Tia Carroll - You Gotta Have It

 Tia Carroll - You Gotta Have It - Little Village Foundation

From the opening of "You Got To Have It," this listener became absorbed in this new album by veteran Bay Area vocalist Tia Carroll. Carroll has been singing for years with her own groups and the likes of Jimmy McCracklin and Sugar Pie DeSanto. While she has recorded albums before, this is her first USA release. Noel Hayes has been listening to her for over twenty years and made this recording happen and brought Carroll to Greaseland Studios for Kid Andersen and Jim Pugh to put together their magic. 

Besides Andersen's guitar and Pugh's keyboards, the studio band consists of Steve Ehrmann on bass, Vicky Randle on percussion, and Paul Revelli on drums. There is a horn section of Mike Rinta on trombone, Rob Sudduth on tenor sax, Aaron Lington on baritone sax, and Jeff Lewis on trumpet. Backing vocals are provided by The Sons of Soul Revivers, Lisa Leuschner Andersen, and Willy Jordan. Charlie Hunter guests on bass & guitar on one track, Igor Prado plays lead guitar on one track, Derrick D'Mar Martin plays drums on one selection, and Gordon Beadle adds sax to two songs.

The album opens with her cover of Anthony Hamilton's "Ain't Nobody Worrying." It's a stunning rendition of this stark depiction of urban street life with the shots fly high, kids die young, and the homeless have no place to turn. Hunter plays both bass and guitar, and The Sons of the Soul Revivers add backing vocals as the intensity of Carroll's stunning vocal slowly builds before she explodes. The rest of this album is of a similar level. For example, Jim Pugh co-wrote "The Last Time" while with Robert Cray. Kid Andersen adds a searing Magic Sam feel with his guitar. 

Rick Estrin wrote "Don't Put Your Hand on Me," and Carroll belts out her warning against a backing that evokes Albert King's "The Hunter." Andersen's guitar suggests Albert King's style with a dash of Albert Collins mixed in. The rendition of a Johnny Ace ballad, " Never Let Me Go," follows. It might bring back memories of some of Etta James' early Chess recordings. Gordon Beadle takes a booting solo here. Carroll's own "Leaving Again" with Andersen's swampy wah-wah guitar has a seventies soul feel. Then there is a stellar rendition of Johnny Copeland's "Mama Told Me," along with a soulful version of Z.Z. Hill's "I Need Someone." Kid and Lisa Andersen wrote "Ready To Love Again." This song comes across as a lost Hi Records recording. Igor Prado adds stinging guitar to Carroll's original, "Move On."

An impassioned interpretation of The Staples "Why Am I Treated So Bad" closes this recording. One wonders why it took so long for Tia Carroll to get an album issued in the States. Her soulfulness, phrasing, timing, and clarity of her diction result in some of the most compelling blues and soul vocals this listener has heard in some time. With a strong musical program and support from an exceptional studio band, Tia Carroll's "You Gotta Have It" is a simply sensational recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Tia Carroll with Igor Prado from 2012.

Sonny Green Found! One Soul Singer

Sonny Green
Found! One Soul Singer
Little Village Foundation

"Found! One Soul Singer" is the latest release from the Little Village Foundation. The album is the first full album by Robert 'Sonny' Green, a Louisiana native who relocated to Los Angeles. Green was named Sonny by Big Jay McNeely to make folks think he was Little Sonny Warner, the vocalist on "There Is Something On Your Mind." Growing up, he was a classmate of Mighty Sam McClain. He did record some highly prized 45s.

This recording was done at Kid Andersen's Greaseland Studio, and Andersen plays guitar. Others on the session include Jim Pugh on Hammond B3, Chris Burns on clavinet and piano, Endre Tarczy on bass, and Ronnie Smith on drums. Others on the session include Mariachi Mestizo on violins, Jeff Lewis on trumpet, Mike Rinta on trombone, and Aaron Lington on tenor and baritone saxophone. D'mar plays drums on one track while Terry Hanck and Gordon Beadle are heard soloing on one track each.

