Along the way, Earline Lewis departed to be replaced by Andra Faye who in addition to bass, also displayed a multi-instrumental talent on mandolin, guitar, fiddle and more. In the ensuing years they have performed countless times as well as continued to teach at blues workshop programs, mentoring a large number of modern acoustic blues acts. From the Washington DC and Tidewater, VA area such groups as BluesWorks and MSG the Acoustic Trio mine traditional blues along with adding contemporary originals rooted in traditional sources. Undoubtedly the novelty of a trio of mature women performing acoustic blues itself was a source of appeal among a variety of audiences that went beyond the usual audience for Alligator’s house-rocking electric blues bands. But their longevity is evidence that their music had so much more substance than what may have been an initial novelty to some.

“Havin’ the Last Word,”is their eighth album of new recordings for Alligator (this does not include the excellent compilation “Deluxe Edition”) and first since 2001’s “Ain’t Gonna Hush.” The title refers to the fact that this is the trio’s swan song together with the ensuing performances to be among their final regular ones together. Each will continue the solo careers they have each been engaged in the past several years. Unlike their previous albums, there is only one classic blues revived here, “Kitchen Man,” and the rest are fresh tunes composed by the three along with others by EG Kight, and others. The opening song, Carla Daruda’s “Going Down to the River” has all three trading verses about going to the river and wash their troubles away with Ann holding the bottom together like Blind John Davis before Andra Faye takes a crisp mandolin solo. Its followed by Gina DeLuca’s “Nothin’ in My House,” where Gaye delivers the sassy lyrics about let them say what they will, “if I want to honky tonk all night ... what do I care, I ain’t got nothing in their house,” with Ann adding a rollicking solo. Ann revives “Kitchen Man” from the pen of Andy Razaf and Edna Pinkard,” with a stately piano and Andra Faye’s complimentary mandolin. EG Kight & Tom Horner contributed “Somebody’s Gotta Give,” a song that Andra Faye belts out (and one can imagine easily being translated into a band format by Andra and her band The Mighty Good Man).

Other highlights include Bald Headed Blues,” an original by Gaye where she addresses consequences of chemotherapy and dancing with life and not death. Andra Faye adds fiddle to Ann’s not completely reflective “Since You’ve Been Gone,”while her own “Blue Lullaby” has a country flavor. EG Kight and Tom Horner collaborated with Ann for “Travelin’ at the Speed of Love,” a celebratory boogie with Andra Faye’s fiddle adding a nice counterpoint to her jaunty piano. Gaye’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” has a nice guitar solo from Ann while Gaye sings about how bad things have gone “so she needs to take a payday loan,” but she does not need anyone else’s help. Andra Faye is playful in celebrates her body on having “Too Much Butt,” while Gaye’s “Bald Eagle,” is a lustful celebration of female sexuality with spirited mandolin and piano in the backing. Deanna Bogart’s “I’m Growing Older,” an humorous about the inevitable as Andra Faye is quite comfortable about aging like fine wine and becoming a wilder woman. The album concludes with another Ann Rabson collaboration with Kight and Horner, “The Bad Times,” with echoes of “Drown in My Own Tears,” in its melody, noting that we have had bad and sad times, but held on to faith and through it all these times these words of wisdom that “bad times make the good times better, bad times make our love strong … good times will be here before long.”

Saffire has provided many with some real good music over a quarter of a century that has given us good times to get past the bad and sad times. It is a cliche that all good things must come to an end, and while the musical partnership of Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women may be ending, their musical legacy is firmly established and will be enjoyed for many more years just as each of the members will establish more of their own legacy. Like Jim Brown leaving professional football, “Havin’ the Last Word,” has Saffire ending their run while still performing at the highest level.

(This review was originally published in Jazz & Blues Report # 313 which you can download at www,jazz-blues.com.)

Snooks Eaglin at 2007 JazzFest Day 2-299

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Originally uploaded by NoVARon

I have become jaded over the years, but few acts could continually astonish me as much as the late Snooks Eaglin who passed away this year at the age of 72 in New Orleans. While he recorded with Smiley Lewis and on his own for Imperial as a R&B musician, folklorist Harry Oster recorded him as a blind street singer that misled many as to the extent of his talents. He reemerged with some performances and recordings with Professor Longhair as well as a Scandinavian recording that paired him with New Orleans musicians including pianist Ellis Marsalis. Called the human jukebox, he could play thousands of tunes and always brought something new. I saw him only a handful of times, but he was one act I would not miss if I could help it. JazzFest can bring national touring acts, but these acts are a dime a dozen. Who will they bring in that can replace Snooks. No one. RIP Snooks. Your music will continue to astonish us every time we play it.

