JIMMY JOHNSON - Every Road Leads Somewhere

JIMMY JOHNSON - Every Road Leads Somewhere - RUF RECORDS

Jimmy Johnson's infrequent albums are always occasions of great interest for blues lovers. With his wiry guitar attack and high tenor vocals, the Chicago bluesman has produced some very distinctive and fine recordings. This new one is another strong addition to his discography. 

Johnson has contributed some fine originals like the opening “Roots of All Evil” (about money, and sporting a trumpet solo by Claude Egea), “End of the Road,” which contains an appearance by the late Luther Allison who rides the song out with a fiery short solo, and “The Street You Live On,” with its lilting reggae beat. In addition, Johnson's covers of “Black Night,” “Cut You Loose,” and James ‘Thunderbird’ Davis' “Blue Monday” are fresh, with crisp funky arrangements. 

Throughout this, Johnson plays in his recognizable style that perhaps show the influence of Otis Rush and Albert King more than others, as well as delivering his vocals without too much in the nature of hysterics. In addition to his fine band, Johnson is backed by a nice horn section that includes jazz trombonist Frank Lacy and saxophonist Paul Cerra in addition to trumpeter Egea. With Johnson being in strong form both vocally and instrumentally, he has produced a very fine release.

This review originally appeared in the November-December 1999 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 242). I have made a few minor formatting and stylistic changes. I likely received a review copy from Ruf Records or a publicist. This may be hard to find, so you may have to find it from used record stores. Here is Jimmy in a performance from 1994.

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.

 

Candye Kane White Trash Woman

Candye Kane
White Trash Woman
Ruf Records 

If blues is, as some describe it, “grown-up music, then Candye Kane’s emergence as a blues diva is not far removed from her earlier career in the adult entertainment business. But while her background may make her seem like a novelty, when you hear him pounding the ivories, belting out a remake of Bullmoose Jackson’s Big Fat Mamas Are Back in Style or listen to her caress the country-ish ballad What Happened to That Girl, one realizes her talent leads one to quickly forget the novelty of her background. 

Her latest album, White Trash Woman was recorded in Austin, Texas and is on the German Ruf label. Produced by Mark 'Kaz' Kazanoff, who also leads the horn section, he is joined by a stellar studio band that includes drummer Damien Llanes, bassist Preston Hubbard, guitarist Jeff Ross (with appearances by Johnny Moeller and David Grissom), harp wiz Gary Primich, keyboards by Riley Osbourn. Together they bring together a smorgasbord of blues moods and settings and Candye Kane comes across equally compelling belting out the title track (“It is an honor to be called a trashy broad in the traditions of legends such as Divine and Dixie Rose Lee), and Estrogen Bomb which she is the strong woman who offers no apologies and takes no prisoners when she gets crossed. 

She reworks the Loving Spoonful’s What a Day For a Daydream into a blues while lending a country feel to What Happened to the Girl, and sings about being Misunderstood with the band providing a traditional jazz backing including some nice clarinet. Leiber and Stoller’s I Wanna Do More evokes Little Walter’s hit, My Babe, with its groove and some fine harp by Mr. Primich. The following track, the original It Must Be Love, is a rocking shuffle with a fine fifties T-Bone mixed with B.B. guitar solo and strong jumping horns and a clean, soulful vocal. In contrast Queen of the Wrecking Ball, has her singing woman who breaks hearts with some nice guitar evoking the gulf coast swamp blues sound. 

Other songs include a boogie woogie about sexual self-gratification, and, Mistress Carmen, about a Grand Domme who is proud of her sensuality set to a New Orleans groove (Please Mistress Carmen, we just want to watch you dance), and a lovely love ballad, I Could Fall For You. With truly memorable songs and strong backing, Candye Kane convincingly delivers this varied programme with humor and passion. Candye Kane may be a White Trash Woman but this recording is most certainly high class.

I likely received a review copy from Ruf Records or a publicist. This review original appeared in the September 2005 DC Blues Calendar and the March/April 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 280). Here is a video of Candye (who passed away in 2016 with Little Willie Littlefield (who passed away in 2013).

Vanessa Collier Meeting My Shadow

Vanessa Collier
Meeting My Shadow
Ruf Records

Young saxophonist, vocalist, and songwriter is a graduate of world-renowned Berklee College and later toured with Joe Louis Walker. She recorded a self-produced album, participated at the Blues Foundation's 2016 International Blues Challenge and has been playing at festivals and clubs. Now she has signed with Ruf Records who has issued her newest release. She is backed on this by TK Jackson on drums, Daniel McKee on bass and Laura Chavez on guitar with many tracks having the legendary Charlie Hodges of the Hi Rhythm Section on keyboards. She has eight originals and three covers here as well.

Collier has an attractive voice and impresses as a vocalist over a variety of material including the opening "Poisoned the Well," one of the more notable originals, along with her ode to James Brown styled funk, "Dig a Little Deeper." She covers U2's B.B. King collaboration, "When Love Comes To Town," with a fervent vocal with Josh Roberts' slide guitar soloing while she takes the performance to a close with some robust saxophone. Her cover of the O.V. Wright deep soul classic "You Gonna Make Me Cry," is sweetened up in her treatment making it more a lament than Wright's gut-wrenching original.

