One
of the more delightful CDs I've encountered in a
long time features the pairing of singers Nicole
Hart & Anni Piper on their new CD, Split
Second (Blues Leaf Records). It's more primal
and earthy than I expected, with both singers
possessing strong voices that harmonize extremely
well together. The creative heads at Blues Leaf
struck gold when they decided to team up existing
labelmates Hart, who is from Florida, with native
Australian Piper. The backing band of Ron Rauso
(guitar), Juke Joint Jonny (acoustic guitar, dobro),
Sandy Mack (harp), John Ginty (organ, piano) and Sim
Cain (drums) is solid, complimenting the vocals well
but never taking the spotlight away from Nicole and
Anni, the latter who doubles on bass guitar.
The disc starts with
our two co-stars harmonizing on a mid-tempo funky
number, "Can't Let You Go," that features timely
percussion work from Cain and a hot organ solo from
Ginty. "Clap Your Hands" is a frantic number that
sounds like it could have come from the Ray Charles
songbook, especially with the retro sounding guitar
and organ work from Rauso and Ginty, but instead was
done originally by Memphis Slim. This one smokes!
The mood changes
considerably on the third cut, "Ain't Nobody Watchin',"
with a slow, dirgelike blues original written by
Piper whose raw, breathy vocals come in after Mack's
harmonica intro. Piper also takes the vocal lead on
the ultra-cool Roy Orbison number, "Dream Baby."
Hart gets her own
chance to break men's hearts with Sugar Ray Norcia's
slow blues, "Why Should I Feel So Bad!" Ginty comes
in mid-song with a killer organ solo that just adds
to the power of this tune. Another incredibly
electric song finds both singers chiming in on
another tortured blues, "What Will Later On Be
Like?"
The girls blend their
vocals together on the Sonny Curtis composition,
"Walk Right Back," which was a top ten hit for the
Everly Brothers in the early '60s. If there was any
justice in the contemporary music world, Hart and
Piper would also be garnering a gold record for
their version which is every bit as good as the
original. Juke Joint Jonny's dobro solo pushes this
one over the top.
This wonderful disc
ends with Hart's only original, the ethereal "Listen
To The Rain Fall," which brings the same mournful
precipitation to your ears as Irma Thomas' classic,
"It's Raining." Mack's chromatic harp solo and
Jonny's acoustic guitar strumming set the right mood
and provide simple but tasteful accompaniment.
I find myself loving
Split Second more and more every time I
listen to it. It's undoubtedly going to be a
contender for blues album of the year. Highly
recommended!
---
Bill Mitchell
Mark
Robinson doesn't leave any doubt about his
dominant musical talent, as both of the Nashville
resident's album titles so far proclaim him to be,
first and foremost, a guitar player. His debut
release was titled Quit Your Job - Play Guitar,
with this newest disc named Have Axe - Will
Groove (Blind Chihuahua Records).
There's no doubting
Robinson's talents on the guitar, especially when he
cuts loose on his own jumpin' blues composition,
"Cool Rockin' Daddy," which also features strong sax
playing from Ben Graves. Another good number is the
original blues shuffle, "Pull My Coat," showcasing
what is perhaps Robinson's strongest guitar work on
the album.
Robinson drops the
tempo for the slow blues, "Lifetime Prescription."
This one almost sounds like it could be biographical
in nature --- "...jook joints and honky tonks,
staying out all night, babe you know that I'm bad
news." Of course, that could describe the life of a
lot of blues cats. The New Orleans-sounding "Rhythm
Doctor" brings in fine piano work from Randy
Handley, Paul Griffith's steady second line
drumming, and backing vocals from Vicki Carrico and
Jonell Mosser.
Another favorite is
Robinson's version of the Doc Pomus classic, "Lonely
Avenue," turned into a hit by Ray Charles in 1956.
Michael Webb provides more than capable Hammond
organ accompaniment while Carrico and Mosser return
with stellar background vocals.
Have Axe - Will
Groove is a fun album --- not one that I'd call
an essential purchase, but a decent collection of 11
tunes. Robinson isn't a real strong singer but he
gets the most out of his limited vocal range,
especially on the bluesier numbers which are the
ones I preferred.
---
Bill Mitchell
The four artists that
make up the blues super group 4 Jacks, Texas
guitar legend Anson Funderburgh, singer/drummer Big
Joe Maher (of Big Joe and the Dynaflows fame),
keyboardist Kevin McKendree (Delbert McClinton’s
band leader), and Nashville bass player Steve
Mackey, have a lifetime of experience playing the
blues combined. Whoever considered the idea of
bringing them together as a group should be awarded
a medal of some kind right away. Their debut
release, Deal With It (EllerSoul Records),
stands as proof that an honor of some kind is
deserving.
The opening track is
the title cut, a groovy organ-driven instrumental
that Booker T. Jones would be proud of, composed by
the group. It’s one of three instrumentals on the
disc, the other two being the raucous rocker, “Texas
Twister,” and the funky “Painkiller.” Maher wrote or
co-wrote six songs, an entertaining set that ranges
from old school jump blues and R&B (“Have Ourselves
A Time,” “She Ain’t Worth A Dime,” “Thunder and
Lightning” “Ansonmypants”) to soulful (“Love’s Like
That”) to rocking (“Bobcat Woman”).
Three covers complete
this outstanding collection. Maher does a good job
on Percy Mayfield’s “I Don’t Want To Be President,”
and the old “Deadric Malone” composition, “Your Turn
To Cry,” gets a stripped down makeover that is
highly effective. “Bad News Baby” is a smooth and
slow blues. Funderburgh’s guitar work is as crisp
and economical as ever.....no one says more with so
few notes. The rhythm section provides the glue that
holds everything together, notably McKendree’s
keyboards, especially his contributions on the B3.
The only issue with
Deal With It is that there’s not enough of
it! It clocks in at a mere 41 minutes, which will
definitely leave listeners wanting more. Hopefully,
this super group will comply and give us more as
soon as they can.
