Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra After A While

Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
After A While
Blue Dot Records

An encounter performing in Europe first brought together California guitarist and band leader Anthony Paule with deep soul-blues singer Wee Willie Walker. This has led to the present recording where the one-time Goldwax artist is backed by a full band led by Paule. I recently reviewed a live album from the Notodden Blues Festival with a band led by Kid Andersen, about which I concluded "Wee Willie Walker certainly has it still and this live recording suggests just how moving and powerful a performer he remains." Walker is also present on a recent recording by Austrian organist Raphael Wressnig & Brazilian guitarist Igor Prado singing several songs that were associated with the legendary Little Willie John.

The present recording opens with the Memphis soul-styled "Second Chance," with the rhythm of Paule, Tony Lufrano on keyboards, Paul Olguin on bass, and Derrick 'D'Mar' Martin on drums laying down a form base for Walker's church-rooted singing with brassy horns. It was written by Christine Vitale, who contributed to several other songs including the title song and a performance (including the horn arrangements and Charles McNeal's wonderful tenor sax solo that evokes Little Willie John and other legends). Walker recorded George Jackson's "I Don't Want To Take A Chance," as a demo 50 years ago, but gets to record it anew for this marvelous rendition that again conjures up the classic R&B era of the 50s and early 60s. His soulful phrasing is supported by the handsome playing and Paule adds some nice chords and fills. Then we get a little big band treatment of the Lil Green classic "In the Dark," strongly sung in a manner that Little Willie John might have done it, and Paule takes a strong guitar solo in a jazzy-blues vein on this superb performance.

The message song "Hate Take a Holiday," has its call for love to take out hate, and folks of all colors and creed walk together in peace. teh recording has organ grease and a somewhat spare rhythm backing. It is followed by the Tex-Mex tinged romantic ballad, "Thanks For the Dance," with Paule on acoustic guitar on a song with a feel of a Drifters recording. There is a bit of Muscle Shoals funk underlying "If Only," while the soul ballad "Cannot Be Denied," is a lovely blue ballad. Both of these were written by Walker with Vitale and Paule. There is a stunning cover of a Little Willie John recording, "Look What You've Done To Me (not the Boz Scaggs song)," with brilliant playing from trumpeter Tom Poole and trombonist Derek James. Vitale and Paule's original "I Don't Want To Know," is a superb original blues in this same vein with a choice jazzy Paule solo.

After a punchy instrumental, "The Willie Walk," there is a wonderful duet with Terry Odabi updating The Clovers' hit "Lovey Dovey" followed by a return to the Memphis sound on a terrific soulful cover of the Mable John classic "Your Good Thing (Is About To End)." This is an excellent close to an imaginatively programmed and arranged recording, that showcases one of the last original soul singers. We should be thankful he is with us and  still sings with all his vocal talent intact on a terrific recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 375), although I had edited my original review to clarify some points. Here is Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra performing at the 2015 Porretta Soul Festival.

Bey Paule Band Not Goin' Away

 

The Bey Paule Band, a terrific soul-blues band featuring the vocals of Frank Bey and the guitar of Anthony Paule, return with "Not Goin' Away" (Blue Dot Records). The disc follows-up the terrific "Soul of the Blues." Like its predecessor, it mixes  choice originals with a few strong covers of lesser known material. In addition to Bey and Paule, the Band includes Tony Lufrano on keyboards; Paul Olguin on bass; Paul Revelli on drums; Mike Rinta on trombone; Tom Poole on trumpet and Nancy Wright on saxophone with guest appearances from Christoffer 'Kid' Andersen on guitar (and he co-produced, recorded and mixed this); and Jack Sanford on baritone sax with back-up singers added to half of the selections here.

Bey stands out as a singer (in my review of "Soul of the Blues" I compared him to Solomon Burke and Mighty Sam McClain) and he puts his stamp on everything here (except the instrumental "Noel's Haze") starting with the autobiographical opening "Black Bottom" where he sings about growing up in the Georgia sticks and now fronting a eight-piece band. Its slightly swampy feel is followed by the deep funk of "Kiss Me Like You Mean It," with some nifty guitar runs from Paule and greasy organ from Lufrano with punchy horns. Mike Rinta and Paule are responsible for the popping horn arrangements throughout. One track with punchy horns is the driving original from Bey, Paule and Christine Vitale, "Right In Front Of You," about a guy who understands the woman's problems but can't win her heart. It has strong playing from Lufrano on piano and Paule on guitar.

