Jimmy Carpenter Soul Doctor

Jimmy Carpenter
Soul Doctor
Gulf Coast Records

About Jimmy Carpenter's last album, "Plays the Blues" (VizzTone), I wrote that "Carpenter plays plenty of rousing, raspy saxophone in a Junior Walker-King Curtis--Boots Randolph vein throughout and, if not a great singer, is likable with an unforced delivery… ." Carpenter has a lengthy career in the blues and roots-rock scene, including stints with Jimmy Thackery, Walter 'Wolfman' Washington, and most recently with Mike Zito. Presently residing in Las Vegas, Carpenter leads his own band and plays with numerous others. He also is the Musical Director for the Big Blues Bender and leader of the Bender Brass, The Bender's house band. This new release is on Golf Coast records, a label Zito co-founded.

On this recording, Jimmy has assembled a first-class studio group. In addition to Carpenter on saxophone and vocals, there is Cameron Tyler (drums/percussion/background vocals), Jason Langley (bass), Trevor Johnson (guitar), Chris Tofield (guitar/background vocals), Red Young (keys), Carrie Stowers (background vocals), and Queen Aries (background vocals). Guesting on this album are guitarist Nick Schnebelen, The Bender Brass (Doug Woolverton (trumpet), Mark Earley (baritone sax)), Al Ek (harmonica), and Mike Zito (guitar).

Based on the seven originals, Carpenter has become quite a songwriter. The album opens with the title track with a striking lyric, "Who says the book of love was written in one night/ Who filled it up with empty pages said what's wrong and right/ So many have wagered on the lottery of life/ They opened up their hearts just to be cut down like a knife." Carpenter impresses with his singing here and elsewhere on this album. On this song, he takes a couple of tough rackety yak sax solos. Nick Schnebelen's guests on this track, although these ears founded his playing a tad busy. That is one of two songs that Carpenter wrote with Guy Hale, the other co-founder of Gulf Coast Records. The other song, "Wrong Turn," has Jimmy on guitar with Trevor Johnson playing some blues-rock slide guitar and Al Ek adding some sax-sounding harmonica. Carpenter's vocal sounds distorted and maybe his least appealing singing here. Much better is the relaxed rock and roll shuffle blues "Wild Streak." In addition to some persuasive singing, catch lyrics, Red Young contributes some rollicking honky-tonk piano while Mike Zito adds a searing slide guitar solo.

The autobiographical lyrics of "Love It So Much" is set to a second-line groove as Carpenter celebrates the musician's life on the road, while the Bender Horns add their punch. The finest blues performance is his cover of Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad," with Carpenter's passionate singing and his band's outstanding support. It also may have his best tenor sax solo on the album. An instrumental rendition of The Clovers' "One Mint Julep" also spotlights his tenor sax, although more in a King Curtis-Junior Walker vein. Red Young adds some greasy organ here. Another instrumental is "LoFi Roulette," with Chris Tofield adding searing guitar to Carpenter's gutbucket sax.

A soulful rendition of Eddie Hinton's "Yeah Man" closes this album. Jimmy Carpenter has matured into an expressive, passionate singer and songwriter, and he has produced a very satisfying blues and roots recording.

I received my review download from a publicist. Here Jimmy performs the title track.

Victor Wainwright and the Train Memphis Loud

Victor Wainwright and the Train
Memphis Loud
Ruf Records

Victor Wainwright has become one of the most prominent individuals on the blues and American roots music scene. He has been a regular Blues Music Award nominee and winner. This new release certainly will not disappoint his many fans. Joining Wainwright (vocals, piano, Hammond B3, electric piano) in the studio are The Train: Billy Dean (drums, percussion, vocals), Terrence Grayson (bass, vocals), Pat Harrington (guitar, vocals), Mark Earley (baritone sax, tenor sax & clarinet), Doug Woolverton (trumpet & flugelhorn) and Dave Gross (guitar, vocals, percussion). There are special guests present as well, including former train member Greg Gumpel (guitar/vocals), Reba Russell & Gracie Curran (vocals), Monster Mike Welch (guitar). Wainwright and Dave Gross produced this, and Wainwright wrote or co-wrote all 12 songs.

Musically, "Memphis Loud" is blues-based roots as opposed to straight blues. That is a simplistic description as the music here is terrific. Perhaps think of Leon Russell as opposed to Sunnyland Slim. Anyway, his two-fisted piano is wholly on display here while guitarist Pat Harrington and saxophonist Mark Earley wail on "Walk that Walk." Even more impressive than Wainwright's piano is his compelling singing, such as on the train blues that provides the album its title. There is some plenty of spellbinding, blistering boogie-woogie piano as he sings about a train heading to Memphis and coming through one's town. What also shines is the tempo shifts and the arrangement. "Sing" is another stunning track with its dreamy, circus parade tempo, and an arrangement employing the interweaving of Wooverton's muted was way trumpet and Earley's clarinet.

