Roosevelt Sykes, Smokey Wilson, Big Joe Turner

Here are some miscellaneous reviews from the June 1978 Buffalo Jazz Report (Issue 52).

Music is My Business is the latest set by Roosevelt Sykes (Blue Labor BL 111) and is a welcome new release featuring him and his piano in mostly a solo mode. Louisiana Red, Johnny Shines, and Sugar Blue also join in on some tracks and even throw in a vocal or two. Tunes range from the reflective title track to the stomping "New York Boogie". This is a damn nice piano blues record by one of the masters.

Smokey Wilson is an impressive Mississippi born blues singer and guitarist who has become a central figure in the blues scene of LA. His album (his second I believe) Sings the Blues (Big Town BT-1006) shows him to be a cross between the late Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King singing with a considerable ferocity and playing nice guitar. The album is basically retitled remakes of classic blues credited to him featuring a style that is how the Wolf would have sounded if he phrased his singing and played like B.B. Nice record.

Bummer of the month is Big Joe Turner-Really the Blues (BT -1007) which has Joe redo versions of songs he has recorded numerous times before. Joe is all right but the acid- rock band is terrible . Much nicer is the Spivey Joe Turner album "I'm Gonna Sit Write Down and Write Myself a Letter". With sterling Lloyd Glenn piano, nice band work by Bill Dicey on harp, Robert Ross on guitar and a rhythm section including a drummer and Washboard Doc, the music is enjoyable, and gets into a nice groove even if at times the drummer and Washboard Doc move with a relentless drive suggestive of Sherman's march . Only down here is the presence of Brenda Bell whose hysterics on two numbers are jarring. Otherwise Big Joe repeats verses, sings with apparent enthusiasm and the band gets a nice groove going.

I may have received some review copies from a record distributor and I may have purchased one or more. I am not sure of the availability of any of the music on these recordings. One might try used. Here is a vintage clip of Smokey Wilson in performance with William Clarke and Hollywood Fats.