Vitale and Paule contribute "Next To My Heart" that comes off like a vintage seventies deep southern soul recorded at Muscle Shoals with an outstanding Bey vocal. "Nobody's Angel," another Vitale original, evokes some of Clarence Carter's recordings, with its storytelling and message and is wonderfully delivered by Bey and the band. The title track is a terrific rocker with a wonderful groove and Rinta delivering a superb trombone solo wonderfully framed by the other horns and the chicken fried organ. "Don't Ask Me How I Feel" is a blues performance that to these ears comes off as a cross of Al Kooper mixed with Donny Hathaway with perhaps the best horn arrangement here.

On "Not Goin' Away," the Bey Paule Band again provide listeners with a superb soul and blues recording. The album has a strong and varied program that is consistently well sung and performed. Certainly anyone who enjoyed "Soul of the Blues" will enjoy this, while fans of soul and blues who may not have heard them previously will find much to savor on this stunning recording.

A publicist sent me my review copy. While written for Jazz & Blues Report, I do not believe this review has been published. Here is a video of the Bey-Paule Band performing.

Andy Santana And The West Coast Playboys Watch Your Step!

Andy Santana is a triple threat as a singer, guitarist and harmonica player (and he is also a songwriter) whose name will be most familiar to those of the West Coast, but some may have seen his name as a sideman to some albums or perhaps have his independently produced recordings. Anyway his profile will rise greatly with the release of "Watch Your Step!" by Andy Santana And The West Coast Playboys on Delta Groove. The West Coast Playboys include Kid Andersen (who co-produced this with Andy), Anthony Paule, Mike Schermer, Bob Welsh, Rusty Zinn (who penned the liner notes), Lorenzo Farrell and June Core.

While there are a few Santana originals sprinkled in, most of this are taken of covers of songs that have not been cooked and burned to death (no "Sweet Home Chicago" type numbers). Santana is a wonderful singer that sings with a natural, relaxed soulfulness akin to such Gulf Coast legends as Tommy McClain, Warren Storm, Freddy Fender and Doug Sahm. And he brings a distinctive attack to the guitar (Rusty Zinn likens him to the love child of Wild Jimmy Spruill and Johnny Guitar Watson) and his harp playing is terrific.

What a range of material too from the opening swamp rocker by Carol Fran "Knock Knock"; a tasty cover of Bobby Parker's title tune that is modeled on Parker's original recording. It showcases Santana's crisp, biting guitar, and is ably sung (although he is not on Parker's level); "Playgirl," one of two Smiley Lewis songs here, on which he takes both guitar and harp solos (his harp playing suggests some of Papa Lightfoot's recordings); the rollicking "You May Not Know: with a smokin' groove and a performance (with backing vocals) suggestive of Clyde McPhatter and the Drifter's "What Ya Gonna Do"; a song co-written with Rick Estrin, "No Double Talk," with Kid Andersen adding greasy fafisa organ and shattering Ike Turner-styled guitar; and a terrific instrumental, "Greaseland" (named after Andersen's studio) which showcases several of the guitarists. The rest of the performances on "Watch Your Step!" are similarly impressive making for an impressive recording.

I received my copy from Delta Groove. Here is Delta Groove's video promoting this recording.

Jackie Payne I Saw The Blues

 

It has been too long since most of us have heard from Jackie Payne, which is remedied by a new CD on Blue Dot Records, "I Saw The Blues." Payne first came into prominence with a recording on Jetstream led to him joining the Stax Revue. Moving to the West Coast he was featured with Johnny Otis for 15 years. Then he recorded for JSP before starting a partnership with Steve Edmondson which led to three more terrific recordings and a Blues Music Award for Soul Blues Album of the year. Now, nearly a decade later, he returns with this soul blues gem recorded and mixed by Kid Andersen who also plays as part of backing group that includes guitarist Anthony Paule, keyboardists Lorenzo Farrell and Bob Welsh, harmonica player Aki Kumar, trombonist Ed Early; trumpeter Jeff Lewis; and tenor saxophonists Frankie Ramos, Jack Sanford and Eric Spaulding.

Payne contributed six originals for a terrific urban blues recording with a heavy dose of Texas and Muscle Shoals in feel. Think about those terrific recordings Payne made with Steve Edmondson, those by Frankie Lee or the stunning Frank Bey-Anthony Paule recordings. Payne was in terrific voice when he made these sides showing little evidence of having aged since he first recorded decades ago. The brassy backing and Welsh's piano sets the mood for Payne's delivery on "Back To Normal," a moody number from J Barnett, C. Whitsett and Dan Penn as he displays his power and vocal dynamics and Andersen takes a crisp solo break. The title song by Payne has autobiographical references with Payne singing about being born in Georgia and in New Orleans saw the blues again. Farrell and Kumar taking solo breaks here. Payne's woman acts real strange on "Full Moon Blues," a Payne-Paule original with Paule adding slide guitar along with Kumar's harmonica to provide a down home feel.