---Graham Clarke
The Mike Eldred Trio’s release,
61 and 49, was
originally issued in 2011 on the Zoho Roots label
and was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as one
of the ten best releases of that year. Eldred, who
was once a member of Lee Rocker’s band, mixes blues
with rockabilly and R&B on this second release,
which is now distributed by Rip Cat Records. Joining
Eldred on this effort are the Blasters’ rhythm
section (John Bazz – bass, Jerry Angel – drums),
along with a veritable who’s who of roots
music: Scotty Moore, Cesar Rosas, Kid Ramos, Jeff Turmes, Riley Osborn, and Ike Turner.
“Don’t Go Down There” opens the disc on an ominous
note, with Eldred belting out the lyrics over sparse
acoustic accompaniment and the backing of the
Emmanuel Church Gospel Choir. The torrid rockabilly
instrumental, “Jake’s Boogie,” follows, and then the
Texas-styled shuffle “Louise,” with Kid Ramos
lending a hand on second guitar. “Mr. Newman” is the
most unusual track here, a character study of a
disturbed individual…not what you usually find on
this type of recording. “She’s A Rocket” is one of
two tracks that feature the great Ike Turner on
piano.
“Ruby’s Blues” is another instrumental, a slow,
sweet blues track with Eldred’s guitar taking on a
Hendrix-like fuzz tone, and “For A Girl,” with
Osborn on B3, has a pop rock flavor to it. “This Old
Train” is a mellow rocker with some stunning nylon
string guitar work from Rosas and nice backing
vocals (courtesy of Bob Olson, Jervis Jernigan, Paul
Shivers, and Michael Buccovich). Turner returns on
piano (and some recorded pre-song banter with
Eldred) on the rock & roll raver, “Jimmy Jimmy.”
The greasy instrumental, “Ms. Gayle’s Chicken
House,” gives the red-hot rhythm section the
spotlight, along with some great fretwork interplay
between Eldred and Moore. “I Ain’t Comin’ Back” is
another Texas shuffle, as is “Lookie Here.” The
closer is Eldred unplugged, the Mississippi
Delta-flavored title track that brings the disc to a
triumphant conclusion.
61 and 49 is as good a set of modern blues and roots
as you will hear. Mike Eldred has given us a
remarkable disc of dynamic diversity, ranging from
roots and rockabilly to blues and soul. Rip Cat
Records has performed a great public service by
making this available to those of us who missed it
the first time around.
---
Graham Clarke
During the ’60s and ’70s, young Andy Talamantez
first heard British blues from artists like Eric
Clapton, but, like many other blues fans before him,
he traced Clapton’s music back to its sources and
discovered T-Bone Walker, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters,
Magic Sam, and Albert Collins. He started playing in
various Southern California bands before serving in
Smokey Wilson’s, then Guitar Shorty’s band, where he
began to develop his own clean and precise guitar
sound. Eventually, Talamantez moved to Nashville,
where he crossed paths with singer James “Nick”
Nixon, a veteran of the music scene whose band,
Past, Present and Future recorded for Chess Records
in the mid ’70s before Nixon settled in at Music
City, where he taught music and later won the Blues
Foundation’s “Keeping The Blues Alive” award for
education.
The pair, billed as the
Andy T-Nick Nixon Band,
recently recorded their debut release for Delta
Groove Music, Drink Drank Drunk, produced by Texas
guitar legend Anson Funderburgh, who also plays
guitar on several tracks. The crack band includes
keyboards from Christian Dozzler (who also plays
accordion), Kevin McKendree, John Street, and Larry
Van Loon, bass guitar from Juan Garza, Steve Mackey
and Johnny Bradley, drums from Danny Cochran, Wes
Starr, and Jim Klingler, saxophone from Ron Jones,
and Brian “Hash Brown” Calway on harmonica, along
with backing vocals from Markey.
The disc is a balanced mix of the old and the new,
with the duo taking on classic old school blues
tunes like the old warhorse “High Heel Sneakers,” Gatemouth Brown’s “Midnight Hour,” Johnny “Guitar”
Watson’s “Don’t Touch Me,” Paul Gayten’s “No Use
Knockin’,” T-Bone Walker’s “Life Is Too Short,” and
Ray Charles’ “I Got A Woman.” The title track is a
funky tune from Tom Hambridge and Gary Nicholson.
This well-rounded set of covers features some crisp,
economical fretwork from Andy T and also the
powerhouse vocals of Nixon, who leaves nothing on
the table no matter what the song is.
The duo’s own songs are pretty strong, too. Andy T
offers a rousing instrumental (“Dos Danos”), the
swampy “Have You Seen My Monkey,” and “On My Way To
Texas,” a Lone Star rocker. Nixon’s two tracks
include “No End To The Blues,” a straight blues that
gives Andy T room to stretch out on guitar and “You
Look So Good,” a smooth Texas shuffle.
Funderburgh does an excellent job as producer and
his guitar work is, as always, solid and tasteful.
Drink Drank Drunk is a fantastic release that sounds
just like they used to. With Andy T’s spot-on guitar
work and Nick Nixon’s hurricane force vocals, this
release will appeal to all blues fans.
Editors Note:
See below for another review of this CD.
---
Graham Clarke
If you were a blues fan in the
’90s, you may have
been familiar with a Florida band called Smokehouse.
The band recorded for King Snake Records and more or
less developed the “Florida Swamp Blues” sound.
Their 1995 recording, Cadillac in the Swamp, was
recognized as one of the best releases of that year,
due to its updated interpretation of swamp blues.
One of the founding members of Smokehouse was
singer/guitarist Robert “Top” Thomas, who has worked
with such notables as Lazy Lester, Noble “Thin Man”
Watts, Bill Wharton, and Victor Wainwright.
Thomas recently released his debut recording,
The
Town Crier, on the WildRoots label, which mixes the
steamy swamp blues of Louisiana with the blues of
the Mississippi Delta. Joining in on this release
are the WildRoots rhythm section (Stephen Dees –
bass/producer, Billy Dean (drums), and Stephen Kampa
(harmonica). They are joined by guest stars
Wainwright, Beth McKee, Damon Fowler, Juan Perez,
Patricia Ann Dees, Jeffrey Willey, Mark Hodgson, and
Brandon Santini.