"Whisky and Women" is a rocking blues shuffle about folk complaining about whisky and women while she notes she wants to live without complaining. The tempo might be a bit slower, and her vocal could have been tempered a tad, but both Laura Chavez and she are outstanding. "Meet Me Where I'm At" has a New Orleans-flavored feel with some nice interplay by her with trumpeter Marc Franklin. There is a spirited cover of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Up Around My Head, I Hear Music In The Air," and if her vocal lacks the weight of Tharpe, it is still enjoyable and Chavez again tosses in a crisply, spirited guitar solo followed by Collier's short solo. "Devil's on the Downside" is an impressively sung original with Charles Hodges taking us to church on organ and a standout lyric about life's temptations sung wonderfully with Collier providing a marvelous arrangement as well for the horns to frame her vocal.

There is plenty to like about Vanessa Collier on "Meeting My Shadow." She is multi-talented as a singer, songwriter, saxophonist and arranger who also co-produced this most engaging set of performances. She is certainly establishing herself on the blues (and more general music circles) and this recording will further that process.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the May-June 2017 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 372).  Here Vanessa Collier is performing "When Love Comes To Town."

Si Cranstoun Old School

Si Cranstoun
Old School
Ruf Records

From busking on British Streets for a couple decades to being dubbed "The King of Vintage" by a British newspaper, Si Cranstoun's latest recording (the first I have heard) is a retro-rock release with a touch of rockabilly, blues, R&B and more. With a vibrato in his voice shows a bit of Jackie Wilson influence he kicks off running with the rockabilly-laced "Old School" followed by "Vegas Baby," which is in the spirit of Elvis. "Nighttime" is an offshoot of the Nappy Brown blues nicely delivered followed by the bouncy "Run Free" where he sings of running to free his soul.

"Right Girl" comes off as a pastiche to some of the vocal groups of the fifties, while "Elise The Brazilian," is a delightful novelty with a latin groove with a melodramatic vocal, while "Count on Me" is 60's style country number (think perhaps Porter Wagoner meets Jackie Wilson), and "Around Midnight" is a blues performance with a dash of Sam Cooke in his vocal. "A Christmas Twist" is a bouncy holiday number as he sings everyone have a ball and peace and happiness for all. A honking baritone sax kicks off a cover of "Big Bess," a spirited cover of less known Jimmy Rushing recording followed by another cover, a rendition of Jackie Wilson's "Lover Please."

I am not sure the source of the closing "Happy Birthday" which is not the Birthday song most are familiar with. It includes a booting tenor sax solo. It provides a peppy end to this most entertaining recording that does a fine job of evoking the classic tunes of the fifties and sixties in a most original way.

I received my copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the January-February 2017 Jazz & Blues Reprt (Issue 370). Here is the official video for "Old School."

Coco Montoya Songs From the Road

 

The latest in Ruf Records “Songs From the Road” series is by Coco Montoya. The series of live recordings seeks to capture typical performances and in this case Montoya was recorded over two-nights at Seattle’s Triple Door with Jim Gaines in the house to produce it. Montoya is supported by Brant Leeper on keyboards, Nathan Brown on bass and Rena Beavers on drums. Leeper and Beavers also contribute backing vocals.

14 sons are spread over the two CDs clocking in at just under 2 hours and provide a retrospective of his career. Fans of Montoya undoubtedly will enjoy this with his husky singing and guitar playing. There is a fair amount of Albert Collins’ influence heard whether on the opening song, Collins’ “I Got a Mind To Travel” or Montoya’s original “Love Jail” that he wrote for Collins but Collins never recorded. Leeper’s keyboards contributes to this flavor and he certain adds both support and additional musical coloring (as well as provides several strong solos) while the rhythm section of Brown and Beavers kept a nice relaxed groove going.

One strength of the recording is the pace of the performance. The musical never sounds hurried or frenzied and the groove is solid whether handling a slow blues, a blues-infused rock song or the driving rendition of “Fannie Mae.” While having a somewhat limited vocal range, Montoya sings well and delivers his vocals with a lot of heart. The only fault might be the length of some of the performances which might not sustain interest listening at home as much as they pleased the Triple Door crowd. That is inherent in the nature of Ruf’s documentation of these performances which serves to capture Coco Montoya on a representative performance. Coco Montoya’s “Songs From the Road" certainly accomplishes this purpose quite well.

I received from Ruf Records or a publicist. I have made a few minor changes from the review which appeared in the January-Fenruary 2015 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 358). Here is a video of Coco performing I Got a Mind To Travel.”

Albert Castiglia’s new album Solid Ground is his debut for Ruf Records. Castiglia got the blues world’s attention when he toured with the legendary Junior Wells in the 1990s and after Wells’ 1998 death, toured with the Atlanta based singer, Sandra Hall. In the subsequent years he has built a considerable following with his singing, guitar playing and songwriting. On his new recording, his guitar and vocals are backed by the veteran team of Matt Schuler (bass/vocals), Bob Amsel (drums), Jeremy Baum (B3/piano/wurlitzer), Lou Bevere (guitar/vocals) and Debbie Davies (guitar/vocals) – plus Dave Gross on multi-instrumentation and production.

