Ronnie Earl And Friends

Ronnie Earl
And Friends
Telarc 83537

1- All Your Love; 2 - Rock Me Baby; 3 - I'll Take Care of You/ Lonely Avenue; 4 - Mighty Fine Boogie/ 5 - One More Mile/ 6 - Bad Boy/ 7 - Twenty-five Days/ 8- No More/ 9- Last Night/ 10 - New Vietnam Blues/ 11 - Marie/ 12 - Blue and Lonesome/ 13 -Looking Good. 68:17

Earl, g; Dave Maxwell, p (exc-13); Jimmy Mouradian, b (exc-3, 10, 13); Levon Helm, d (exc. -13); Luther 'Guitar Junior' Johnson, -1, 6 vcl, g; Kim Wilson, vcl, hca - 2, 5, 8, 9, 12; James Cotton, hca - 4, 5, 8; Irma Thomas, vcl -3, 10; Michael 'Mudcat' Ward, b -3, 10; Paul Marrochello, g -10; Tim 'Juice' O'Connor, g -10. Woodstock, NY. Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1, 2000.

This is an all star session led by guitarist Ronnie Earl on Telarc. Those heard on this include Luther’ Guitar Junior’ Johnson, Levon Helm, David Maxwell, Irma Thomas, James Cotton and Kim Wilson for a program of blues mostly performed in the Chicago blues vein. While several recent albums have displayed Earl’s very interesting fusion of jazz and blues, this album marks a return to a straight blues setting.   Earl is joined by an excellent band that includes piano from Dave Maxwell and drums by Levon Helm of The Band.  Vocals are shared by Kim Wilson, Luther ‘Guitar Junior’ Johnson and Irma Thomas. In addition to several tracks featuring both of their harmonicas, there is a harmonica duet by Wilson and Cotton.

Dave Maxwell strongly evokes the spirit of Otis Spann on his feature "Marie." Two instrumentals serve to spotlight Earl, one being the short closing rendition of Magic Sam’s "Lookin’ Good." Luther Johnson contributes a top notch version of Magic Sam’s "All Your Love." Irma Thomas does a wonderful rendition of Bobby Bland’s "I’ll Take Care of You," which segues into Ray Charles’ "Lonely Avenue."  Her other vocal is "New Vietnam Blues," a updating of Junior Wells’ recording, "Viet Cong Blues," reflecting the social changes of the past three decades.  Kim Wilson shines as a vocalist on "Rock Me Baby" and James Cotton’s "One More Mile," one of the titles that have both Cotton and Wilson on harmonica.

There is terrific playing throughout, whether the interplay between the harmonicas of Cotton and Wilson on "Mighty Fine Boogie," Earl’s evocation of Mel Brown and Buddy Guy on the Irma Thomas vocals, and Maxwell’s consistently solid piano. There are a couple places where Earl’s playing strikes one as a bit busy (particularly "All Your Love"), but his playing never overwhelms the vocal. And Earl quite capably plays the supportive role on the tracks with Cotton and Wilson, adding some nice fills. This is quite an enjoyable blues album.

This review was written for Cadence from who I wrote this review in 2001. I have inserted paragraph breaks. Here is Luther 'Guitar Jr." Johnson and Ronnie Earl performing together.

Irma Thomas' Rounder Heritage Retrospective

Irma Thomas' career was elevated from being a regional New Orleans treasure to an artist that received national and international recognition when she signed to Rounder Records. In 2000, Rounder celebrated its 30th Anniversary with the Rounder Heritage Series. One of the releases was devoted to her recordings for the label. This review originally appeared in the July/August 2001 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 252), although i have made minor changes. There are more recent compilations of Irma's work, including one that spans her half century career. This release is available as a download.

The Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas has had a substantial and rewarding career since she signed with Rounder in the mid-1980s. A recent addition to the Rounder Heritage series celebrating the label’s 30th anniversary is If You Want It Come and Get It, a collection of 16 performances collected from six of the eight albums she has recorded for Rounder, including the collaboration with Marcia Ball and Tracey Nelson, Sing It! No tracks are included from her live album and also there are no tracks from her gospel album. 