Musically, this is a very appealing album of modern urban blues and soul-blues in the vein of Bobby Bland, Little Milton, Syl Johnson, Little Johnny Taylor, and others. He has the gospel-rooted screams and chocked cries down and puts everything into the performances here that are ably backed. There are times when his diction is a bit slurred, as on the cover of Bobby Bland's "I'm So Tired" and Little Milton's "If Walls Could Talk." His rendition of "Blind Man" owes a bit to Little Milton. It is a fine performance, as is Green's channeling of Syl Johnson on the churning groove of "Back For a Taste of Your Love." Trumpeter Lewis stands out with his brief horn blasts here.

Rick Estrin's "I Beg Your Pardon" is a superb slow blues with a vocal that would do Little Johnny Taylor proud. Pugh plays a greasy organ solo. There is a deep soul rendition of an early Willie Nelson song, "Are You Sure." Alabama Mike joins on an original, "Trouble." It is a first-rate duet in the style of the Jewel recordings by Ted Taylor and Little Johnny Taylor. Incidentally, the CD cover lists it as the ninth track. It is the eighth track, and "If You Want Me To Keep Loving You," another strong performance in the Little Johnny Taylor mode, is the ninth track.

This album closes with a well-sung cover of Ted Taylor's "Be Ever Wonderful." There is plenty to enjoy about this recording. Sonny Green ably evokes so many greats as he recreates their songs. He certainly displays his considerable vocal chops, and Kid Andersen and the backing musicians provide top-flight backing. For fans of soul-blues and deep soul, Little Village Foundation has indeed found a most soulful singer.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Sonny Green performing recently.

 

Ron Thompson From The Patio - Live at Poor House Bistro Vol. 1

Ron Thompson
From The Patio - Live at Poor House Bistro Vol. 1
Little Village Foundation

I first became aware of Ron Thompson some blues 45s by Richard Riggins and Schoolboy Cleve in the 1970s that he played on, in addition to being part of the band an Arhoolie K.C. Douglas album. Thompson had associations with a variety of other blues performers, including John Lee Hooker. In the 1990s, Ron played Fleetwood's in Alexandria, Virginia, with Mick Fleetwood's Blue Whale, and I was impressed by his straight-ahead slide guitar blues and gritty singing. I was also delighted to see him on the 2006 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, where he was one of the performers. Those were the only times I had the pleasure to see him perform, but I believe I did acquire one of his CDs, which I enjoyed quite a bit.

For some 14 years, which ended because of the health issues that led to his passing earlier this year, Ron Thompson had a regular Wednesday night gig at the Poor House Bistro in San Jose, California. This CD captures eleven numbers from his performances on June 4 and August 6, 2014. On those evenings, Thompson was backed by Scotty Griffin on drums, either Dave Chavez or Gary Rosen on bass, Sid Morris on piano, and Jim Pugh on organ. Kid Andersen, who produced this release, adds guitar to a couple of tracks while harmonica wizard Gary Smith plays harmonica on one. Thompson attacks the songs here with a robust, raspy vocal style and a driving guitar attack. The performances exhibit a relaxed intensity. The music never sounds rushed, and Thompson sings with plenty of grit as well as spirit.

Things open with a dynamic, straight-forward rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Meet Me in the Bottom," adding harmonica to his rhythmically nuanced guitar. This number, like Lightnin' Hopkins' "Bring Me My Shotgun," display how he was able to develop intensity over a simple one-chord motif. The latter song also demonstrates how much he internalized aspects of John Lee Hooker's approach on a moving, brooding performance. He also played idiomatic originals such as "Mardis Gras Boogie" that might evoke for some listeners some of Hooker's Vee-Jay recordings. Other songs include taut doomy renditions of "Tin Pan Alley" and "Sinner's Prayer" with stinging guitar complementing the fervent singing. On the former number, Morris adds first-rate piano while Pugh adds atmospheric organ on the latter song. There is a capable reworking of Little Walter's "One More Chance With You" with Gary Smith adding harmonica.