With Dave Gross’ production, Castiglia provides us some blues and rock that is crisply played opening with the opening Triflin’. He is an appealing, honest singer and his guitar playing displays not only his virtuosity, but a thoughtful soloist. Keep You Around Too Long is a first-rate performance with terrific ensemble playing while his guitar  grabs the listener. Have You No Shame makes adroit use of tremolo in his guitar on a soulful performance that contrasts with the strutting shuffle groove and vocals of Put Some Stank On It, a duet with Debbie Davies.

Love One Another, a message song about overcoming hate, makes use of a funky bass riff that evokes classic Memphis soul. Celebration, a departure from the blues, is an exceptional performance in the manner of a Bob Seger, and there is a nice  cover of the Stones’ Sway. Another stand-out blues here is an intense version of Lefty Dizz’s Bad Avenue, with outstanding singing and playing. Little Havana Blues (Arroz Con Mango), with a latin groove, is an crisp instrumental that allows Castiglia to stretch out.

Castiglia is a very good singer and marvelous guitarist whose talent is well displayed on the very entertaining Solid Ground that will have considerable appeal.

I received my copy from a publicist.Here he can be seen performing Bad Avenue.

Jimmy Johnson
End of the Road
Ruf Records

Jimmy Johnson’s infrequent albums are always occasions of great interest for blues lovers. With his wiry guitar attack and high tenor vocals, the Chicago bluesman has produced some very distinctive and fine recordings. This new one is another strong addition to his discography. Johnson has contributed some fine originals like the opening Roots of All Evil (about money, and sporting a trumpet solo by

Jimmy Johnson at the 2007 Pocono Blues Festival

Claude Egea), End of the Road which contains an appearance by the late Luther Allison who rides the song out with a fiery short solo, and The Street You Live On, with its lilting reggae beat.

In addition, Johnson’s covers of Thunderbird Davis’ Blue Monday, Black Night and Cut You Loose are fresh, with crisp funky arrangements. Throughout this, Johnson plays in his recognizable style that perhaps show the influence of Otis Rush and Albert King more than others, as well as delivering his vocals without too much in the nature of hysterics.

In addition to his fine band, Johnson is backed by a nice horn section that includes jazz trombonist Frank Lacy and saxophonist Paul Cerra in addition to trumpeter Egea. With Johnson being in strong form both vocally and instrumentally, he has produced a very fine release.

This review originally appeared in the November/December 1999 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 242). It is available from third party sellers on amazon. Photo of Jimmy Johnson © Ron Weinstock. Here is a video of Jimmy Johnson performing with Dave Spector.

Cyril Neville's Not So Magic Honey

Cyril Neville's new recording Magic Honey (Ruf Records) under his own name is one that will certainly appeal to many with its mix of New Orleans grooves, funk and blues-rock. His first album for Ruf has him backed by Cranston Clements on guitar, "Mean" Willie Green on drums, Carl Dufrene on bass, Norman Caesar on keyboards with Cyril on percussion as well as singing. Making appearances here on selected tracks are Allen Toussaint and Dr. John on keyboards, and guitarists Mike Zito (a fellow member of the Royal Southern Brotherhood), David Z (who produced this) and Walter Trout, with backing vocals from his wife Gaynielle and son Onari. 

For these ears, this release is a mixed bag. The title track certainly opens this music on a strong note with its tough, strutting groove and a terrific vocal about his queen bee who drips her honey on him with some fine, uncredited harmonica in the backing. Its followed by a terrific piece of New Orleans funk on Dr. John's Swamp Funk, (on which Dr, John is on organ and Allen Toussaint on piano) that could have been from three decades ago. However the following track, "Something's Got a Hold On Me, is a heavy handed blues-rock performance that perhaps is tightly played but the backing (including David Z's guitar solo) will sound to many as way over-the-top. The latin-flavored Another Man (co-penned with his wife) is an appealing song that will evoke Santana's bluesier recordings including Clements spicy guitar. 

Still Going Down Today, that Mike Zito co-wrote with Neville, is one of several topical lyrics on this and followed by a cover of Paul Butterfield and Henry Glover's You Can Run But You Can't Hide. The blues-rock backing perhaps contributed to neither performance standing out to these ears. I found the rendition of Warren Haynes Invisible catching my attention with Neville singing about acting as if he was invisible to those around him because of race or class. Blues Is The Truth is an original blues about what the blues is and sometimes the down home blues can heal the pain. There is some intense singing although the backing would have benefited from more nuanced guitar.

Walter Trout co-wrote Running Water, with a relaxed, funky groove and a very clever lyric, with Trout providing the effective guitar pyrotechnics on a short guitar break as well as responding to Neville's vocals during the song's coda. Otis Rush's original recording of Working Man was originally done as a Stax oriented R&B performance on Rush's Cotillion album that Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites produced. Neville's vocal fronts a heavy metal blues-rock jam. The closing Slow Motion, is an infectious with its steady rocking reggae groove and the more supple backing.

