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 Johnny
Sansone has played blues, Cajun and zydeco
over his career, sitting in with Honeyboy
Edwards at age 13 and studying with harp masters
James Cotton and Junior Wells during the ’70s.
In the ’80s, he toured with Ronnie Earl, John
Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rogers, and Robert Jr.
Lockwood.
He’s released 13
albums since his recording career began in 1987,
the latest being Into Your Blues, which
is the sixth on his own Short Stack Records.
Sansone plays harmonica and resonator guitar on
the album of 11 originals, and he’s joined by an
impressive list of musicians, including
guitarists Mike Morgan, Johnny Burgin, Little
Freddie King, and harp ace Jason Ricci.
The title track
opens the disc, a mid-tempo urban blues with
horns, crisp fretwork, and a harmonica solo to
close it out. “Pay For This Song” is a Jimmy
Reed-based blues that cynically laments the
meager compensation given to artists from the
streaming services, while “Desperation” is a
wonderful slice of smooth Southern soul. Ricci
joins Sansone on vocals and harp for the
aptly-titled “Blowin’ Fire,” and King sits in on
guitar and narrates “Willie’s Juke Joint,”
recounting one particular night in a Kenner,
Louisiana juke joint.
Tiffany Pollock
joins Sansone on vocals for the rousing “People
Like You And Me,” and makes several other
appearances throughout. Another standout track
is the rocking driving country blues, “The
Getaway,” a nice harp showcase for Sansone. “New
Crossroads” revisits the familiar blues theme
with a hypnotic, haunting rhythm, while
“Something Good Going On” has a greasy, swampy
vibe with a great harp solo from Sansone. The
album closes out with the funky and somewhat
ominous “Single Room,” and “Southern Dream” is a
gentle instrumental showcasing Sansone, Burgin,
and Morgan on guitars.
Other
contributing musicians include Jeffrey Bridges
(bass), John Milham (drums), Brad Walker
(tenor/baritone saxes), Steve Lands (trumpet),
and Michael Sinkus (percussion). Into Your
Blues is more focused on the blues than
recent Johnny Sansone releases, but the blues
has always been there for him anyway. This is a
fine effort and ranks highly in his
already-impressive catalog.
--- Graham Clarke
 I
just naturally assumed that somewhere down the
road, Bob Margolin and Bob Corritore had
made an album together, but no, So Far (VizzTone
Label Group) marks their first album together.
Though they haven’t made an album together,
Margolin and Corritore have known each other for
years, dating back to Corritore seeing Margolin
playing with Muddy Waters at his high school in
1974, and have been friends ever since. Their
first effort is an acoustic one and includes 13
songs, eight originals and five covers. Just two
old friends getting together and doing what they
do best.
Margolin penned
seven of the originals, including the opener
“Steady Rollin’ On,” “Running Through High
Water” (with guest Jimmy Vivino also on guitar),
“Outrage and Images” (loosely based on Robert
Johnson’s “Terraplane Blues”), “Now and Then,”
“One Hundred Hearts Later,” “What If?,” and
“Blessings and Blues.” Corritore contributed the
fine instrumental, “Salt River Stomp,” where he
takes the spotlight with sturdy rhythmic backing
from Margolin.
The covers
include The Band’s “It Makes No Difference,”
sung by Margolin and Vivino and appropriately
played in an Americana vein, Memphis Minnie’s
“Broken Heart,” “Red Hot Kisses” from Sonny Boy
Williamson (Rice Miller edition), Muddy Waters’
“I Wanna Go Home,” and “My Little Machine,” from
Sonny Boy Williamson (John Lee Williamson
edition).
Margolin produced
the album, which has a warm, intimate feel. The
fretwork and original songs are excellent and
his vocals are warm and heartfelt. Corritore’s
harmonica is always right where it needs to be.
He’s backed countless blues artists over his
career and there’s never a note out of place.
Margolin has played with a harmonica player or
two during his career and the two complement
each other perfectly. Hopefully, these two will
collaborate again very soon.
--- Graham Clarke
 The Hogtown
Allstars are a Canadian blues supergroup
that feature a host of the country’s most highly
respected artists, including Downchild Blues
Band vets Chuck Jackson (vocals/harmonica), Gary
Kendall (bass), Pat Carey (sax), Jim Casson
(drums), and Tyler Yarema (keyboards), and Maple
Blues Band alumni Teddy Leonard (guitar) and
Howard Moore (trumpet). The group members have
amassed over 20 Maple Blues Awards, five JUNO
Awards, two Lifetime Achievement awards, and
many other international blues and jazz awards.
