Dan Penn Living in Mercy

Dan Penn
Living in Mercy
Last Music Co.

Dan Penn has not recorded often in recent years, but the legendary songwriter has a new album, the first since 1994's "Do Right Man." He has written (or co-written) so many classic songs, including "The Dark End of the Street," "You Left the Water Running," and "I'm Your Puppet." As this latest recording displays that as he approaches 80, he still has a gift in spinning memorable melodies and lyrics.

For this recording, Penn wrote songs with some of his closest collaborators, including Wayne Carson, Spooner Oldham, Gary Nicholson, Carson Whitsett, Will McFarlane, Bucky Lindsey, Buzz Cason, and the Cate Brothers. Recorded in Muscle Shoals and Nashville, the musicians included Milton Sledge (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass), Will McFarlane (guitar), and Clayton Ivey (keyboards), along with a full horn section. They provide lithe backing that supports, and not overwhelm, Penn's performances.

Dan Penn may not have been James Carr or Otis Redding, but his grainy, world-weary singing has a strong appeal, particularly in his reflections on love and relationships. It is evident as he expresses the lyrics of surviving despite things going wrong as he is living in mercy as his woman's love is killing him. On "Clean Slate," Penn is asking his lady to give him one more chance to make it right for the mistakes Penn has made. Then he considers "What It Takes To Be True," and it doesn't take quitting or playing the field. Then there is the gentle rocking groove of "I Didn't Hear it Coming," where he sings about her telling him she loved him, while he was too shy even to ask her to dance. Then there is a song about being lost. friendless, and trying to make it in Nashville on "Down in Music Row." There is a driving groove to Penn's pleading to his baby on "Edge of Love." A similar feel is heard on the upbeat "Soul Connection," with its celebration of his relationship.

The closing track "One of These Days" is a gospel original with a lyric that hints at the Book of Revelations as he sings time running out of we don't change our ways, and the lord will draw the line if we don't change our ways. It is a heartfelt vocal and well played. One might imagine that the songs here may well provide other artists with choice material to produce their interpretations, like so many of his songs, have over the years. Dan Penn has not recorded that often over these years, so we should appreciate this soulful, new recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Dan Penn performing "Living in Mercy" from the album.

Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rogers

Billy Porter Presents
The Soul of Richard Rodgers
Sony Masterworks

A quick and dirty description of this new recording by the Tony and Grammy Award winner Billy Porter is hip hop meets the classic songs of Richard Rodgers. Included are includes solos and duets from the a variety of artists  (in addition to Porter himself) including  Tony and Grammy Award winners Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton), Tony Award-winner Patina Miller (Pippin), Grammy Award winners Pentatonix and India.Arie, Tony Award nominees Brandon Victor Dixon (Shuffle Along), Joshua Henry (Violet), and Christopher Jackson (Hamilton), alongside YouTube sensation and Kinky Boots star Todrick Hall and multiple Grammy Award nominees Deborah Cox and Ledisi.

"I like to think of this as the Richard Rodgers version of the Hamilton Mixtapes," Porter said.  "These are classic songs that everybody knows and loves, and I'm so excited for people to hear them in a brand new way." Certainly listening to Ledisi singing "Bewitched," the hip hop groove recasts a familiar melody, elongating and transforming it as well as incorporating an explicit rap from Zaire Park. India.arie sings "Carefully Taught," from the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic musical "South Pacific" and its 1949 lyric is unfortunately so relevant today, "You got to be taught to hate and fear; You got to be taught from year to year; It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear; You got to be carefully taught." Porter himself provides the lovely interpretation of "Edelweiss" from "The Sound of Music," and a brief narration notes that the flower exists in the harshest of environment and reminds us we must flourish in the harshest of times, again not only reworking the song for contemporary tastes, but showing its continued relevance,

There is the hip hop rendition of "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" with a politically charged rap mixed with the singing of the lyrics. Not everything has political connotations as the dreamy duet between Renée Elise Goldsberry & Christopher Jackson on "If I Loved You," Cynthia Erivo's lovely "My Funny Valentine," or Porter's interpretation of "The Lady Is a Tramp," with a Zaire Park rap playing off the lyrics, incorporated in this performance. Then there is Pentatonix's optimistic and spirited take on "What a Beautiful Morning."

Billy Porter has put together this imaginative re-imagination of some classic songs that are well established parts of the American Songbook, and these performances show the contemporary relevance of these songs in introducing them to new audiences. At the same time, there is no question that some will be put off by the musical settings and there are some explicit raps on a couple of tracks on a very intriguing recording.

I received a review download from a publicist. This review appeared in the September-October 2017  Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 374). Here Billy Porter and others talk about this recording.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds Strong Like That

The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Strong Like That
Severn Records

Severn has just issued the latest by The Fabulous Thunderbirds, "Strong Like That." While in its earliest incarnation it was as much associated with both pop tunes and classic blues, this new release is rhythm and blues associated with a distinct Memphis-Muscle Shoals flavor starting with the opening rendition of the Temptations classic "(I Know) I'm Losing You" on which Roosevelt Collier adds steel guitar behind Wilson and this edition of the Thunderbirds of Johnny Moeller on guitar, Kevin Anker on keyboards, Steve Gomes on bass and Robb Stupka on bass. Wilson immediately establishes how authoritative a singer he is and while playing harp, Collier's steel guitar dominates the performance as it takes it out while Wilson adds harp.