As the comments above suggest, this listener found "Magic Honey" to be a mixed bag of performances with first-rate tracks mixed in with others that did not stand out (and a couple tracks were forgettable). I recognize that there are fans of album rock and blues-rock who will differ with that opinion, and may you enjoy this. 

I received this from a publicist. A few years ago, I was quite a bit more positive regarding Cyril's Brand New Blues on M.C. Records. I note that it is a Blues Music Award nominee for Contemporary Blues Album.  From this recording, here is Cyril doing Working Man.

Joanne Shaw Taylor Almost Always Never

Joanne Shaw Taylor’s newest album (her 3rd), Almost Always Never (Ruf Records), has been quietly making an impression on me for some time. The CD was recorded and produced in Austin, Texas by Mike McCarthy (Producer of Patti Griffith and others) and features the British singer-songwriter and guitarist backed by David Garza (keyboards), Billy White (bass/slide guitar) and J.J. Johnson (drums). With the exception of Frankie Miller’s Jealousy, Taylor penned the songs on this.

Her smokey, soulful vocals have the strongest appeal with a simmering intensity which is displayed on Beautifully Broken, with the crisp backing (Garza’s organ really helps frame her vocal) and Taylor’s rocking solo. At spots, her guitar is too much in a rock vein for my taste (the opening Soul Station), but her vocals never disappoint here as she moans and never screams her blues-laced performances. Furthermore, her lyrical takes on standard themes are fresh such as her take on a break-up, You Should Go, I Should Stay, where she tells her ex on her leaving that “you’ve got nothing to be sorry for.” Miller’s Jealousy might be the highlight as she wears her heart on her sleeve with passionate singing with smoldering backing and crisp, searing blues-rock guitar. 

With the performances ranging from the hard rock of Soul Station and Tied and Bound, to the buoyant, rocking ”A hand In Love” and the low-key, acoustic country blues flavor of Army of One, there is plenty to sustain a listener’s interest throughout Almost Always Never. The solid production, and Joanne Shaw Taylor’s strong blues and soul infused performances contribute to a very memorable recording.

I received this from a publicist. Here is a video of her performing Piece of the Sky.

Royal Southern Brotherhood Get Rocking Hard

Royal Southern Brotherhood (RSB) is a 'supergroup' comprised of Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, Mike Zito, Charlie Wooten and Yontico Scott. It has been booked and played at a variety of music (including blues) festivals and as I write this its eponymously titled Ruf Records debut is high on the Billboard Blues charts although to these ears this is a rock record, with very little blues on it. However one classifies RSB does not go to the quality of the music and the music on this is excellent.

The hard-hitting New Horizon musically evokes the Rolling Stones’ rendition of Harlem Shuffle as Cyril takes the lead vocal about a new day dawning and at the crossroads where one chooses peace over politics with some hard rocking guitar with nice interplaying between Zito and Allman. It is followed by the Santana-like groove of Fired Up!, a celebration about a woman who can make Cyril feel higher than low. Devon Allman takes the lead on his wistful Left My Heart in Memphis, with his vocal and the band exhibiting a fine sense of musical dynamics.

The lyric to Moonlight Over the Mississippi by Zito and Neville incorporates some blues songs and lyrics. I presume that it is Zito taking the marvelous and soulful vocal and there is some strong guitar playing. Fire on the Mountain incorporates a lazy island groove while Ways About You is a terrific bluesy Zito performance of a break-up song as his woman was singing about freedom sing their love was first cast with some nicely shaped blues-rock guitar (and again exhibiting some terrific interplay between Zito and Allman. Allman and Neville collaborated on Got to Keep Rockin’, a driving hard rock number, while Hurt My Heart has an Allman Brothers feel and a lyric about homelessness, rich people in their mansion and how things hurts his heart. Neville’s Sweet Jelly Donut, is a straight blues with an amusing lyric that allows Cyril to talk about taking her to some of his favorite New Orleans haunts while the band gets into a rocking groove.

A hot instrumental Brotherhood closes this impressive hard rocking recording. This is a terrific contemporary band that brings together a wide range of musical influences together including blues, southern rock, soul country and more. With three vocalists who leave strong impressions on the listeners, two fine guitarists and a solid rhythm section, they have produced a debut album that will make people take notice. The eponymous debut by Royal Southern Brotherhood is not a blues album anymore than it is a ragtime album. This does not change the fact that it is a terrific recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a video for the song New Horizon.

Larry Garner Deserves To Play Before Standing Room Only

I am a big Larry Garner fan and have been frustrated that his career has never reached the heights his music deserved. His JSP recordings and Gitanes-Verve recordings displayed a laconic style as well as some of the most original and astute lyrics of anybody over the past few decades. The following review was written for the DC Blues Calendar back in 1998 and while I was not overly enthusiastic of this recording, Larry will always be one of my favorites. This is available as a download and he has other recordings on Ruf that strike me as stronger as well. I likely received a review copy of this from the label or a publicist.