What stands out is the consistency and high level of her vocals. She is a warm singer who can belt it, but raises the roof mostly to accent the lyrics. Producer Scott Billington has constantly sought out choice new material along with finding lesser known gems, and she can tear into a soul ballad like Love of My Man as well as a rocking The New Rules, dealing with the new male-female relationships. 

A wonderful singer she adds her own voice to songs associated with others, even with her straight reading of the Bobby Bland classic, Yield Not to Temptation, from the Sing It! album. Love Don’t Change is a previously unissued track from the sessions for that album. The rendition of the title track is an extended performance of the track from her Handy-Award winning album My Heart’s in Memphis. The later tune was co-written by Dan Penn, one of several songwriters who have brought material to producer Scott Billington over the years. The late Doc Pomus and Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) contributed I Never Fool Nobody But Me, with a nice New Orleans R&B piano backing from David Torkanowsky. 

Add some of the finest Crescent City and Memphis musicians such as drummer Herman Ernest, organist Sammy Berfect, bassist George Porter, guitarists Michael Toles, and Renard Poché and saxophonists Foots Samuel and Red Tyler, and it is not surprising that Ms Thomas has produced some extremely fine recordings for Rounder which are well sampled here.

Irma Thomas Sings Dan Penn and Her Heart Is In Memphis

Here is another older review of another Irma Thomas CD from the September/October 2000 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 247) and likely appeared in the DC Blues Calendar at the time. I likely received a review copy from Rounder. Irma Thomas, the great singer from New Orleans has a fabulous new Rounder cd in the stores now, My Heart’s In Memphis; The Songs of Dan Penn. Thomas has been such a terrific singer since she recorded such R&B classics as Ruler of My Heart, I Done Got Over It and the original Time Is On My Side. In the seventies she did some sessions in Muscle Shoals, and included a couple songs by Dan Penn. Penn contributed three songs to Irma’s 1997 album, The Story of My Life. Dan Penn is among the great songwriters, having had a part in such classics as Aretha’s Do Right Woman, the Box Tops’ Cry Like a Baby and James Carr’s great deep soul classic, Dark End of the Street. With collaborators including Spooner Oldham, Carson Whitsett, Marvell Thomas and Irma herself, Penn has provided some wonderful new tunes and he and co-producer Scott Billington has brought together a sterling studio band with Michael Toles guitar, the keyboards of Oldham, Whitsett, and Thomas, along with saxophonist Jim Spake. Anyone who loves the classic Memphis Sound will groove to the playing here and when Irma sings about traveling all over the world, but her heart being in memphis on the title track, one almost believes she lived in Memphis all her life. There’s a wonderful reworking of the Bobby and James Purify hit, I’m Your Puppet, along with Zero Willpower, which Irma recorded in Muscle Shoals in the late sixties. There are blue laments of love gone wrong and mistreating men, Blue in the Heart and Woman Left Lonely, as well as songs with a more assertive tone, If You Want It, Come and Get It. All these songs display Irma’s greatest strength as a singer, which is her sincerity and believability. My Heart’s In Memphis is possibly the best classic soul album since the late Johnny Adams’ last album, Man of My Word, another Scott Billington production.