David "Fathead' Newman's "Life:

The great Texas saxophonist, Favid 'Fathead' Newman passed away Tuesday, January 20. The Highnote CD Life was the next to last recording of his distinguished career. Highnote issued Diamondhead in 2008. I previously posted a review of this album in November 2007. The review originally appeared in the July-August 2007 Jazz & Blues Report. Here is a link to that 2007 post.

John Németh's Magic Touch

In light of John Németh's new Blind Pig release, Love Me Tonight, I thought it would be appropriate to post a review of his earlier Blind Pig disc, Magic Touch, which has been posted on Amazon.com. I wrote this in early 2007.

One of the real pleasures I have is hearing a new voice that just blows me away being rooted deep in the blues tradition, yet singing and playing with an authority that would have been at home on a blues recording 40 years ago. Born in Idaho, John Németh has been growing a body of followers including guitarist Junior Watson and Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin and after a couple of CDs has signed with Blind Pig and has a new CD, Magic Touch, that is a stunning release. He is simply a wonderful singer that to this listener suggests Junior Parker mixed with Bobby Radcliffe and an equally superb harp player. This CD is produced by Anson Funderburgh (who plays on 1 track) with Németh backed by a terrific band that includes great Junior Watson on guitar and Kaz Kazanoff and the Texas Horns. Németh blasts off with a strong reworking of Junior Wells’ Blues Hit Big Town (great harp along with the vocal) before followed by the funky originals Blue Broadway and the title track, both sporting strong crying vocals and terrific playing from Watson (who gets into a rock and roll vein on the title track). Willie Dixon’s Sit and Cry the Blues, was one of Buddy Guy’s earliest recordings and the version here with Watson’s evocation of Ike Turner’s trebly playing on Guy’s original as Németh’s convincingly the lyrics in his natural soulful style. She Did Not Show sports some harp in a Rice Miller vein on a blues set to the Sittin’ on Top of the World/ Some Cold Rainy Day melody, while Up to No Good evokes Sam Cooke’s Bring It On Home, with more exquisite harp playing. Come On, a polka-blues (yes you read that correctly) closes this album on a fresh, delightful note. Blind Pig in their publicity for this suggests that Magic Touch “is destined to be one of the most remarked upon releases of 2007.” Well it is January as I write this, but they are likely right, as this is simply terrific and hopefully Németh will do so touring in support of this.

An Underrated Jimmy Johnson album

Jimmy Johnson, since turning from soul into the blues, developed into one of the blues most distinctive singers and guitarists. Born Jimmy Thompson, he adopted the name Johnson like his more famous brother Syl, while brother Mac was a well respected bass-player (best known for his work with Magic Sam. Initially showing up as a second guitarist behind Jimmy Dawkins and Otis Rush, his recordings as part of the fist batch of Alligator's Living Chicago Blues brought his music front and center to the attention of blues lovers. While he recorded for the MCM label as part of series of recordings made in Chicago clubs (although during day so the ambiance was more like a studio recording than a live date), his recordings for Delmark certainly shown what a distinctive singer and tunesmith (able to turn a clever phrase) he was. Add to this his distinctive (almost ethereal) high tenor and his rapier-like guitar work, Johnson brings his own voice to his originals as well as his interpretations of classic blues.

One recording by him is Livin' the Blues on the French Black & Blue label which is available for download from emusic and Amazon lists the CD. Not sure who the personnel is on this, but they are a pretty solid group. Much of the material are covers but Johnson makes such overdone songs as Jimmy Reed's You Don't Have To Go, his own as one hears a tinge of the classic Bill Doggett instrumental, Honky Tonk. Similarly he adds a West Side Chicago flavor to Elmore James' The Sky Is Crying, laying out a really strong solo that matches his heartfelt vocal. Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me, opens with some sparkling guitar before he launches into the vocal on an arrangement that stays true to the original. The rocking shuffle, Pretty Baby, is a retitled Ride With me Tonight. Not as original a rendition, but still this is solidly handled with some rollicking piano. Johnson adds a funky groove and a slightly quicker tempo to Born Under a Bad Sign. Since I downloaded this I do not know who played on this session, I cannot say who the vocalist is on the two closing selections, Quicksand and When There's A Will, There's A Way, but it may be John Watkins based on the listing of Johnson albums at allmusic.com.