Paul Kelly's southern soul classic "Don't Burn Me" follows with a guest appearance from Anson Funderburgh with Wilson's very soulful singing caressed by the solid accompaniment and backing vocals along with Funderburgh's guitar break. It is followed by some swampy blues soul with Moeller's effective use of tremolo and Wilson's harp on "You're Gonna Miss Me." Wilson and band provides a fresh arrangement of an Albert King recording, "Drowning On Dry Land," with some harp that evokes Junior Parker on a terrific, and original performance of this number. Wilson's original "Smooth," has a danceable loping groove and nice harp and the title might aptly describe the character of the performances here, smoothly and cleanly executed by also soulful and far from sterile. Nice punchy horns here led and arranged by trumpeter Kenny Rittenhouse.

After a solid cheating soul number, "Somebody's Getting It," Wilson opens his original "Meet Me On the Corner," with some tough amplified harp, as he tells his lady to meet him when no one can see. Also among the songs here is a nice rendition of the Eddie Floyd classic "I've Never Found A Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)." Gomes contributed the closing title track, another strong slice of soul-laced blues with some harp, solid horns behind a fine vocal that closes this fine new recording by the Thunderbirds.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the November-December 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 369). Here is a video of this edition of The Fabulous Thunderbirds from 2016.

Ursula Ricks My Street

A presence on the Baltimore and Washington blues scenes for a couple decades, Ursula Ricks certainly sounds poised to break out on the National music scene with her new recording My Street (Severn Records) with blues, soul and more. Ricks brings her powerful, nuanced singing and her strong original songs here backed by Severn’s house rhythm section of Johnny Moeller (from The Fabulous Thunderbirds) on guitar; Kevin Anker on keyboards; Steve Gomes on bass and Robb Stupka on drums. A number of selections feature horns and/or strings arranged and conducted by the legendary Willie Henderson with DC jazz stalwarts Kenny Rittenhouse, Reginald Cyntje and Leigh Pilzer among those heard. There are also guest appearances from Kim Wilson and Mike Welch. Someone commented to me, with the Severn house band even he or I would sound good. Well I don't think anything would make me sound good, but his point about the quality of the backing is well spoken.

As for Ursula Ricks, her smoky and husky vocals are outstanding. Her controlled, unforced delivery stands out in a manner akin to Nina Simone. She never bellows, screams or sounds constipated. Rather she evokes classic sixties soul recordings by the like of Carol Fran or Betty Everett. Not only does she she deliver the goods vocally, but she wrote some wonderful new blues and soul songs starting with Tobacco Road. This is not the John D. Loudermilk song, but an original about traveling from West Virginia to New Orleans with the chitlin' circuit working her heart. It is set against a swampy, smoldering backing and also Kim Wilson takes a tough harmonica solo. This same, tough yet understated backing also provides a foundation for her funky rendition of a lesser known Bobby Rush number Mary Jane, with its anti-drug message. Sweet Tenderness, with its strings in the backing evokes Barry White's recordings while another number with strings, her Due, is an excellent soul-blues in the manner of classic Hi Records. 

The title track, My Street provides a gritty description of contemporary urban life as Ms. Ricks moans that all she knows is she has to move away. The level of the rest of My Street is of a similar level. The songs and her vocals ring with conviction and the backing is excellent on a superb recording that will hopefully enable Ms. Ricks to receive the recognition and rewards her talent and music deserves. 

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Ursula in performance. 

My Music MIx For Today

Today they are having a party at my office to celebrate my upcoming retirement. Knowing my interest in music they asked me to prepare some music to play. I prepared a CD and here is the playlist with song, artist, and composer.  I must say it is a pretty diverse set of music. And I included some youtube clips that are mostly the recordings but an occasional live performance mixed in.

1 My One And Only Love by John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman, written by Robert Mellin & Guy Wood

2 Love For Sale  by  Dexter Gordon written by Cole Porter

3 I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) by Aretha Franklin,  written by Ronny Shannon

4. In Walked Bud  by Thelonious Monk, music by Thelonious Monk and lyrics by Jon Hendrick

5. You Used To Call Me by Clifton Chenier and written by Clifton Chenier

6. Flowers For Albert by the Skatalites and written by David Murray

7. Burgundy Street Blues by The George Lewis Band and written by George Lewis

8. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by Cannonball Adderley and written by Josef Zawinul

9. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby by Charlie Rich and written by Isaac Hayes & David Porter

10. Petite Fleur  by Evan Christopher and written by Sidney Bechet

11. A Man And The Blues  by Buddy Guy and written by Buddy Guy

12. Jumpin' At The Woodside  by Count Basie Orchestra and written by William Basie 

13. Mr. Moonlight by Roy Lee Johnson and written by Roy Lee Johnson

Bobby Purify Knows Its "Better To Have It"

Some of you may remember the duo, James & Bobby Purify who recorded the classic, I’m Your Puppet, four decades ago. It seems that there have been at least three singers who have performed as Bobby Purify, the latest being a terrific vocalist by the name of Ben Moore, who as Jerry Wexler says in the liner notes to the new Purify album, Better to Have It (Proper American), “THE MAN CAN FLAT SING - and I sure don’t mean to suggest he sings flat.”