One of the more distinctive blues stylists around, Larry Garner has certainly made many take notice with his perceptive songwriting and his subtle musical attack. His latest album, Standing Room Only (Ruf), is entertaining and probably his most musically up-front album. It, however, suffers from relatively pedestrian songs. Songs like Do Your Personal Thing and Keep the Money seem rather ordinary when compared to some of the gems on his older recordings. The highlights may be his renditions of Gatemouth Brown The Drifter, and Henry Gray swamp-blues, Cold Chills.

When the album lists the producer as Jim Gaines (The Genius) you know something is up. Whatever his genius, Gaines has produced a record that is superficially exciting, but somewhat lackluster when compared to any of Garner earlier albums. In fact JSP has just repackaged, Too Blue, Garner’s second album, and a listen to these performances will perhaps enable some to understand just why Garner has become a favorite to many who know that the blues is more than simply loud guitar pyrotechnics.

Here is Larry Garner performing.

Girls With Guitars Rock On

The Ruf Records website describes it succinctly: “The name says it all. ‘Girls with Guitars’ - the 2011 Ruf Records Blues Caravan Tour - presents three of the scene's hottest young female guitar slingers on a single stage.” The website further talks about the Blues Caravan series leading successful tours throughout Europe and the US and “This unique triple bill revue has helped introduce bright new stars” citing Ana Popovic and Joanne Shaw Taylor and refers to the new disc and tour as introducing “a trio of dynamic, up-and-coming blues talents: Dani Wilde, Cassie Taylor and Samantha Fish.” I am familiar with Cassie Taylor from her playing bass with her father Otis and Dani has been associated with Candye Kane. I did not know she was from England and unfamiliar with Samantha who is from Kansas City.

For an album spotlighting upcoming blues talents, one might expect some blues but between the opening cover of the Rolling Stones’ Bitch and the Paul Pena penned Steve Miller Band classic, Jet Airliner, the trio contribute ten performances that certainly one can’t complain if one labeled them rock tunes, with different levels of blues tinges. This is not to comment on the quality of the performances, but to observe that the fact some songs are blues-tinged and the performers are influenced by the blues doesn’t mean that recording is a blues album. I do not buy that playing music derivative of blues-rock and blues-influenced blues is extending the blues. It is simply rebadging rock as blues.

Dani Wilde’s Reason to Stay, a solo performance backed by her dobro, is a folk-blues performance and showcases her vocals as much as her dobro. Also outstanding out is Samantha Fish’s shuffle, Wait a Minute, with her best vocal here and strong guitar. But that tune is followed by the pounding rhythms of the trio’s topical Get Back, on which Mike Zito provides a heavy rock guitar solo, Fish’s playing on her own Come On Home has her heartfelt vocal on the wistful lyric of turning blue with a melody that has a Dylan-esque feel and nice guitar. Fish plays some nice atmospheric slide guitar behind Cassie Taylor’s aching vocal on Leaving Chicago, but the folk-blues edges of the song contrast with the heavy rock guitar of Fish on Taylor’s Move On.

I would say that Move On, along with Get Back, are the tracks with the least appeal to me, as I did enjoy the music on this although I would not rate it highly as a blues recording. All three are quite talented both vocally and instrumentally (I am more partial to Taylor and Wilde as vocalists, but that is a matter of subjective taste) and this is a very enjoyable collection of blues-influenced rock.

I received this from a publicist.

Corey Stevens Albert King Tribute

Corey Stevens was born in Illinois and moved to the Los Angeles area after graduating college and looking at his album covers is one who would be linked in among the post-war Stevie Ray Vaughan blues-rockers. While not being familiar with much of his catalog, 2007's Albertville (Ruf), a tribute to albert King, is worth a mention.


This is a recording where Stevens channels Albert King's guitar style and often the arrangements are based on King's originals. Its a program of songs I am generally familiar with a couple of exceptions such as A Real Good Sign, and Another Pretty Face. It is certainly nice to hear Stevens do his straight rendition of Breaking Up Somebody's Home and That's What The Blues Is All About. I may have heard one or two of his prior recordings but his restrained, slightly muffled vocals certainly emulate King's down-home, laid-back singing. Stevens adds his own licks on guitar in addition to channeling King’s style on selections as well, so he goes beyond simple imitation. Stevens doesn't rush the tempo or rock out on the performances either. Cold Women With Warm Hearts, with its mid-tempo having obvious appeal to the swing dancers.


Albertville may not be an essential blues album, but Stevens' affection to the late blues legend is evident on this heartfelt tribute.

I believe I may have received a review copy from a publicist.