The group was
originally conceived in 2013, so it took some
eight years for them to coordinate everyone’s
schedules to actually sit down and make a
recording, which they finally were able to
complete. Hog Wild (Stony Plain Records)
is a ten-song set featuring eight originals from
the band and two choice covers.
“Mr. Lucky,” a
Crescent City-flavored shuffle, kicks off the
disc in fine fashion, with Jackson sounding a
bit like Dr. John in his vocal delivery, and
Yarema takes a turn on the ivories that would
certainly put a smile on Fess’s face. Next up is
the title track, a down and dirty roadhouse
rocker, and “Real Good Night,” a swinging,
goodtime track written by Kendall. The soulful
“I Just Think Of You” and the ballad “Angel In
My Bed” are also top notch.
The “Subway
Casanova” has a southern rock feel and features
tasty slide guitar from Leonard, while “The Sad
One” is a buoyant call and response number and
“Biscuits & Beans” is an acoustic blues
addressing the trails of getting a good meal on
the road. The last two tracks are covers,
beginning with Dave McLean’s amusing “She’s Got
The Stuff,” and closing with “I Ain’t Lyin’,” an
upbeat tune that wraps things up nicely.
Hog Wild
is a sharp set from some of The Great White
North’s finest blues artists. These guys
certainly do know their way around the blues
and, hopefully, they’ll work on coordinating
their future schedules so they can get together
for another recording soon.
--- Graham Clarke
 For Nightwalk,
Dave Weld & the Imperial Flames’ third
release for Delmark Records, the slide guitarist
offers up a brave new version of the Chicago
blues that Weld has been playing for several
decades, first with slide guitar legend J.B.
Hutto and later with Hutto’s nephew, maybe
you’ve heard of him, Lil’ Ed Williams. Weld’s
two previous Delmark releases, 2010’s Burnin’
Love and 2015’s Slip Into A Dream,
were both successful. Nightwalk continues
that streak.
Grammy-winning
producer Tom Hambridge produced this effort,
which features a dozen tracks, two of which are
covers. Weld handles all of the guitar work and
most of the vocals, while the talented Monica
Myhre takes the mic on five tracks. She and Weld
wrote or co-wrote the originals, one of the best
being the intense urban life narrative, “Mary
Who,” which opens and closes (in an extended
version) the album. Weld narrates the harrowing
tale most effectively as the band slowly builds
the tension.
Hutto gets a lot
of love from Weld on Nightwalk. The
original “Don’t Ever Change Your Ways” is a
thank-you note of sorts to the 'slideslinger'
for his sage advice and counsel during Weld’s
formative years.The band offers two-fisted
covers of a pair of Hutto classics, “Now She’s
Gone” (which features harmonica from Billy
Branch, always a good thing) and “Loving You”
(which is combined with Bukka White’s “Jelly
Roll Blues”). I think Mr. Hutto would definitely
nod in approval of Weld’s scorching slide guitar
on these tracks.
Myhre shines on
“Don’t Tell Mama,” “Travelin’ Woman,” “Cry Cry
Cry,” the Latin-flavored “Donde Vas,” and “She
Was A Woman” with her tough, but vulnerable
vocal style. These songs, all originals, are
powerful in their narrative and message, with
some touching on subjects not normally broached
in blues songs. Drummer Jeff Taylor takes an
amiable lead vocal on the funky “Hit By The
103.”
Hambridge brings
his typical high-energy production to the
proceedings, giving Weld’s brand of traditional
Windy City blues a modern sheen that should be
pleasing to fans of traditional and contemporary
blues. The band support is superlative,
including Taylor (drums, with Hambridge playing
on one track) Harry Yaseen and Graham Guest
(keyboards), Kenny Pickens (bass), Sax Gordon
(baritone and alto sax), Rogers Randle, Jr.
(alto sax, arrangements), Kenny Anderson
(trumpet), and Bill McFarland (trombone).
Nightwalk
offers up powerful songs and performances (plus
lots of monster slide guitar work) from Dave
Weld & the Imperial Flames, one of Chicago’s top
blues bands.
--- Graham Clarke
 A new release
from Steve Howell and the Mighty Men
always puts a hop in my step. The Texas-based
guitarist/singer is always a refreshing change
of pace. His approach to the blues is very
subtle and low-key. allowing listeners to dig
deep into his music with multiple listenings. I
find myself discovering new facets of each song
with each listen. His guitar work is relaxed and
smooth and his musical support from the Mighty
Men (Chris Michaels – electric guitar, Dave
Hoffpauir – drums, Jason Weinheimer –
bass/organ) is always spot-on.