The disc was produced by the legendary Dan Penn, author of so many R&B classics including The Dark End of the Street, I’m Your Puppet and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man. Penn’s long-time associate, Spooner Oldham is on keyboards on this session, Penn co-wrote all but one song (Moore wrote What’s Old to You) with keyboardist Carson Whitsett and Hoy “Bucky” Lindsay. Other familiar names in the studio band include guitarist Jimmie Johnson and bassist David Hood, while Charles Rose leads the horn section that includes Harvey Thompson and Wayne Jackson. 

This is an absolutely delicious recording that justifies Wexler’s praise. Moore delivers some wonderful songs including a terrific number, My Life to Live Over (a completely different tune from the old Guitar Slim number) with Purify-Moore reflecting about how he would change some things if he could live things anew. There’s a bit of topicality as Purify delivers a lyric about things being wrong for a young man to grow up when there’s Nobody Home to help him grow up with Johnson adding a strong solo here. More of a classic Memphis-funk groove is present on Somebody’s Gotta Do It with strong, punchy horns. 

The entire disc is first-rate with strong playing to accompany the terrific songs and fabulous vocals. Fans of old school R&B and deep southern soul will find few new discs as satisfying as this recording.

This review originally appeared in the August 2005 DC Blues Calendar and the September-October 2005 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 276). I likely received a review copy from a publicist. This disc is still in print.  Here is the man singing I'm Your Puppet.

 

Irma Thomas Sings Dan Penn and Her Heart Is In Memphis

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

Booker T. & the M.G.s' Classic Green Onions

A recent release in the Stax Remasters series of reissues from Concord is Green Onions by Booker T. & the M.G.s. It includes 24 bit remastering of the 12 selections from the original 1962 sessions along with a couple of 1965 selections from Los Angeles’ 5/4 Ballroom. This is of course one of the great instrumental bands of all time with Booker T. Jones on organ; Steve Cropper on guitar; Al Jackson drums and Lewis Steinberg on bass (who would be replaced by Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn by the time they played the 5/4 Ballroom).

The album exhibits the crisp, clean playing that was particularly a virtue as they served as the house rhythm section on so many classic Stax recordings. The title track was an instrumental hit for the band and served as the basis for Sonny Boy Williamson’s recording of Help Me. If the organ Jones played could sound Rinky Dink, to cite the title of a track, he effectively took the lead with Cropper laying down crisp chords and single note runs with Steinberg and Jackson providing the bottom. The cover of Ray Charles’ I Got a Woman, sounds stronger than that of Twist & Shout, while Mo’ Onions, is a greasy instrumental that has some of the same feel as the title track.

The soul of this time was not that far removed from the blues as Jones’ late night playing displays on Behave Yourself, while Acker Bilk’s “Stranger On The Shore,” is a but more schmaltzy. There is a cover of Doc Pomus’ Lonely Avenue, played with a bit of restraint, while Dee Clark’s raver I Can’t Sit Down, might have benefited from a bit fuller sound in performance. This is not to say its a poor performance, but rather not as explosive as it could have been. The closing selection on the original release is a moody rendition of the instrumental Comin’ Home, Baby, that Herbie Mann had a hit with.

Added to the original release are renditions of Green Onions and I Can’t Sit Down. The latter number Paxky Axton’s saxophone. Both performances exhibit considerably more fire than the studio recordings and are more than welcome additions to the original album which. The booklet with this reissue reproduces Bob Altschuler’s original notes along with Stax Historian Rob Bowman’s more recent cogent comments.

I received my review copy from the label or a publicist. Here is Booker T. & the M.G.s performing Green Onions.

Shirley Brown's Classic Woman to Woman

Amongst recent reissues in Concord’s Stax Remasters reissues is the classic album Woman To Woman by Shirley Brown. Brown had one of the last big records for Stax (although on the Truth subsidiary) and the title track with an opening rap about calling this woman that Shirley found her number on a piece of paper in her man’s pants and then singing to tell the woman she will do everything to keep her man. Exhibiting a powerful gospel-rooted vocal, she delivers a commanding vocal performance.

The Arkansas native was brought to Stax by Albert King with whom she he performed shows with. On the album she was backed by a band that included Al Jackson Jr. on drums; Bobby Manuel on guitar; Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn on bass; Marvell Thomas on piano; and Lester Snell or organ with the Memphis Horns, and supporting vocals and orchestra. And they are present for varied material including It Ain’t No Fun, where she sings about her man coming home and acting just like a friend and that it ain’t much fun living by oneself and the one you love loves another. The song incorporates a rap in the middle.

A different mood is present on the Caribbean flavored groove of Long As You Love Me, as she lets us know she’ll be all right and she delivers this in a bit more relaxed vein. Jerry Ragovoy penned Stay With Me Baby, and Brown’s strong cover of the Lorraine Ellison original leads one to speculate how she might have handled other Ragavoy songs such as Piece Of My Heart and Cry Baby. More heat is present on Frederick Knight’s I Can’t Give You Up, with a relaxed rhythm.