Louisiana Red's Memphis Mojo

Iverson Minter, better known as Louisiana Red, has had a distinguished recording career that dates back six decades. Red has recorded many memorable recordings over the years, whether his challenge to Muddy Waters, Gonna Play My Guitar, as Playboy Fuller' Red's Dream, that the legendary Henry Glover produced from a session with Tommy Tucker on piano; Louisiana Red Sings the Blues, an Atco album with the late Bill Dicey on harmonica; the Blue Labor album Sweet Blood Call, with some very chilling vocals; a solo set, "Sittin' Here Wonderin', as well as Millennium Blues, for Earwig; and more recently Black to the Black Bayou on Ruf. I could cite other titles, but one should get the point that Louisiana Red has been laying down some stone cold, real blues killers for decades.

Ruf has issued a new Louisiana Red album, Memphis Mojo, which like the "Black Bayou" disc has him joined with Little Victor's Juke Joint who I presume is Little Victor on guitar, Bill Troiani on bass and Alex Pettersen on drums with appearances by Dave Maxwell on piano, Bob Corritore on harmonica, 'The Hawk' on maracas and Mookie Brill on bass for several tracks. This is a solid recording in the vein of the classic Chicago blues of Muddy Waters and Elmore James, mixed in with some North Mississippi Hill Country flavor. Red's voice perhaps is a bit more gravelly, but the robustness of his vocals still stand out. The backing throughout is strong, sounding traditional yet fresh.

The songs, with one exception are originals opening with Goodbye Blues, with a groove evocative of Muddy Waters' Louisiana Blues, set to a driving accompaniment with Little Victor taking the lead on guitar and Corritore wailing on harp. I Had Troubles All My Life, may have been done by Red before but is strongly delivered as he sings about wanting to go back to Mississippi with a bit of howling. The one cover is Blind Lemon Jefferson's See That My Grave Is Kept Clean, with Little Victor providing atmospheric use of tremolo with his guitar helping make an original rendition of this standard. It is followed by the North Mississippi Hills groove of No More Whiskey. Yolanda has Maxwell on piano and Corritore on harp for a strong Chicago styled blues. Your Lovin' Man, is a downhome blues with Red laying down tough sounding slide, while I'm Gettin' Tired has an insistent groove suggestive of Junior Parker's Feelin' Good.

So Long, So Long, conjures the early Muddy Waters recordings with Big Crawford on bass and Little Walter on harmonica. It perhaps is the standout track on a recording with many excellent performances. Memphis Mojo is a superb blues recording likely to receive many of the accolades Red's prior disc received. Such recognition will be well deserved.

My review copy was provided by a publicist.

Lightnin' Malcolm Hills Country Blues Roots

This writer was not enthusiastic with the collaboration of Lightnin’ Malcolm and Cedric Burnside on the 2Man Wrecking Crew CD. It struck me as perhaps taking the North Mississippi Hills groove associated with Fred McDowell and R.L. Burnside in a very limited manner. Malcolm, a Missouri native, who immersed himself in the music of this style is back with a release Renegade on Ruf Records where Cameron Kimbrough, the grandson of Junior Kimbrough, is on drums and several selections have a horn section added.

While its been awhile since I listened to the earlier disc, the performances here strike me as a bit more focused in performance. Kimbrough does a fine job in complementing Malcolm’s vocals and guitar which more than on one occasion evoke Mississippi Fred McDowell. The Hill Country blues style that is the foundation makes use of repetitive, hypnotic grooves that can bore but Malcolm avoids here with his guitar that displays an economy of expression (and aided by Kimborugh’s often lighter percussive touch) as well as his haunting vocals. This is clear on the opening Ain’t Even Worried, as well as the following Stop Fightin’ Over Me with a chugging groove in the vein of some of R.L.Burnside’s numbers with judicious use of tremolo in his fuzzy tone. The rocking groove of So Many Women recalls several of Fred McDowell’s songs such as Write Me a Few Lines, in a most compelling fashion.

The title track is more in the vein of roots rock with some heavily distorted guitar, while the horns embellish Guilty Man providing a different flavor and adding to the variety here. Last Nite I Held An Angel is taken at a dirge-like tempo as his angel has to fly, followed by Precious Jewel with its rock steady reggae groove and horns along with Nadirah Shakoor joining on the vocal. Perhaps because of what might be described as some awkwardness in the lyrics, this is a very appealing track. Come Go With Me is a lesser performance although with a sample dance groove. North Mississippi is a celebration of his home area with brassy punch added by the horns before J Grubbz adds a rap. Foxfire Ranch is a chugging instrumental that builds on a simple musical riff.

There may some songs on this that may strike some as less than inspired, but Lightnin’ Malcolm certainly performs with plenty of heart and conviction here. Overall Lightnin’ Malcolm may be a Renegade but he has produced a solid album rooted in the Hills Country Blues.


The review copy was received from a publicist for the record label.

Joanne Shaw Taylor Smoldering Hard Rock Intensity

Listening to Joanne Shaw Taylor’s sultry, smokey vocals one is impressed by the passion she brings on her and how she builds, along with the swagger in her sometimes furious guitar. Her new Ruf release, “Diamonds in the Dirt,” certainly rocks hard and with her attractive looks, one can certainly anticipate her building a substantial following with her blues-tinged rock. Listening to the opening “Can’t Keep Living Like This,” we get taken along for a searing, driving solo that fades at the track’s end.