The musical temperature cools down with a heartfelt cover of Don Covey-Bobby Womack's soul ballad "That's How I Feel," before Thompson recasts Buster Brown's "Doctor Brown" into a hot "Dust My Broom" slide guitar shuffle. More slide guitar is heard on "When You Walk That Walk," which may be more Hound Dog Taylor than Elmore James. Kid Andersen adds his guitar to fill out the backing on these last two tracks that close this recording. Ron Thompson was a significant part of the California blues scene for several decades, and the marvelous music captured here shows how much he will be missed. This recording allows us to appreciate his legacy, and one can hope that more will be forthcoming.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video collage of partial performances of Ron Thompson at the Poor House Bistro.

The Mike Duke Project … Took A While

The Mike Duke Project
… Took A While
Little Village Foundation

It certainly did take a while for this recording Mike Duke to see the light of day. Bob Brown, who produced this album, recounts in the liner notes how he came across Duke's songs and music. In 1981 Brown, then manager of Huey Lewis & the News, received a cassette of four different songwriters, one of which was "Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do," Brown called Huey Lewis, and it was included on his second album and became a top 40 hit. Brown notes that Duke's vocal on the demo blew him away. Shortly after that, Brown called Duke who sent him more demos, and two of which were also recorded by Huey Lewis. Brown and Duke eventually met and moved from the Atlanta area to the West Coast. Duke had been in the rock band, Wet Willie. He was a member of the house band at Slim's in San Francisco and with Delbert McClinton for most of the 1990s.

While many of the selections come from demos from decades ago, they sound very good opening with the nice deep soul performance "Little Miss Pigtail." Duke is a striking singer who injects plenty of feeling into his vocals as on 'Let Her Go and Start Over," a recording where one can hear the outlines of what would be a hit for Huey Lewis. Duke's vocal does not take a back seat to the better known Lewis. He still has quite a robust voice as on a 2019 recording "Let Me Be Your Fool Tonight." Although his backing band is the Zydeco Flames, this track has more of a Tex-Mex feel to it. "That's What I Like About the South" is a 1991 trio performance with Jack Pearson on guitar and Ike Harris on bass. This low-key performance has a relaxed, jazzy tinge and Pearson takes a single-note acoustic guitar solo. Another 2019 track, "I'm Not Sad Tonight" evokes some of The Band's recordings, while "Ain't No Easy Way," is a soul-flavored pop song that one might imagine a group like The Eagles having recorded. Then there is the country-flavored "Honey I Love You," and the passionate, gospel-flavored "Torn & Scarred."

After the variety of well-played and wonderfully sung performances, this recording closes with a live solo piano instrumental "Nicasio," with a New Orleans accent. It may have taken a while, but Mike Duke is a first-rate singer and performer as well as songwriter. Recognition of his talents is long overdue.

I received a review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 387). Here is a condensed promo for the CD.

Junior Watson Nothing To It But To Do It

Junior Watson
Nothing To It But To Do It
Little Village Foundation

Junior Watson is among the most respected blues guitarists on the West Coast who has played with and recording with such acts as Big Mama Thornton, George Harmonica Smith, Jimmy Rogers, Shakey Jake, Kim Wilson, Charlie Musselwhite, William Clarke and more. He was the original guitarist in The Mighty Flyers with whom he stayed ten years. He has not recorded often as a leader which is rectified on this new CD from the Little Village Foundation. This recording was co-produced by Kid Andersen with Watson and recorded at Andersen's Greaseland Studios. Andersen himself says, "There is no guitarist on earth I value higher than Junior Watson." Making this record with him is one of the greatest honors in my life."

There is a mix of instrumentals and vocals. Watson sings on several tunes, and there are vocals by guests Alabama Mike and Lisa Leuschner Andersen. Others in the studio band are Sax Gordon on saxophone; Jim Pugh on keyboards, Kedar Roy on bass, and Andrew Guterman on drums with Gary Smith on harmonica on one song.