Five tracks are appended to the original release. Yes Sir Brother, with a strong dance groove, is from the same sessions that produced the original album. There are three covers of Aretha Franklin recordings of which Ain’t No Way benefits from being less familiar than Respect or Rock Steady. Not that these are bad recordings, but they are overshadowed by Aretha’s original recordings and influence. The disc closes on a lengthy reworking of Signed, Sealed, and Delivered, I’m Yours, opening with a rap before she starts digging into the Stevie Wonder classic at a lumbering tempo and pouring out all her heart into her vocal. The tempo picks about 2/3 of the way through with the brass adding fuel to her vocal fire.

Included are the brief original notes as well as Lee Hildebrand’s notes to a 2008 English reissue and a more recent consideration from Billboard’s Gail Ellison that add background to what is contained but as Ellison whote “Stop reading and start listening.” Fans of Stax and souther soul who don’t have this in previous reissues will certainly want this excellent reissue.

I received a review copy from a publicist or the record label. In more recent years Shirley recorded for Malaco and here is a video of her performing.

Women of the Blues Is Flawed Musical Review

“Women of the Blues” is a blues review that I mentioned last weekend in my overview of upcoming blues events in the Mid-Atlantic Region. As I write this it is in the second week of its three week run at the Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, Virginia.

On the Creative Cauldron’s website it is described as “present an original Blues music review featuring the lives and music of some of the greatest Blues divas of the 20th Century.” If they used Rhythm and Blues one might one have perhaps less objection but we have a self-described blues review yet a good portion of the songs are not blues. Furthermore as great as Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin are, I would not use the word blues diva to describe them. Additionally, a blues review that include songs, blues-tinged as they may be, associated with rock singers Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge but nothing associated with Ma Rainey, Dinah Washington (who was labelled the the Queen of the Blues) or singer-guitarist Memphis Minnie, three of the most important women in the evolution of the blues, is inexcusable. I also note that there is also the omission of such significant contemporary artists like Denise LaSalle and Barbara Carr whose audience is still primarily African-American.

I have no issue with having a review including songs associated with Aretha Franklin or Etta James, but both artists did record blues songs. As much as Aretha’s recording “I Never Loved a Man” is one of the great records of the soul era, it is a soul record. Rather than that, it would have been interesting to have heard a rendition of “Ramblin’” which Aretha recorded which was one of several songs Aretha recorded that covered recordings by the great Big Maybelle. Similarly, three songs associated with Etta James are performed which may be songs identified with her, but are deep soul songs or the ballad “At Last.”

One realizes that within the confines of a cabaret review there are only so many songs that could have been performed, but I suggest Lil Green’s recording “Why Don’t You Do Right,” or “In the Dark,” Dinah Washington’s “Evil Gal Blues,” Dinah’s rendition of the standard “Trouble in Mind” or her “Gambler’s Blues,“ would better fit the description of the review. And Dinah was a blues diva. The last number incorporated in the lyrics one of the few actual blues that Billy Holiday recorded, and was covered by B.B. King and Otis Rush. I should say that the inclusion of the late Washington D.C. street singer’s Flora Molton, ”Sun’s Gonna Shine” is an unexpected, imaginative, and welcome, selection.

The four featured vocalists, Carolyn Cole, Ashleigh King, Shayla Simmons and Tarina Szemzo bring their voices although there is some unevenness. There is a nice rendition of “I Never Loved a Man” with the backing band but also with a cover of the Janis Joplin recording of “Cry Baby” which is as shrill sounding as Joplin’s own recording reproduces the shrillness of Joplin’s cover. The rendition of Alberta Hunter’s “My Castle’s Rockin’,” almost comes across as as a campfire sing-along. I had the pleasure of seeing this grand dame of American music and the blues sing this song and she had a presence and personality totally missing in the performance here.

The songs are tied together by a helpful narrative provided by the performers. The backing band, led by pianist Jonathan Tuzman, was uneven in the accompaniments. They sounded comfortable with contemporary material, but not on older material like as “My Castle’s Rockin’,” or songs associated with Billie Holiday as “Lady Sings the Blues,” and “Mean To Me.” This added to the uneven quality of the evening. The acoustic backing on the rendition of “Sun Is Shining” was nicely done.

This is not to say that the review was not entertaining. My better half enjoyed it very much as did most at the performance I attended. The unevenness of the performances may have been partially the result of it being the second night. There were enjoyable performances but I found only a few to be exceptional.

Here is a list of the songs performed including songs whose inclusion in self-described blues review I question. They are generally torch songs, ballads, deep soul or rock and I am not saying none of these songs should have been included since some illustrate the impact of the blues perhaps, but having more blues songs would have made the description of the review more accurate. I have italicized those songs which I would suggest are not blues: Blues in the Night/ My Castle’s Rockin’/ Down By the Riverside/ I Never Loved a Man/ I’d Rather Go Blind/ Lady Sings The Blues/ Wild Woman Don’t Have the Blues/ It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World/ A Good Man Is Hard To Find/ Mean To Me/ Hoochie Coochie Man/ I Need a Little Sugar In My Bowl/ Sun’s Gonna Shine/ Stormy Monday/ Strange Fruit/ Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out/ Women Be Wise/ Cry Baby/ At Last/ I’m the Only One/ Guilty/ Give Me One Reason/ Something’s Got a Hold On Me/ (One For My Baby (One For the Road)/ Proud Mary.