At its worst, Johnson provides us with solid covers, but at its best, he does make some overly recorded songs sound fresh and his vocals and guitar are typically first-rate. There are one-dimensional acts out there who are far better known than Jimmy Johnson, and to quote Fats Domino, "Ain't That a Shame."

Here (from youtube) is Jimmy backed by Dave Specter doing, You Don't Know What Love Is. Jimmy performs several songs with Dave on Dave's excellent Delmark album, Live in Chicago, available on CD and also on DVD.

Wanted - Authoritative Book on Delta Blues - Ted Gioia's Book Ain't It

Delta Blues: The Life and Times of the Mississippi Masters Who Revolutionized American Music
Ted Gioia
W.W. Norton
2008

It's been some four decades since this writer developed his love and enthusiasm for the blues, particularly those blues artists rooted in the Mississippi Delta and surrounding area. As a freshman in college, I bought and read Samuel Charters The Bluesmen, as well as various books by Paul Oliver. I also purchased reissues of rare country blues on Yazoo, Origin Jazz and Blues Classics, as well as albums by Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson on Chess; B.B. King and John Lee Hooker on Bluesway; Elmore James on United and a variety of other acts. Charters' book brought alive the music and personalities of the artists he focused on, which included not simply the great artists from the Delta, but also such pioneering Texas blues artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson and Texas Alexander. Written at the time that Son House, Skip James and Bukka White had been rediscovered and were performing, and with the contemporaneous interviews that he drew upon, he made these artists and their recordings larger than life.

The Bluesmen was a major factor that led me into my four decades old obsession with blues artists and their music. I start reading DownBeat for the incisive articles and reviews by Pete Welding and John Litweiler, the pioneering British publications Blues Unlimited and Blues World, (to which I made modest contributions), and then Living Blues when it began publishing. New information on the blues legends came out along with numerous reissues of rare recordings. Robert Palmer published his pioneering Deep Blues, while Living Blues and Blues Unlimited (and after Blues Unlimited folded, Juke Blues and Blues & Rhythm) published lengthy interviews with the likes of Johnny Shines, Robert Lockwood, Eddie Taylor, Snooky Pryor and others. In light of the surprise success of the Robert Johnson reissue box around 1990, much was written on Johnson and his music and influences, with Elijah Wald's Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues being important in both debunking myths about Johnson's life, as well as highlighting Johnson's place in the history of the blues. And, in addition to several books about Johnson, we have been fortunate to have had biographies about some of the major figures in blues from the Delta including Skip James, Charlie Patton, Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Elmore James, Little Walter, Memphis Minnie, and Jimmy Reed. And if Mack McCormick never finished his planned Robert Johnson biography (or his equally important book on Texas Blues and Music), his work has been drawn on others including Peter Guralnick.

Ted Gioia's new book Delta Blues was a surprise when I heard of it. I was familiar with his History of Jazz and his book on West Coast Jazz, but a new book on the deep blues that came out of Mississippi was intriguing. This music, that moves so many of us, was rooted in a community living under the most oppressive conditions. In summarizing what we know about the music's early days and the lives of some of the pioneering artists, Gioia provides a useful service. Gioia integrates the writings of Stephen Calt and Gayle Dean Wardlow in putting together portraits of Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson and Skip James, and adds some brief sketches of Big Joe Williams and Tommy McClennan as well as highlight the importance of H.C. Speir, who was the talent scout that led to most of the great Delta artists recording. But his focus, even on the early Delta blues, is on the guitarist-vocalists, and outside of brief mentions of Louise Johnson (who recorded at one of Charlie Patton's sessions) and Skip James, there is essentially no discussion of the blues piano tradition of the Delta region or its proponents.

Gioia perhaps places too much relevance in the fact that some early blues recordings were reworked by such rock acts as Cream, Rolling Stones, Canned Heat and Led Zeppelin. In discussing James' I'm So Glad, Gioia goes beyond simply noting Cream would rework the song, and incredulously includes Cream's jam-rock live recording as one of the 100 Essential Blues Recordings. Discussing Johnson, he traces his life and discusses his recordings while integrating the recollections of Johnny Shines, Robert Lockwood, Honeyboy Edwards and others who knew the pioneering blues artist. In addition to the music and biography, he also attempts to counterbalance the writings of Elijah Wald and Barry Lee Pearson who had debunked the Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil myth with a suggestion that Johnson may have presented himself as having done so to the public.

