|
 The
name Elly Wininger was a new one to me
when I first cracked open her latest album,
The Blues Never End (Earwing Records), but
I now know that she's a veteran of the New York
City blues and folk scene since at least the
1960s and is a member of the New York Blues Hall
of Fame. That's cool. Even cooler is that she
used to cut school to head to Greenwich Village
to listen to the likes of Lightnin' Hopkins,
Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, and others,
as well as being taught by David Bromberg. On The Blues Never End,
Wininger is backed by a large rotating group of
musicians on the 13 cuts.
Starting it off is a mid-tempo blues shuffle,
"Let That Liar Alone," a traditional number from
Rosetta Thorpe. Right away we find out that
Wininger has a strong yet pleasant singing voice
and plays a very nice guitar. One of the best
cuts is the original slow, snaky blues "Right
Kind of Trouble," with Josh Roy Brown's
eerie lap
steel notes giving this song its mysticism.
Concidentally, Tony Joe
White's "As the Crow Flies," is showing up on
two reviews I'm writing this month, as Colin
James also covers that song on his new Open
Road album. Wininger's version is definitely
better suited for playing while sitting on the
front porch of some rural home. Her slide guitar
and Mike Merenda's banjo fit together quite
well. A very fun tune is Wininger's own
composition, "(I Wanna Be Like) Rosie," a
tribute to Cajun singer / accordionist Rosie
Ledet, with Ed Marris adding the requisite
accordion accompaniment. It's different but very
effective.
Wininger's original "Alabama Blues" sure
covers a lot of topical territory and some deep
emotions, with the
woman here being sexually abused by her uncle,
encouraged not to talk about the
act, and hindered by the fact that she can't get an abortion in
that state --- plus other sensitive topics --- all while Wininger
plays strong slide guitar and Sam Friedman
contributes tasteful harmonica riffs. In the
media notes she writes about the relevance of
this song, intended to shock the listener into
another state of mind.
There's a larger group of musicians backing
Wininger on the Blind Lemon Jefferson /
Leadbelly standard, "Black Snake Moan," with a
full Dixieland band giving this old-time number
a different sound. Wininger excels at other
double entendre numbers, especially the slow
12-bar blues, "Range In My Kitchen." This was
written by Texas Alexander and Lonnie Johnson,
but Wininger shows that it's really a woman's
blues more than anything else.
This
is just a sampling of what's on The Blues Never
End. Every cut is exceptionally good, with
Wininger lovingly presenting a variety of styles
with her wonderful voice and arrangements. It
didn't take long for me to become a big, big fan
of Elly Wininger.
--- Bill Mitchell
 So
you say there's a blues cat goes by the name of
Chickenbone Slim? And he's from nearby
San Diego? Sounds to me like a local band
usually playing in corner bars, but one factoid
about Slim's new album, Serve It To Me Hot
(VizzTone), caught my eye right away. He
traveled north from San Diego to record this set
of 13 tunes at Kid Andersen's Greaseland Studios
in San Jose. That gives it instant credibility,
especially adding the fact that Señor
Chickenbone's band at the time consisted of
Laura Chavez (guitar), Marty Dodson (drums) and
Andrew Crane (bass).
So
what can we expect from Chickenbone Slim and
this fine group of musicians? It's a tight band
with two very strong guitarists (one of which is
the Chickenbone himself). I'm not wild about
his vocals as the range is pretty limited, but
it's enough for him to get by. Even better,
every cut on the album is
an original composition.
Chickenbone sings about the cooking of his
co-writer, Andrea Ryan, on the opener, "Serve It
To Me Hot," a mid-tempo blues that suits his
voice well. In the media notes the album is
referred to as roots rock, and, yeah, that's the sound
he incorporates to his blues. That roots rock
influence really comes out on "Wild Eyed Woman,"
with echo-y vocals by Chickenbone and the
slapping bass making this one just as much
rockabilly as anything else. Another number that
sits firmly in that same rbucket is
the up-tempo "Crying Tonight."
One
of my faves here is the jumpin' blues, "Ought To
Be Loved," with plenty of strong guitar breaks
and good piano from producer Andersen. This
up-tempo stomper suits Chickenbone's vocal
talents better than others. The band heads to
the Louisiana swamps on "Top of the Clouds,"
with guest harmonica ace Aki Kumar sounding a
lot like Slim Harpo as he stays in the higher
register of his harp.