On "Disappear," that Wainwright sounds like he is performing an unrecorded George Harrison song with Dave Gross' guitar solo adding to this feel. Hints of Booker T and the MG's are present in the setting for "Golden Rule." Other selections are equally intriguing and gripping. With Wainwright's marvelous singing, along with a first-rate studio band and production, "Memphis Loud" is a superb recording with plenty of musical magic.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a recent performance by Victor Wainwright and The Train.

 

Chris 'Bad News' Barnes Live

Chris 'Bad News' Barnes
Live
VizzTone

Introduced as from Hells Kitchen in New York City, Chris Barnes logged over 2000 performances as a member of Chicago's Second City comedy troupe. With that background, he brings a certain live dynamism to a blues concert stage. This CD was recorded on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, produced by Tony Braunagel and engineered by Johnny Lee Schell, both of the Legendary Blues Band. His backing band includes the remarkable Steve Guyger on harmonica, Gary Huey on guitar, Sandy McDonald on piano, A.J. Pappas on bass, Matt Scurfield on drums, Mark Earley on sax, Doug Woolverton on trumpet and Gracie Curran on backing vocals.

This is party music played loud and sometimes lacking in subtlety as best illustrated by Barnes doing his original, "Hungry & Horny" set to the music of Earl King's "Come On (Let the Good Times Roll)." As he huskily shouts out his vocals, he receives tight, brassy backing. Sometimes the musicians rock out as guitarist Huey overplays on the cover of Muddy Waters' hit "Hootchie Cootchie Man." It is arguably Barnes' weakest vocal. Then Little Walter's "Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights" is taken as at too fast a tempo.

There is a credible rendition of Bo Diddley's "You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover," and an imaginative rearranging arrangement of "It's Tight Like That," set to a "Bo Diddley' groove. Also, Big Bill's Broonzy "Keep Your Mind To It" is set to an understated New Orleans groove with exceptional solos from Sandy McDonald and Steve Guyger. There is also covers of Don Nix's "Going Down," and the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post," with the latter number showcasing Huey's blues-rock slide guitar.

The CD closes with the Eddie Floyd classic, "Raise Your Hand." It has one of Barnes' better vocals. The performances here display his showmanship. and if he is not a consistently compelling blues performer, Chris Barnes is an entertaining one. This CD certainly will enliven many a party.

I received my review copy from Vizztone. Here he performs "Raise Your Hand."

Roomful Of Blues Celebrates 45 Live

45 Live, the new Alligator CD by Roomful of Blues is a live performance that celebrates the band’s 45 years. The band started as a jump blues oriented group inspired by the music of T-Bone Walker, Roy Milton, Johnny Otis, Big Joe Turner, Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson and the like, and even recorded behind Turner and Vinson for a couple of quite well regarded recordings. Over the years evolved into more of an modern urban blues band (think Bobby Bland’s Duke recordings). Originally Duke Robillard fronted the band on guitar and vocals and when he left, Ronnie Earl spent a stint on guitar with Chris Vachon eventually taking over that spot which he has held for a couple decades. Philip Pemberton has been handling the vocals for some time now. Roomful has become an institution, and I say that in a positive manner in having their having an immediately recognizable sound and approach to the music.

Recorded at The Ocean Mist in Rhode Island over three nights, the disc kicks off with the driving Just Keep On Rockin’, followed by the insistent modern urban blues It All Went Down the Drain, although on this latter number and the following Jambalaya, Vachon sounds like he is trying to copy Lonnie Mack’s tone. A cover of Magic Sam’s Easy Baby gives a chance for Vachon to stretch out with the horns riffing in support. That’s Right is a superb hot jump blues performance, and is that Rich Lataille who is wailing on tenor sax (Lataille has been with Roomful for 43 years). Lataille’s homage to Illinois Jacquet, Straight Jacquet, allows Lataille, fellow saxophonist Mark Earley and trumpeter Doug Wolverton (growling with his mute) to display their chops on a number that evokes Flying Home. There are also first rate renditions of Crawdad Hole, and Somebody’s Got To Go, that Big Joe Turner and Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson respectively recorded with Roomful thirty-five odd years ago. As good as these are, the interpretation of Jimmy Rushing’s I Left My Baby, is really special with Pemberton terrific and I suspect Buck Clayton would be smiling listening to Wolverton’s playing here.

Providing the foundation is the excellent rhythm section of keyboardist Rusty Scott (nice solos on Crawdad Hole and I Left My Baby); bassist John Turner, and drummer Chris Rivelli. They lay down the solid groove and cover a lot of blues genres as Rich Lataille notes, “Though we cover all the bases, our mainstay is horn-driven, hard honking R&B.” And there is plenty of that hard driving R&B here.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records. This is scheduled for release on July 30.