Curtis Salgado's Superb Soul Shot

While some may know Curtis Salgado from his association with John Belushi and his influence in The Blues Brothers, Curtis Salgado has established himself along with Tad Robinson, Sugar Ray Norcia and Darrell Nulisch as a superb blue-eye soul and blues singer (and also a pretty fair harmonica player. Well documented health issues may have put a temporary stop to his career, but he reemerged in 2008 with “Clean Getaway” on Shanachie backed by The Phantom Blues Band. That was a strong effort and he is back with a new release, Soul Shot, his Alligator debut that is co-produced by Phantom Blues Band drummer Tony Braunagel (who produced the Shanachie disc) along with funk and R&B guitarist Marlon McClain, and Salgado himself.

Salgado contributed seven originals which are heard along with covers of recordings from Parliament, the Detroit Emeralds, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, and Otis Redding. The performances on Soul Shot is perhaps a bit more soul oriented than the prior release and one hears echoes of the late Willie Mitchell’s Hi Records Production (particularly in the churning rhythms on many of the eleven selections), Johnny Guitar Watson and others in the handsome production and brassy arrangements. Members of the Phantom Blues band are on this including Mike Finnigan on keyboards.

This recording was made for dancing as well as listening. A groover, What You Gonna Do? opens and Salgado delivers the soulful goods with his vocal with the band rocking hard and the following Love Comfort Zone, may take the rhythmic heat down a notch, but the naturalness of Salgado’s vocals is evident as is the strong idiomatic playing by the studio band. What stands out is that he doesn’t sound like he is trying to sound soulful. There is a relaxed feel in his phrasing as well as his cries and shouts.

Getting To Know You, from a lesser known Parliament album, is a performance than suggests vintage Hi Records that I think Otis Clay and Syl Johnson might have an appreciative nod about. It is the first appearance of Salgado’s harp, followed a strong piano break by Finnigan. He sounds like he is playing a melodica to open She Didn't Cut Me Loose, an original performed in the style of Johnny Watson’s funky seventies blues. It compares well with Salgado’s strong revival of Watson’s Strung Out, a terrific soulful ballad performance. Perhaps the only musical miscue is the revival of Otis Redding’s Love Man, where he sounds like he is trying to channel Redding’s vocal. Not a bad performance, but a step down from the rest of this. The track does sport a booting tenor sax solo.

On a stronger note is Nobody But You where he channels O.V. Wright as he sings about his woman making him feel like a king when he was nothing but a slave. He Played His Harmonica is a superb mix of funk and blues as he sings about a young blood who got the house to jump and shout as he was as bad as Al Capone on the Windy City saxophone, on which he takes a jazzy sounding vein.

Soul Shot provides more evidence that the accolades Curtis Salgado has received over the years have been well earned. It is a superb recording with worthy new material and covers of songs that have not been interpreted to death. Fans of classic soul particularly will enjoy it.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records, who is officially releasing it today (April 10). On April 19 I will be posting a review of Curtis' "Clean Getaway" from a few years back.  Here is Curtis performing on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.

Johnny Rawl's Time To Win

The English JSP label continues to issue a number of important albums by under recorded artists and has discovered many others. At the same time it has repackaged some of its earlier albums that had gone out of print. Among its latest albums is a new Johnny Rawls release, My Turn to Win.

Having worked with his idol O.V. Wright, Rawls became known to blues fans from an excellent soul-blues album he did with LC Luckett for Rooster Blues. More recently, he has found a home at JSP for whom he also has produced albums by Lonnie Shields, Chris Beard and Deitra Farr. My Turn to Win provides more of his unique blend of Memphis soul (in the vein of the classic Hi Records sound) mixed with some Chicago shuffles.

There is a relaxed quality about both his vocals and his guitar playing that gives his music an appealing, understated quality whether singing about how glad he is about his woman on I Been Lookin'. It does not hurt that he writes good lyrics about people and relationships as opposed to “my baby mistreated me” type of songs. Nicely recorded and crisply played, it is another solid addition to Rawls' discography.

This review was written in 1999, most likely for the DC Blues Society’s newsletter which I edited at the time. I may have received review copies from JSP. JSP reissues its back catalog from time to time (and this was reissued in 2005). This is available as a digital download and used copies may be relatively easy to find. Amazon has this available as a cd-r and as a digital download. 


Here is a video of recent Johnny Rawls in performance.

The Heart and Soul of the late Etta James

I never had the pleasure of seeing Etta James perform. Several times I attended events she was supposed to perform at, but each time she withdrew shortly before the performance. I can only remember her by her body of recordings as well as television appearances she made. I remember the memorable episode of the original PBS Soundstage program where she sang a duet with Dr. John on I’d Rather Go Blind.

The first albums of Etta James I purchased included the double-CD compilation of her Essential Chess Recordings and one of her albums on Island which included a stormy rendition of Standin’ On Shaky Ground, and the classic Otis Redding number “I’ve Got Dreams To Remember. What was striking about her was her husky, earthiness, yet the ability to caress a ballad so that her signature song was a song written in the forties, At Last. She could be a force of nature and yet caress a ballad. Few could handle the range of material she did with the same conviction and authority. There was the church rooted style of Something Got a Hold on Me or I’d Rather Go Blind and the romanticism of At Last, as well as her latter day recordings of standards.