My
vote for the best song of the album is a New
Orleans-style party stomper, "Hey Shakalo," with
drummer Dodson providing the appropriate second
line rhythm. "City Girl" is a mid-tempo blues
shuffle with a heavy west side of Chicago
feeling, with Chickenbone ably handling vocals
about the girl who gets off the bus in the
country and immediately looks totally out of
place in those surroundings. There's a killer
guitar solo midway through the tune, and Chickenbone
also pays tribute to the late San Diego
bluesman Tomcat Courtney.
Serve It To Me Hot is a fun album with a
very strong group of musicians. It's time to get
a little Chickenbone in your daily diet.
--- Bill Mitchell
 I
was excited to receive the latest album, Long
As I Got My Guitar (Catfood Records), from
veteran blues guitarist / singer Zac Harmon,
and it's got some solid numbers among the
10 cuts. But it's an uneven album, with too many
formulaic songs that just don't cut it. In other
words, Harmon and producer Jim Gaines could have
made an outstanding EP from the material here.
But let's not dwell on the low points and
instead focus on the better songs, featuring
Harmon's strong guitar and pleasing vocals.
The
album opens with still another blues song with the
oft-recorded topic of selling one's soul to the
devil, the aptly named "Deal With The Devil." I
really liked Harmon's guitar work on the intro,
reminiscent to Carlos Santana's playing on
"Black Magic Woman." It fits here. That leads
into another outstanding tune, the slow blues
"People Been Talking," with Harmon again dealing
with the frequent blues storyline of his woman
running around on him in view of others in town.
I like the soulful backing vocals of The Rays,
who appear throughout the album. Good guitar
solo from Harmon, too.
Harmon
takes it to the Louisiana bayou on the slow,
ambling song, "Crying Shame," with Dan Ferguson
moving away from his usual role of keyboardist
to play some Cajun accordion. After a couple of
cuts that just didn't suit my tastes, Harmon returns to straightahead
blues with the mid-tempo title cut, throwing in
multiple strong guitar breaks. He's not flashy
on the instrument, more just a tasteful guitar
player. Perhaps his best guitar solo comes on
the opening chords of "Waiting To Be Free," a
topical tune about today's dysfunctional
political environment and unfair law enforcement
practices. Harmon then
sings about his struggling relationship on the
funky blues, "New Year's Day," lamenting the
fact that he has no resolutions to help him move
forward.
Long As I Got My Guitar ends with two songs
that just didn't do it for me, I again felt were
too formulaic and lacking emotion. I believe
Harmon has a better album inside of him, so I'll
enjoy the strong cuts here and then wait for the
next release to come along.
--- Bill Mitchell
 I'm
always happy to introduce a new artist who just
happens to be from my home state of
Pennsylvania, so here's guitar slinger Gabe
Stillman, the winner of the Gibson
Guitar Award at the Blues Foundation's 2019
International Blues Challenge. You will hear why Stillman deserved the kudos he's earned
in just the first few minutes of his new album,
Just Say The Word (VizzTone). Produced by
renowned guitar hero Anson Fundberburgh,
Stillman's latest contains 15 cuts of heart-pounding
blues, backed by a solid three-piece band and
multiple special guests. By choosing to record
the album in Austin, Texas, Stillman was joined at times by The Texas Horns, Funderburgh, Sue Foley and harmonica ace Greg
Izor. Stillman wrote 13 of the 15 numbers
on Just Say The Word.
Stillman is still a young gun on the blues
scene, having graduated in 2015 from Berklee
School of Music before forming in his own band
based in Williamsport, Pa., but he already shows
a maturity in the business by how he
aggressively attacks his instrument. He plays
solid Elmore James-style licks to start off "Give
Me Some Time," an up-tempo blues shuffle that
gives pianist Taylor Streiff plenty of time in
the spotlight. Stillman launches into my choice
for the best song here, "Let It Go," a mid-tempo
blues with a touch of soul. At times I hear the
influence of Albert Collins in his guitar
playing, while The Texas Horns play a big role on
this one.