Thomas, Dees, and Wainwright wrote or co-wrote a
dozen of the 13 tracks on The Town Crier. The
lone cover is a great one, a reworking of the Lazy
Lester classic, “The Same Thing Could Happen To
You,” which adds Beth McKee’s accordion to the mix
and makes a good track a great one. The highlights
include the manic opener, “Mississippi Quickie,” the
offbeat slow blues, “Lazy Miss Daisy,” which sounds
like an Elvin Bishop track, the swampy “King Snake
Crawl,” and the ominous “Bad Seed,” which features
Wainwright on co-lead vocals.
Thomas steps out of the swamp for a couple of tracks
as well. “What’s The Matter Ma” is an acoustic
number, and “Sugar Shop” has a bit of a Gulf Coast
R&B feel to it. “I’m A Freight Train,” which
features Fowler on dobro, has roots in the
Mississippi Delta, and the closer, “It Ain’t Easy,”
is a upbeat gospel number with Thomas backed by the
“WildRoots Choir” (Wainwright, McKee, Patricia Ann
and Stephen Dees, Nick Black, and Hodgson).
Thomas’ wide-ranging fretwork is worth the price of
the disc, and his vocals are a mix of the Delta and
the swamp with country seasoning, similar to Lazy
Lester and Watermelon Slim. The Town Crier is an
entertaining album from start to finish,
particularly for those who love the glory days of Excello Records, where this disc would have been a
perfect fit.
---
Graham Clarke
Singer/guitarist and Alabama native
George Kilby Jr.
calls his musical style “rough cut American music.” Kilby has been playing roots music for over 30
years, mostly as part of the New York City music
scene that offers blues, folk, Americana, bluegrass,
jam band, and even jazz. Kilby earned his blues
bonafides by serving a long tenure with the great
Pinetop Perkins, but he embraces blues and most of
the other above-mentioned styles on his new release,
Six Pack (Top Frog Music).
Six Pack is an appropriate name for the disc because
the six songs in place represent Kilby’s influences
and their effect on his modern roots sound, starting
with the folk original penned by Kilby that kicks
things off, “When the People Sang.” Like the other
five tracks, this cut features Kilby playing with
his band, The Road Dogs (Neil Thomas – keyboards,
accordion, Eric Halvorson – drums, and Arturo Baguer
(bass), but also features guitarist Jono Manson (who
produced the track), fiddle player Tim Carbone (of
Railroad Earth), George Breakfast on mandolin, and
Kevin Trainor on electric guitar. Though it’s an
original, you’ll swear you’ve heard it before.
Thomas is also prominent on the lovely version of
Neil Thomas’ “I Love You in Brooklyn.”
The catchy rocker, “Something I Can’t Find,” is
next, featuring some great guitar work from Kilby,
Brian Shafer, and Joe Andrews. Next up is the most
unusual track, and one I almost missed completely
the first time I heard it…an amazing bluegrass
treatment of “Sunshine of Your Love.” This track is
produced by Andy Goessling, who subs his dobro for
the Clapton blues/rock riff originally associated
with the song. It’s a really fun track. “Cro-Magnon
Man” is a witty commentary on a current issue (the
environment), as is the closing tune, “You Never See
the Hand That Throws the Stone,” in which Kilby,
joined by the harmonica ace Phil Wiggins, covers the
economy, racism, and religious hypocrisy in one fell
swoop.
Though very brief with only six songs, George Kilby
Jr. gets plenty of space to share his musical vision
on Six Pack. Fans of American Roots music will find
plenty to savor here.
---
Graham Clarke
Southern California blues singer
Lisa Cee has been a
favorite of blues and roots fans for a number of
years on the West Coast, playing with numerous blues
luminaries like Marcia Ball, Kid Ramos, Tinsley
Ellis, Rod Piazza, Miss Mickey Champion, and Paul
Oscher, among others. In addition, she has been the
leader of the house band in the Gibson and Fender
Guitar Lodge at the Sundance Film Festival since
2008.
After years of toiling away and paying her dues, Ms.
Cee has finally recorded her first solo album, My
Turn (Rip Cat Records). Backed by a powerhouse band
(BR Millon – guitar, Mike Hightower – bass, Albert
Trepagnier Jr. – drums), along with guests Ron
Dziubla – sax, Johnny Maestro – harmonica, Scott
Abeyta – guitar, Jim Kersey – drums, Max Bangwell –
percussion, Edo Guidotti – keyboards, and Chris
McCarthy – cello, Cee rips through a strong set of
songs, 14 total.
Nine of the tunes are original compostions and Cee
also does a fine job on five wide-ranging covers,
including the soulful opener, “What Good Am I,” a
’60s tune associated with Miss Champion, the
hard-driving boogie, “Good-Bye Baby,” composed by
the late Robert Lucas, Karen Lawrence’s “Bright
Shiny World,” a bouncy acoustic take on the Staples
Singers’ classic “I’ll Take You There,” and an
impressive reworking of the old Jefferson Airplane
’60s anthem, “White Rabbit.”
Cee’s originals are equally strong, as she moves
easily from funky R&B flavored blues (“Fire In The
Sky,” “Cold Hearted Woman,” “Evil,” and “Stop Tryin’”)
to swampy slow blues (“Lost You”) to high energy
blues/rock (“Fire” and “Right Man”) to more
mainstream roots tracks (“My Turn” and “Already
Free”). Throughout the disc, Cee shows impressive
range and depth in her vocals, moving from sultry to
intense to vulnerable seamlessly on these songs.
Hopefully, Lisa Cee won’t take so long to produce an
sophomore release. My Turn is a strong debut
recording that shows her to be effective in a
variety of blues styles.
---
Graham Clarke
The Breeze Kings
continue to be one of Atlanta’s hottest blues bands,
winning Creative Loafing’s award for Best
Blues Band nine years, with their real-deal approach
to ’50s era Chicago blues. Their fourth release, on
Veritone Records, is Can’t Stay Home. The
charismatic Carlos “Breeze” Capote returns on vocals
and harmonica with Jim Ransone still firing on all
cylinders while manning guitar duties. The dynamite
rhythm section consists of Aaron Trubic (bass) and
Trevor Roberts (drums). Lending support on selected
tracks are Bob Page (piano), Norm “Tex” Ficke (tenor
sax), and Dan Seifert (Hammond organ).
One of the strong
suits of the band’s previous releases was their
songwriting, and that still continues to serve them
well on this new release, with songs like Ransone’s
“Mercury Blues,” a car tune of a different
sort….this one not particular fast or actually
moving at all. Other highlights include “Well I
Wish,” an updating of a familiar blues theme, and
“Beehive,” a clever metaphorical character study of
a woman who plays the field.
“Well for Water” is
another standout, with its taut rockabilly boogie,
and Ransone’s cool Hawaiian slide work. The closer,
“The Other Track,” is an acoustic number has some
nice slide guitar as well. There are also two
instrumental tracks, Ransone’s jazzy “My Little
Life,” and J.C. Davis’ aptly titled “Coolin’ Out,”
both of which give the individual band members a
chance to shine. Capote does an excellent job on
vocals…displaying the right mix of grit and
vulnerability when needed, and he can flat blow the
back off the harmonica, too.
Can’t Stay Home
is another fine release from The Breeze Kings, and
hopefully, one that will help them gain a wider
audience beyond Atlanta and the southeastern U.S.
With their considerable songwriting chops and
musical rapport, they deserve to be heard.
--- Graham Clarke
Devon
Allman joined up with Cyril Neville, Mike Zito,
Yonrico Scott, and Charlie Wooten to form the blues
supergroup, Royal Southern Brotherhood last year.
The RSB’s debut release was considered one of the
best of 2012 and has been entrenched in the Top 15
of the Billboard blues chart since its May
release. Allman, the son of Gregg Allman, formed the
Southern rock jam band, Honeytribe, in the late
’90s, and recorded under that band’s name, so
Allman’s latest effort, Turquoise (Ruf
Records), serves as his debut solo release.
To begin, if you’re
unfamiliar with his work in Honeytribe or with the
Brotherhood, his guitar work may be a surprise…not
so much like the sound of his dad’s band, The Allman
Brothers, but definitely blues with a nice helping
of hard rock and a nice touch of soul mixed in. As a
vocalist, he doesn’t have that gruff, blues growl
that his dad has honed over the years, but his
gritty vocals are strong, expressive, and show a
soulful vulnerability at times.
Turquoise also
features some first-rate songwriting from Allman,
with tunes like the autobiographical opening track,
“When I Left Home” (title taken from the Buddy Guy
autobiography, which Allman was reading at the time
he composed the song), featuring some great lead and
slide guitar from Luther Dickinson. The rocker,
“Don’t Set Me Free,” is one of two tracks co-written
by Allman with his fellow Royal Southern Brother,
Mike Zito (the other being the standout,
“Strategy”). Other highlights include the
introspective “Time Machine,” and “There’s No Time,”
a Santana-esque tune co-written by Allman and young
rising star, Tyler Stokes.
“Homesick,” a tune
that Allman wrote to his family, is one of several
tracks backed by Rick Steff’s ghostly Hammond B3.
Another is the album’s lone cover, Tom Petty’s early
’80s classic, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” a
smoldering version that pairs Allman with special
guest Samantha Fish, both delivering a super vocal
performance. “Into The Darkness,” which Allman
composed for his young son, Orion, shows Allman’s
vocal talents at their best, as he really pours his
heart and soul into the lyrics.
Two of the three
closing tracks, “Key Lime Pie” and “Turn Off The
World,” set a mellow tone to close the disc on a
relaxing note. These two songs sandwich a lovely,
lyrical instrumental, “Yadira’s Lullaby,” which
brings to mind an instrumental track cut by Allman’s
Uncle Duane some 40 years ago, “Little Martha.”
Allman fronts a trio
that includes RSB mate Scott on drums and percussion
and Myles Weeks on bass. They are assisted by guests
Dickinson, Fish, and Steff, plus sax man Ron
Holloway, guitarist Bobby Schneck, Jr., and
background vocalists Fish, Pete Matthews, Reuben
Williams, and Adam Hill.
More than any of his
previous releases, Turquoise showcases Devon
Allman as a songwriter and singer. He displays
amazing versatility, moving effortlessly from the
blues to rock to soul and jazz, with Latin rhythms.
Personally, I can’t wait to see what’s next. This,
however, is a pitch-perfect starting point.
---
Graham Clarke
I’ve only been in Colorado for a little over a year
now, but I’m thoroughly impressed by the amount and
diversity of great Blues players we have here in the
“square” state. One such Bluesman is Dan Treanor,
leader of the Afrossippi Band who along with
featured singer, Erica Brown, won this year’s
Colorado Blues Society’s IBC challenge and just
captured third place at the International Blues
Challenge in Memphis. I’ve known Dan for several
years now and the addition of Erica’s voice to the
mix was a stroke of genius. You can hear the result
of this collaboration on a rocking disc entitled
Tangled Road.
The title cut, written by Dan, is a tune in the
vernacular of the old spirituals and features Erica
in a classic call and response. Dan kicks the party
off with the intro on his Khalam while Erica asks
the question, “who’s that walking down a tangled
road? Ain’t nobody but me…Lord!” I had a friend who
heard Erica’s voice singing this from the speaker’s
at Alfred’s and she said, “My God, Kyle, that voice!
I had to go inside and see what was going on!” Erica
Brown is definitely one of Colorado’s treasures and
Dan’s right when he says, “Erica has a world-class
voice!”
Dan’s harp provides the introduction on our
next cut, “Tell Me Daddy,” another tune written by
Dan. Here we find Erica wondering, “Tell me
daddy…where did you stay last night? Tell me daddy,
cause I really got to know…where did you stay last
night?” Obviously he was out late and didn’t make it
home, I would hate to be the one facing Erica’s
wrath at the door, that’s for sure!
Our tempo slows down considerably as Erica, Dan and
the band tackle Toussaint McCall’s classic tune,
“Nothing Can Take the Place of You.” “Each day finds
me so blue…cause nothing…nothing…takes the place of
you!” You can hear the passion and love in Erica’s
voice as she laments the loss of this love of her
life…”nothing takes the place of you!” Dan’s rocking
harp picks up the pace for our next tune, Koko
Taylor’s “Ernestine.” Here we find Erica defending
her territory and ready to challenge the woman who
is after her man. “I told you for the last
time….find a man of your own….Ernestine…girl, what
you doing you know ain’t right!” Somehow I think
Erica will win the battle and successfully kick
Ernestine to the curb!
A local bluesman, J.D. Kelly, wrote the song
“Dynamite,” and Dan, Erica and the band tackle it next.
“Your love’s like fire…the fire get out…come on
shake it baby…show me what you got…your love’s like
dynamite...if you’re looking for good love…you just
might find it!” Tangled Road closes with the Willie
Dixon classic, “Wang Dang Doodle,” and the guitar
work of Michael Hossler provides the intro to
Erica’s vocals, “we going to pitch a ball…down to
that union hall…we going to pitch a wang dang
doodle…all night long!”
Tangled Road is an excellent representation of the
work put in by Dan, the Afrosippi Band and the
incomparable Erica Brown. They took Memphis by storm
and gained a lot of Blues fans for the “square”
state in the process. It was quite the week in
Memphis for those of us from Colorado, and we
couldn’t be prouder of the performances our IBC
entry cranked out. You can grab a copy of this disc
on Dan’s website,
www.dantreanorband.com, and the
energy of the entire disc is amazing. Enjoy!
--- Kyle Deibler
At the recent Holley Awards here in Colorado, the
artist known as Eef was up for two key awards in
songwriting and arranging. While the awards went to
Lionel Young, Eef is definitely one of the more
introspective songwriters here in Colorado besides
being an amazing guitarist. Her latest disc is
Bluesalicious --- let’s give it a spin.
The first cut, “We Tried,” is a song of love that
just didn’t work out. All of the ingredients seemed
to be in place, love, respect and motivation…it just
didn’t work it out. Eef’s ES 333 provides the intro,
with Gabe Mervine on trumpet, as Eef laments the
result. “We both so wanted…we both so wanted…to give
it a chance…I’m sorry to say….honey…that holding on
just doesn’t make any sense…we tried!”
Eef’s from
Amsterdam and her European reticence can be found on
our next tune, “You’ll Have to be the One Who Makes
the First Move, Baby (if you want me)”. Soulful
notes emanate from Eef’s guitar as she sings of her
caution in the presence of someone she cares about,
“I’ll show you that I like you…I’ll show you I
care…I’ve been burned so many times…I will leave it
right there…you’ll have to be the one who makes the
first step baby…if you want me!” Kenny James’s vocal
makes this a duet as he’s as cautious as Eef in
proceeding any further. Kenny’s voice is the perfect
foil for Eef’s and helps to give this tune a lot of
depth…which doesn’t necessarily mean they worked it
all out. This is a great tune and probably my
favorite one on Eef’s disc.
The horn section of Serafin Sanchez on sax and Gabe
Mervine’s trumpet augment punctuated notes on Eef’s
Gibson as she examines the fact that her current
relationship is questionable in “Something Ain’t
Right.” “You got lipstick on your collar…you’ve been
staying out all night…something ain’t right. It’s
time to kick this one to the curb, Eef. The horn
section again provides an enthusiastic intro for
Eef’s desire to travel in “No Money for the Bus”,
featuring a rap by Soul Daddy. “I need some money…I
need some money for the bus….$20 will do…I ain’t
asking for much…I need some money…for bus 15…so I
can travel to places I’ve never been!”
Our next
tune, “Trying to Get Close to You,” finds Eef
frustrated as she tries to capture the interest of a
man who has caught her eye.” “I’m trying to get
close to you…love to have you near…when I move a
little closer…oh, you simply disappear…Want to run
right to you baby…but it feels like I am standing
still…I’m trying to get close to you…but it feels
like I am running up the hill!” Jimmy Ayer’s
handiwork on the organ provides the backdrop for
Eef’s frustration in never being able to catch this
man. Ugh!
Passionate tones emanate from Eef’s guitar as she
proclaims her love for her man in our next cut,
“Your Love Turned Me Blind.” “I find myself…looking
for you…every night and I just don’t know what to
do…oh how could I have seen….what you were doing to
me…oh I…I go out of my mind…your love has turned me
blind!” Eef definitely pulled out all the stops with
this man who just did not return the love she
offered him.
“I Ain’t Gonna Wait
Forever”, finds Eef establishing some boundaries
with her current love. “I…ain’t gonna wait forever…I
ain’t gonna wait…we’ve been seeing each other for so
long…I always thought you and I can’t go wrong…but you
better start to show me some love…cuz, honey…I’ve
waited long enough.” Hopefully this man will step up
soon and treat Eef right, she deserves that.
Bluesalicious closes with “Illusion,” a ballad that
finds Eef again questioning the integrity of her
relationship. “I never thought…I would lose
you…never thought I would have to love…over you. Our
love’s an illusion!” Sadly, this is another
relationship gone bad for Eef and I’m sure it didn’t
end well.
Eef’s disc features some outstanding
songwriting, excellent support from Denver area
musicians Kenny James, Scotty Rivera, Bill Shannon,
Billy Pacheco, Jimmy Ayers, Serafin Sanchez, Gabe
Mervine and the rap by Soul Daddy. While I’ve not
had the pleasure of hearing all of the Blues bands
in Colorado perform yet, Eef’s guitar playing and
songwriting have definitely caught my eye. All of
Eef’s music can be found on her website,
www.eefguitar.com, and I’m sure you will appreciate
the songwriting and guitar playing that Eef’s
records offer. I’m looking forward to catching
another performance of Eef and Blues Express soon,
it will be fun!
--- Kyle Deibler
As a member of what Chip Eagle affectionately calls
“The Tribe,” I’m always curious to see what the next
generation of Blues men and Blues women will look
like. One I’m following closely out here in Colorado
is Taylor Scott of Cheyenne. Taylor’s old band,
Another Kind of Magick, made it to the finals at the
IBC last year and Taylor has moved on to find his
sound in our genre. It’s a sound that’s part Blues,
part R & B, part Soul with a dash of Funk thrown in
for good measure. Taylor debuts his sound on his new
EP, Soul Satisfaction, and it’s a good hint at
what’s to come from this Wyoming Bluesman.
The first cut, “What Can I Get for a Dime?,” finds
Taylor appreciative of his struggle and content with
the knowledge that somehow it will all work out.
“And to my heart it spoke..it don’t matter if you’re
broke..I sing because I know…everybody go to let
go…I know from where I came…and I don’t need no
fame…what can I get for a dime?” It’s no secret that
the life of a Bluesman is a hard one, but Taylor
chooses to follow his calling and believes it will
all work out for the best. dennis
Taylor’s Gibson provides
the intro for our next tune, “Learning to Live.”
Change is on the horizon and Taylor is looking
forward to the new day. “And I know that a life of
freedom…ain’t always a life that’s lived with
ease…and I know…we got to learn to live so freely so
we can be bigger than life…life itself!” Tom Amend
on the organ is laying down the perfect background
to Taylor’s vocals and the optimism of his lyrics is
infectious.
Taylor’s funkier side comes out on our next cut,
“Groove I Use,” accompanied by Anthony Zator on
trumpet and Kurt Moorehead on the tenor sax. The
bottom end with Chris Harris on Bass and Christian
Teele on drums is also working hard to make it go.
“Leave your cares and worries when you come through
the door…I serve all the best and nothing less…you
can have all the rest if you want I guess…when we’re
just about done…you ask for more…we’re going to drop
that beat down to the floor…take off your shoes and
feel these blues…your mind’s going to lose…in the
grooves I use!”
Nic Clark’s wailing harmonica
provides the intense intro on the final cut on this
EP, “Bad Spot.” “I’m in a bad spot…got this girl on
my mind…and I know she shouldn’t be there…man she’s
there all the time!” Taylor’s conflicted about the
woman in his life but he’s hanging in there until he
figures it all out. Nick is really blowing harp on
this tune and I’m very satisfied with the EP and the
direction it shows that Taylor Scott’s music is
heading in.
I know Taylor to be a very thoughtful,
reflective Bluesman who appreciates the history of
our genre and Soul Satisfaction shows that he’s
learned his lessons well and is looking forward to
the future. The best is yet to come for Taylor Scott
and I look forward to being around for a long time
to come while following the career of this fine
Bluesman from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Taylor’s new
website is
www.taylorscottmusic.com and you can grab
a copy of Soul Satisfaction there. He’s currently on
the road with Grady Champion, so catch him on the
Blues highway if you can, you’ll be in for quite the
treat!
--- Kyle Deibler
I first saw Andy T and Nick Nixon at a Galaxy
showcase at the IBC two years ago and was
immediately impressed with Nick’s vocals and Andy’s
guitar playing. My sound guy at the Rum Boogie in
the early years told me, “The real blues player will
play the three notes he wants you to hear” and Andy
definitely does that. Throw in a little guitar help
and production guidance from Anson Funderburgh, and
the result is almost predictable, a stellar disc
with limitless possibilities. The Andy T – Nick
Nixon Band’s new release on Delta Grove, Drink Drank
Drunk, is one of those, so let’s give it a spin.
Andy’s blistering guitar lead provides the
introduction for our first cut, “Midnight Hour”. As
Nick tells us, “Midnight is the lonely hour…to be
alone…when the one you love…has packed her clothes
and gone!” Not sure why she left, but the impact on
Nick was devastating before he picked himself up by
the bootstraps and resolved to move on. An old
school Texas style two-step is next with Nick’s take
on “Don’t Touch Me.” “You don’t appreciate…nothing
that I do child…take my money…take all my money…with
so much pride child…leave me baby…baby….bye, bye…I’m
leaving you baby…going to hit that highway back
home!” Mournful notes emanate from Andy’s guitar to
emphasize Nick’s sadness & resolve at moving on from
the woman who obviously did not appreciate him.
The
title song, “Drink Drank Drunk,” is up next and it’s
just delightful. The impact of drinking is
obvious…”sink sank sunk…I keep on pouring them
down…until I stink stank stunk…there’s no such thing
as last call…I ain’t ever done!” Nick’s on a mission
to drink away his pain and is doing a hell of a job
at following through by staying…drink…drank…drunk!
Oh well, it happens to the best of us.
Christian Dozzler’s magic fingers on the piano
provide the intro to our next cut, “No Use Knockin.”
Here we find Nick is through with the woman in his
life and ready to move on. “No use knocking on my
door…cuz it’s all over now…I don’t love you no
more!”
Nick is more than happy to move on and he’s
asking everyone if they’ve seen the woman he’s
fooling around with in “Have You Seen My Monkey.”
“Have you seen my monkey…she don’t belong to
you…have you seen my monkey…I got her down at the
zoo…she’s got the cutest little tail…my monkey’s not
for sale!” Nick sounds like a happy man and his
monkey definitely has something to do with it.
Andy’s rolling on the guitar and all is right with
the world! An Andy T original, “Dos Danos,” is up
next with Anson taking the lead on the guitar and
John Street on the organ. It’s an excellent
instrumental and a welcome break from all of Nick’s
female problems.
Andy’s back on the lead as Nick tells us about his
tough times in “No End to the Blues.” “It seems
we’re always paying our dues….there’s no end to the
blues!” Amen, brother. You’re preaching to the choir
here! Another Andy T original, “On My Way to Texas,”
is up next and Nick is paying homage to some of the
Lone Star state’s greats here. “Give me some T-Bone, Lightnin’, Frankie Lee too, Gatemouth, Freddie,
Albert…were all so cool…I’m on my way to
Texas…that’s where I want to be…where there’s wide
open spaces…and the people really dig the blues!”
Texas is indeed a musical paradise with a long
history steeped in the Blues and Andy is
recognizing, in part, the years he spent on the road
with Guitar Shorty, honing his craft as a guitar
player.
Up next is Nick’s take on a Tommy Tucker
classic, “Hi-Heel Sneakers.” Anson’s back on lead
guitar for this tune and he’s definitely got Nick’s
back covered. “Put on your red dress baby…well,
we’re going out tonight…you’d better wear some
boxing gloves…in case some fool will want to fight!”
Hopefully the fight won’t happen and Nick can just
enjoy dancing the night away.
A ballad, “Life is Too Short,” is up next and Andy’s
mournful tones are definitely front and center,
leading the way. “My pretty baby…don’t have eyes for
me no more…my pretty baby…she don’t have eyes for me
no more…she done packed up all her clothes…and
walked right out of my door!” Nick’s time has
definitely come to an end with this woman and Nick
is right, “Life is too short to worry…too short to
sit and cry…I’m going to find me another woman…and
kiss my girl goodbye!” Nick’s definitely got the
right attitude working here and more power to him.
His wandering eye is apparent to everyone as he
sings the lead vocal on a tune he wrote next, “You
Look So Good.” “Hey baby, you look so good to
me…you’re the prettiest little thing…that I ever did
see!” Nick has a rich, full voice and I’m
transported back to that stage in Memphis where I
saw him sing for the first time. One of Nashville’s
best kept secrets, Nick was part of the New
Imperials and taught music for the Nashville Parks &
Recreation department for over 35 years. Drink Drank
Drunk closes with a raucous version of the Ray
Charles classic, “I’ve Got a Woman,” and it doesn’t
get much better than this!
This collaboration between Andy T and Nick Nixon is
delightful and I would imagine they’ll be busy on
the festival circuit touring behind this record. I’m
sure you can grab a copy in person or reach out to
the band’s website,
www.andytband.com, for your
copy. Andy’s great fretwork combined with Nick’s
vocals is well captured on this outstanding disc, so
capably produced by Anson Funderburgh. Great job
everyone!
--- Kyle Deibler
I have to admit up front that I’ve never been a huge
harp fan. Can’t really say why, it just is what it
is. That said, I’m starting to think that Dennis Gruenling is dragging me over to the dark side. His
new disc on the Vizztone label, Rockin’ All Day,
absolutely was a joy to listen to from beginning to
end. I threw it in on the ride to Memphis for the
IBC, and it made its way back to my CD player today
for a more rigorous listen. Let’s give it a spin.
Dennis’s harp is at the forefront as we kick off his
disc with the title track, “Rockin’ All Day.” Here
we find Dennis content with the woman in his life
and singing her praises to the universe. “Well…early
in the morning…around 4 o’clock…I got a gal…that
just loves to rock…I started reeling…I started
rocking…and we rocked until the break of dawn!” The
loving is good and Dennis is very happy to be
hanging with this girl! Doug Deming’s fretwork only
serves to accent the happiness that Dennis is
feeling at finding this girl that seems to be a
perfect match for him.
Next up is Shakey Jake
Harris’s tune, “Roll Your Moneymaker,” and here we
find Dennis getting another great work-out! “Roll
your moneymaker….baby don’t you hesitate…roll your
money pretty baby…baby don’t you hesitate!” Dennis’s
harp work is flawless and his tone is just knocking
me out. Our next cut, “The Rev,” has more of a jump
blues feel to it and Dennis and the band are just
airing it out a bit instrumentally for our
enjoyment.
Up next is the band’s take on the Louis Jordan tune,
“Saturday Night Fish Fry,” and telling us about the
gathering of musicians in New Orleans. “It was
rocking…it was rocking…you never seen such coming
and shoving…until the break of dawn!” A heckuva of a
party, everyone seems to be having a great time at
the “Saturday Night Fish Fry!” “One Scotch, One
Bourbon, One Beer” tickles our fancy next, and Dennis
is definitely letting the bartender know he’s not in
the club for any trouble. “My baby is the reason I’m
on this street…I can’t find her and she can’t find
me…one scotch, one bourbon and one beer!”
The tempo
definitely picks up for our next cut, “She’s so
Pretty,” as Dennis shares his woman troubles with
us. “You know she’s so pretty…still runs around on
me…well, you know you don’t love me…go ahead and
leave me be!” Love unrequited is not meant to be and
Dennis is right to let this one go.
Dennis’s take on the Carl Perkins tune, “You Can Do
No Wrong,” is the next offering on our plate and
Dennis is enamored with the woman garnering his
attentions at the moment. “Well, you can do me
anyway you please…make me get down on my knees…cuz
baby, baby…you can do no wrong!” The honeymoon phase
will eventually wear off and hopefully Dennis will
come to his senses soon.
“It Went Down Easy” finds
Dennis telling us about his drink of choice. “Had
another little drink….it was pink and sweet…now I’m so
tall…can’t see my feet…I’m so blind…can’t find that
floor…I swear someone done moved that door…I only
meant to get myself in the groove…but I’m so
high…man, I’m scared to move!” A fun tune, Dennis
sounds like he needs to start cutting back a little
bit for the sake of his sanity! “2:22 A.M.” gives
the band another chance to stretch out
instrumentally with Doug finding some low notes on
his guitar to match the mournful tones emanating
from Dennis’s harp. I can see these guys in my
mind’s eye shutting down the club at 2:00 A.M. with
this groove as the bartender has everyone heading
out the door.
Devin Neel kicks off our next tune on his snare
while Dennis tries to find out what the problem is
in “What’s Wrong with Me?” For some reason, Dennis
is just not able to win the affections of the woman
he’s after and can’t figure out why. “What’s wrong
with me…what can I do…to win your trust…your love
too!” Our boy is trying hard but it just doesn’t
seem like it will work out. She’s still grieving
over the loss of her first love and isn’t quite
ready for the next man in her life. Hang in there
Dennis!
So of course Dennis follows this tune with
“Bloodshot Eyes” by Wynonie Harris. “Now, I used to
spend my money…to make you look real sweet…wanted to
be proud of you…when we walked down the
street….don’t roll those bloodshot eyes at me…I can
tell…you’ve been out on a spree…don’t roll those
bloodshot eyes at me!” Rockin’ All Day follows with
a tune by guitarist Doug Deming, “Actin’ Crazy,”
“you go your way…and I’ll go mine…it’s too late…too
late to apologize…you’ve been actin crazy baby…so it
ain’t no big surprise!” For a finale, the band
finishes with another instrumental, “Hotso.”
I’ve enjoyed Rockin’ All Day from cover to cover.
Dennis Gruenling is indeed a monster harp player,
while Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones do a
phenomenal job backing Dennis on all of his
adventures. You can find Dennis out on the road
touring extensively, or grab a copy of this disc on
his store link at
www.badassharmonica.com And yes,
you read that right, badassharmonicadotcom! Enjoy!
--- Kyle Deibler
Sometimes it takes
several listens for me to warm to a disc. Such is
the case with Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones' latest
release on Vizztone, What’s It Gonna Take.
Bandleader Doug Deming honed his performing chops in
Detroit before relocating to Florida and has managed
to assemble a great band behind him in the Jewel
Tones. Andrew Gohman on bass, Devin Neel on drums
and the irrepressible Dennis Greunling on harp all
work in sync to give the background and depth to
Doug’s tunes, highlighting the cleverness of his
songwriting and free him up to do what he does best
---
lead the band.
We open up with the title cut, “What’s It Gonna
Take,” and here we find Doug in limbo, wondering what
he needs to do to keep the affections of the woman
he loves. “Now I thought I was doing right…work all
day long and home at night…build you a house right
on the lake…baby, what’s it gonna take?” Doug is
doing everything in his power to make this
relationship work and her attentions to him seem as
flighty as the wind. I’m definitely not sure this
one is going to work out.
Our next tune, “Think
Hard,” finds Doug in the same dilemma but working
from a position of strength. Mournful tones from
Dennis’s harp emanate from the background as Doug
admonishes this girl to be careful in her words and
deeds, “Think hard…there’s just one answer that’s
the truth…think hard on it baby…I’m awaiting your
reply.” Doug is ready to kick this one to the curb
if she doesn’t come clean with him and be straight
up. And I don’t think this one is going to make it
either. “One Good Reason” finds Doug has already
left and really isn’t interested in coming home.
“Well…I tried and tried…to treat you right…you came
home late…Saturday night…you blew in the
door…looking for a fight…and you found one!” All
Doug really needs to hear is one good reason to come
back home and it just doesn’t seem to be
forthcoming. Dennis breaks out a baritone harp and
the deep tones he gets from it are blowing me away
on this tune. She ultimately does come up with “one
good reason” and Doug decides to move back home to
her.
Doug’s guitar is front and center as he intros our
next cut, “Poison Ivy,” and here we find that Doug
can be poisonous to those who come in contact with
him. “I’m just like poison ivy…I’ll break out all
over you!” Devin’s heavy foot on the bass drum gives
our next tune, “An Eye for an Eye”, a solemn
background and the tempo slows way down on this one.
“You can tell your feelings…and explain your
side…but the devil in all people…he will only
hide…until it’s time…spread his disease…bring all
those praying…down to their knees”. The only way to
slow the devil down is to stop him in his tracks and
go toe to toe, “an eye for an eye.”
“I Want You to
Be My Baby” is the next track on our disc and a
wonderful jump blues tune. “I…I want…I want you to
be…want you to be my baby!” Dennis is front and
center with a long harp run that keeps the tempo up
and the place a rocking.
“No Big Thrill” is an original tune by Doug and
features Dennis’s mournful harp at the forefront of
his story of woe. “Just like throwing a coin…into a
dried up well…like living out my sentence…in a 5 x 8
cell…like carrying a mule…to the top of the hill…now
loving you baby…was no big thrill!” This
relationship of Doug’s is definitely over and he’s
ready to move on without a second thought, since in
the end, “it was no big thrill!”
I find track eight,
“Stay Away,” to be one of Doug’s more interesting
tunes. He’s trying to determine if he’s going to
continue in his current relationship and can’t seem
to make up his mind. “I…I love you pretty baby…don’t
know the reason why…you…you, now tell me pretty
baby…can you be true?” The answer to this questions
holds the answer to Doug’s dilemma, if she can’t be
true then she needs to, “stay…stay…stay away!”
We
finally find Doug happier and healthier in our next
cut, “Lucky Charm.” He’s been loving this woman from
afar and now that she’s in need, Doug wants her to,
“take my arm…you know I keep you…safe from harm…let
me be…your lucky charm…your lucky charm!” Chivalry
isn’t dead and Doug is definitely playing the part
of a Southern gentleman here.
What’s It Gonna Take closes with a tune about what
Doug feels constitutes happiness in his world, “A
Pretty Girl (A Cadillac and Some Money)” before the
band goes out in rousing fashion with an
instrumental tune written by Dennis Gruenling,
“Bella’s Boogie.” Here we find Doug’s guitar tones
jumping all over the place as Dennis provides the
perfect foil with his harmonica. Upbeat and driving
along, “Bella’s Boogie” definitely rocks and works
well as an appropriate song to end this excellent
disc on.
I’ve enjoyed What’s It Gonna Take quite a bit,
although it took me awhile to get used to Doug’s
vocal stylings. The Jewel Tones are a very tight
band and you can hear their experience together on
the road throughout this disc. You can catch Doug
and the band touring all over the East Coast and can
grab a copy of this disc on his website,
www.dougdeming.com. As a friend of mine likes to
say, “It’s tight, right and outasite!”
---
Kyle Deibler