While the recordings she listened to by Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington, one of the most important influences on her singing was her dear friend, Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson. Some, who were not aware may have called Watson, “the female Etta James” but if she was asked she would correct them and state she was the female John Watson. This might be evident if one mixed some of Watson’s slow recordings like Cuttin’ In or Embraceable You, with James’ ballads or her Billie Holiday Tribute, Mystery Lady. Her impact can be seen in the number of recordings of her songs by others, with At Last becoming a wedding standard.

Prior to her death, Universal released on its Hip-O-Select label, the four-CD Heart & Soul: A Retrospective, that in its four CDs surveys her recordings from her debut as The Wallflower doing Roll With Me Henry, for Modern Records to the previously unissued 2007 recording of Rodney Crowell’s Ashes By Now. The first disc opens with 9 recordings from Modern including Roll With Me Henry, and her jump blues Good Rocking Daddy. The bulk of this compilation derive from her stay at Chess starting from All I Could Do Is Cry, her duet with Harvey Fuqua of Willie Dixon’s Spoonful, the standards At Last and Sunday King of Love, duets with Sugar Pie DeSanto and her visits to Muscle Shoals which produced Tell Mama, I’d Rather Go Blind, and Otis Redding’s Security. Before she left Chess they experimented with other producers turning in renditions of St. Louis Blues, Tracy Nelson’s Down So Low, and Randy Newman’s Sail Away.

After her tenure at Chess she produced a moving version of Alice Cooper’s Only Women Bleed, for Warner Brothers (although I prefer the rare Ike and Tina Turner rendition) and was caught live with Eddie ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson for Fantasy represented here on Percy Mayfield’s Please Send Me Someone To Love. She joined Island and produced a stirring “Damn Your Eyes,” that today perhaps only a Bettye LaVette could do equal justice to. Not everything is top level. Her duet with B.B. King on Big Jay McNeely’s There Is Something on Your Mind, is a nice track but not as powerful as the original with Little Sonny Warner on the vocal or Bobby Marchand’s two-part reworking which is the source for the King-James interpretation here. Blues remained a core of her music whether on The Blues Is My Business, or the acoustic blues rendition of Elmore James’ The Sky Is Crying.

I purchased this box set.  Here is Etta singing At Last.

Phantom Blues Band's Deep Footprints

The Phantom Blues Band has returned with a new disc full of bluesy old school sounds, Footprints (Delta Groove). First attracting notice for their work with Taj Mahal, there Delta Groove debut, Out of the Shadows, drew further attention, while the band’s members are in demand for various touring acts and recordings, so that guitarist Denny Freeman, now part of Bob Dylan’s touring band) only appears on several of tracks here. The rest, Mike Finnigan, vocals and keyboards; Johnny Lee Schell, vocals and guitar; Larry Fulcher, vocals and bass; Joe Sublett, saxophone; Darrell Leonard, trumpet; and Tony Braunagel, drums, are such a strong unit even without Freeman’s fine playing.

The rhythm section lay down the groove, the horns mix taut riffs and the soloists keep things fresh and concise. Despite the name, this band mixes in southern soul along with straight blues. It opens with Finnigan covering Howard Tate’s Look at Granny Run, while displaying his versatility on the classic ballad, Cottage For Sale. His rendition of Ray Charles’ classic blues, A Fool For You, is nicely done although not far removed from Charles’ original. He shows himself to be quite a good interpreter of Charles here.

Schell reworks Freddy King’s See See Baby as well as a nice bit of Rufus Thomas funk, Fried Chicken, although he is not as strong a singer here. Exceptional is his vocal on Darrell Leonard’s A Very Blue Day, with a nice trumpet solo and an evocative melody that evokes Horace Silver and Herbie Hancock. Fulcher treats us to Earl Randle’s deep soul ballad, Leave Home Girl and his reggae-flavored When the Music Changes is a stunning closer.

Not a poor truck and some exceptional ones by a band that sounds incapable of putting out anything but solid recordings.

This review was written for Jazz & Blues Report although I do not believe it ran. I believe I received a review copy from a publicist. I posted my review of Out of the Shadows on December 31, 2011. Here is a video of them.

Phantom Blues Band Comes Out of the Shadows

Best known as the band that backed Taj Mahal on several award-winning recordings, The Phantom Blues Band finally has a handsome disc of its own, Out of the Shadows (Delta Groove) that will certainly will make even more aware of this superb group.

The seven members of the band have a wealth of experience playing with a who’s who of pop and rock music ranging from keyboard whiz-vocalist Mike Finnigan who was on Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album and toured with Dave Mason to guitarist Denny Freeman who was share guitar duties with Stevie Ray Vaughan before being part of the Antone’s House band and currently is in Bob Dylan’s touring group. Saxophonist Joe Sublett and trumpeter Darrell Leonard are known as the Texacali Horns, guitarist-vocalist Johnny Lee Schell had a lengthy tenure with Bonnie Raitt starting in the late seventies, bassist-vocalist Larry Fulcher had stints with Smokey Robinson and the Crusaders as well as reggae groups Third World and Andrew Tosh while drummer Tony Braunagel has too many credits as a producer to list.

