Long John Hunter Border Town Legend Alligator Records
Long John Hunter's exhibitionistic electric blues is fields removed from Cephas and Wiggins. With years of playing all night at the Lobby in Juarez, Mexico, across the border from El Paso. His gigs became legendary as he would swing from the rafters or stroll outside with his long guitar chord. So were his 45s for the New Mexico Yucca label. A couple years back, the now defunct Spindletop label issued his first cd, and this new follow-up, "Border Town Legend," is now on Alligator.
Long John Hunter is an old fashioned Texas guitar slinger and vocalist. While B.B. King is his original influence, his cutting, guitar shows as much influence from T-Bone and other Texas based blues guitarists. One track, "Long Star Shootout" is a playful guitar battle with Hunter's guitar opening and closing, while sandwiching solos from Derek O'Brien, Johnny Nicholas, Joe Kelley and young Guitar Jake Andrews (son of Sam Andrews, guitarist for Janis Joplin and Tracy Nelson). His gritty singing is a strong point, too. His phrasing is right on the button, and the slight rasp in his vocals goes down like a smooth ale. In addition to his own playing, Art Lewis, his fabulous saxophonist, gets several spots to lay down some tough tenor solos including on the rousing "Ole Red" and his down in the alley spot on "Arkansas."
While his covers of "Grits Ain't Groceries" and "Everybody Knows," are solid, they don't add anything to the better known originals. The strength of this collection is the originals, like the jaunty "Nasty Ways," co-authored with producers Tary Owens and Jon Foose, or the opening "T-Bone Intentions." Matched with some of Austin's finest players, it is a welcome straight, no chaser Texas blues album which will not disappoint those who have seen hirn live or heard his earlier recordings.
This review appeared in the March 1996 Jazz & Blues Report. I received my review copy from Alligator Records. I see Amazon sells this as a CD-R but it is available used from various, and one can listen to this recording on various streaming services. Here Long John Hunter performs a Gulf Coast classic, "Irene."
Johnny Nicholas & Friends Too Many Bad Habits The People's Label
In the spring of 1977 I saw Guitar Johnny (Nicholas) & the Rhythm Rockers along with Johnny Shines and Walter Horton outside of Buffalo, NY. Around the time I acquired the album "Too Many Bad Habits" on Blind Pig (and somewhere I may still have the original vinyl album). Released in 1977, it was deleted by Blind Pig in 1978 shorty after Nicholas joined Asleep at the Wheel, and stopped touring under his own name. While he requested getting back the original masters back from the label, he was finally able (in January 2016) to get back the original multi-track tapes, masters, artwork and photos. After transferring the old tapes, he discovered a bunch of recordings that had not been released so in reissuing his lost album, he has been album to add new material to the original recording. These include performances from Shines, Horton and pianist Boogie Woogie Red, along with some having Asleep's Ray Benson and other luminaries.
I do not recall what tracks were on the issued LP but I believe they are all on the first of the two discs, which include some standout ensemble tracks "Looks Can Be Deceivin'" and the witty title track that displays how good a songwriter Nicholas was (and is) as he enumerates the things that his doctor tells him he should give up. There is some nice mandolin on the opening "Mandolin Boogie" along with a solid "Sittin' On Top of the World," with nice fiddle and sax as well. After a rocking band shuffle with Boogie City Red's piano, "Rock My Blues Away," there is a lovely showcase for Walter Horton's harmonica feature"Blues Walk," with Nicholas providing solid backing.
An a cappella cover of Son House's gospel shout "Grinnin' in Your Face," is followed by "The New Canned Heat Blues" a reworking of Tommy Johnson recording with Nicholas adding lyrics about taking Robitussin in lieu of Sterno, with Horton's adding harp to the vocal and acoustic guitar. Horton sings and plays on "West Wind," followed by Shines' feature, "Blues Came Fallin' Down," an excellent number using the "Rollin' and Tumblin'" melody. This performance sounds similar to those on Shines' early Testament recordings. More Shines and Horton follow on a lovely "Careless Love," and then an instrumental feature for Horton "Gettin' Outta Town," where Nicholas opens playing the melody for "The Dirty Dozens," before Horton shifts into a familiar boogie instrumental of his. Having misplaced the discs, I am not sure if it is Shines' guitar heard behind Nicholas on a cover of "Hellhound on My Trail," that has solid Horton harp.
The second disc has a number of more showcases for Horton like his backing on "Pump Jockey Blues," and the instrumental, "Apple Grove Boogie," which has some slide guitar as well. "Prisoner Blues" is a slow blues with exquisite harmonica, while the brief, brooding "That's Alright Mama," comes across as brooding Hill Country blues. Boogie Woogie Red is featured on a rendition of Jay McShann's "Hootie Blues," followed by a straight take of Jimmy Rogers' "Money Marbles and Chalk," again with wonderful Horton harmonica. There is also more Big Walter on the folk-ish "Lonesome Traveler," and the lazy tempo shuffle "Froggy Bottom." The final track is a nice rendition of St. Louis Jimmy's "Soon Forgotten," with Boogie Woogie Red on piano and Big Walter on harp.
While there are solid performances on the second disc, some have flaws such as "Believe I'll Make a Change," a "Dust My Broom" variation with the vocal being off mike initially. The alternate take of "Looks Can Be Deceivin'," is slower and not as fully satisfying. "Move on Down the Line," is a vocal duet with Horton, and probably would have benefited from being at a bit quicker tempo. These are not terrible performances.
In additional to his musicianship, one of Nicholas strengths is his singing and that he never forces or strains when he delivers his vocals. With the splendid playing, the music on "Too Many Bad Habits" may not be essential, but its re-release is most welcome with the fine performances by Nicholas and the welcome cameos and assistance of blues legends, Boogie Woogie Red, Johnny Shines and Walter Horton.