"No
Time For Me" is a heavier blues with a driving
beat and a touch of echo in Stillman's vocals,
and his mid-song guitar solo bridges the two
halves of the song quite well. You likely won't
be able to
keep your emotions in check on "No Peace for a
Soldier." The
lofty aspirations of a young man joining the
service instead result in his soul being crushed, with Stillman
singing about the young man's PTSD, "... The
battle may be over, but the war goes on ...,"
emphasizing that sentiment with a monster blues guitar solo.
Great B3 organ accompaniment by Streiff just
makes this song even better.
Stillman changes the mood completely on the
mid-tempo soul ballad, "Just Say The Word," as
he professes his love for a woman and tells her
what he can bring to her. No matter what bad
relationship she had before, he's going to give
her more love than she ever had before. Later in
the album, Funderburgh and Izor join in on a
fantastic instrumental, "Susquehanna 66," that
just plain smokes. Izor takes his time at the
front on the stage with really fine chromatic
harp playing, which leads into Streiff tearing
it up on the B3. Needless to say, there are
multiple outstanding guitar breaks embedded into
the song's 3:22 running time.
Streiff shines again on piano on the up-tempo
driving 12-bar blues, "Ain't Gonna Change," with
Stillman showing that he's indeed a rising star
on guitar. Another keeper is the snaky slow
blues, "I''ll Take Care Of You," a Brook Benton
composition that was a hit for Bobby
"Blue" Bland back in his Duke Records years.
If
this album serves as your introduction to Gabe
Stillman, then it's a great start to following
the career of this young guitarist. Consisting
of 15 cuts, there is plenty of good music on
Just Say The Word, although I wonder if a
few of the less effective songs could have been
left in the studio to make it a more concise gem
of a dozen outstanding numbers. There's really
nothing that's really unlistenable, so just as
well that all 15 songs were included.
What's next for Gabe
Stillman? I can't wait to find out.
--- Bill Mitchell
‘Tis
the season for Christmas albums and singles, so
let’s take a look at a few that are worth
celebrating this holiday season.
 When Mick Kolassa recorded Uncle
Mick’s Christmas Album (Endless Blues
Records) in Memphis, the temperature hovered
around 95˚. If you live in the south and you
plan to release a Christmas album, you are going
to be recording it in less than frigid
conditions. That’s perfectly fine in this case,
because this may be one of the coolest Christmas
albums you’ve heard in a while. Kolassa and
company (Jeff Jensen – guitar, Bill Ruffino –
bass, Rick Steff – keys, James Cunningham –
drums, Eric Hughes – harmonica, Mark Franklin –
trumpet, and Reba Russell and Susan Marshall –
backing vocals) give this album a greasy,
soulful yuletide feel. There are a lot of
familiar tunes present, but unlike you’ve ever
heard them before.
Opening with Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For
Christmas Is You,” Kolassa effectively delivers
it as a soulful, slow blues tune. Next is a
fantastic take on “Frosty the Snowman” that
marries Memphis to New Orleans in a way that
will have toes tapping and heads bobbing.
Kolassa contributes a few original songs among
the nine tracks, the first of which is the
deliciously funky, slightly spicy “The Best
Christmas Ever,” which is followed by a
wonderful read of the blues classic “Merry
Christmas Baby,” which features some superb
guitar work.
Three traditional Christmas tunes follow:
”Jingle Bells,” “Winter Wonderland,” and “Have
Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” While none
of these are usually considered to be “blues”
tunes, Kolassa puts a very bluesy spin on all
three songs. “Jingle Bells” has a old school,
almost dangerous rock ‘n’ roll feel, “Winter
Wonderland” strikes a loose-limbed, carefree
groove, and “Have Yourself a Merry Little
Christmas” is a nice, warm R&B track that
features Jensen on guitar, Franklin on trumpet,
and Steff on a variety of instruments.
The
last two tracks are originals. First is
Kolassa’s rip-roaring blues rocker “Christmas
Morning Blues,” where he wakes up to a house
missing his lover, his car, and his Christmas
presents. The closer is a lot of fun, an
instrumental called “Beale Street Christmas
Jam,” where the band members take turns fitting
classic Christmas songs into a 12-bar blues
shuffle.
Uncle Mick’s Christmas Album has a pretty
high spot in my list of Favorite Yuletide
Albums. Chances are pretty good that it will
occupy a high spot on yours, too. Check it out.