Irma Thomas' The Story of My Life

In addition to posting current reviews of recordings, you know I also post reviews I have written for publications for five and more years ago. Today’s review is from 15 years ago and appeared in the April 1997 Jazz & Blues Report (issue 220 and likely was also published in the DC Blues Calendar which I edited for the DC Blues Society for nearly 20 years. I noted that I have not posted any of my Irma Thomas reviews, so this is in part to rectify that. Irma’s recording career has slowed down in recent years but the Soul Queen of New Orleans remains a national treasure.  For her seventh album for the Rounder label, The Story of My Life, Irma Thomas is backed by a stunning band of Crescent City stalwarts - bassist George Porter, drummer Raymond Weber, and pianist David Torkanowsky, along with guitarist Michael Toles plus horns and backing vocal choruses on several selections. Scott Billington who produced this one with Thomas, arranged for the songwriting team of Dan Penn, Jonnie Barnett and Carson Whitsett to contribute some songs, and there is new (or at least unfamiliar) material from Dawn Thomas, Sarah Brown and Lisa Mednick, and Allen Toussaint before Thomas closes with a very strong reading of Aretha’s recording of Dr. Feelgood. The album has its share of Crescent City grooves on the opening funked up blues, No Use Talking, and the second line rhythm underlying her boost of independence, I Won’t Cry For You (from the afore-mentioned trio of Penn, Barnett and Whitsett). Dawn Thomas’ song, which gives the album its title, is a more straight-forward modern R&B ballad, while Love Don’t Get No Better Than This is an uptempo celebration of romance that Thomas delivers with an assurance that her decades of performing have given her. This is also evident on her soulful delivery of the mournful Hold Me While I Cry, which has a tasty tenor sax break from Charles Elam III, who also duets her on the ballad Get Here. The liner notes speak about Thomas’ frustration with being treated as a oldies act due to her classic songs from the early sixties, but this is simply the latest Rounder recording that illustrates just how wonderful a vocalist she is, and the mix of blues, New Orleans, soul and some pop elements make for a most delicious musical stew. I likely received a review copy from Rounder back in 1997. This should still be relatively easy to find. While not from this album, here is Irma singing one of the songs she is known for, even if many more know the Rolling Stones version.

Some Choices For JazzFest's Second Weekend

Esperanza Spalding

I am not attending JazzFest this year, having opted for the French Quarter Festival. However looking at the schedule on nojazzfest.com, I have made some suggestions of acts that I recommend for the second weekend. I generally stay away from major label, national touring acts in this list.

Little Freddie King

On Thursday May 3, some blues worth catching in the Blues Tent include Kipori ‘Baby Wolf’ Wood; J’Monique’d and Little Freddie King. James Cotton closes the Blues Tent that day. I saw Mia Borders for the first time at the French Quarter Fest and was quite impressed that I bought a CD by her. She is on the Gentilly Stage where she will be followed by legendary bassist George Porter, Jr. & the Runnin’ Pardners. The Congo Square Stage has The Stooges Brass Band followed by Henry Butler. Grammy® Award winner Esperanza Spalding:Radio Music Society closes that stage. On the Fais Do Do Stage one can here the Savoy Family Cajun Band, and Rosie Ledet are featured along with Ani DeFranco. The WWOZ Jazz tent features the marvelous Dutch pianist-composer Amina Figarova Septet along with Regina Carter while the Economy Hall Tent has the vivacious Banu Gibson and trumpeter Kid Chocolate. The iconic and influential Dirty Dozen Brass Band perform on the Acura Stage.

Germaine Bazzle

Some suggestions for Friday May 4 in the Blues Tent include a couple of Bourbon Street favorites, Bryan Lee and Big Al Carson. Others in the tent this day include Reggie Hall, Wanda Rouzan and Deacon John. I saw the latter two at the French Quarter Festival and loved Wanda’s survey of New Orleans music while Deacon John did not get into his blues thing till his set was nearly over. Be curious if he displays more of a blues focus in the tent. On the Gentilly Stage one can see local favoriteTheresa Andersson as well as the Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela et C.U.B.A.. New Orleans vocalists Phillip Manuel and Germaine Bazzle along with Terri Carrington Lynne’s Mosaic are in the WWOZ Jazz Tent, while in Economy Hall Tent the reliable Connie Jones opens things up. Closing this stage will be Wycliffe Gordon Quintet’s "Hello Pops: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong." A younger, traditionally oriented cajun band, Feufollet, Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band and Lil Nathan & the Zydeco BigTimers will have the folks at the Fais Do Do Stage dancing. The legendary Mavis Staples is in the Gospel Tent.

John Boutté

Saturday May 5 suggestions start with Guitar Slim, Jr; Mac Arnold; and the Joe Krown, Wolfman Washington & Russell Batiste Trio in the Blues Tent. Incidentally Dr. John will guest with the Warren Haynes Band to close this stage this day. Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas are on the Acura Stage while Big Sam’s Funky Nation is on the Congo Square Stage. One of my favorite singers anywhere is John Boutté, and this is the day of his appearance in the WWOZ Jazz tent which will close with the genius of Herbie Hancock. Young Tuxedo Jazz Band; the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Louis Jones will be in the Economy Hall Tent while the great lineup at the Fais Do Do Stage includes cajun veteran Belton Richard; Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys and Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers. On the Jazz and Heritage Stage on can see the Original Pin Stripe Brass Band along with the New Birth Brass Band. Aaron Neville does his annual gospel performance in Gospel Tent.