Producer John Porter has let them wax a number of classic R&B numbers with a dash of reggae added that should go down easy. From the opening funk groove of The Meters’ Do the Dirt, the Memphis Hi Records groove of I Only Have Love, the rocking reworking of Don & Dewey’s Big Boy Pete, a fresh reworking of Chuck Berry’s Havana Moon, Fulcher’s handling of a reggae classic, Book of Rules, and solid takes of blues from Jimmy McCracklin, Bobby bland and Ray Charles. Finnigan especially is a terrific vocalist and Schell and Fulcher are very good with some terrific playing (listen to Freeman solo on Part Time Love).

Perhaps the only shortcoming is that this album is the prevalence of covers, although few acts can perform the range of material they do sand at the same time inject the band’s personality into the material. Few will be disappointed in this recording of solid blues and rhythm numbers masterfully played.

This review originally appeared in the May-June 2007 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 293) and I have made some corrections to the published review. I received my review copy from either Delta Groove Records or a publicist for the label.

Here is the Phantom Blues Band doing "Part Time Love" from the 2008 Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.

And here they are with Taj Mahal

The Genius of Ray Charles

Concord Records recently entered into an exclusive agreement with the Ray Charles Foundation to develop the late artist’s post-1960 catalog. The first installment is Ray Charles — Genius: the Ultimate Collection. This disc which spans his recordings from his Atlantic days through the remainder of his career includes a number of his greatest hits including Hit the Road Jack, What’d I Say, Part 1, Busted, I Can’t Stop Loving You, Sticks and Stones, Drown in My Own Tears, Georgia On My Mind, You Are My Sunshine, Let’s Go Get Stoned, You Don’t Know Me, Crying Time, Yesterday, and America the Beautiful, among the 21 recordings included here.

This will help Concord launch the release of the Genius' ABC-Paramount and Tangerine label recordings, many for digital reissue for the first time. The music here transcends genres and represents some of the finest moments by any performer of American vernacular music. Included are liner notes from veteran jazz writer, Don Heckman.

The music here belongs in any well rounded recording collection.

This review originally appeared in the April 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 315). I have written a review of the a box set from Concord of Ray’s Complete ABC Singles and scheduled posting of it November 18. I received my review copy from either a publicist or Concord Records itself.

Historic Ray Charles Live In France

Eagle Vision has issued an amazing and important DVD by Ray Charles Live in France 1961. This was filmed over four nights during Charles’ first to Europe when he played a Jazz Festival outside of Antibes on the Cote d’Azur and marked a departure in that he brought his big little band as opposed to the larger big band he was touring with in the United States. There is an excellent video of Charles in Brazil from a couple years later that shows The Genius in his prime with the full big band.

With Charles and his piano, we hear the legendary saxophone trio of Hank Crawford, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, and Leroy ‘Hog’ Cooper along with trumpeters Philip Guilbeau and John Hunt; bassist Edgar Willis and drummer Bruno Carr. And also present were the Raelettes of Gwen Berry, Margie Hendrix, Pat Lyles and Darlene McCrea. This was the essentially Ray’s Band during his years at Atlantic Records and the chance to see this band (which was the band on Ray’s live Atlantic Recordings) makes this particular DVD special.

The performances are taken from French television programs of highlights from the Festival and as the folks from Reelin’ In The Years Productions observe, this was filmed not taped which helps explain the excellent video quality. However film, not used after cutting and splicing of source material, was discarded so the 105 minutes which includes multiple performances of several songs is all there is. Radio recordings of the entire shows existed that allowed rearranging the clips from the festival highlights into the performance order and provide superior sound.

The performances include the jazzy instrumentals including renditions James Moody’s The Story, Horace Silver’s Doodlin’, and his instrumental take of One Mint Julep, here played on piano and not organ. Then there are stellar renditions of Let the Good Times Roll, Georgia On My Mind (with Fathead Newman on flute), Sticks and Stones and What’d I Say.” Does anybody need to have me say what a great band this was and that the members get showcased throughout. The filming did have the great Charles’ vocals and piano front and center while focusing on the horns during their solos. Listening and watching how effortlessly he moves from a ballad like Cecil Gant’s classic ballad, I Wonder, to the vocal interchange with Margie Hendrix who admonishes him to Tell The Truth, one is awestruck even 50 years later. Similarly one is amazed watching Charles jazz up My Bonnie, and while getting down for the nitty gritty for I Believe.

Few performers were so at home and so expressive at performing such a wide range of music. This DVD presents Charles at his greatest and in addition to the terrific production, there is a booklet with Rob Bowman’s essay providing the context for these performances. This is a stellar DVD that should be of interest to many.

I received a review copy from a publicist for this release. I will be reviewing a box set of the Complete Ray Charles ABC singles in the near future.

New Ray Charles Video Coming Out

Word has come out about the upcoming release of of video of Ray Charles live in performance from France in 1961 with his legendary band that included Hank Crawford, Fathead Newman and the original Raeletts. I have the fabulous Ray Charles in Brazil video with the Big Band from a couple years later. Anyway this preview should be of interest to many. 105 minutes of pure musical genius.