Gioia takes us forward with discussion of the Delta recordings for the Library of Congress that Alan Lomax made, focusing on the sessions with Son House and Honeyboy Edwards as well as Muddy Waters. The discussion of Muddy Waters leads off a detailed discussion of his music and career, along with similarly detailed examinations of John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King. There is a brief overview of Mississippi blues in Chicago and a chapter on the blues revival, detailing the rediscovery and postwar careers of some early blues pioneers. However, seminal Mississippi blues artists like Elmore James and Jimmy Reed are dealt with not as thoroughly, and such equally important Delta artists as Albert King and Sonny Boy Williamson are not dealt with in any substantial fashion.

There are also curious statements made, including one that Jimmy Reed failed to achieve fame or critical recognition in the blues world. The statement simply is foreign to my understanding as a blues fan. Also, in the limited discussion of Elmore James he doesn't discuss James' travels with Robert Johnson or Steve Franz's assertion that Dust My Broom was as much James' song as Johnson's. Enamored by Honeyboy Edwards, Gioia repeats Edwards' claim, without challenge, that Chess held his material back because they would not compete with Muddy Waters. Honeyboy's rendition of Drop Down Mama was first issued on a Chess album of that name nearly four decades ago along with rare and previously unissued recordings by Robert Nighthawk, Johnny Shines, Blue Smitty, Floyd Jones and Big Boy Spires. Listening to that one song in the context of the others on that album, it is likely that Honeyboy's Chess recordings lay unissued because they weren't very good.

You will not find the names of such post-war representatives of the Delta blues as Floyd Jones, Arthur Big Boy' Spires, or Blue Smitty, or their recordings discussed in this book, despite them being equal to some of the recordings that Gioia considers essential. Nor will you find any detailed discussion of the commercial post-war delta recordings of Drifting Slim, Junior Brooks, Boyd Gilmore, Joe Hill Louis, Dr. Ross, J.B. Lenoir, John Littlejohn, Charlie Booker, Walter Horton or Willie Nix. While Sam Phillips and Sun records is acknowledged, the important role of Joe Bihari's field trips in the South, usually with Ike Turner, and the legacy of the recordings he made of Delta artists is ignored. One will not find Pinetop Perkins, whose piano played such a big role in the Delta blues scene of the forties and fifties, in the book's index.

And it is not that the missing artists are biographical phantoms. The late Mike Leadbitter conducted pioneering research on the post-war blues in the Delta Region that has been followed up by many, including most notably, Jim O'Neal. There have been articles published and essays in the booklets accompanying recent reissues of these Delta Blues recordings. Several of the English Ace Records reissues of the Modern Downhome Blues Sessions contain Jim O'Neal's scholarly discussion of the sessions and artists. The volumes devoted the Delta region have been available for a couple of years. In fairness, I have no idea whether Gioia approached O'Neal and others (such as Bill O'Donohue who is writing a biography of Rice 'Sonny Boy Williamson' Miller) about their research. It is possible that work is still ongoing on the post-war Delta blues volume and that some material was not open to be shared, awaiting its separate publication. But the fact is that some of the results of this research have been published. Nothing in the text, or the list of recommended reading provided by Gioia indicates he made use of available material. There is also no reference or the use of the autobiography by the late Delta blues harmonica player, Sam Myers.

His discussion of the blues revival provides an overview of the rediscovery of some of the prewar artists who found a new audience for their music as well as discusses some of the more recent artists uncovered such as R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough and the Fat Possum label, but there is no mention of the late Jesse Mae Hemphill, nor of Roosevelt Booba' Barnes, the remarkable singer-guitarist who ran his own Mississippi juke joint, or Joe Willie Wilkins, another associate of Robert Johnson and later guitarist on King Biscuit Time, who Steve Lavere recorded and produced an extremely rare, but excellent album by.

Gioia provides a list for further reading, which also has significant omissions relating to books germane to his text. He does not include several of Paul Oliver's writings (a couple of Oliver's books are included, but not The Story of the Blues, and Oliver's writings specifically directed at the questions of the blues origins are not listed). Another significant omission is Mike Rowe's Chicago Breakdown. Gioia also provides a dubious list of 100 essential blues recordings (Gioia selects songs, not albums, because albums might go in and out of print). The uselessness of this list is seen by the inclusion of a Cream recording but nothing by Eddie Taylor, Floyd Jones, Boyd Gilmore, Junior Brooks, Willie Huff, Little Johnnie Jones, Sunnyland Slim, Robert Lockwood or Jesse Mae Hemphill to name a few. If one is going to include Bessie Smith and Blind Lemon Jefferson for context, where are representative recordings by Leroy Carr and Lonnie Johnson? I would also question some specific choices such as Tommy McClennan's Bottle Up and Go, whose controversial lyrics was atypical of McClennan's recordings. I would suggest checking out Elijah Wald's Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues, and track down the various recordings Wald discusses.