The mood is set with the opening instrumental, "Up and Out," displaying Watson's crisp, twisting attack that evokes to this listener the shattering Memphis attack of Willie Johnson mixed with a touch of Albert Collins and Jimmy Nolen. Gordon is outstanding while Pugh's skating rink organ adds to the atmosphere. Other instrumentals include "Ska-Ra-Van" a ska version of Juan Tizol-Duke Ellington's Caravan." Gordon takes an imaginative tenor sax solo while Pugh' organ adds to the flavor of the performance. There is a Mexican flavored instrumental "Summer of Love" with scintillating guitar, and a raucous shuffle "Space Flight, with Pugh's organ, followed by some blistering guitar." "Pee Wee Classic," a tribute to Pee Wee Crayton, is an exciting spinoff of "Texas Hop."

The five vocals by Lisa Andersen, Kid's wife, are a revelation as she sings with a forcefulness and nuance that suggests such sixties female singers as Carol Fran, Carla Thomas, and Barbara Lewis. Certainly the hard-rocking "Don't Freeze Me Out" is a gripping performance, while "One Way Street" is a further showcase of how good a singer she is while Gordon is excellent on the baritone sax. Another vocal is the James Brown penned "I Found You," a variant of "I Got You." Alabama Mike co-wrote with Watson, an intense slow blues "A Shot in the Dark," on a performance in the vein of Buddy Guy's Chess recordings. Watson himself is an understated, appealing vocal on a shuffle "Louella," as well as a revival of Chicago blues harpist Dusty Brown's "Well, You Know," with Gary Smith adding his harmonica.

Junior Watson, a brilliant guitarist and with the terrific backing band, is showcased on a marvelous recording that displays his considerable talents.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a clip of Junior Watson performing in 2017.

Kevin Burt Heartland & Soul

Kevin Burt
Heartland & Soul
Little Village Foundation

Mike Kappus notes he first was exposed to Kevin Burt as a judge for The Blues Foundation's 2018 International Blues Challenge where the Iowan won not only in the single/duo category. Kappus also notes Burt was the first artist in the Competition's 34-year history to sweep the solo categories — also winning the Solo/Duo Cigar Box Guitar Award for the most promising acoustic player and the Lee Oskar Harmonica Award. Once having to work five jobs (two full-time, three part-time) as a young adult in Iowa City after a football injury in his senior year of college derailed his dreams of professional football, he has become a significant new acoustic blues voice.

It is not like he just started playing the music. In 1996, the sesquicentennial both of Iowa and of the Smithsonian, Burt was chosen by the state of Iowa to participate in a project of the American Folklife Center. “I got the opportunity to be a living exhibition at the Smithsonian representing the state of Iowa as a blues artist, and part of my responsibility was to have an educational component, so that’s when I started doing my research to be able to give accurate historical stories for the state of Iowa from the perspective of a musician.” He has also become quite involved in Blues in the School.

I suspect this is his debut recording and Kid Andersen and Jim Pugh produced this CD which was recorded and mixed at Greaseland. Burt, who wrote 11 of the 12 songs, sings and plays acoustic guitar and harmonica. Andersen adds guitar and melodica (on one track), and Pugh keyboards. Others on this include Jerry Jemmott on bass, Derrick 'D'Mar' Martin on drums, Jon Otis on percussion and Lisa Leuschner Andersen on backing vocals.

Listening to Kevin Burt, one is reminded of Ted Hawkins, a similar acoustic singer-songwriter who had deep rhythm and blues roots. Whereas Hawkins displayed a strong Sam Cooke influence, Burt evokes Bill Withers with perhaps a dash of Al Jarreau. Withers is one of Burt's cited vocal influences along Aaron Neville, Bobby Bland, Luther Vandross, and Marvin Gaye. The song that perhaps is most suggestive vocally and stylistically of Withers' is "I Don't Want To See You No More," where he sings about finding a note on the door and not understand why she left him.

It is a varied program starting with the lively groove on the opening "Day Day" singing about he makes her whole body grins but she will miss him if she leaves more than he will miss her. The performance has a nice harmonica break with the percolating backing behind the singing. Then there is an austere cover of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," backed by his solo guitar, where his phrasing and other vocal dynamics stands out. Pugh's organ helps establish the mood for his expression of thanks for letting him be himself. The percolating groove of "Real Love" reminds me of the Doobie Brothers as he sings about a love they should hang on to and wants to share with nobody else with some rhythmic guitar and crying harmonica.