Been Here And
Gone (Out of the Past Music) is a stellar
12-song set of tunes that span some 40 years and
a number of genres: Blues, R&B, popular hits,
and Americana, with Howell and company giving
each tune a fresh treatment. The opener, “The
‘In’ Crowd,” opens the disc. Originally a hit
for Dobie Gray vocally, and later an
instrumental hit for Ramsey Lewis, Howell’s
version is more relaxed yet still retains the
dynamic feel of Lewis’ version. The jazzy “Bad
Boy” was co-written by Lil Armstrong, Louis
Armstrong’s second wife, and Howell presents it
as a tribute to the late Doug Sahm.
Howell and the
Mighty Men have a great time with the swinging
blues “Candyman,” a traditional tune that goes
back at least to the early 20th century,when it
was made famous by the Rev. Gary Davis. Ray
Charles’ “I Believe To My Soul” finds Howell
approaching the lyric somewhat differently from
previous versions, with of sad and knowing
acceptance that things have gone south in his
relationship.
Next is a
terrific cover of The Drifters’ “Such A Night”
that will get toes to tapping, and a
breathtaking instrumental read of the Delfonic’s
“La La Means I Love You.”
Another
instrumental follows, a wonderfully bluesy take
on Gerry and the Pacemakers’ “Ferry Cross The
Mersey.” This seamlessly moves to the rumbling
Louisiana blues obscurity “Jimmy Bell,”
originally recorded by William “Cat Iron”
Carradine, a funky instrumental interpretation
of the ’60s hit “Black Is Black,” and the
traditional Appalachian folk tale “Wild Bill
Jones,” a ominous tale of murder.
A breezy version
of Big Bill Broonzy’s “Willie Mae” precedes a
fascinating rendition of The Ventures’ surf
guitar classic, “Walk Don’t Run,” closing the
disc in spirited fashion.
If you haven’t
experienced the music of Steve Howell and the
Mighty Men, you are truly missing out. Give
Been Here And Gone a spin and you’ll find
yourself eagerly anticipating each of their
subsequent releases as much as I do.
---
Graham Clarke
 Guitarist
Dennis Johnson’s fourth release,
Revelation (Booda Lee Records), is just what
the doctor ordered for any fan of slide guitar.
The new release offers ten tracks, evenly split
between originals and covers, and finds the
master slide guitarist teaming up with drummer
Anton Fig, bassist Jonathan Stoyanoff, and
keyboardist Bob Fridzema. Johnson’s previous
releases were all excellent, but Revelation
shows the guitarist experimenting a bit with
tone, giving his fretwork a grittier edge.
Combined with the rock-steady groove crafted by
the rhythm section, Johnson has given us his
best release to date.
Johnson and the
band lock in on the opening track, a slippery,
mid-tempo run with Freddie King’s “Going Down.”
Fig and Stoyanoff get things good and greasy,
while Fridzema shines on piano and Johnson’s
slide takes the track to the next level. The
stomping rocker “Talk To You” is a standout
original, rock with a country edge, the title
track is a soulful, slow burning instrumental
where Johnson stretches out splendidly, and
“Salvation Bound” is a gospel-flavored romp that
will light your fire even if your wood is wet.
Johnson’s upbeat
version of “32-20 Blues” really jumps and pops,
and “Please Don’t Go” has a loping, countrified
feel that works very well. “Lonesome Valley” is
a funky rocker with sharp work from the rhythm
section, leading to a tasty read of Robert
Johnson’s “Ramblin’” which has a lively, upbeat
tempo that belies the subject matter but works
just fine.
“Two Lights” is a
breathless acoustic country rocker with great
instrumental interplay that you’ll want to hear
more than once. It sets the table pretty well
for the closer, a feisty cover of Gary Clark,
Jr.’s “Don’t Owe You A Thing.”
Revelation
is a fine set of slide guitar-driven blues and
blues rock, with interesting originals, dynamite
covers, and superb musicianship. Dennis Johnson
is one of those artists who deserves to be heard
by a wider audience, and hopefully this
excellent release will help make that happen.
--- Graham Clarke
 Levee Town’s
latest release, Trying To Keep My Head Above
Water (Hudtone Records), describes the
general state of most people over the past
couple of years. The Kansas City-based trio
(Brandon Hudspeth – guitar/vocals, Jacque
Garoutte – bass/vocals, Adam Hagerman – drums,
with Tilney Erhardt on keyboards) worked on this
album during the pandemic, and it sounds like
they had a ball in crafting it. The nine tracks
manage to combine blues, rock, roots, and
country, sometimes in the same song. It’s a
blast from start to finish.
The manic opening
track, “The Music Martyr,” is a fierce rocker
which contains the album title within its
lyrics, while “Locked Up For Days” is more
mid-tempo. The underlying tension still remains,
as the lockdowns and shutdowns loom large in its
lyrics. There’s also a fine cover of Little
Milton’s “Lookin’ For My Baby,” featuring some
tasty bluesy fretwork from Hudspeth, “Gala,” a
rollicking rockabilly rave-up, and “Outside
Child,” a nimble, swinging foray into Walker-esque
West Coast blues.
The cool
instrumental “Tarantino” is a raucous surf
guitar track that one could imagine playing
along with the opening credits of the
filmmaker’s next movie. “She Might Kill You” is
a blues rocker with crisp guitar work, while the
elegiac “Weight of The World” is a ballad
acknowledging those who have been lost over the
past couple of years. The Freddie King
instrumental “The Stumble” closes the album, an
excellent launching pad for Hudspeth to display
his formidable guitar chops.
There’s a little
something for every music fan within Trying
To Keep My Head Above Water, another top
notch release from Levee Town.
--- Graham Clarke
 The Groove
Krewe is a group of talented Louisiana
studio musicians assembled to back Nick Daniels
III (from the popular New Orleans band
Dumpstaphunk) by Rex Pearce and Dale Murray,
both of whom are musicians, producers, and
composers who’ve placed their own music on film,
TV, and radio. The lineup includes Daniels on
bass, Pearce on rhythm guitar, drummer Eddie
Bayers, multi-instrumentalist Nelson Blanchard,
guitarist Jonathon “Boogie” Long, and horn
section Jason Parfait and Ian Smith with various
other musicians joining on selected tracks.
The album, Run
To Daylight (Sound Business Services, LLC),
features ten original tunes co-written by
Pearce, Murray, and Blanchard. Leading off with
the funky title track, driven by Daniels’
soulful vocal, rumbling bass, and punchy horns,
you might think things would wind down
afterward, but that’s not the case at all.
“That’s New Orleans” is another dip into
Crescent City funk that sings the praises of the
city, capturing the sights, sounds and smells
perfectly.
The energetic
“Have A Party” has a tasty ’70s R&B feel that
will get listeners moving, and the aptly-titled
“In The Groove Zone” will keep them moving.
Meanwhile, the optimistic, gospel-flavored
“Reach Out” provides a fine showcase for
Daniels’ powerful vocals, while the slippery
“I’m Gonna Prove My Love” revisits that ’70s R&B
mode. “Where Love Lies” and “Where Ya At In
Life” both have an engaging island feel.
“Sweet Situation”
is a Memphis-styled soul/blues shuffle, and the
closer “Raising Cane On The Bayou” incorporates
a variety of Louisiana music styles with
satisfying results.
Daniels is an
excellent front man with a robust vocal style
that just drips soul. The band provides
superlative support as they move effortlessly
from the various musical genres associated with
the Pelican State. For any blues fans who enjoy
Gulf Coast blues and R&B, Run To Daylight
will be an excellent addition to their music
collection.
--- Graham Clarke
 Canadian
singer/songwriter Sass Jordan struck
blues gold with her 2020 release, Rebel Moon
Blues. A veteran of the rock scene, having
worked with Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones,
AC/DC, and Van Halen, among others, Jordan has
been exploring her blues roots more and more on
her solo releases. With her new album,
Bitches Blues (Stony Plain Records), she
jumps in with both feet, offering up this superb
eight-song set consisting of three original
tracks and five covers. She’s backed by her
band, the Champagne Hookers (guitarists Chris
Caddell and Jimmy Reid, drummer Cass Pereira,
keyboardist Jesse O’Brien, and Steve Marriner on
bass and harmonica).
The opener,
“Still Alive and Well,” written by Rick
Derringer but popularized by Johnny Winter,
roars out of the starting gate with scorching
guitar work from Caddell and equally scalding
vocals from Jordan. Next up is “Chevrolet,” the
oft-recorded blues standard, featuring a soaring
vocal from Jordan, Caddell’s slide guitar, and
harmonica backing from Marriner. “Even” was
originally on Jordan’s 2008 release, Get What
You Give, a piano-driven ballad but with
this version being more raw, earthy, and
blues-based. Another original, “Still The World
Goes Round,” is an inspired country blues romper
with splendid slide guitar from Caddell.