One might be more forgiving of Gioia if there was substantial new material presented here, but there is little, if any, here. There is discussion that many will find insightful of the music, and Gioia's consideration of the musical legacy of John Lee Hooker is the most credible discussion of John Lee Hooker's recordings readily available; and there is also cogent discussion with respect to early 78-RPM recordings by Mississippi artists. In fact, he shares, with long-standing enthusiasts of the music, the recognition that some of the recordings that reach us so deeply today had little, if any, commercial success. At the same time, one still must place the performers accurately in the history of this music, not simply relying on the fact it influenced modern popular artists. Gioia simply does not cover the full spectrum of Delta Blues or the idiom's performers.

In addition to photographs of some of the principal figures here (many from Dick Waterman's collection), the book does benefit from Neil Harpe's artwork. Neil, based in Annapolis, Maryland, is an accomplished artist as well as a pretty darn good blues guitarist and vocalist, and even if I am not very enthusiastic about this book, I am about the artwork. That does not change the fact that this book is simply not the authoritative work on the Delta Blues that it is proclaimed to be on the back cover. That work requires substantially deeper digging into the entire Delta Blues history.

By the way, the book has received a number of rave reviews including into the NY Times and JazzTimes as quoted on Gioia's website, http://tedgioia.com/deltablues.html. I disagree with their opinion.

Also this book is being carried by the major book retailers in addition to online retailers. For those having an Amazon Kindle, you can purchase this for the Kindle.

A bit of Albert Collins for your viewing pleasure

I have been a bit lazy in writing recently but I came across these gems recently of the Iceman.

First up from 1980 with his great Alligator band that included A.C. Reed



Then Albert with Roy Buchanan and Lonnie Mack



Finally, singing the old Jimmy Liggins "I Ain't Drunk" with Debbie Davies on rhythm guitar



I miss Albert. He had style and sure could play the blues.

Interesting, but not essential, New Sleepy John Estes Release

On Highway 80 is the seventh album by Sleepy John Estes for Delmark which he shares with his longtime associate Hammie Nixon. This is a collection of previously unissued recordings that Estes and Nixon recorded in July 1974, prior to touring Japan. It is an interesting, although hardly essential addition to their discography with Estes and Nixon handling a variety of mostly traditional material and songs they had performed before. Estes was not the most accomplished guitarist but his simple rhythmic style could be effective and his crying vocals tugged at the heart while Nixon’s harmonica playing influenced John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson. It is interesting to hear the treatment of the material here from the opening Love Grows in Your Heart, a version of Careless Love. Nixon’s vocal on Potato Diggin’ Man, which might have benefited from a stronger accompaniment, while the vigorous I’ll be Glad When You’re Dead, has spirited kazoo and second vocal from Nixon. Several selections are traditional religious numbers including Holy Spirit, a moving number with Nixon taking the lead with Estes seconding the vocal, When the Saints Go Marching In, on which Estes takes the vocal lead, and Do Lord Remember Me with Nixon’ harp and lead vocal setting the tone. There are also two takes of President Kennedy, about the assassination of the President that Estes first recorded shortly after that horrible event. Nixon’s kazoo gives a jug band flavor to Corrine, Corinna, on which Nixon again seconds Estes’ vocal. The album includes a couple of tracks featuring the pair talking and closes with a rendition of his famous song commemorating their hometown, Brownsville Blues. Some of the accompaniments are a bit more ragged than other of their albums and this might be a difficult release to listen straight through. Estes is a very important artist, as a songwriter and as a vocalist. An excellent collection of his early recordings for Victor and other labels is I Ain't Gonna Be Worried No More 1929-1941) on Yazoo. For the recordings made after his rediscovery, recommended titles include his other Delmark albums such as The Legend of Sleepy John Estes, or Brownsville Blues. These should be available from most any good source for blues.

One other matter. I was chatting with Washington area blues artist Memphis Gold, and he mentioned that his father grew up around Estes and others. Interesting how blues roots run deep in families.

A bit of magic on video

Some magic by the incredible Rashaan Roland Kirk in 1969 (From the Supershow 1969?). Incidentally there is a terrific DVD of Kirk in the latest batch of the Jazz Icons® DVDs and for those who but the entire thrid set, there is even more Kirk on the bonus disc. Great stuff. Here is a link for Kirk with Buddy Guy and Jack Bruce from Supershow 1969. The video can't be embedded in a thread.