While she is on the cover of Blues Revue for an issue devoted on “Women in the Blues,” these ears do not hear much blues here, rather hard rock or blues-rock. I say this as an observation, not an evaluation of the music here. Listening to “Dead and Gone,” as she bellows out “when the morning comes, I’ll be dead and gone,” the performance is hard rock, even if their is some blues in her musical foundation. At the same time, she is adept in building her vocals as well as her jamming solos. But then again, a second track that fades at the end.

“Same As It Never Was,” has a nice catchy lyric, a very attractive vocal, a nicely shaped guitar solo and a a bit of R&B inflection in the groove. “Jump That Train,” opens with some heavy layered and busy guitars as she belts out her lyric and another screaming guitar solo. The title track is an appealing song of love’s hurts and lessons that benefits from the more low-key accompaniment. “Let It Burn” is a heavy Stevie Ray Vaughan inspired shuffle with an angry vocal matching her lyrics and the hard rocking accompaniment and a searing solo and more singe the earth playing for the coda of this blues. The album closes with the wistful “The World and It’s Way,” which opens with her whispering her vocal as it nicely builds along with the accompaniment and a nice solo matched with some attractive wordless vocalizing to go with her sweet playing as the track and disc fades out.

For someone being marketed as a blues performer, I heard little blues in the performances here. While a British blues publication has the logo “Blues Without Blinders,” that does not mean blues is now a label for what even a decade ago would be regarded as hard rock. The fact that a singer and songwriter is a very accomplished guitarist (perhaps an understatement), does not make that person a blues artist. That said, Joanne Shaw Taylor is an extremely talented performer and especially when she keeps the fires smoldering, produces some very fine music performed and played with plenty of intensity.

Review copy supplied by Ruf Records’ publicity firm.

JW-Jones No Longer Prodigy

Canadian blues artist JW-Jones continues to mature as a performer and his latest CD, “Midnight Memphis Sun” (Ruf), certainly will enhance his reputation as it shows his maturation as a vocalist in addition to his continual development as a guitarist. The promise of his earliest recordings, that displayed some awkwardness as a vocalist, was shown to reached fruition in his previous CD, “Blueslisted.” The present CD title refers to the fact this was recorded in Memphis at the Sun Studios. It is a robust collection of blues with jump blues and Memphis soul strains integrally mixed in the material. Jones also has special guests Hubert Sumlin and Charlie Musselwhite, who each lend their talents to three tracks each.


A Memphis soul groove (riff suggestive of “Midnight Hour”) is evident for the opening “Off The Market," which is followed by a jumping rendition of a lesser known Lowell Fulson number, “Love Grows Cold.” Both performances display his solid singing and slashing guitar with echoes of Ike Turner’s use of the whammy bar on the latter. Jones' playing is both thoughtful and passionate. With Musselwhite’s harp added to “Kissin’ in Memphis,” Jones delivers, in a low-key fashion, a lyrical homage to some of the musical greats that painted Memphis blue in the fifties through seventies. The driving ”Cuts Like a Knife,” comes from Bryan Adams. Here Jones sings about how his women threw things away with plenty of strong guitar as well as nice organ from Jesse Whitely. “Born Operator” with Hubert Sumlin, is about a shady character who ran Ponzi scheme and stole other folks dreams. The performance has musical echoes of Magic Sam, evident in Jones playing that contrasts with Sumlin’s sizzling single note work.


Musselwhite returns behind Jones’ easy vocal on Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry’s “Burnt Child.” In contrast, Jones’ rendition of Jimmy Reed’s “I Don’t Go For That,” has rollicking piano and jumping rhythm from Larry Taylor on bass and Richard Innes on drums, and is far removed from Reed’s lazy style. It is a storming Chicago blues stomp with Jones fleet single note solo echoing some of the Memphis greats from the early 50s before Musselwhite’s explosive harp solo showcasing Musselwhite's fat tone. Jones’ “Mean Streak,” mixes his menacing guitar sound with the spare backing from Taylor and Innes to evoke some of the doomy recordings that James Reed and Johnny Fuller recorded for Bay Area blues producer Bob Geddins. Jones may not be quite up to the level of those giants as a singer, but this splendid performance shows how he knows how to build atmosphere in his performances and knows that loud and frantic vocals and playing simply are no replacement for thoughtful, yet passionate performances. “Howlin’ With Hubert” is a nice instrumental shuffle with Jones and Sumlin trade solos. 


Sumlin also guests on the closing track, “Games,” with its driving, churning groove and after Sumlin’s solo, Jones enters, basing his solo on “Got My Mojo Working” and adding some Freddie King riffs here. It is another display of Jones growth from a blues prodigy to a seasoned veteran whose music makes blues fans of all stripes take notice. It is a solid ending to yet another first-rate recording by JW-Jones.




This review first appeared in Issue 329 of Jazz & Blues Report (September 2010), and I have made some stylistic changes for the blog. The review copy was provided by the publicity firm for Ruf Records.