I note that the recording album was contemporaneous with the Blind Pig Walter Horton recording (which Nicholas is on) and originally issued at the same time, and I believe still available Also, Ron Levy played keyboards on the Guitar Johnny tour in 1977 I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a clip of Johnny Nicholas backing another Chicago blues legend, Snooky Pryor, at the 1991 Chicago Blues Festival.
It has been about four decades when I saw Guitar Johnny and the Rhythm Rockers along with blues legends Walter Horton and Johnny Shines outside Buffalo NY. Of course the chance to see Horton and Shines may have been my prime motivation, but Johnny Nicholas and his band were outstanding on their own, not simply as a backing band to Horton and Shines. That was part of a tour promoting albums by Nicholas, Horton and Shines and it was quite a memorable nite. Nicholas, part of a New England scene that included Duke Robillard, Sugar Ray and the BlueTones, and Roomful of Blues, would eventually move to Austin, Texas where he became part of that music scene as well as expanding his musical palette to include Western Swing in a tenure with Asleep at the Wheel.
Nicholas has a new album "Fresh Air," with blues and roots songs where he and his multi-instrumental talents (piano, guitars and more) is joined by an all-star cast that includes Scrappy Jud Newcomb (guitars, mandolin, mandocello), John Chipman (drums, percussion, vocals) and Bruce Hughes (bass, vocals, percussion), plus a guest list that includes Cindy Cashdollar (lap steel and additional guitars), and Steve Riley on button accordion. There are interpretations of Sleepy John Estes' "Kid Man Blues" and Howlin' Wolf's classic recording, "Back Door Man," along with eleven originals that he penned or had a hand in writing.
His blues roots are evident of his opener, "Moonlight Train" where he sings about dreaming about the falling rain and a chill down his spine when he heard that moonlight train set against a reworking of the "Rollin' and Tumblin'" melody. It is followed by his original take of Estes' "Kid Man Blues," adding a country accent, almost in the manner of the late Levon Helm. "Red Light" is a stomping rocker with Cindy Cashdollar's steel guitar with Nicholas pounding the piano and Steve Riley adding accordion breaks almost in the manner of Spade Cooley or Garth Hudson. "Sweet Katrina" has him recalling hoboing on freight trains from Chicago to Memphis and meeting Katrina, initially a sweet woman but who got meaner than a one-eyed dog," and might evoke classic Little Feat for some. Then there is his woman who wants Johnny to "Play Me (Like You Play Your Guitar)," a neat lyric by him and Gary Nicholson. "How Do You Follow a Broken Heart" is a lovely blues-ballad that will conjure up some classic West Coast blues from Charles Brown and early Ray Charles with lovely Cashdollar steel guitar adding to its appeal, while "Roll On Mississippi" is reflective folk-country ballad, with Newcomb's mandolin adding to the song's mood. Other high points includes a very imaginative recasting of "Backdoor Man," and the title song, a lovely country ballad.
The playing from Nicholas and his band is terrific, and Nicholas sings with heart and authority throughout making this a superb album of American roots in the tradition of The Band, Levon Helm, Anders Osborne, and others.
I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 369). His website is http://johnnynicholasblues.com/. Here is Johnny performing "Back Door Man" and "Fresh Air."
Mark ‘Kaz’ Kazanoff may be the best known of The Texas Horns, a trio of horn players who have contributed to numerous fine recordings. Kaz brings his tenor sax and harmonica along with John Mills who plays baritone and tenor saxophones and Adalberto Gomez on trumpet to “Blues Gotta Holda Me” (VizzTone). Recorded in Austin in 2014 the three are joined by guitarist Derek O’Brien, and drummer Barry Frosty Smith along with a variety of guests who include Nick Connolly, Marcia Ball, Ronnie James, Johnny Nicholas, W.C. Clark, and Anson Funderburgh.
There is a mix of instrumentals and vocals (most of which are taken by Kazanoff) on a recording that breaks no new grounds perhaps, but makes for enjoyable listening and likely to be a favorite for dancers. The music is well played and there are plenty of strong horns solos. The standout vocal is a soulful one from W.C. Clark on Kazanoff’s original “Cold Blooded Lover,” while Marcia Ball does a credible cover of the Smiley Lewis classic recording “Go On Fool,” with the horns providing an unusual Mariachi tint to the performance.
Musically, the rendition of “You’re Driving Me Crazy” is better than Kazanoff’s bland vocal. The performance sounds like it was based on the Big Joe Turner rendition from classic “The Boss of the Blues” album on Atlantic. He takes a terrific tenor sax solo on this. Also his vocal on the Percy Mayfield classic “Lost Mind” lacks the grit of Mayfield’s original as well as the brilliance of the late Johnny Adams’ rendition. Finally, as much as he tries, he can’t bring the ebullience needed on a rendition of Louis Jordan’s “Caldonia.” Here he is company with others like Muddy Waters and Gatemouth Brown who have faltered on this.
The instrumentals are fun, finger popping tunes with the exception of a terrific rendition of “People Get Ready.” The opening “Soul Stroll” kicks this off with a nice shuffle groove while Mills’ “Kick Me Again” has a march like feel with some robust playing from Mills on the baritone and O’Brien on guitar. “Rippin’ and Trippin‘“ is a hot number for the jitterbuggers while the funking rendition of Hilton Ruiz’s ”Home Cookin’” has soulful grease from Connolly on the B–3 along with some tough playing from each of horns.
“Blues Gotta Holda Me” may not be a compelling recording, but it certainly is a fun and entertaining recording that is a welcome change of pace for blues listeners.
I received my review copy from Vizz-Tone. Here is a video of them performing.
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