Keith Frank

On the closing day, Sunday May 6, Kermit Ruffins and the Funky Meters are on the Gentilly Stage on which the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (likely with special guests) replace the disbanded Radiators to close the festival on this stage. Mem Shannon and Rebirth Brass band are on the Congo Square Stage while Orange Kellin and George French are in Economy Hall Tent which closes with Ruby Wilson’s tribute to Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey. In the WWOZ Jazz tent, there will be a Living Tribute to Harold Battiste as Jazz ambassador (and legendary A&R man and teacher). Harold Battiste gets a heartfelt “thank you” from New Orleans jazz greats Jesse McBride, Ellis Marsalis and Germaine Bazzle. David Sanborn appears with organist Joey DeFrancesco. On the Fais Do Do Stage will be the Red Stick Ramblers, and Keith Frank. Asleep At The Wheel also is on this stage. On the Jazz and Heritage Stage will have Los Hombres Calientes feat. Bill Summers and Irvin Mayfield along with a performance by Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias. In the Gospel tent will be the Boutté Family Sunday Praise with John, Lillian, Tricia, Lorna, Tanya, and Arséne. Tom McDermott and Friends will be on the Lagniappe Stage followed by Ed Volker, formerly of The Radiators. The main Acura Stage closes out, as is traditional, with The Neville Brothers.

There are my suggestions of musical performances that will undoubtedly include some performers outside of what you might normally see. I should mention, there are also fascinating interview-oral histories taking place throughout on the Allison Miner Stage. For those lucky enough to be there, I hope hope the weather cooperates and that you have a culinary as well well as musical feast at JazzFest


All photos copyright by Ron Weinstock

Amina Figarova

New Orleans Social Club Sings Its Way Home

In April 2006 I wrote reviews on several post-Katrina benefit albums. This is the third and last review of those I am posting. Here is the first which originally appeared in the April 2006 (issue 281) of Jazz & Blues Report as well as the April 2006 DC Blues Calendar, then the DC Blues Society’s newsletter. I likely received a review copy, not sure if from the record company, a publicist or Jazz & Blues Report. There is also a live recording of them from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that is available from jazzfestlive.com. Sadly some acts including Willie Tee have passed on.

The New Orleans Social Club’s Sing Me Back Home (Burgundy Records) is a collection of performances Cut last October in Austin. Dr. John and Irma Thomas (here with Marcia Ball) are the only performers on the Nonesuch disc, Our New Orleans, that are here.

Cyril Neville opens with the Impressions’ protest ballad, This is My Country, followed by Ivan Neville (Aaron’s son) funk reworking of Fortunate Son, with the lyrics about the “millionaire’s son” and “I ain’t no fortunate one,” reverberating with a once again timely message. Somewhere from “West Side Story,” takes a new meaning in light of Katrina as Henry Butler sings “There’s a place for us.” Irma Thomas & Marcia Ball sing about keeping a smile and a sense of things being better on Look Up, while Dr. John, with band, revisits Bobby Charles’ Walking to New Orleans (originally Fats Domino’s hit), although this time with a funk groove and not as gloomy as the take he did that closed one of the televised Katrina benefits.

Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews, a threat on both trumpet and trombone, gets the spotlight on Hey Troy' Your Mama's Callin' You, a lively Caribbean-flavored instrumental. The Mighty Clouds of Joy contribute a gospel number while the Subdudes take on Earl King’s Make a Better World. New Orleans legend, Willie Tee contributes First Taste of Hurt, while the Sixth Ward All-Star Brass Band Revue featuring Charles Neville do Where Y’at, a medley of songs associated with Brass bands including Jesus is on the Mainline, I’m Walkin’, and (When) The Saints Go Marching In).

Big Chief Monk Boudreaux’s Chase is set to a reggae grove with its lyric questioning why one wants to send him away from home. Singer John Boutté closes with the moving ballad by Annie Lennox, Why, which is an amazing performance to close another album of terrific music.