 The
indefatigable Stevie J Blues, one of the
busiest men in the business over the past couple
of years, took some time to craft a splendid
reading of the Charles Brown holiday classic
“Merry Christmas Baby.” Stevie J transforms the
blues Christmas standard from a somber slow
blues to an upbeat funky blues shuffle with a
heaping, healthy dose of blues guitar mixed in.
Pick this one up to include in your Christmas
Party tunes mix. Your friends will certainly
appreciate your efforts.
 “You’re Not Here Blues,” from
Cathy Grier & the
Troublemakers, is a different sort of holiday
song, but one that will ring familiar to a lot
of folks. The song was inspired by Grier’s
poodle, Etta, who passed away last October. As
anyone who’s lost a pet would know (we lost our
dog in May), it’s like losing a family
member. Heck, you ARE losing a family member.
Grier tenderly describes the sorrow one who’s
lost a four-legged loved friend feels during
this time of year. While writing the song, Grier
asked her fans to contribute images of their
recently departed pets to share on a video, and
she received 52 images in 24 hours. Thus, this is a
tune that a lot of people will be able to relate
to.
--- Graham Clarke
 It’s been a while since we’ve heard from
Chicago-based guitarist Guy King (2016’s
Truth),
but he’s been busy in the interim. He married
Sarah Marie Young in 2017 and they’ve welcomed
two children into the world. The changes over
the past five years have obviously shaped King’s
perspective, both personally and musically, and
all of this comes through loud and clear on his
latest release, Joy Is Coming (IBF Records),
standing as the apex of an already
impressive body of work. King has never sounded
better as a guitarist or vocalist on this
wonderful set of ten originals (seven co-written
with author David Ritz) that sounds like an
absolute labor of love.
The title track, written when Young was pregnant
with their first-born, is a warm mix of blues,
jazz, and R&B with a definite retro feel, due in
part to the presence of the Kaia String Quartet
and King’s Bensonesque string bending and
scatting. “Devil’s Toy,” the album’s first
single, is a moody blues that builds to an
intense climax with guest guitarist Joe
Bonamassa joining King. Meanwhile, “Choices” is
a soulful ballad with an excellent vocal from
King, and the upbeat, punchy “Sanity” adds horns
and backing vocals, while King lays down some of
his best guitar work on the irresistible “Hole
In My Soul.”
King’s sweet love letter addressed to his wife,
“Oh, Sarah,” is funky with a bit of a tropical
feel that will put a smile on even the sourest
face. He offers wise counsel on the jazzy,
horn-fueled “Don’t Do It (If You Don’t To Do
It),” and encourages listeners during tough
times (with help from Vanessa Bell Armstrong) on
the optimistic gospel track, “Up Up Up.” Guy
shines vocally and instrumentally on the lovely,
heartfelt ballad “A Prayer For Me,” a masterful
performance. The closer, “Looking For You,” is a
funky mix of blues and R&B.
King’s performance is first-rate, for sure, but
he also receives top-notch support from Tom Vaitsas (keyboards), Joshua Ramos (bass), Samuel
Jewell (drums/percussion), Marques Carroll
(trumpet, flugelhorn), Anthony Bruno
(tenor/baritone saxes), along with backing
singers Tina Jenkins Crawley, Devin Velez, and
Sarah Marie Young (King’s wife). The
aforementioned Kaia String Quartet (Victoria
Moreira, Naomi Culp – violins, Amanda Grimm –
viola, Hope Decelle – cello) are a calming
presence throughout the disc.
An inspiring, stunning piece of work that
encompasses not just the blues, but jazz and old
school R&B, Joy Is Coming will surely satisfy
the souls of any music fan who enjoys these
genres. You’ll want to listen over and over
again.
--- Graham Clarke
 As mentioned a couple of months back, I am
woefully behind in my stack of albums to review
for Blues Bytes. So far behind that some artists
have now released multiple albums that I need to
get to. Ben Levin, whose 2019 release Before Me
was one of my favorite 2020 releases (when I
finally got around to reviewing it), released
Carryout or Delivery in October of 2020 to rave
reviews, and more recently issued Still Here,
both on the VizzTone label. Let’s take a look at
both of these releases, which definitely deserve
to be heard, before I get too much further
behind.