Shakura S'Aida Dazzling Vocals Shines on "Brown Sugar

Born in Brooklyn, raised in Switzerland and long resident in Toronto, Ontario, Shakura S'Aida, is an international artist whose involvement in the Canadian music scene has been ongoing for the past 30 years, enriching the jazz, blues and classic R&B communities with her soulful voice, enthusiastic personality and commitment to music as an art form. Recently signed to Ruf Records, she has a new disc, “Brown Sugar,” that certainly will establish her as a significant vocalist.

Her strengths as a singer are immediately evident on “Mr Right,” as she sings about her man “Can’t be my Mr. Right, cause you doing me wrong.” Her voice and phrasing is spot on, soulful with a somewhat dry delivery and little vibrato. More can be heard on the next track, “Walk Out That Door,” where her jazzy background is evident in her seemingly off-the cuff approach which serves to highlight when she belts out a line. And she is backed on this by a terrific band of guitarist Donna Grantis (what a first-rate player she is), Lance Anderson on organ, Rick Steff on keyboards, Steve Potts on drums, and Dave Smith on bass. Grantis, like S’Aida, is a revelation, who has a wonderful tone and whose playing works off S’Aida’s vocals, like on the brooding ”Gonna Tell My Baby.”

Most of this CD are originals from the pens of S’Aida and Grantis and maybe its because the performances are so good, but when she tears into the soulful ballad “Break Your Heart,” one knows things are special. With so many musical peaks here, the highpoint may be “Angels on High,” as she sings about needs to find faith and find a new start as she she asks them to help her stop and cry and know when it is all right again.” She is donating proceeds of downloads of this track to benefit Haitian earthquake relief.

This is among the best recordings this writer has heard so far in 2010. I have already mentioned the superb musicians here and the fine material. Kudos also need to be extended to Jim Gaines for his overseeing this terrific recording that display what a fabulous singer Shakura S’Aida is and a voice that fans of the blues and related musical genres will becoming familiar with soon.

For purposes of FTC regulations, I received this from the publicity firm for the recording company.

Ruf's Corrects Its Promotion of Luther Allison's Underground

Post: Updated November 7. Ruf has updated its website discussing Underground, supplementing its original release notes and suggesting a recording date of 1967-1968. When I drafted the original blog entry, the release notes were what is labeled the original release notes after Rien Wisse's updated release notes. The fact that Ruf acknowledged and corrected the error it is quite commendable. below is my original post as of November 2

Ruf Records has issued a CD of Luther Allison, Underground. In the release notes on the website it is stated:

"The discovery and release of Luther Allison's 1958 debut recording represents a blues find that surfaces with all the excitement of some long forgotten historical document. After sitting for 50 years in the home of Luther's wife, Fannie Allison, Luther's son Bernard unearthed these monumental recordings to show the music world the portrait of this artist as a young man."

Later, Art Tipaldi closes these notes,"One researcher note. The first tune here is titled "Hide Away." Research shows that Freddie King took portions of "Hide Away" from Hound Dog Taylor instrumental and that King didn't record that song until 1960. Could this then be the first recorded version of "Hideaway"? Gentlemen, start your search engines."

A sticker on the CD that I saw in a store states that these are 1958 recordings and never previously issued. This not true. First of all these recordings were previously issued and sold. I know because I bought a vinyl lp from Luther in 1971 called Underground with the 8 tracks that have been reissued. It was sold by Luther as if it was bootleg (I suspect he was still under contract to Delmark). The simple album label stated it was produced by Bobby Rush. Unissued. I suggest not.

The suggested 1958 recording date (the date taken from a Bobby Rush recollection) does not stand up to simple scrutiny. Nice fantasy to suggest that it might be the first recording of Hideaway, but one of the songs on this disc, the cover of the Ricky Allen classic, Cut You Loose, was not recorded until around 1963 (Allen did not even arrive in Chicago until 1960) so that if you want to suggest this is the earliest recording of Hideaway, then you also have to make the incredible claim that Luther made the first recording of Cut You Loose as well.

I suggest this was recorded between 1968 and 1970, after Luther's Delmark album was issued. It might have been intended primarily as a demo to be shopped to a bigger label which Luther also sold at gigs. Three of the eight songs on this were redone on Luther's 1972 Motown debut, Bad News is Coming, and Freddy King's The Stumble is on the Motown instead of Hideaway. I point out that no one should not be surprised that Allison performed and recorded King's instrumentals as he took over King's Chicago bar gig when the Texas Cannonball started touring because of the success of his classic Federal Recordings.

On the Post-War Blues List on Yahoo, Klaus Kilian first observed that "Cut You Loose" was recorded after 1958. He stated "Apparently Bobby Rush remembered the date wrong and [Ruf] took his word. However, anybody listening to the music who knows anything about the development of postwar blues should be able to realise that these tracks couldn't be from 1958. I mean, "Don't Start Me Talkin'" with a funk beat? "Cut You Loose" recorded years before Ricky Allen's 45? And with the exact same arrangement Luther did for Motown a little later?"

It will be interesting to see how many reviewers parrot the release notes. I would not be surprised to see a number reviewers out there get this wrong.

Added on November 7: