The Bey Paule Band, formerly the Frank Bey & Anthony
Paule Band, has a new release, Not Goin’ Away (Blue
Dot Records). While the band’s name has changed,
their music has not, with a fantastic mix of soul
and blues, a rediscovered master soul man, a
tremendously versatile guitarist, and one of the
finest bands currently performing. This time around,
the band features a dozen tracks with ten originals
and two covers, recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studio.
The opening track, “Black Bottom,” recounts Bey’s
life from his humble beginnings to present time,
with Bey telling his story to low-key accompaniment
from Paule and the band. The band really kicks into
gear on the second track, “Kiss Me Like You Mean
It,” and locks into the groove with “Right In Front
of You,” a song about missing the forest looking for
the trees. “Next To My Heart” is a soul ballad with
a heavy dose of the Stax sound. “This Party’s Done”
has a country soul feel with some nice twangy guitar
effects from Paule, and Bey really pours his heart
into the somber ballad, “Nobody’s Angel.”
Bey and the band really rock the house on the title
track, a sequel of sorts to the track, “I’m Leavin’
You Today,” from their previous release, Soul For
Your Blues, and get downright funky on “Ballad of
the Lover Man.” On the smoking hot instrumental
“Noel’s Haze,” the band adapts the classic Booker T.
& the MG’s sound with horns mixed in as a bonus. Bey
does a blues-drenched turn on the slow blues “Don’t
Ask Me How I Feel.”
The album also includes covers of Candi Staton’s
“Someone You Use,” a great slice of southern soul
ably handled by Bey, and George Jackson’s classic
tune of hope, “If I Could Reach Out,” closes the
disc on a positive note. On this tune, and several
others, sweet background vocals are supplied by
Loralee Christensen, Lisa Leuschner-Andersen, and
Larry Batiste.
The partnership between Paule, Bey and the band
(Tony Lufrano – keys, Paul Revelli – drums, Paul
Olguin – bass, Mike Rinta – trombone/horn
arrangements, Nancy Wright – tenor sax, and Tom
Poole – trumpet) is truly a group effort, as most of
the members collaborate on the songwriting with Bey,
Paule, and Paule’s wife Christine Vitale. That team
spirit is crucial to any band’s success, and is a
big factor in what makes this band such a joy to
hear.
If you’re a soul//blues fan and you’re not on board
with the Bey Paule Band, what are you waiting for?
Not Goin’ Away is the place to start. It’s 12
tracks of soul/blues heaven.
---
Graham Clarke
You pretty much have an idea what you’re going to
get with an album by The Nighthawks: great
musicians, a mix of great original tunes and
well-chosen covers, and a perfect mix of blues and
roots music. These guys have been plying their craft
since the early ’70s, with the present incarnation of the
Nighthawks --- founder Mark Wenner (harmonica/vocals),
Mark Stutso (drums/vocals), Johnny Castle
(bass/vocals), and Paul Bell (guitars/vocals) --- having
been together for a decade.
In 2011, their live-before-a-studio audience CD,
Last Train To Bluesville, won a well-deserved BMA
for Best Acoustic Recording. Their latest release,
Back Porch Party (EllerSoul Records), is a follow-up
to that fine effort, with the band performing a
dozen tracks, mixing originals and covers,
live-in-the-studio again in front of an appreciative
audience.
The band covers Jimmy Rogers’ “Rock This House” and
Ike Turner’s “Matchbox,” and of course, it wouldn’t
be a Nighthawks album without a nod to Wenner’s
musical mentor Muddy Waters, who is represented by
two tracks: ”Tiger In Your Tank” and “Rollin’
Stone.” Lightnin’ Slim’s “Rooster Blues” is featured
as well.
No one does those traditional blues tunes quite like
The Nighthawks, but there are also a couple of
surprising cover selections as well. “Walkin’ After
Midnight” is usually associated with the late
country singer Patsy Cline.The band also covers Tom Waits’ “Down In
The Hole,” with both songs getting the full Nighthawks
treatment.
The band’s own contributions are strong as well,
with Castle’s jumping rockers “Jana Lea” and “Little
Miss Hey,” Wenner’s funky “Guard My Heart,” Stutso’s
country-flavored “Down To My Last Million Tears,”
and the closer, “Back To The City,” which extols the
virtues of urban life.
Back Porch Party is a well-chosen title for The
Nighthawks’ latest release. From the sounds of the
audience, the session was a lot of fun. Listening at
home, you will get the same feeling.
---
Graham Clarke
Toronto blues rocker
Anthony Gomes’ latest release,
Electric Field Holler (Up 2 Zero Entertainment), is
pure and unadulterated blues rock, as raw and
visceral as blues rock gets. On this, his 12th
release, Gomes is firing on all cylinders, not just
as a guitarist but also as a singer and songwriter.
Backed by a propulsive rhythm section (Theo Harden –
bass, Chad Cromwell – drums, David Smith –
keyboards, R. Scott Bryan and Glen Caruba –
percussion), Gomes positively rips through a dozen
tracks, all originals.
The aptly titled “Turn it Up” comes roaring out of
the gate with Gomes fiercely proclaiming, with voice
and guitar, that he’ll play the blues until the day
he dies, “just like B.B. King and Buddy Guy.” “Back
Door Scratching” is next, full of southern rock
swagger, and is followed by the fiery “Whiskey
Train,” a standout track among standouts.
The autobiographical rocker “Blueschild” is next,
followed by “Nowhere is Home,” a mid-tempo track
about the plight of homeless children in the U.S.,
one of several featuring backup vocals from Vicki
Hampton, Wendy Moten, Minnie Murphy, and Kelly Wild.
The crunching “Losing Game,” is one of the album’s
best tracks --- a straight blues rocker with Gomes
really standing out on guitar and vocals.
Gomes goes unplugged on “The Blues Ain’t The Blues
No More,” a witty lament on the ever-changing face
of the music, but the electricity is back on for the
funky “Junk In The Trunk.” “Love Crazy” is the most
pop-oriented track on the disc …. I could easily
picture this one being a smash back in the day. The
humorous story song “Red Handed Blues” features
clever lyrics and some scorching guitar work from
Gomes. After a brief interlude with Gomes on sitar
(“Delta Raga”), the disc closes with the reflective
“Listen To The Universe.”
If Anthony Gomes had released this album
40 or so
years ago, several of these tunes would be blowing
the doors off of the radio and would probably be on
the cover of Rolling Stone or CREEM. Alas, times
have changed, but this music remains as powerful and
fresh as ever when in the right hands. Make no
mistake; Gomes is the right man with the right
hands. Electric Field Holler is killer stuff.
---
Graham Clarke
Scott Ellison is one of those blues artists who
should be better known. The Tulsa-based guitarist
has been performing since the ’70s, backing the
Coasters, the Shirelles, the Box Tops, and Peaches &
Herb. He’s released several uniformly excellent
albums of his own (Ice Storm and Walkin’ Through The
Fire, for starters) with several of his own songs
being featured on TV and films. He’s also a work
horse, doing 200 shows a year. His guitar work is
versatile, mixing the traditional blues with
contemporary rock-based blues, and he’s a first-rate
vocalist with good range.
Ellison’s latest release,
Elevator Man (Red Parlor
Records), is another gem. It features Ellison
performing 13 songs that he either wrote or
co-wrote, with backing from Charles Tuberville
(guitars, bass, backing vocals), Jon Parris or Gary
Gilmore (bass), Jamie Oldaker (formerly with Eric
Clapton) or Robbie Armstrong (drums), Jimmy Markham
(harmonica), and backing vocals vet Marcy Levy, who
provided background vocals for Clapton, Bob Seger,
and Leon Russell.
Ellison mixes a number of blues styles into his
music. The Wolf-styled “Holler For Help” opens the
disc and is a standout with the gritty vocal and
soaring slide guitar. His vocals pay tribute to Wolf
again on the rocker “Arlene” and “Put You Down,” but
he’s also pretty soulful on tracks like “Behind That
Smile.” The title track is a irresistible blues with
a funky backdrop, and “Fishsticks and Jelly” is an
acoustic number that will make you smile.
“Jesus Loves Me (Baby Why Don’t You)” is a scorching
blues shuffle with some fierce string bending going
on, and “School Girl” has a Latin flair mixed in.
One of my favorites is “I Thought I’d Be Gone,” with
its creative lyrics, slide guitar, and a powerful
vocal from Ellison. It’s a nice segue to the grungy
Hill Country of “My Little Sheba” and the jet-fueled
closer “She’s On My Trail.”
I’m not sure how Scott Ellison is not as well known
as he should be, but if there’s any justice in the
world, Elevator Man should be his ticket. The
Oklahoma native can do it all, strong and inventive
songs, icy hot guitar work, and great vocals. Do
yourself a favor and check out this disc. You can
thank me later.
---
Graham Clarke
The Rusty Wright Band may hail from Michigan, but
that doesn’t mean that they can’t lay down some mean
Southern-style blues rock. He plays some smoking hot
guitar and his vocals are every bit a match for his
fretwork. Wright is backed by a powerful foursome
(guitarist/vocalist/wife Laurie LaCross-Wright,
bassist/vocalist Dennis Bellinger, keyboard wizard
Robert John Manzitti, and drummer Marc Friedman),
and their newest CD, Wonder Man, is his fifth
release for the Sadson Music label.
Wonder Man has ten impressive tracks, all written by
Wright, that run the gamut from blues to Southern
rock to blues rock. The snazzy title track opens the
disc in jumping fashion, smoothly shuffles into
“Ain’t That The Blues,” and soars over into blues
rock with the slightly twisted “Black Hat Boogie.”
“You Know I Know” is straight-forward blues with
some nice guitar work from Wright.
“Love's Gonna Treat You Right” is a fine slice of
southern rock that will bring to mind the genre’s
’70s heyday, and “Gonna Come A Day” is a slick blues
ballad. “Corvette Summer” is a sizzling rock
instrumental that lets the band stretch out a bit.
The “Arms of Another” continues along the rock vein,
and features Wright’s most soulful vocal on the
disc. The hard-driving blues rocker “Whiskey Drinkin’
Woman” has some nasty, crunching guitar work, and
“Chinfoot Ball” closes the disc on a rollicking
note.
I really like the interplay between Wright’s guitar
and Manzitti’s keyboards. They really go at it on
several of these tracks. Wright’s lyrics are also
pretty unique, offering a cool mix of traditional
blues topics with a definite nod toward more modern
fare, such as technology and social media. Of
course, Wright’s guitar work and his gritty,
soul-flavored vocals, along with the band’s great
rapport are a huge selling point for Wonder Man.
Fans of southern blues rock should have this disc in
their collection.
---
Graham Clarke
Delta Moon consists of the slide guitar duo Tom Gray
and Mark Johnson, along with bassist Franher Joseph
and drummer Vic Stafford. Winner of the 2003
International Blues Challenge, the Atlanta-based
band has expanded their audience over the years to
include strong followings in the greater U.S.,
Canada, and Europe, due to their relentless touring.
Apparently, they’re pretty busy recording when
they’re not touring, because Low Down (Jumping Jack
Records) is the Atlanta-based band’s tenth album,
which features a dozen songs, ten originals and
three covers.
If you’re not familiar with the band’s sound, the
opening cut, “Wrong Side of Town,” should get you on
board pretty quickly. It features Johnson’s slide
work and he really burns it up on this funky rocker.
“Afterglow,” the next tune, ventures into Second
Line territory, and “Nothing You Can Tell A Fool”
has a swampy rhythm and more exquisite slide from
Johnson (plus backing vocals from Francine Reed).
“Mean Streak” is a gritty rocker with Gray adding
keyboards to the mix, and the bluesy title track, a
Tom Waits tune, benefits from a Gray’s gravelly
vocal and Johnson’s slide.
You can almost feel the humidity of a Mississippi
summer day in the band’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Down
In the Flood,” which features Ms. Reed again on
backing vocals, and Gray picks up the harmonica on
“Open All Night,” then goes toe to toe with Johnson
on slide. The twin slide guitars resurface on the
catchy “Spark In The Dark,” then ease into a tasty
version of Skip James’ classic “Hard Time Killing
Floor Blues,” which has some amazing work from Gray
and Johnson on Dobro and electric steel. “Mayfly” is
a nice country rocker, and “Jelly Roll” is a swampy
blues with an irresistible rhythm. The closer,
“Jackie Ray,” is a funky blues rocker.
Gray’s warm vocal style is a perfect complement to
his and Johnson’s fabulous slide guitar and the
tight rhythm section Though it will definitely
please fans of slide guitar, Low Down has a smooth
laid back vibe that will appeal to blues and roots
fans in general.
---
Graham Clarke
Josh Garrett’s brand of blues is steeped in the
music of his native Louisiana. The Houma, Louisiana
resident’s latest release, Honey For My Queen, finds
the young singer/songwriter/guitarist in good
company with a guest list that includes Tab Benoit
bass player Corey Duplechin, fiddle master Waylon
Thibodeaux, and legendary guitarist James Johnson
(lead guitarist on the Slim Harpo classic, “Baby
Scratch My Back”).
The 11 tracks, all but one written by Garrett,
have a downhome, relaxed, swampy feel that’s
guaranteed to keep listeners coming back. This is
exemplified by the gently loping rhythm of the title
track, the easygoing “Memphis,” and the acoustic
guitar/harmonica tune “Goodnight, Goodnight.” “Easy
Chair” is along the same lines, but with more of an
urban feel with Garrett’s guitar backed by a nice B3
backdrop.
“Same Boat” teams Garrett with guitarist Johnson and
it has an upbeat, funky vibe with some nice
interplay between the two. The instrumental “Slide
in ‘G’” will definitely get toes tapping and heads
bobbing, as will “Dat’s Alright With Me” and
“Moonshine & Cigarettes.” The album’s lone cover is
a stellar slow blues reading of the classic “Ain’t
Nobody’s Business.”
This is an excellent set of blues that combines and
updates sound of the Delta and the swamp. The
combination is one that blues fans will want to
hear. Garrett is a strong vocalist and guitarist,
and a creative songwriter. Hopefully, we will hear
much more from him, and soon.
---
Graham Clarke
Michael Falzarano has covered a lot of musical
ground over his 45+ year career. He’s played with Hot
Tuna, The Jorma Kaukonen Trio, The New Riders of the
Purple Sage, and his own bands, The Memphis Pilgrims
and The Extended Family. He’s played and/or recorded
with a huge list of musical legends, including John
Lee Hooker, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Hubert Sumlin,
Pinetop Perkins, Derek Trucks, Guy Davis, Paul
Simon, Dr. John, Warren Haynes, Gregg Allman, and
Warren Zevon.
Falzarano’s latest release,
I Got
Blues For Ya (Hypnotation Records/Woodstock Records)
offers a dozen excellent tracks of blues and roots,
with ten originals from the
singer/songwriter/guitarist and two compelling
covers.
The originals include the opener, “The Night King
Curtis Died,” a grinding rocker about the infamous
day the R&B legend was killed that’s driven by
Falzarano’s anguished vocals and Kane Daily’s
screaming slide guitar. The title track has a
crunching Diddley-esque guitar rhythm and an intense
vocal from Falzarano. “I Never Think About You”
changes tempos a bit, moving to a mellow feel with
stinging lead work from guitarist Josh Colow, B3 and
piano courtesy of Professor Louie and sweet backing
vocals from the good Professor and Miss Marie.
The jumping “Snake Box Boogie” will get the party on
their feet in a hurry, with more great work on the
keys from Professor Louie and guitar from Colow. The
country groover “Big Fish” showcases Kerry Kearney
on slide guitar and the late Vassar Clements on
fiddle, followed by the rollicking shuffle, “We Got
A Party Going On,” and the southern rocker “Good
Good Lovin’.” Falzarano takes on a familiar topic,
dealing with the devil, on the next two tunes, the
hypnotic boogie “Crossroads Avenue” and “The Devil’s
Gone Fishin’,” which features some tasty fretwork
from Kearney. “Trouble” also cites the devil, this
time as a female with black hair, dressed in red.
The covers include a live version of Rev. Gary
Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy,” with Falzarano
backed by Jam Stampede. His soulful vocal is backed
powerfully by Jason Crosby’s fiddle and Barry
Mitterhoff’s mandolin. Wilbert Harrison’s “Let’s
Work Together” closes the disc on an optimistic, and
rocking, note.
Falzarano’s warm vocals are ideally suited for his
material, giving the tunes a comfortable lived-in
feeling. You feel like you know these songs even
though you’re hearing them for the first time. A tip
of the hat also goes to the numerous backing
musicians. The lead guitarists (Daily, Kearney,
Colow, Mike Miz) really stand out, as do the
keyboards from Professor Louie and Pete Sears.
Falzarano’s intention with I Got Blues For Ya was
“to get back to his blues roots and make an album
that sounded like a late ’60s/early ’70s blues rock
record.” It’s safe to say that he succeeded on both
counts, which is great because there’s not nearly
enough of this music out there these days. This is
an outstanding and diverse release of blues and
roots music.
---
Graham Clarke
For his third release, singer/songwriter/guitarist
Peter Novelli ventured to St. Amant, Louisiana with a host
of stellar musicians, including slide guitarist
extraordinaire Sonny Landreth, Nashville keyboardist
Kevin McKendree, and zydeco star Chubby Carrier. The
result, appropriately entitled St. Amant Sessions
(Chalet Music, LLC), is a potent mix of swampy
blues, roots, and zydeco that’s bound to put a hop
in your step.
Novelli has performed with and written songs for a
prestigious list of musicians….Dr. John, Landreth,
Paul Barrere of Little Feat, Chris Thomas King, Greg
“Fingers” Taylor, and others. He wrote 10 of the
11 tracks on his new release and shows a nice,
earthy touch in his songwriting reminiscent of John
Hiatt, some wide-ranging guitar skills, and a gruff,
weathered vocal style. He covers a lot of musical
ground with these tracks, beginning with the
countrified opener, “Louisiana Sunrise,” which teams Novelli with Landreth on a song that Novelli wrote
with Landreth in mind. Obviously, from Landreth’s
slide work, he appreciated Novelli’s effort.
The rest of Novelli’s tunes range from “Je Ne Sais
Quoi,” a Cajun rocker with Sammy Naquin on
accordion, to “Bourbon Street Blue,” a “state of the
union” tune about the famed New Orleans attraction,
to “Woman In My Dreams,” a groovy shuffle very much
in the J.J. Cale mode (to whom the song is
dedicated) to the ballad “Story In Your Mind,” to
the funny and funky R&B of “Thinkin’ or Drinkin’.”
“Boudin” is one of four instrumentals on the disc.
It’s a smooth, jazzy track that gives Novelli plenty
of room to show that he’s no slouch on the six
string himself. The other instrumentals are
“Shreveport Stomp,” a swampy boogie track that
highlights Novelli and McKendree on piano, and “I-10
Boogie,” which kicks off with Novelli in an Elmore
James vein before the tune shifts gears a couple of
times, turning into a scorching southern rocker and
then a zydeco rocker with Carrier joining in on
accordion and frottior. After nearly five minutes of
this genre-hopping fun, the group segues into a
breathless reading of one of Carrier’s father Roy’s
tunes, “Zydeco Ride.” It adds up to seven minutes of
musical nirvana.
Actually, that describes the whole album. Novelli
tries a lot of things on this disc and he succeeds
in whatever direction he goes in. Sometimes artists
spread themselves a bit too thin and end up trying
to do too much, but that’s not the case on St. Amant
Sessions. This is a fine effort that will surely
satisfy fans of Louisiana-based blues, R&B, zydeco,
and roots. Count on hearing much more from Peter
Novelli in the future.
---
Graham Clarke
Deb Ryder’s debut release in 2013 was a pretty
diverse set of blues, R&B, and roots, which made
perfect sense because she had spent many years
plying her trade as a studio musician, singing
jingles on TV commercials, backing vocals on several
albums, appearing in Las Vegas, opening for many of
the blues stars who performed at her dad’s Topanga
Corral, and fronting the Bluesryders with her
husband, bassist Rick Ryder, for over 20 years.
Needless to say, she knew her way around the block.
Ryder’s follow-up release,
Let It Rain (Bejeb
Music), continues that trend with a remarkable set
of original tunes that cover a lot of musical
territory, moving from the powerful opener, “That’s
Just How It Is,” to the Latin shuffle, “Can’t Go Back
Again,” to the swinging “You Won’t Be True.” Ryder
gets down in the alley for the slow blues burner
“Guilty As Sin,” which also features Fabulous
Thunderbird Kim Wilson’s harmonica and moves toward
the church on the spiritual “Cry Another Tear” and
“Hold Your Lamp High.”
The jumping “Money Monsoon” threatens to fly out of
your speakers with the punchy horns, Kirk Fletcher’s
nimble fretwork and Ryder’s playful vocal. “Kiss and
Dream” is a lovely ballad with a jazz feel, while
the smooth title track ventures toward R&B
territory. The New Orleans-styled “Ma Misere finds
Ryder joining up with guitarist Johnny Lee Schell
and Albert Lee, along with David Fraser on accordion
for a nice toe-tapper. The disc closes with a
stripped down country blues track, “Round and
Around,” featuring Ryder, Wilson, and Schell.
From what you’ve seen already, Ryder is backed by a
pretty high-profile set of musicians. Also included
in the mix are Tony Braunagel (drums), Mike Finnigan
(piano, B3), Lee Thornberg (trumpet, trombone), Lon
Price (saxophone), Ryder’s husband Ric (bass), and
James Hutchinson (double bass). Ryder, Schell, and
Finnigan provide backing vocals.
It all adds up to another high-quality release for
Deb Ryder, who has passed the “up and coming” tag
that I’ve seen accompanying her name. She has
arrived and blues fans should be eager to hear more
after listening to Let It Rain.
---
Graham Clarke
Americana is definitely the best genre to describe
Voo Davis’ music. The Alabama-born, Chicago-based
guitarist/singer’s music is an amazing amalgamation
of blues, jazz, rock, country, jam band, and roots
music. He toured with Eddie King, who played guitar
in Koko Taylor’s band for years, and he learned his
lessons well, both as a seasoned vocalist and as a
versatile and powerful guitarist. Davis’ latest
release, Midnight Mist (Butter & Bacon Records), is
both his most ambitious and his best to date.
Davis begins with the blues, of course. The opening
track, “When I Get Back To You,” is a solid blues
rocker featuring his slide guitar playing and his
gravelly vocals. The title track begins gently with
Davis playing mandolin and roars to a conclusion
with him playing some blazing pedal steel. “My Love”
is a scorching blues rocker with Davis’ roaring
guitars and Calvin Conway’s harmonica battling it
out. Conway doubles up on harmonica and fiddle on
“Cajun Sun,” which features more fiery fretwork, and
“Riverside Blues” is an intense mid-tempo blues with
outstanding slide.
Davis unplugs for the country blues “Low Hangin’
Fruit,” backed by Conway’s harmonica, followed by
the ominous “Howling Out Your Name,” a haunting
track where he plays all the instruments. The Hill
Country-styled “Find Me A Blackbone” is pretty
fierce, with distorted guitar work and plenty of
echo in the vocals. The wonderful “Nothing Changed
At All” finds Davis mixing electric and acoustic
slide guitar and Conway doubling on harp and fiddle
again.
“Music In The Street” is a short, but funky blues
rocker, followed by the loose and soulful “You Gotta
Wait.” “Laughing Out Loud” is loaded with soul, too,
with Davis playing Rhodes piano and offering one of
his best vocals on the disc.
The bonus tracks are as
good as the rest of the album. Davis plays all the
instruments on the moody “Void,” and “You Wanna Know
Why” closes the disc in rousing fashion with some
stellar turns on guitar, piano, and fiddle.
There’s also a bonus video of “Riverside Blues”
included, but in truth, blues fans shouldn’t really
need any additional incentive to pick up Midnight
Mist. This is one of the more compelling releases
I’ve heard this year, thanks to Davis’ endlessly
inventive guitar work, his blues-powered vocals, and
his impressive songwriting skills.
---
Graham Clarke
John Cocuzzi is best known to blues fans as a member
of Big Joe & the Dynaflows, but he’s entertained
crowds in the Washington, D.C. area for over 25 years
and has accompanied scores of blues and jazz
musicians around the U.S. and Europe. He plays
piano, vibraphone, and drums and is also a fine
singer. His latest release, Ding Dong Daddy (EllerSoul
Records), is a special one because he’s accompanied
by his father, drummer Frank Cocuzzi, who was a
percussionist in the U.S. Marine Band and worked as
a professional jazz drummer.
Cocuzzi alternates on piano and vibraphone on these
13 tracks, with dynamite versions of “Swanee
River Boogie,” “Ballin’ The Jack,” “Kambucha
Boogie,” “You Do Something To Me,” “Tennessee
Waltz,” and the title track. He also does covers of
Lowell Fulson’s “Reconsider Baby,” Jimmy Rogers’
“That’s Alright,” and “The Boss.” The elder Cocuzzi,
who passed away in 2013 even takes a vocal on the
lovely ballad, “They Say It’s Wonderful,” which
closes the disc.
Cocuzzi is a master of both instruments, tearing
through these songs with joyful exuberance. He shows
that the line between blues, jazz, and swing is a
thin one indeed. He receives superlative support
from Paul Keller on bass, Jerry Krahn on guitar, Dan
Levinson on tenor sax and clarinet, and Kevin
McKendree, who plays acoustic guitar on “Reconsider
Me.”
If you’re a fan of blues, jazz, swing, or all
of the above, you definitely need to get your hands
on this entertaining collection.
---
Graham Clarke
Sugaray Rayford continues to forge ahead with a fine
solo career in addition to serving as lead vocalist
for the Mannish Boys in his spare time. For his
third, and latest, solo release, Southside (NimoySue
Records), the big man zeroes in on the Memphis side
of the blues, backed the versatile guitarist Gino
Matteo and a sturdy backing band that includes Ralph
Carter (bass), Lavell Jones (drums), Allan Walker
(tenor sax), Gary Bivona (trumpet), Leo Dombecki
(keyboards).
Rayford wrote all nine of the tracks with Carter
(who also co-produced the album with Rayford and
Chuck Kavooras). The disc has a greasy Memphis feel
with tracks like the funky title track that kicks
off the disc, “Miss Thang,” and “Live To Love
Again.” The horns, keyboards, and backing vocals
(Jade Bennett, Zara Davis, Rachele Quiogue) are a
plus, as are Matteo’s crisp guitar fills and leads.
“Texas Bluesman” takes things to the southwest for a
bit, as Rayford tears into this raucous, self-penned
track. He and Matteo really work well together on
this one. “Take It To The Bank” is an acoustic track
with Rayford, Matteo and guest harp master Bob
Corritore having some fun. “Call Off The Mission” is
R&B track lamenting the recent conflicts around the
world and at home. I like the keyboards and horns on
the funky “All I Think About,” which has a nice
early ’70s R&B feel.
“Take Away These Blues” is a slick urban blues
ballad with one of Rayford’s best vocal performances
on the disc, but he tops it on the closer, “Slow
Motion,” an intense slow burner that blends soul and
jazz seamlessly. Again, the musical interplay
between the keyboards, horns, and Matteo’s guitar
work are top notch.
With each release, Sugaray Rayford not only
showcases his vast vocal talent and range, but he
also displays his versatility, moving easily between
soul/R&B, jazz, and the blues. Southside is a
must-hear for fans of all of those genres.
---
Graham Clarke
I
wasn't too sure that I was going to like the new
self-titled EP on GES Music from L.A. band Bo &
the Bluesdrivers, suspecting that it would be a
bit too rocked out and over the top for my musical
tastes. But as I worked my way through the five
original cuts on this disc, I began having
flashbacks to the 1970s, taking me back to my days
of when I sported mutton chop sideburns and wore
flannel shirts and jeans, and sat around at house
parties listening to rockin' blues from the period,
passing around quart bottles of cheap beer
(primarily because we just didn't know any better).
The disc opens with
Bo (no last name --- he's just known as "Bo" ---
although the band's Facebook page leaks the info
that his real name is Shane McMillian) taking the
guitar and vocal lead on "Out On The Streets," Bo
shows that there' s no guitar effect that he won't
use as he churns out his blues-rock solos in front
of the solid rhythm section consisting of Brian
James on bass and J.J. Garcia on drums. This is one
of the bluesiest songs on the album, but one of my
least favorite as Bo's voice gets stronger on
subsequent cuts.
The band follows with
the catchy, up-beat shuffle "Ass, Gas or Grass." I
like Bo's guitar playing here as it's more
restrained and doesn't overwhelm the listener.
Again, Garcia's drumming is solid. This is just a
fun tune with the title saying it all.
My remembrances of
the '70s began with the third cut, "Sea Song," a
more ethereal mid-tempo instrumental on which Bo's
guitar playing brings to mind a more laid-back Duane
Allman. The Allman vibe continues on the upbeat,
feelgood number "Walkin' In The Park," which suits
Bo's voice better as he sings about the memories of
good times pulling all-nighters in the park, mixed
in with some really tasteful guitar breaks. This is
my favorite song from the session and ended too
quickly after just three minutes.
The EP ends with
another instrumental, the jazzy blues shuffle "Chillin'."
I'm surprised by how the sound of Bo & the
Bluesdrivers changes from the first cut to the fifth
one --- it leaves me wondering what kind of
diversity and depth of sound they will show on a
full album. I'll wait patiently, perhaps giving me
time to again grow out my mutton chop sideburns.
---
Bill Mitchell