Carryout or Delivery is composed of a dozen
songs, eight written by Levin with four tasty
covers. The originals include “You Know,” a
barrelhouse romper, the retro R&B “Stuck,” which
open the disc. On the splendid slow blues “Too
Good For Me,” Levin plays the electric piano,
and on the spunky title track, Levin leans
toward the jazz side of the aisle. “Have You
Lost Your Mind” finds Levin playing electric
piano and organ with satisfying results (and a
terrific solo from guitarist Aron Levin, Ben’s
dad). The pensive “Some Other Time” is a smooth
ballad, while “Nola Night” is a dazzling
Crescent City-flavored instrumental.
The second half of
Carryout or Delivery is
mostly the cover tunes, beginning with a funky
take on Frank Frost’s “My Back Scratcher” (with
Levin on B3), a wonderful slow burning
instrumental take on Harold Burrage’s “The
Buzzard” (Levin again on organ trading solos
with his guitar-playing dad), Bill Nettles’
“Hadacol Bounce” (Levin’s take is a closer fit
to Professor Longhair’s version), and a
sensitive read of Floyd Dixon’s ballad “Time
Brings About A Change,” which closes the album.
Mixed in with the covers is “Papercut,” a
vintage New Orleans R&B-styled ballad penned by
Ben and Aron Levin.
 Still Here was released a couple of months ago,
and the Levin family spent the latter part of
2020 watching Aron Levin struggle with COVID,
but the guitarist persevered and returns to back
his son on this stellar set. The pair co-wrote
four of the 12 tracks, with Ben writing
three more himself with four covers mixed in.
The whole album has a vintage, intimate feel
with a definite nod toward the classic sounds of
King Records, whose vast catalog of blues/R&B
legends (Wynonie Harris, Freddy King, Little
Willie John, Hank Ballard, to name a few)
inspired both Levins.
The rollicking opening track, “Love and
Friendship,” originally recorded by Jimmy
Witherspoon in the early ’50s, provides as
effective a showcase for Levin’s vocals as it
does for his piano playing. The original title
track is an after-hours blues ballad that takes
its sweet time and provides ample solo space for
the Levins. The comical “That’s The Meal” is a
lot of fun to listen and sing along to, and the
jumping “I Can’t Stop It” is a deep cut from the
catalog of the great Jimmy Liggins that deserves
to be heard, while “Bad Idea” is a clever tune
written by Levin that could have been an R&B hit
back in the ’50s.
“Please Let Me Get One Word In” is an easy
mid-tempo shuffle highlighted by a nice slide
guitar solo from Aron Levin, and the jaunty
“Kissing At Midnight” is the old VeeJay side
originally recorded by Billy Boy Arnold in 1956,
another rare cut that many may be hearing for
the first time. Meanwhile, the instrumental
“Crown Jewel” is just that, with some clean and
sweet fret and keyboard exchanges from the Levins. “Christmas Tears” is a melancholy
blues reflecting on feeling low during the
holiday season.
On the amusing “Her Older Brother,” Levin finds
it hard to develop a relationship with a lady
due to family interference. He does a fantastic
job on Memphis Slim’s “I Wonder What’s The
Matter,” both vocally and instrumentally, and
closes out in marvelous fashion with the
original, timely tune “I’m Your Essential
Worker,” certainly a candidate for future
standard status.
Both albums are keepers, as well as Levin’s 2019
release, but I’m slightly partial to Still Here.
I really enjoyed the vintage vibe throughout. As
stated by many other reviewers and listeners,
Ben Levin seems to have an “old soul” and really
digs deeply into the classic material while
writing new songs that fit snugly within the
genre. The interplay between Ben and Aron is
just wonderful as well……it’s like they’ve known
each other forever. By all means, blues fans
are strongly encouraged to check out both of
these superb releases.
--- Graham Clarke
 Wee Willie Walker passed away three days after
completing recording of Not In My Lifetime (Blue
Dot Records) with The Anthony Paule Soul
Orchestra, but he set the bar pretty high for
future soul-blues singers with this fantastic
effort. The opening track on the album is from
an interview Walker did with Tina Abbaszadeh
just after completion of the sessions, which led
to the album title. Walker possessed a wonderful
voice that was a comfortable fit in a variety of
styles, whether blues, soul, R&B, or gospel, and
the 14 tracks cover these styles. The ten
originals were written by co-producers Paule,
Christine Vitale and Larry Batiste.