"Our New Orleans" Was Rhythm And Blues After Katrina

In April 2006 I wrote reviews on several post-Katrina benefit albums. I will be posting these in the next few days (not necessarily consecutively). Here is the first which originally appeared in the April 2006 (issue 281) of Jazz & Blues Report as well as the April 2006 DC Blues Calendar, then the DC Blues Society’s newsletter. Some of the artists on this have passed on and it is still in print. I likely received a review copy, not sure if from the record company, a publicist or Jazz & Blues Report.

Our New Orleans on Nonesuch is a collection of new studio recordings by New Orleans and other Louisiana musicians recorded in various cities last September and October. The emphasis is less towards jazz and more towards blues and rhythm & blues.

Allen Toussaint opens with his Yes We Can Can, a song he originally wrote for Lee Dorsey and the spirit of helping each other make it is especially apt. Dr. John’s morose World I Never Made is followed by Irma Thomas, backed by Toussaint, singing an unfortunately topical Back Water Blues, singing “My house fell down and I can’t live there no more.” Davell Crawford adds a touch of gospel with his marvelous Gather By the River, one of several fine solo piano performances including Eddie Bo’s slow drag interpretation of When the Saints Go Marching On, Carol Fran’s Tou' Les Jours Ç'est Pas La Même with New Orleans rhythm accents as she sings bilingually about her man, “where were you when I passed by?”, and Allen Toussaint’s instrumental Tipitina and Me.

Traditional jazz is represented by clarinetist, Dr. Michael White, on a lively salute to King Oliver on Canal Street Blues and Preservation Hall on Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans; cajun and zydeco are represented by Buckwheat Zydeco’s Cryin’ in the Streets (with a sullen feel and one of the best vocals I have heard from Mr. Dural with Ry Cooder on guitar) and Beausoleil’s bittersweet instrumental L’Ouragon; and street sounds of New Orleans are sampled by the Wild Magnolia’s Brother John is Gone/ Herc-Jolly-John, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now.

Charlie Miller plays sings and provides the only accompaniment on his trumpet on Prayer to New Orleans, while Donald Harrison’s alto is featured on The Wardell Quezerque Orchestra’s rendition of What a Wonderful World. The disc concludes with Randy Newman reviving his unfortunately appropriate Louisiana 1927 (about the flooding of cajun country in 1917) backed by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with members of the New York Philharmonic singing about “they are trying to wash us away,” a lyric that rings unfortunately true.

Little Freddie King coming to Duke Ellington Jazz Festival

I was recently in New Orleans for the second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival along with the 8th Ponderosa Stomp. As part of the Stomp I had the pleasure of seeing the down home blues of Little Freddie King who was part of a New Orleans Music revue at the stomp. Freddie is a wonderful down home blues performer with a style not that far removed from the North Mississippi Hills style of the late R.L. Burnside while also being an animated performer. Little Freddie will be coming to the Nation's capital as part of the musical gumbo to be displayed at this year's Duke Ellington Jazz Festival.

As stated, the music of New Orleans music will be featured at this year's Duke Ellington Jazz Festival in Washington DC. There will be performances on the National Mall on the weekend of June 13 and 14 with Little Freddie and such other acts as Nicholas Payton, Don Vappie, Bob French, Buckwheat Zydeco, Rebirth Brass Band, and Irma Thomas Duke Ellington Orchestra The Duke Ellington Orchestra will be performing the late maestro's New Orleans Suite. Also on the National Mall, Friday night June 12, The Terence Blanchard Quintet with Chamber Orchestra will perform his A Tale of God’s Will – A Requiem for Katrina. On Monday, June 15, the Festival concludes with a Kennedy Center hosted JazzMasters Tribute to pianist, composer and educator Ellis Marsalis with Marsalis' sons Wynton, Bradford, Delfeayo and Jason performing along with Harry Connick Jr., Dr. Billy Taylor, Herlin Riley and Eric Revis. The Festival also has family events and concerts throughout the Washington area between June 6 and 15 and club performances during this time span at venues like Twins and Blues Alley. Many performances are free. For more information visit http://www.dejazzfest.org/.