Remembering Honeyboy, Wardell and Big Eyes

September has seen some blues and rhythm masters leave us with memories and plenty of reason to celebrate their legacy.

Honeyboy Edwards at Western Maryland Blues Festival in Hagerstown, MD.  Photo © Ron Weinstock

David' Honeyboy' Edwards passing was the last link to the pre-war generation of Delta bluesmen. Edwards literally grew up and played with all of the masters of the style including Charlie Patton, Tommy Johnson, Big Joe Williams, Tommy McLennan and most famously Robert Johnson. It was his association that led Pete Welding to Edwards after Welding had asked Big Joe of any bluesmen who knew the legendary Delta artist. Welding recorded Edwards as well as interviewed him which led to an extensive article back in the sixties.


Big Joe Williams took first Edwards out on the road as a youngster and arguably Williams highly rhythmic style is the most obvious influence on Edwards. Edwards became at times a very capable blues performer in the Delta style. Certainly the recordings Edwards made for Alan Lomax were fine examples of the Delta style. In the post-war era he had a few commercial recording sessions leading to one issued 78 and sessions for Chess and Sun that went unissued at the time, although issued later. Even most of Pete Welding's recordings of Honeyboy were unissued until the CD era, although Honeyboy was among the artists brought to play with Fleetwood Mac in the late sixties. 


Honeyboy may not have had the powerful guitar style or passionate, charismatic singing style that might have appealed to commercial record labels, but his warm personality and his personnel connections to the giants of the pre-war blues made him a popular performer for the past few decades was was capable of reaching across cultural and generational lines so well.

Wardell Quezergue and Jean Knight at the Ponderosa Stomp.  Photo © Ron Weinstock

Wardell Quezergue earned the moniker "The Creole Beethoven" as a reflection of his ability to arrange for large groups. This New Orleans native was famed as a composer, producer and arranger. He put together the charts for "Big Chief," the legendary Professor Longhair-Earl King Mardi Gras classic. As a producer he have us chart-topping soul classics like King Floyd's "Groove Me," and Jean Knight's "Mr. Big Stuff." These two recordings were actually produced on the same day.


In more recent years his arranging touch was utilized for big band albums by Charles Brown and Gatemouth Brown; several acclaimed Dr. John albums (including the Grammy® Award Winning "Goin' Back to New Orleans"); and the wonderful "Deacon John's Jump Blues." Listening to the renditions on this CD and DVD, and comparing them with the original recordings, one appreciates how Quezergue translated small combo recordings into a big band language with considerable grace and elegance. He was spotlighted at a couple of Ponderosa Stomps in New Orleans as well as a special Stomp at Lincoln Center in new York City. When Dr. Ike asked Dr. John if he would consider doing some of his older songs on which he played guitar originally, he agreed when he learned Quezergue would be doing the arrangements and conducting. This gives a sense of the contributions of this marvelous person.

Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith at the 2010 Pocono Blues Festival, Lake Harmony PA. Photo © Ron Weinstock

Finally, we just received word that Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith passed away. Smith was honored with a Grammy® this past year alongside his friend and long-time band-mate, Pinetop Perkins, with whom he spent many years playing together with the legendary Muddy waters and later the Legendary Blues Band. Smith remained active until the stroke that recently felled him, and in more recent years was featured on harmonica and vocals and not simply handling the shuffle rhythms on drums. His presence with Muddy was in part responsible for the rock-solid swing of that band.


The quality of his music as a leader was also noteworthy. I said of his Hightone release Way Back, that it "showcases Smith’s harp as well as his amiable vocals on some choice covers as well as idiomatic originals." His son Kenny has become one of the best drummers in the blues today (and played on Way Back). What I will remember most about Willie was his infectious smile and the sparkle in his eyes. 


RIP Honeyboy, Wardell and Big Eyes.

Bettye Lavette's Hell Raising

Bettye Lavette is one of the most exhilarating performers this writer has seen in the past few years. Blues Express issued a superb album a few years ago that led her to win several major blues awards. Joe Henry and Anti Records’ Andy Kaulkin got her into the studio to record a disc modeled after Solomon Burke’s recent discs which had Burke record songs by contemporary songwriters.


This time all the songwriters are women and Lavette’s release I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise (Anti) should take her to similar recognition. From the opening a cappella rendition of Sinead O’Connor’s I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got that comes off like a field holler to the closing treatment of Fiona Apple's Sleep to Dream from which the album title derives, Lavette sings letting everything out.


There might be vocal similarities to Tina Turner (who covered some of Lavette’s sixties recordings), but Lavette never strays from the lyrical themes of hurt, heartache and looking for her angel. With the sparse backing band providing her with the framework to deliver her voice at times evokes the field holler as on the opening track, while at other times she sings of heartaches as only one who has experienced them as she has can deliver.


Some new lyrics are added to Lucinda Williams’ Joy and she transforms Rosanne Cash’s On the Surface into a deep soul masterpiece as well as the wonderful country ballad, Just Say So, by Bobby Cryner with just simple acoustic guitar backing. When she sings “never trust the heart of a man” in Dolly Parton’s Little Sparrow, one knows she is not just singing words. A superb disc that gets better with every new listen.

This review originally appeared in the December 2005-January 2006 D.C. Blues Calendar, then the newsletter of the DC Blues Society.