Jordan’s version
of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You Gotta Move”
effectively captures the underlying tension and
urgency of the original, thanks to her powerful
vocal, and the Little Feat classic, “Sailin’
Shoes,” gets a fine treatment, too, recapturing
the funky, swampy vibe of the Lowell
George-written tune, right down to the slippery
slide guitar.
Little Milton
Campbell first recorded “Ain’t No Big Deal On
You,” but Jordan’s rendition bears closer to the
later Freddie King version, thanks to her tough
vocal and Caddell’s piercing lead guitar. The
closing track is another Jordan original,
“Change Is Coming,” a moody blues that hopes for
better days and times ahead.
Really, the only
issue with Bitches Blues is that there
just ain’t enough of it, with only about 27
minutes worth. However, what’s here is excellent
--- well-crafted original tunes, fine covers and
performances. It’s good enough that listeners
will just replay it over and over. Sass Jordan
is a voice that deserves to be heard in the
blues world.
--- Graham Clarke
 Charlie Musselwhite has been an icon of the
blues in a career spanning up to 60 years with
upwards of 40 albums to his credit. Now 78,
Musselwhite has just released MIssissippi Son (Alligator),
a selection of 14 downhome blues numbers, eight
of which are Musselwhite originals. He plays
both guitar and harmonica on most cuts, and is
joined on half of the numbers by Ricky
"Quicksand" Martin on drums and Barry Bays on
acoustic standup bass. It's a collection of
pleasant, downhome blues, showcasing
Musselwhite's abilities on both instruments as
well as
his raw, laid-back vocals.
Among the highlights of the album are the
Musselwhite original, "Blues Gave Me A Ride,"
showing more energy and strength in his vocals
than on other cuts. Also strong is the cover of
Charley Patton's "Pea Vine Blues," with more
understated vocals while playing nice guitar and
coming in with a strong harmonica solo.
Musselwhite uses "The Dark," written by Guy
Clark & Robert Modlock, as an effective spoken
word piece accompanied by subtle guitar work.
The same vibe comes out on the closing number,
"A Voice Foretold," with a gospel feel on this
short song written by Lee Breuer & Robert E.
Telson.
While Musselwhite has been identified more for
his harmonica playing, "Remembering Big Joe" is
an instrumental that shows just how good of a
guitar player he is. "My Road Lies In Darkness"
also showcases Musselwhite's guitar skills as he
accompanies his quieter vocals.
Another strong cover is the mid-tempo Yank
Rachell song, "Hobo Blues," and Joe Lee
Williams' "Crawling King Snake."
Mississippi Son is just a nice, basic
downhome blues album, with every cut coming from
the heart and soul of Musselwhite.
--- Bill Mitchell
 Brad Absher and the Superials' new album, Tulsa Tea (Horton Records),
is billed as roots music, and that's most of
what we hear on the album's eight cuts tallying
less than 30 minutes of music. But Absher has
roots in the blues, having qualified as the
Houston, Texas regional representative in both
the 2013 and 2014 International Blues Challenge
competitions. That blues background comes out in
a few of the cuts on Tulsa Tea.
The
best cut here is the opener, "Be The Love," a
mid-tempo blues with a few New Orleans-based
lines like 'Hey Pocky Way," showcasing Absher's
pleasant soulful vocals along with solid guitar
from Jake Hemphill and organ accompaniment from
Danny Timms. It's a call to action to, "... try
to keep your cool and love your neighbors ..."
Absher shows his soulful side but seeking
redemption on "As Hard As I
Can," recorded over a
steady organ foundation laid down by Timms. The
tempo starts slowly before the pace picks up,
leading into a really nice slide guitar solo by
Hemphill.
Tulsa Tea closes with a mid-tempo soulful
number, "Turn It Up," standing out for the
really nice background vocals of Briana Wright
and a strong organ solo by Timms. (I liked Ms.
Wright's singing so much that I went on a search
for more from her as a lead singer; she's an R&B
singer from Tulsa with a few YouTube videos
online). Tulsa Tea also has more numbers
that I would put in the country or roots bucket,
but for my money the three songs I mentioned
above are the best of the bunch.
--- Bill Mitchell
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