"When the Blues Comes Knockin'" is a Texas to West Coast shuffle with Andersen taking the guitar lead as Payne warns listeners that the blues will try to persuade you he is your best friend. Billy Ray Charles' "Wife, Woman, Hootchie" is a terrific Malaco styled blues that sounds like it was recorded in Muscle Shoals, while "Kicking Back With the Blues" has a laid back groove with Paule on the guitar lead while Early's trombone is spotlighted on a superb performance. "Six Million Dollar Man" is a tough blues with Payne shouting that he has love, more than one can stand, and "if love was money, I would be a Six Million Dollar Man." I would not be surprised to see this number covered by other singers, but they would have to go far to come close to Payne's original. "Rock Me With a Steady Roll" is a superb slow blues suggestive of the Pete Johnson-Big Joe Turner classic "Cherry Red," with more fine down-in-the-alley trombone as well a terrific tenor sax solo from Eric Spaulding.

"I Saw the Blues" closes with a superb extended rendition of Ollie Nightingale's hit "I'll Drink Your Bathwater Baby," concluding an hour's worth of varied blues and soul, superbly sung and terrifically played. This is one of the best recent blues recordings this writer has heard. Jackie suffered a major stroke in 2014 which held up production and release of this recording, and while recovering is still unable to sing. We wish him well and a benefit will be held for him at Biscuit & Blues in San Francisco on May 31. I am sure there will be ways for those who cannot make it there can support him.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the May-June Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 360).  Here is Jackie singing with Steve Edmondson some years ago.

Frank Bey & Anthony Paule Band Have Soul For Your Blues

Frank Bey shared gospel bills with the Soul Stirrers with Sam Cooke, the Blind Boys of Alabama and others when singing gospel with his mother. As a teen he opened shows for Otis Redding and after committing himself to the blues, his career progress was undercut by a failing kidney. After several years of dialysis, he had a successful kidney transplant. A couple of years later he started making appearances with the Anthony Paule Band at Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco. In February 2013 they issued a solid live recording and now a year later Frank Bey & Anthony Paule Band have a new recording, Soul For Your Blues on Blue Dot Records. 

What is striking is just how strong the musical pairing of Philadelphia singer Frank Bey with San Francisco’s Anthony Paule Band is. Presented is a nice mix of lesser know blues and soul classics with choice originals and interpretations of lesser know numbers. The opening number is Willie Mitchell’s I Don’t Know Why with Bey’s strong singing suggesting the late Solomon Burke and Mighty Sam McClain. Tony Lufrano plays deep soul organ here and on most of this disc. Paule and guest Kid Anderson are featured on Paule’s driving blues I’m Leaving You, followed by the Muscle Shoals groove of Christine Vitale’s deep soul original I Just Can’t Go On. Paule evokes Steve Cropper with his fills and brief solo on this. Rick Estrin adds harp to a humorous Vitale-Paule blues, Don’t Mess With The Monkey. 

There is a jump blues feel to Wyonnie Harris’ Buzzard Luck with riffing horns behind Bey’s strong vocal and a T-Bone Walker styled guitar solo. Vitale, Paule and Karen Falkner wrote You're Somebody Else's Baby Too, that has the feel of mid-sixties B.B. King flavor. There is a nifty arrangement of Percy Mayfield’s Nothing Stays the Same Forever, with Mike Rinta on tuba (he is on trombone most of the recording. In addition to Rinta, kudos go to Nancy Wright’s tenor sax and Steffen Kuehn’s trumpet for their playing throughout. Bey is superb here with a vocal that suggests what Solomon Burke might have done with this song. There is also a wonderful interpretation of John Prine’s Hello In There, which again displays how Bey brings some of the same interpretative magic to a lyric that Burke did and MacLean still does, while marvelous restrained backing by the Paule Band. 

The funky Smokehouse and an instrumental rendition of “I Left My Heart In San Francisco showcase the band. Rinta takes an outstanding trombone solo on the former as does organist Lufrano, while Paule displays a crisp delivery and imaginative playing on San Francisco which closes this disc out. It should be noted that I have attempted to select highlights, but the performances by Frank Bey & Anthony Paule Band on Soul For Your Blues are first-rate throughout. This is a terrific recording.

I received my copy from a publicist. Here are the two in performance doing Ray Charles' Hard Times.