While the songs on this are more soul than blues, "Never" is a strong, evocative blues with Pugh's piano and Andersen's guitar standing out in the backing against Burt's passionate singing. Another blues has him playing slide and harp for the first verse of "Smack Dab in the Middle," an original and not the song associated with Count Basie and Joe Williams, where he sings about going to the Crossroads and not having done nobody wrong. While there is nothing wrong with the band backing and he has a nice harp break, this performance to these ears would have been stronger if it remained a solo performance. This is a small quibble on an impressive recording full of memorable performances. Kevin Burt shows himself to be an exceptional artist.

I received from my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 381). Here is a clip of Kevin Burt performing "Eleanor Rigby," at the 218 International Blues Challenge finals.

Whitney Shay A Woman Rules The World

Whitney Shay
A Woman Rules The World
Little Village Foundation

There is something about a recording that makes one take notice, especially when it is by an artist that one was previously unaware of. San Diego vocalist Whitney Shay made that impression when I first started listening to her assertive "Ain't No Weak Woman," that opens up this new release of modern urban blues and classically oriented soul. Supporting her expressive singing is the excellent support that producer and guitarist Christoffer 'Kid' Andersen has provided. On this she is supported by a studio band that includes Jim Pugh on keyboards, Kedar Roy on bass, Alex Pettersen on drums and 'Sax" Gordon Beadle on saxophones with Igor Prado and Aki Kumar among those guesting on selected tracks.

"Ain't No Weak Woman" is one of four songs Shay co-wrote with Adam Eros, and she vigorously delivers her lyric that having a weak moment does not make her a weak woman. It is a moving vocal set against a driving groove with a superb Sax Beadle tenor sax solo. More raspy sax opens a lesser known Dinah Washington number "Blues Down Home." The terrific horn arrangement and her superb vocal suggests she could handle a straight jazz recording as well as she handles the blues and soul here. This track also has Jim Pugh's greasy organ accompaniment, a nice harp break from Aki Kumar and booting sax that evokes Eddie Chamblee and the like. After a hint of New Orleans on another original, "Don't You Fool Me No More," Igor Prado adds his slashing guitar and a  vocal on another original, the funky "Love's Creeping Up On You."

The title track was Denise LaSalle's answer to James Brown's "It's a Man's World." Sdt against the firm accompaniment, moaning and shouting, she delivers another knockout vocal. Andersen's sitar helps open her fervent blues shouting on a reworking of Little Richard's "Freedom Blues," followed by a strong deep soul interpretation of Candi Staton's "Get It When I Want It," with Sax Beadle's baritone sax a significant part of the backing. Among the other selections is the low-key original lament, "Empty Hand," where her phrasing and vocal dynamics stands out.

Another driving Little Richard number "Get Down With It," closes this recording. The terrific studio band and Andersen's production along with Shay's powerful, nuanced singing result in a superb recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. I have made some stylistic edits to the review that originally appeared in the July-August Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 379). Here is a video of Whitney Shay performing.

Wee Willie Walker & The Greaseland All Stars Live! Notodden Blues Festival

Wee Willie Walker & The Greaseland All Stars
Live! Notodden Blues Festival
Little Village Foundation

Kim Wilson refers to Willie Walker as "one of the last, if not THE last, real soul singer on this planet." A career that goes back to recording for Goldwax Records decades ago, he perhaps is finally getting some recognition. With a fine band assembled by guitarist Kid Andersen (Jim Pugh on the B3 organ, Lorenzo Farrell on bass, and J Hansen on drums with horns), Walker performed in August 2016 at the Notodden Blues Festival in Norway and Andersen has made the performance available.

