Bruce Katz Solo Ride

Bruce Katz
Solo Ride
American Showplace Music

An album of solo blues piano without vocals might be as challenging for a listener as the pianist. Bruce Katz has met the challenge with "Solo Ride." I knew that Katz had played and recorded with such artists as Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl, but unaware of his association with Greg Allman and John Hammond. I also was not aware that not only did he attend Berklee College of music, but was also a Professor of Piano there for 14 years.

This resume is only background for Katz's career of course, but Katz indeed produced a dozen solo piano performances that standup to continuous listening, not merely taken a few tracks at a time. One, of course, can hear influences such as the Chicago boogie-woogie masters Meade Lux Lewis and Ammons on the terrific original boogie-woogie, "Down at the Barrelhouse." Several selections indicate his love of New Orleans music, but his superb "Crescent City Crawl," sounds almost like an outtake from James Booker's magnificent "Classified" album. His touch and phrasing evoke the magic the Black Chopin usually produced. Another selection in this vein is "Red Sneakers." Other highlights include a straight instrumental take of Tampa Red's "It Hurts Me Too" out of the Big Maceo-Little Johnnie Jones-Otis Spann school, and the gospel-tinged "Praise House." "Dreams of Yesterday" has a classic country feel, while "Easy Living" is a nicely played solo in the manner of the late Charles Brown.

Katz displays his full command of the piano and blues related styles with a varied, and nuanced attack. The result is this first-rate terrific album of solo piano blues instrumentals.

I received a download to review from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 387). Here is Bruce with a band performing a  boogie-woogie.

Andy T Band Double Strike

Andy T Band
Double Strike
American Showplace Music

One of the real pleasures of the past few years were releases by the Andy T - Nick Nixon Band. Health issues has forced Nixon to have to retire from performing and his vocals on this album are his last. Guitarist Andy Talamantez has since recruited Michael A. Benjamin, aka Alabama Mike, to become the lead vocalist with his group. On this new release, Nixon and Alabama Mike each take 6 vocals and their is one instrumental.This is co-produced by Andy T and Anson Funderburgh, who adds his guitar to four tracks. Others on this session include Larry van Loon on keyboards (Mike Flanigan is one one track); Johnny Bradley on bass; Jim Klinger on drums and Greg Izor on harmonica for one track. Kaz Kazanoff leads the Texas Horns as part of the backing.

Fans of Gulf Coast to West Coast blues will find much to enjoy here starting with a shuffle "I Want You Bad," with Alabama Mike's gospel rooted vocals along with backing from Andy T's Johnny 'Guitar' Watson meets Ike Turner fretwork along with Funderburgh's own Texas meets B.B. King approach. Alabama Mike is very strong on the Nixon-penned, crying blues, "Sad Times," and the strong original he wrote with Andy T and Anson, "Doin ' Hard Time." With Izor on harmonica adding a country flavor, Nixon ably delivers the lyrics on a Jimmy Reed-influenced shuffle, "Deep Inside," a Nixon's original. Nixon also delivers solid vocals on a couple of Chuck Willis' numbers "I Feel So Bad" (patterned after Little Milton's recording) and "Juanita." Both also have strong guitar, but the latter number stands out perhaps because it is less familiar. Nixon's solid cover of Goree Carter's "Drunk or Sober," has a understated mambo groove blistering guitar and gutbucket tenor sax from Kazanoff, while on "I Was Gonna Leave You," Nixon evokes the deep soul Goldwax recordings of James Carr, with another solid sax solo and Funderburgh's biting lead guitar.

Funderburgh's "Mudslide," is a relaxed instrumental shuffle showcasing both guitarists and van Loon. "Where Did Our Love Go Wrong," is a swamp pop ballad written by Kazanoff, with a strong Alabama Mike vocal, another terrific slashing guitar solo in the vein of Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, and a booting baritone sax solo from John Mills. It closes this excellent collection of blues performances and shows that with Alabama Mike, Andy T will be continuing the fine modern blues that he had been making with Nick Nixon.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a short video of Andy T Band with Alabama Mike in performance.

Slam Allen - Feel these Blues

For years, Harrison 'Slam' Allen could be seen fronting the James Cotton Band with his guitar and vocals. For a few years he played on a cruise line (nice work if you can get it). He has returned to the blues scene and has a new recording "Feel These Blues" (American Showplace Music). In addition to his guitar and vocals, Slam is backed by a rock solid band of John Ginty on keyboards, Jeff Andersen on bass guitar and Dan Fadel on drums for a program of 11 originals and a rendition of Prince's "Purple Rain."

There is nothing fancy about Slam Allen with his rocking, B.B. King influenced guitar and his strong vocals. His  vocals strike me as his greatest strength although he is no slouch as a guitarist. The album opens with with the title track with its lament about being hard to find blues on the radio but he will keep laying down these blues playing  guitar while chanting you got to feel these blues. The B.B. King flavored shuffle "The Blues Is Back," another song dealing with the blues as a genre, and is a highlight of this recording with some searing guitar. "All Because Of You" is a solid original whose melody evokes the Gladys Knight hit "My Imagination," while "In September," is a nice slice of country soul with a terrific vocal. There is a funk groove for "35 Miles Outside of Memphis," as Slam sings about about stressful things on his mind but one of them sure ain't his woman, and followed by the intense slow, B.B. King styled blues "World Don't Stop Turning." Another strong straight blues in this vein is "You're Wrong." "Can't Break Away from That Girl" is another solid southern flavored soul performance, similar to some of Johnny Rawls recent recordings.

"Feel These Blues" closes with a lengthy interpretation of "Purple Rain," and one suspects this may have been popular on the cruises fortunate enough to have Slam Allen as an entertainer. Having seen Slam Allen several times, I can attest how entertaining he is performing and this is captured to some extent on this solid recording.

I bought this from Slam but also received a review copy from the record company. Here is Slam Allen in performance