The opening track is “Don’t Let Me Get In Your
Way,” a funky R&B track that’s sure to put a hop
in your step. It’s obvious that Walker had a
blast singing this one. “Over And Over” is a
deep soul ballad, and the Latin-flavored “Real
Good Lie” is a standout with Walker’s pointed
delivery and Paule’s deft fretwork. “What
Is It We’re Not Talking About?” has a cool,
retro 60’s pop/R&B feel, and “Make Your Own
Good News” is another inspirational tune that
would be a seamless fit in the Curtis Mayfield
catalog. “Darling Mine” is a
soulful Memphis-styled slow burner that Walker
knocks out of the park, and the stirring “I’m
Just Like You” adds The Sons Of The Soul
Revivers to the vocal mix, with James Morgan
sharing lead vocals with Walker.
Walker originally recorded “Warm To Cool To
Cold” for Goldwax Records in 1968. This version
is a bit different from the original, going from
a gritty southern soul burner to a
country-flavored shuffle and Walker sounds more
resigned to his fate than anguished. “Let The
Lady Dance” is a real heartbreaker about getting
over a lost love and Walker pours his heart into
this tender ballad. Next up are two covers of
Little Willie John tunes, “Heartbreak” and
“Suffering With The Blues.” The former is a
funky shuffle and the latter is a splendid West
Coast-styled slow blues, both with terrific
vocals from Walker and superb support from the
Orchestra.
“Almost Memphis” is a greasy instrumental that
captures the funky spirit of Memphis quite well
with Tony Lufrano’s B3 and Paule’s guitar work,
while giving the rest of the band ample space to
stretch out. The album closes out on a high note, with a wonderful urban blues/jazz
shuffle, Vitale, Paule, and Batiste’s “’Til
You’ve Walked In My Shoes,” a song which sums up
the essence of Wee Willie Walker, who sings it
like he wrote it.
It’s sad that this will be the last recording
that blues fans will hear from this soul/blues
legend, but it’s tempered by the fact that
Walker was able to receive some well-deserved
accolades while he was still with us. Not In My
Lifetime is certainly one of the best releases
of this past year and deserves to be heard.
--- Graham Clarke
 The Iowa-based
Avey Grouws Band recently issued
Tell Tale Heart (Navy House Records), the
much-anticipated follow-up to their
well-received 2020 debut, The Devil May Care.
Their new release has more of a blues-rock bent
than its predecessor, but one of the treats of
listening to their debut was the band’s ability
to blend various genres, and there’s plenty of
that versatility present on their sophomore
effort. As on their previous album, the
band consists of Jeni Grouws (vocals), Chris
Avey (guitars), Bryan West (drums), Randy
Leasman (bass), and Nick Vasquez (keyboards),
with Avey and Grouws composing all ten of the
songs.
The opening track, “Love Raining Down,” is a
hard-driving blues rocker with an emphasis on
“rock.” “There For Me” is a funky mid-tempo soul
track that percolates along quite nicely, with
Grouws’ marvelous vocal and solid support from
the band, and “Bad, Bad Year” is a rock-edged
ballad, while the upbeat “Hanging Around” has a
light ’80s pop feel. The title track is a strong
blues ballad that showcases the depth and
breadth of Grouws’ vocal prowess, as well as a
masterful solo from Avey.
Avey takes the spotlight on the next tune, the
moody instrumental “Mariana,” which is followed
by the wistful “Daylight,” a light and lovely
acoustic number. The catchy, well-crafted
“Heart’s Playing Tricks” is a funky rocking
blues about misplaced jealousy in a
relationship, and “We’re Gonna Roll” continues
the funky groove with its cool 70’s vibe,
courtesy of Vasquez’s keyboard accompaniment. Grouws and Avey
share vocals on
the playful Americana-flavored closer, “Eye To
Eye.”
All in all,
Tell Tale Heart is a fine sequel to Avey Grouws Band’s debut, showing that the band
is more than capable of stretching out in
mulitple genres beyond the blues, thanks to the
versatility of their talented vocalist and
guitarist.
--- Graham Clarke
 A new release from
Brad Vickers and his Vestapolitans always brings a smile to my face.
His brand of blues always gives a loving nod to
the blues of the past, updating it nicely with a
mix of new songs and interesting, sometimes
obscure covers that will be new to most
listeners, and will send them in search of the
original sources more often than not. The core
band includes Vickers (guitars/vocals), Margey
Peters (bass/vocals), Bill Rankin (drums), and
Jim Davis (clarinet/tenor sax), with a host of
guest musicians (Chrlie Burnham – violin, Dave
Gross – guitar, Mikey Junior – harmonica, Dave
Keyes – piano/organ, Dean Shot – guitar, and V.D.
King, who plays a truckload of instruments and
co-produced with Vickers and Peters) joining in.
The Music Gets Us Thru (Man Hat Tone Records) is
the band’s seventh CD and consists of a dozen
songs, eight written by Vickers and/or Peters
with four covers of songs by Jimmy Reed, Larry
Darnell, Tampa Red (a prerequisite for any Vestapolitan album), and J.B. Lenoir. The
original rockabilly-styled “Dumb Like A Fox”
kicks off the disc, followed by a terrific cover
of Jimmy Reed’s “Take It Slow,” featuring Mikey
Junior on harp and Shot on guitar. Vickers’
ballad “Please Don’t Say” sounds like a long
lost swamp pop classic, and Peters’ optimistic
“Big Wind” has a wonderful old school feel with
Burnham’s violin.
The Tampa Red cover is next
with the upbeat “I’ll
Never let you Go,” an entertaining track which
features a clarinet solo from Davis. The
rollicking title track has a real Chuck Berry
feel thanks to Vickers’ guitar and Dave Keyes’
piano. Keyes also features prominently on
Peters’ somber “Now It’s Time For Me To Sing The
Blues,” playing piano and organ. “What In The
World” is another vintage rocker with Davis’
tenor sax, with Vickers breaking out the slide
for a couple of solos. Peters’ “Grab My Car
Keys” is a solid traditional acoustic blues
addressing the loss of a friend.
The last three tracks on the album are a cover
Larry Darnell’s “I’ll Be Sittin,’ I’ll Be Rockin,’”
a lively, swinging blues shuffle with accordion
and sax, “Birds On My Family Tree,” Peters’
tribute to the late Annie Ross (with Vickers on
bass and Gross on guitar, and Lenoir’s “When I
Am Drinking,” a dynamite cover that features the
core band.
It’s always a pleasure to hear these guys make
music. Their sound is based in the traditional
blues, but their creative musical arrangements
and instrumentation, as well as their inspired
songwriting, makes each Vestapolitan recording a
delight for blues fans. The Music Gets Us Thru
is no exception.
--- Graham Clarke
 Before hearing
Whiskey, Women, & Trouble, I was
not familiar with Kurt Allen or his remarkable
band. From what I can gather from the band’s
website, the band is based in Kansas City, where
the album was recorded and produced, and have
been touring the U.S. relentlessly for the past
decade. The band (Allen – guitar/vocals, Lester
Estelle, Jr. – drums, Craig Kew – bass, Beaux Lux – keyboards/sax/backing vocals, Pete Carroll
– trumpet, Trevor Turla – trombone) plays a
smooth mix of blues, soul, funk, and rock. Allen
wrote all ten of the songs on this most
impressive set.
The opener, “Graveyard Blues,” is a hearty
blues-rock number, featuring a gritty
groove and slick slide guitar from Allen. “Watch Yo Step” is a funky mid-tempo blues with
hard-hitting horns, and “How Long” is a fine
slow blues that provides a first-rate showcase
for Allen’s vocals and fretwork. The title track
is a fun, upbeat track that brings the horns
back in for extra flavor, and Allen’s tasty
tribute to his favorite foods, “Funkalicious” is
just that.
“Count On Me” is a solid soul burner with a nice
vocal turn from Allen, “Roadrunner” is a driving
rocker that features Lux on wailing sax, and
“Cry Mercy” is a fine Windy City-styled blues.
The swampy, slinky “Voodoo Queen” features some
nasty bass from Kew, a growling vocal from
Allen, and fierce sax work from Lux. The album
closes on a high note with the old school rock
‘n’ roller “Sweet T,” one that should get fans
on their feet in a frenzy.
Kurt Allen proves to be a great singer, powerful
guitarist, and versatile songwriter, and
Whiskey, Women, & Trouble is a disc that you
need to put on your “must hear” list. Enjoy!
--- Graham Clarke
 Dudley Taft’s musical résumé is most impressive,
founding the band Space Antelope while in high
school in Seattle with Phish’s Trey Anastasio,
and playing with Sweet Water and Second Coming
before launching his solo career playing blues
rock in Seattle. He has since returned to his
native Midwest (Cincinnati, Ohio) and recently
released his seventh album, Cosmic Radio
(American Blues Artist Group), a high-energy set
of blues rock originals, plus a strong cover of
a blues classic from the ’50s. Taft sings, plays
guitar and piano and he’s backed by Kasey
Williams or John Kessler (bass), Walfredo Reyes,
Jr. or Jason Patterson (drums), and his daughter
Ashley Charmae, who provides backing vocals.
The title track opens the disc, and it’s a catchy
rocker that would sound great on the radio. The
hard-charging “Left In The Dust” and “The Devil”
combine rock, metal and blues effectively and
memorably. Taft also covers Jimmy Rogers’ “Goin’
Away Baby,” kicking the intensity of the
original up several notches, before launching
into the grungy blues-funk of “One In A
Billion,” an eight-minute workout that allows
Taft ample space to soar. “The End Of The Blues”
is a stellar mid-tempo track that leans the
closest to a straight-ahead blues track.
Taft’s daughter, Ashley Charmae, was quarantined
with Taft and his wife for three months, and she
sings backing vocals throughou.She takes
the mic for the smoky ballad “Relentless” and
does a marvelous job. “Fly With Me” has a
churning, almost-metal guitar rhythm and a
catchy almost-pop rhythm, as do “Hey Hey Hey”
and “All For One,” both of which could serve
lyrically as wake-up calls for us as individuals
and as a collective. “I’m A Believer” finds Taft
venting his frustration with being isolated and
unable to perform during the pandemic, but he
voices optimism through it all because of the
blessings he did find with his family while
being shut down.
The album closer is quite different from what
preceded it. “I Will Always Love You” is a piano
ballad with acoustic guitar. Taft debated over
whether to include it on the album, but it was
obviously the right choice. It’s an excellent
song and performance, providing a great
conclusion to one of Taft’s best albums.
Dudley Taft is a powerful guitarist with an
intriguing mix of blues mixed with rock and
metal in his fretwork, but the reason listeners
keep coming back is because he’s such a talented
songwriter with an ear for memorable, catchy
melodies. As stated above, Cosmic Radio ranks
with his best albums to these ears. Most
listeners should agree.
--- Graham Clarke
 Paul Boddy & The Slidewinder Blues Band hail
from Pennsylvania, featuring Boddy (guitar/lead
vocals), Lori Gaston (backing vocals), Glenn
“The Wizard” Hale (organ/piano/accordion), Chuck
Hearne (bass), and Dave Hollingsworth (drums).
The group issued an EP late in 2020 called
Friends of Tuesday (Slide Records), which is
taken from their regular participation in “The
Every Tuesday Funk ‘n’ Blues Jam,” a weekly open
blues jam which currently takes place at Club
Havana in New Hope, Pa.
The five tracks are all originals, beginning
with the humorous “Over The Hump,” a funky
rocker that all of us “Old Body/Young Mind”
types can easily relate to. The tough
blues-rocking “Love Me Darlin’” takes a look at
the frustrations of a come-and-go relationship,
and “Money On Love” leans toward southern rock
with Boddy’s slide guitar and Hale’s B3. “Knock
My Boots” is a tight roadhouse with a country
feel and some slick slide guitar from Boddy, and
“Pretty Kitty” is a blues stomper about a song
about a woman’s pet (sure it is) that features
Mikey Junior on harmonica.
Boddy is a fine guitarist and singer and a first
rate songwriter, and his band is superb in
support. Fans of blues with a rock edge will
enjoy this EP and will definitely want to hear
more from these guys.
--- Graham Clarke
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