After band introductions, Walker opens with Clarence Reid's "(Can You) Read Between The Lines," where with his raspy, gospel-inflected vocals he establishes his authority as a singer with The Greaseland All Stars providing solid, idiomatic support. It is followed by a terrific original by Rick Estrin (who helped Walker get larger exposure, "Is That It!" with greasy organ and punchy horns. It is followed by a recasting of a Goldwax recording (that was also issued on Checker), "You Name It, I Had It," a terrific deep southern soul performance. It is one of several Goldwax recordings revived here that include the Beatles' "Ticket To Ride," that he covered four decades ago. The loping groove of "There Goes My Used to Be," "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" (co-written by Sam Cooke) and "A Lucky Loser ( a favorite of mine)" are other early recordings he performed at this Festival.

In addition there are strong renditions of Tyrone Davis' hit, "Can I Change My Mind," and Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." Rick Estrin adds harmonica to "Funky Way," and Walker does a solid take on "Little Red Rooster," that has a jazzy feel that owes as much to Sam Cooke's rendition as that of the Howlin' Wolf. Another extended reworking of another Beatles' classic, "Help," closes this recording as Walker slows this rocker down. Andersen's playing here evokes the late Robert Ward and Lonnie Mack on this track, but he is outstanding whether playing soul guitar riffs or playing in a jazzier vein on other tracks. The backing, as indicated, is solid throughout. In any event, Wee Willie Walker certainly has it still and this live recording suggests just how moving and powerful a performer he remains.

I purchased this. Here is the performance of "Help" from the Festival.

John Boyd The Real Deal

John Boyd
The Real Deal
Little Village Foundation

In his brief notes to this debut by John Boyd, Rick Estrin speaks of his stylistic range at times reminiscent of shouters like Big Joe Turner and Wyonnie Harris and other times like blues crooners like Junior Parker and early B.B. King. I am not sure I agree, although listening to this I agree with the Rick Estrin penned opening track where Boyd proclaims "I Am The Real Deal," that he certainly is. I assume Estrin is the harp player on this selection while Aki Kumar is also heard on this album. Others here include Kid Andersen, Big Jon Atkinson and Robert Welsh on guitar; Jim Pugh, Welsh and Andersen on keyboards; Dave Chavez, Danny Michel and Andersen on bass; June Core, Atkinson and D'Mar Martin are among those on drums; while horns include the saxophones of Eric Spaulding and Terry Hanck. Andersen produced and recorded this at his Greaseland Studios. Boyd wrote ten of these songs

After emphatically letting us know he is the real deal, Boyd takes on a hot rocking shuffle "I Will Discover" that suggests classic Junior Parker with some blistering guitar in the vein of Roy Gaines backing Bobby Bland on Duke whereas the following "I'm Like A Stranger To You," has the feel of a Percy Mayfield Tangerine recording. Whoever did the arrangement here is to be commended, while Boyd again shows just how fine a singer he is. There is plenty of humor in Rick Estrin's ode to big-legged woman "That's Big!" with a bass line that evokes Jimmy McCracklin's "The Walk." Another hot shuffle, "That Certain Day" features some outstanding guitar in the vein of classic Freddie King.

An Estrin-Andersen collaboration "Dona Mae" takes us to Chicago in a performance in the manner of vintage Muddy Waters, while the musical setting of "I'm So Weak Right Now" evokes B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone," as Boyd sings about not being able to get himself together as his lady has gone. Then there is a terrific slow blues with some haunting sax at the opening "Screaming in the Night" with a great vocal and backing evocative of an unissued Otis Rush Cobra side, whereas musically "(Have You Ever Been To) Marvin Gardens" is reminiscent of the Willie Dixon Argo album by Walter Horton. Unlike the limited vocal of the late harmonica wizard, Boyd handles the vocal with plenty of personality and there is some fine harp here.

The album closes with Boyd's marvelous "John, The Blues Is Calling You," as he sings he knows what must do, because he was born a blues disciple with some greasy organ and more terrific guitar. With the excellent players Kid Andersen assembled, it would be pretty hard to produce something other than a very entertaining recording. When one adds a terrific singer like John Boyd, then one has a stellar recording that is as impressive a contemporary real blues debut as one might have heard in some time.

I purchased this. This review originally appeared in the March-April 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 371). Here is a video that introduces John Boyd.